Has anyone overcome depression without meds?

MaximalLife

When it comes to clinical depression, you are playing with fire.
Seek professional help! OK, got that out of the way....
So, to answer your question, yes, I was medicated after an accident. I got off the med's and took control of my life.
This is how I stay on track; maybe it will help you.
One word: GOALS!

And I address these areas:

Family and Home
Financial and Career
Spiritual and Ethical
Physical and Health
Social and Cultural
Mental and Educational

I write out what I want out of life in each of these areas. And what action can I take to get there.
When we write down a goal we are more likely to achieve it. Written goals can be reviewed regularly, hence they have more long-range power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also, by writing goals in the following fashion, you can stimulate your subconscious to be continuously alert to situations that will further those goals.

There are tons of websites and info available free of charge just like MFP.
It's work just like MFP.
The ball is in your court.

Good Luck.

Helloitsdan

*wave*

katermoody

Well yes and no...I have suffered from depression off and on for 20+ years. With me it seems that outside events trigger it. When things are going smoothly I don't even notice it but when the world around me starts crashing down (loss of family member, loss of job, etc...) I cannot cope and go back to meds. This time (6 months ago) the same meds I have always taken suddenly seemed to start having an adverse effect, I was losing hours each day to complete blackouts. I got to the point that I couldn't take it and knew I had to make a decision and only I could do something about it. Some friends had started a diet challenge and were doing great, so I did a battle in my head to join in, set a start date, and 13 days later I am feeling great. I think the thing that helps me most is that my days are now very regimented and I am spending so much time logging things, getting on motivational calls, utilizing MFP, that I don't have time to remember that I am depressed. Not to mention the fact that I quit smoking 71 days ago, and have given up the alcohol that I was totally depending on to try to make myself numb...Now I am filling my body with good stuff and it really seems to be doing the trick. My husband, children and the rest of my family cannot believe the transformation. This is what seems to be working for me...Good luck to you and hang in there it's a rough road but I truly believe it can be beaten. Feel free to friend me, I am a good listener...

kirbykez

Why don't you want to take meds? I took them after my daughter was born 22 years ago. And I think they saved my life. I had post partam depression and took meds for six months. They really helped me. I don't know of any natural remedies though. Although I think exercise - hard core exercise that brings your heart rate up- triggers the happy endorphins in your brain!

:noway: There is NO WAY you had a daughter 22 years ago!!
By that I mean u look to young lol

RhonndaJ

I don't blame your GP for refusing to give you different meds given your first reaction. However, what your GP should do is get you to a psychiatrist ASAP.

A GP simply doesn't have the experience or specific training needed to figure out what meds might work better. Mind you, even with a psych it's still a trial and error type thing.

Now, I'm not saying that meds are necessary, but they can be, and they can also be helpful in getting you to a place where you can handle your depression without them.

I've lived my entire life (49 years) with depression, anxiety, and for me it's definitely a chemical imbalance and not situational. I need my meds, and thankfully have finally found a combination that works 85 percent of the time.

As for coping without meds...

Exercise helps a lot of people, but not everyone. It drove me crazy for a long while when people, including my doc, told me exercise would help. It didn't help me. But movement, dancing, just getting out in the air, does.

Eight hours of sleep. Just don't oversleep which is so easy when you're depressed.

Plenty of sunshine.

Watch your diet. Some foods may trigger you.

Music. Not necessarily upbeat, just the stuff you love that makes you feel good.

For me, reading helped, because it got me out of my own life for a while and that made things easier to bear at times.

Some people have good experiences taking herbals like Valerian and St. John's Wort. Be careful with these because some people get some spectacularly violent dreams from taking them.

Depending on the cause of your depression, counseling or cognitive behaviour therapy, may work.

