Navigation Menu

[Anonymous]

:D   Hey all

I have tried Prozac and Wellbutrin

Prozac at the beginning made me sleep alot

Wellbutrin energized but I had insomnia still trying Wellbutrin

Any natural antidepressants w/out the side affects

Tried ST Johns wort and was sleepy too discontinued

Thanks
Ed

[Anonymous]

My Husband was very depressed at one time and the doctor wanted to put him on Prozac. Instead he asked to have a physical done because he knew that his sleeping all the time and being crabby wasn’t natural. He had blood work done and found he had a thyroid problem. Now after a year of adjusting his meds he is no longer depressed and sleeps like a normal person.

I know this has nothing to do with a natural form but sometimes it’s something else besides depression.

[Anonymous]

St John’s Wort has been said to be a natural (herbal) antidepressant.  My way of getting out of depression has been to get busy, talk out my problems and then find something to be happy about. I have taken pills but it wasn’t natural.  Too many times pills are given and all you need to do is find a natural high.  I know a lot of you are going to say that isn’t true but I was in a very depressed state for a while.  I finally realized that I needed to enjoy life and stop being down all the time.  Try looking at the glass as half full (not half empty).  I took St John’s Wort for my problems.  I find something almost every day that will make me laugh.  I lost my best friend to cancer when she was 43 so don’t think I haven’t had problems.  I am just sick of people sayig that pills will cure you.  Being down changed some chemicals in your body so find something to be happy about and they may just change back.  Mine did.

[Anonymous]

Life is too short to let any of it be stolen by depression, so I’m a big advocate of doing whatever you need to do to get rid of it.  

You want natural?  Depression is natural.  So is pneumonia.  That doesn’t mean you should pretend they don’t matter, or that taking a pill to feel better is a bad thing to do.  

I haven’t heard of anything other than St. John’s Wort to deal with depression naturally — and believe me, I’ve done the research.  

What they say about antidepressants is true — everyone reacts to them differently, so what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.  

Calcium/magnesium has helped me sleep — taken right before bedtime.  (The magnesium is important for the absorption of the calcium.)  

5HTP helps some people sleep.  I took it and it was wonderful for about a week and then it seemed to keep me awake.  So I took two and it was wonderful for one night and then it seemed to keep me awake…  I’m going to try upping the dose again, but only on nights when I don’t have to work the next day.  I suspect it’s not going to be helpful, ultimately; however, I have a few friends who swear by it.  

I take Wellbutrin too.  Yes, it affects my sleep some, though not as badly as at first.  

Sometimes a doctor will prescribe a tiny bit of one of the old-style antidepressants to help you sleep.  Pamelor has worked very well for me, and one other, whose name escapes me at the moment.  They’re not habit-forming.  

Depression that is not chronic usually lasts 6 months to 3 years.  That at least was what the textbooks said when I was studying, which was ten years ago…  Antidepressants can speed up the process and make you feel better.  

Finally, if you’re feeling suicidal, please go to an MD.    Don’t mess around with a life-threatening situation, and don’t pay attention to anyone who criticizes you for taking pills.  Don’t risk your life because of people who want you to take vitamins and exercise or look on the bright side.  Depression is a serious illness.  

Christy

[imported_CSinbadParticipant]

Depression is a serious illness for some but not most people.  Try to be happy and enjoy life before accepting pills as the way to solve your problems.  Remember that it isn’t natural to take pills to solve depression so try the milk and do activities to enjoy life.  Try the natural solutions first.  Years ago we didn’t have all those pills and people didn’t try to kill themselves that often.  We might have more attempts today because of the pressure we put on ourselves.  So try removing the presure from your life.  That may be all you need.  If not then maybe a pill might help but use them as a last resort.  Remember pills aren’t natural and drug companies are out to make money so they will be more likely to prescribe a pill over a glass of milk.

[imported_caliopejadeParticipant]

I have to agree with Christy on this one. Now, I am the frugal, nature-loving, earth-mama queen, but Prozac & thyroid is the only thing that works for me.  St. John’s Wort did not. I have dealt with clinical, chronic depression for over 30 years.  My life is not that bad, but unfortunately my genes are.  I am all for finding as much happiness & beauty in your life as can be found, but if that’s not enough, take a pill if it will save your life.

[imported_SnoodlesParticipant]

This is an old posting but Ed, if you are still out there and interested, try a natural B Complex vitamin.  This has been used successfully for years for many reasons too detailed to go into here.

