camillalev Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 (edited) hey all, I'm looking for natural remedies to help with mild depression. I was severely depressed last summer, since then my state of mind has improved however I'm nowhere near 100%. With the sh**ty weather, having not seen the sun in over two weeks, losing interest in my hobbies and projects(things I must do to move my life forward), not feeling motivated to do anything except watch movies and aimlessly browse the internet and generally feeling a bit helpless, the comatose of depression is slipping over me again.. Maybe it's just seasonal. February is the worst month of winter. I got St Johns Wort and B-complex vitamins as well as some healthy food from the grocery- Bananas, apples, spinach, and sweet potatoes, things that are supposed to help with mood. Definitely an improvement from my recent diet of glazed donuts Is there anything else? All suggestions are welcome. Also, does anyone have personal experience with SJW, I've read good things but does it actually work? Edited February 28, 2013 by camillalev Link to post Share on other sites
DannyMason Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 How is your body mass index and physical activity level? Cardiovascular exercise and a healthy weight works wonders. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Feelin Frisky Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Good nutrition, plenty of exercise and good oxygenation of the brain, vitamins. Other than that I recommend against OTC or vitamin shop "natural remedies" because they are unregulated and can be dangerous. I have frequently spilled my experience here. Herbals are not medications, they are toxins which affect multiple systems in the body and have "drug-like" properties much like other plants people use like tobacco, tea, coffee, coca. If you have "mild depression" it is called "dysthymia" and the way to best treat it is with the highly specific medications that are prescribed in today's medicine most of which do not have any presences in your feelings as did earlier meds which tended to blanket the central nervous system with sedatives or stimulants. I have taken SSRIs (Prozac) for 20 years and know it to help me greatly to let go of stupid side trips into preoccupation with negative feelings. So-called "natural" remedies are snake oil. You're better off eating right, sleeping enough, exercising and just trying to psyche yourself into positivity than taking some capsule of Wiccan wizardry with caffeine as the likely pep agent. Link to post Share on other sites
Author camillalev Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 Hey FeelinFrisky, dysthymia sounds like exactly what I have. I've considered taking light anti-depressants but have never gone forward with it. How would you go about being prescribed? I'm also working on a very limited budget, I don't know if I can afford therapy. How much do anti-depressants normally cost? Link to post Share on other sites
Author camillalev Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 DannyMason, My BMI according to some website I just googled is 18.5. I'm 5'4" and about 110 lbs. As for activity.. lately not much. I live in nyc, normally I am out and about walking everywhere, taking stairs etc. As for formal workouts I haven't gone to the gym. I've looked into it and would like to but gyms are so expensive.. here at least.. I might be able to swing it if it weren't for the insane initial membership fees. Link to post Share on other sites
candie13 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Go running - should help immensely. Cheap and good for the mood. Try to go for a run every other day - 30 min. It'll help. As for St John's wort, watch out for those secondary effects - the pill !!! - and interaction with any other antidepressants you may be taking. Get professional help - and this can be serious, you are risking you future here - ask your parents for money for that, if they can help out. It can significantly improve the quality of your life, if not help you beat your depression for good. Link to post Share on other sites
CptObvious Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Just lift bro. You can't be sad when you look better than everyone else. Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 (edited) If you are in NYC you have so many distractions. Google Watson Adventures in NYC. They have them in most major cities and they look like fun. In a few weeks we change the clocks ahead so it will stay lighter longer in the day. I have a feeling just that little change will make you feel better. At this time of year in the Northeast you are suffering from "cabin fever." It feels like spring will never come. Get out as much as possible. I was tired when I got home from work but forced myself to go out in the dark and walk half an hour. I feel so much better now. Google more foods to fight depression. I'm doing a similar diet change for foods to fight anxiety. I have to admit I feel better already and it's only been a week. Sugar is my drug and that will make you definitely feel worse. Edited March 1, 2013 by FitChick Link to post Share on other sites
Feelin Frisky Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Hey FeelinFrisky, dysthymia sounds like exactly what I have. I've considered taking light anti-depressants but have never gone forward with it. How would you go about being prescribed? I'm also working on a very limited budget, I don't know if I can afford therapy. How much do anti-depressants normally cost? If you have insurance they are cheap. Walmart, Target and other pharmacies have had a $4 prescription program for some meds, including Prozac" for several years now (and you don't need insurance to get that price. You'll only need insurance for the doctor who prescribes.) If you can't afford a doctor or insurance, then apply for Medicaid. Medicaid pays the entire cost. Sometimes a general practitioner will give you a popular AD like Prozac, some GP's however see that as strictly the purview of a psychiatrist and will refer you to one. You may have a co-pay there. But all in all in the US if you need treatment, and don't take no for an answer you can find a venue. That might include seeking out clinics who charge "sliding scales" or who will take payment in small chunks of say, $10 a month until you cover the doctor's charges. The meds can be as little as $4 for a month. Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Drug pushers start out offering you drugs for free and then they gradually increase the price until you get hooked. Frisky, have you thought about working as a pharmaceutical sales rep? You could make a fortune! OP, do the taxpayers a favor and don't go on Medicaid. There are people with real illnesses like cancer or Parkinson's who need help more than you do. Link to post Share on other sites