Pollyfleming

23 years ago I had a serious clinical depression that lasted two years. About a month into it, I went to my Dr. and asked for a referral to counseling and meds. My doctor told me that depression had nothing to do with biology-that depression was a character flaw and that I was weak and lazy to want meds. He gave me the number of a counselor. I tried cognitive therapy. To be honest I learned some really great strategies in cognitive therapy. However, I suffered with my depression for 2 years. What finally got me out of my funk? Meds.
People think that if you're on anti-depressants you don't feel sad. That's not true. It's just that once I was on anti-depressants, I had appropriate emotions. Being depressed I felt empty- like a big ball of nothing. Once on meds, I started to feel like me. I only took the meds 3 months and I haven't taken them since. But now I am filled with joy and happiness and gratitude and sadness and loneliness and everything that it reasonable for a person with my life to feel--but not depression.
I don't know why you are reluctant to take meds. Is it money, the stigma, your family, your religion? Please reconsider. Also, realize that there are so many meds, it might take a few tries to find the right one.
Whether or not you do the meds, I would reccommend that you also look at cognitive therapy. It's really valuable. Best of luck to you!

paladeac

1. Find a good therapist. Talk to your doctor and friends for a referral. Check out their web sites to get a feel for how they work.
2.Studies have shown that exercise is as effective as meds in dealing with depression.
3. I highly recommend two books: Feeling Good Handbook (He helps a lot with the negative talk that can feed into depression) and The Depression Cure (He did survey of research to put together a list of non-medicinal interventions that are as effective as meds, if not more so.)


Depression can be like the waning light on a car dashboard, letting you know something needs to be addressed - either something in your life now that needs changing (like a toxic relationship or not taking care of yourself) or an old hurt that needs to be healed.

Our lifestyle affects our brian chemistry.

loosinglaura

Depression is a chemical disorder. There are a lot of things that can mess up the delicate chemical balance in our brain and some of us are simply more genetically prone to an imbalance. Depending on the severity of your depression you may need meds to overcome it. But, they are not always necessary. I have personally battled depression since the birth of my second child. I did take an SSRI for a few years, while I can now manage it without the meds. Most anti-depresents at SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor), they essentially raise the level of serotonin in your brain and help to keep it at a good level. Here are some natural ways to increase serotonin levels:
- Exercise (get your heart pumping and your brain gets a workout too)
- Getting 8 hours of sleep (there is a cycle here since a lack of sleep worsens depression while depression can make it difficult to sleep - it's okay to take a non-narcotic sleep aid - Tylenol PM, Benadryl, etc.)
- Talking - healthy, comfortable, pleasant conversation. Or talk therapy if your depression was triggered by a specific event or trauma.
- Sex
- Chocolate (dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa)
- Laughing (rent a good comedy now and then)
- Coffee helps for some people.
- Sun!! Not sure if you have sun right now where you live, but if you do get out in it!!!

The key for me is to have a regular exercise routine and stick to it. I also need to spend time with my husband where we are not busy with other things or the kids and periodically get a break from my kids. I get out in the sun when I can and honestly, if I am having a bad day a couple of squares of Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate does help. I do this and I don't need Prozac, I stop and I'll either be miserable, or back on the meds.

chachita7

I refused to even see a doctor, though I was completely aware of the fact I was depressed - and my sister didn't waste any time to point it out every chance she got. I hated it all and was giving up - I used to cry with no real reason. Push everyone away as well...

How I have gotten passed it:

(1) I had to look at myself very closely and realize nothing was depressing me except "me"
(2) I had to adopt the attitude and thought that there is noone nor nothing that can make me happy except "ME"
(3) I have come to the understanding that my mental, emotional, and physical health depends solely on "ME"
(4) I also have come to the realization that I am a complete person cuz God doesn't make halves
(5) Most importantly I learned that I need to love myself above it all and I am in complete control of who I share my love with.

The following is probably one of the most impacting things I have ever read -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMipyQ5cgyg

The following is probably the most impacting quote I have ever read -- “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”- Charles R. Swindoll

I feed my brain with as much positive as I possibly can, I do my best to laugh as often as I possibly can - music is my release.

Working out is my biggest medicine - when I am at the gym I think about nothing else but myself (selfish maybe but effective) - this is for ME.

It doesn't work the same for everyone - but this is what has worked for me...

jillyt85

I have struggled with clinical depression since I was 12 years old. It's something that runs in my family. I was put on meds immediately for it and was off and on them until about 2 years ago. I have also been overweight my entire life and didn't really start trying to get healthy until last year. My sister in law is a doctor and told me about all of these vitamins and supplements to take and told me to start exercising. It has helped SO much! I still have days that are very hard to get through, but I also have a very supportive husband and family. I do believe there are some people out there, however, that need the medication...at least for a while. I've also read that the adrenal gland (don't quote me here though) can have an impact on your physical and mental health. You could always get tested to see if yours is working properly, but I think the best thing for that really is proper diet and exercise. Like I said before, I still have hard days, but I don't want to kill myself anymore and I feel a million times better than I ever did while I was on medication. It's amazing what truly transforming your physical health can do for your mental health.

pinkdawn72

Good therapy was the only thing that helped me overcome a year and a half of major depression. No meds for me.
I saw a counselor for 6 months and it changed my life! Dealing with past trauma was the key for me. I also spent many many hours doing personal"homework" with self help books and meditation. I wish you the best and hope you will seek outside help in some way.

rocketgurl8

I was taking depression medicine a few years ago for depression and for a nerve problem in my leg. My depression wasn't to the point where I wanted to kill myself. I was just sad and un motivated due to the loss of 2 babies I had. When I started taking cymbalta I didn't notice much of a difference. Then I started having those I'm gonna kill myself thoughts. I knew something was wrong cause I wasn't like that before. I called my doctor and she said she would put me on something else. Told me to stop taking it. I ended up in the emergency room a few days later because I thought I was going crazy. My brain felt like it was doing brain shivers. The ER looked at me like I was nuts and never heard of such a thing and said it was vertigo. Turns out my doctor didn't take me off the medicine slowly. She stopped me cold turkey and put me on a nerve medicine. I decided from there on out to never go back to the doctor for my problem and to get through it myself. I read inspirational books that related to the situation that caused the depression. I had a lot of support from my family. Exercise does help a lot. Finding things you love to do to get your mind off things. I love to fish and found it peaceful to be outdoors and relaxing to be by the water. Keeping a journal of your thoughts is good and it helps to write out the positive things that happen during your day rather than the negative. I'm doing well now and I am the happiest I have been in a long time. I gained a lot of weight from being depressed too. This website has helped me loose weight and has given me more confidence in myself which has also helped cure the depression. I know for sure no matter how depressed I get in the future I will never take another depression pill again. It really messed me up.

eggheadrn

Yes...I went through six meds and every single one gave me horrible side effects. (Twitching, anger, impulsive thoughts). One major factor that was magnifying my depression was that my Vitamin D levels were dangerously low.

So, now my nurse practitioner monitors my Vit. D (have to be careful w/supplements because D is a fat soluble vitamin and can become toxic). I also eliminated artificial sweeteners, get acupuncture/cupping regularly, see my naturopath, and use a mood light (which insurance covered). I use that at home and here is the one I keep in the office. I LOVE my BriteLite...

http://www.usa.philips.com/c/Light-therapy/hf3310_60/prd/en/?origin=|mckv|sjuSZVS1O&pcrid=8534381694|plid|

lookslikeyoda

Only temporarily, it keeps coming back, i refuse to take drugs tho x

JesterMFP

I don't know how much conversation you've had with your GP about this, but perhaps try asking if you could try a different kind of antidepressant that works in a different way to the one you had problems with, or if you can get referred to a psychiatrist.