Anela Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Flower essences can help, as can other things - not everything is snake oil. My sister was made worse by an anti-depressant. Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Camillalev, just spotted your other thread. No wonder you were depressed. Anyone in your situation would be. I'd call that a normal reaction. Instead of taking a pill, you've just taken action and voila! Feel better already. That's how it's supposed to be. There are appropriate reactions to life situations. You are meant to feel emotions so you can learn from them and grow. Wanting to feel happy all the time or feel nothing at all is unhealthy. Well done to you and I wish you luck on your job search! Most successful people will tell you they got ahead by perseverance, not because they were smarter than everyone. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Feelin Frisky Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Drug pushers start out offering you drugs for free and then they gradually increase the price until you get hooked. Frisky, have you thought about working as a pharmaceutical sales rep? You could make a fortune! OP, do the taxpayers a favor and don't go on Medicaid. There are people with real illnesses like cancer or Parkinson's who need help more than you do. I am not a "drug pusher" and American pharmaceutical manufacturers are not either--neither they nor I "push" the use of any medication that causes a dependency. I give advice on medication for those who are sick of emotional and behavioral maladies that keep them unhappy--not recreational drugs used to get stoned. And your assertion about doing the US taxpayer a favor by not applying for Medicaid (if you qualify) is exactly the foolish argument people use who know nothing of economic truth about health care in America. Those who do not get routine care for misguided "beliefs" that they are burdening others are the ones who let preventable illnesses progress to a point where they become million dollar treatment scenarios when someone calls 911 for them. This is not my opinion--this is economic truth and it is only through economic truth that the Heritage Foundation--a right wing think tank--architected the health care plan that Mitt Romney put into effect in Massachusetts as governor and President Obama put into effect nationally (errantly believing that by doing what the republicans found to make the most economic sense and help people the most, he might win some respect from them. Instead, extremist haters waged a propaganda campaign to muddy the history of where Obama Care came from and tried to make it sound like a leftist socialist take-over of the US health care system, which it seems you've bought into. It is not a socialization of medicine. The government is not taking over hospitals or doctors--it is trying to lead people (even by threat of penatly) to get covered by whatever they can to avoid the neglect scenario where the tax-payer picks up the tab for ignorance that leads to extreme heath crises.) But economics are dollars and cents and don't lie. And republican governors are slowly but surely admitting that they idea is good--after all, their party is the one who did the math in the first place. Don't imply I'm a drug pusher or evangelist. I'm merely interested in observing the truth as I experienced it in my own treatment in advice solicited for by others. Yours is often harmful misinformation based on personal bias and not careful study. Link to post Share on other sites
betterdeal Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Have a look into 5HTP, fish oil and Rhodiola Rosea. 5HTP is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin and occurs naturally in the body. Fish oil contains lots of vitamin D and omega 3+6 oils (which improve mood) and Rhodiola Rosea works somewhat like St John's Wort. As SJW is a MOAI, be aware of the "cheese affect" if you are using it. But as others have said, exercise and good diet will pick up your mood beyond what any supplement is capable of. Even a brisk walk in the park will help lift your mood. Link to post Share on other sites
lavenderlove Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 You can take supplements to make up for the losses your body suffered during the doughnut period, but don't wait for any herbal or non herbal wonder to change your life. Although if you haven't seen the sun for what seems like ever, take Vitamin D. 1. Exercise. It will bring your heart rate up, and you will feel better. 2. Get out and socialise more. 3. Do things you love doing. 4. Generally have a goal of each day trying to do something about getting more active, and do not let yourself be dragged into just resting. 5. Address the issues that hold you back from doing all the above, but don't overdo the thinking. GPs get paid to subscribe you something because that is the only thing they can do for you in the 10 minutes you sit at their desk. Therapy? Talk to friends, talk to us. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
SmithWood Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Meditation won't permit any thoughts to creep into your mind, choose Yoga: this may considerably relieve your stress and depression, Do Exercise which incorporates physically active like swimming, walking, hiking or horseback riding & scan Positive & sensible psychological feature Quotes are going to be Used for light Depression, maintaining With Friends and Relatives is to boot useful for it. Link to post Share on other sites
adelia Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I can vouch for the exercise it does help but the only problem is it wears off. Link to post Share on other sites
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