Stuff that's helped me after 10+ years of depression:
-meditation (took a while to get into it, and not a good thing to do when you're at a really low point, but helps a lot now)
-therapy/counselling (took a while to find the right person, but has worked wonders)
-cognitive behavioural therapy (did this myself, from books, didn't get much joy from a CBT therapist)
-regular exercise (looks like you're already doing this )
-making an effort to talk to friends/loved ones even when I don't feel like it. Whether it's about depression, or just normal conversation, it helps. I find it really wasy to isolate myself when depressed.
-eating well, geting plenty of carbs, protein, micronutrients such as fish oils. There are supplements like 5-HTP or St John's Wort, but do check with your doctor before taking them. Eg. St John's Wort works in the same way as some anti depressants, so you might have the same issues.
-getting fresh air and sunshine (or at least daylight) every day
-keeping the day structured, keeping busy, trying not to let small chores get on top of me
-taking time every so often (each week?) for myself, making a point of doing things that make me feel good and taken care of, like getting a massage, or some other complimentary therapy

There's a book called "50 Things You Can Do Today to Beat Depression" by Paul Vincent - it's short and very lightweight, but gives a load of ideas of things to try. His theory is that no one thing is going to fix depression, but each thing might help a tiny little bit, so if you try them all, you might get somewhere.

tataliciousd89

1. Sleep (8 hours uninterrupted, every night)
2. Meditation (10 mins undisturbed, use music if you want, as needed)
3. Exercise (apparently burns excess adrenaline that causes downward spirals)
4. Sex
5. Chocolate (in small doses, when the other 4 are out of the question)

This 100%! I'm struggling right now because sex and chocolate are out of the question for me sadly enough at the moment. Basically I just keeep to a very strict sleep schedule and exercise every chance I get. Even just five minutes of lifting between folding the laundry and starting homework is a huge help. I like to "meditate" while walking early in the morning when nobody else is out. Very good start to the day.

beduffbrickie

I didnt come on this website to dicuss personal problems about me, but I have been on anti-depressants for 3 yrs to deal with anxitey, but around xmas Ive been suffering from depression and anxitey because I thought I was ready to come off my meds, I had gave them up for 2 months and felt ok, then one day bang I was back to square one searching for the answers again, since I have been back on meds, I reliase they take you off rock bottom in order to make a small attempt to deal with the depression.

They do help. they helpping me however small the steps are.

wittlelacey

This girl. I had a lot of family and personal dramas going on, after the suicide attempt of my father. I started to question my own reasons to live. I delt with depression for about a full year, and it started to lighten up about six months ago. The only thing that would make me feel better was sleep. I met my boyfriend three months ago and I've never been happier. I have my sad days but love saved me.

terinee

I did a few years ago! I am kinda "anti" medication for depression. It seems to me that the people that I know that take depression medication get worse. (Just my observation). I knew one person who even committed suicide after beginning medications. Anyway, if you wanna talk off-line send me a message. I'd be happy to share.

blazeybug87

When it comes to clinical depression, you are playing with fire.
Seek professional help! OK, got that out of the way....
So, to answer your question, yes, I was medicated after an accident. I got off the med's and took control of my life.
This is how I stay on track; maybe it will help you.
One word: GOALS!

And I address these areas:

Family and Home
Financial and Career
Spiritual and Ethical
Physical and Health
Social and Cultural
Mental and Educational

I write out what I want out of life in each of these areas. And what action can I take to get there.
When we write down a goal we are more likely to achieve it. Written goals can be reviewed regularly, hence they have more long-range power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also, by writing goals in the following fashion, you can stimulate your subconscious to be continuously alert to situations that will further those goals.

There are tons of websites and info available free of charge just like MFP.
It's work just like MFP.
The ball is in your court.

Good Luck.

I agree with the above, no one's advice is better than your doctor's.

Looking at it from a goal setting perspective, I found life coaching and NLP extremely helpful in sorting out my own head during some rather dark times. I would recommend 'Be Your Own Life Coach' by Fiona Harrold to anyone.