Emphasis on the “Complex” part; beware of using only individual B vitamins or a small assortment of B’s.

[imported_LesleyParticipant]

Feeling depressed is one thing, having clinical depression is another. Most of us will get depressed/sad/blue at some time in our lives. By all means, use the “natural” suggestions above (with a large dose of common sense). Find a friend to talk things through with. If you don’t know why you are feeling depressed talking with a caring therapist could be helpful.

IF you are having some of the following symptoms, your depression may be clinical and will likely require a medical intervention.

1]depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
2]loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities
3]decrease or increase in appetite
4]unable to sleep or sleeping excessively
5]fatigue or loss of energy
6]feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
7]unable to think clearly or concentrate
8]recurrent thoughts of death, thoughts of suicide or suicide attempt  GET HELP IMMEDIATELY

You only have to have a few of these symptoms to be diagnosed with clinical depression. Clinical depression is a medical illness and medication may be needed to relieve  the symptoms.
Getting treatment early can increase the chance of full recovery. However, many people with this condition may benefit from long-term medication management just as with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.

IF you are having thoughts of death or suicide, SEEK MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY. You need to go to your family doctor, an Emergency Room, your local mental health clinic or counseling center. It’s great if you have a family member or friend to support you through this but you need a professional who is trained and licensed to diagnose and treat clinical depression. IF you go to a medical doctor, in addition to medication ask for a referral to a good therapist such as an LCSW, an LPC, an LAC, an LMFT. Psychiatrists are medical doctors and can prescribe effective medications for depression but few are trained therapists despite what you see on TV. Working with both a doctor and a therapist is the most benefical course of treatment.
IF you are suffering from any of the distressing symptoms of depression, it is NOT your fault, you are not weak or damaged. You have a treatable medical illness. PLEASE, seek professional help NOW!
Blessings upon you.

[imported_boogles5Participant]

To all of you who have or are still suffering from depression, bipolar, disorder, or anxiety, I am with you!- and I am diagnosed as ‘schizotypal,’ too.  Have been through 18 medications in 8 years.  Now I am finally on a good balance of lithium and depakote, along with a few other things, but possibly the most depressing aspect of my life since first being put on meds has been weight gain.  The day before I first saw a psychiatrist, I weighed 135 pounds (21 yrs.old, 5’9″).  I have gone as far up as 188 pounds, and have basically yo-yo-ed between sizes 10 to 14 for a long time.  Now I’m a 14, 175 lbs., and relatively used to it.  I have been reading a lot, however, about the benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar, which has been a weight loss aid for centuries.  Twice a day I mix 1 t. raw (organic) apple cider vinegar, 1 t. of watered down honey, and just enough lukewarm water to get it down.  I have noticed that my appetite really has declined, simply by realizing that I am now staying busy for hours on end without thinking about food.  In fact, tonight I waited until way too late to eat and got a little shaky and anxious.  Today was also the first day in literally two or three years that I did NOT TAKE A NAP (I’ve been working part-time for a long time).
So, give it a try.  I forget the name of the website that I found all of this helpful information on, but just google “vinegar depression” or “vinegar weight loss” and you’ll find a helpful site.
Blessings!

[imported_boogles5Participant]

I wrote in earlier about vinegar for metabolism, but have since given that up.  In my search for natural ‘pick-me-ups,’ however, I have come across some wonderful items.  Note:  I am taking three prescription antidepressants and a mood stabilizer for bipolar II disorder, so these are just everyday adjuncts.
1.  Rosewater, or anything with the scent of rose has a natural anti-depressant quality.  When I bought my first bottle (a reasonably priced bottle at Whole Foods), I would spritz in on my face 2 or 3 times a day, and it was incredibly soothing.  Also, I would spritz it on my pillow and bedsheets before going to bed.  I also use it as a toner, as I like to think that the essential oil absorbs into your skin, enhancing the effect.
2.  Epsom salt bath/soaks — excellent for overall tension and physical/mental anxiety.  Usually you pour 2 cups into a warm bath, unless you mix it half and half with either dead sea salts or baking soda (to soften skin), as I sometimes do.  
3.  Adding essential oils to baths.  If you do some research on the web, you can find which essential oils are especially stimulating for a depressive state.  The ones I know of and use are clary sage, bergamot, and melissa.
4.  It’s summer!  Get your daily sunlight and exercise!  I really have to force myself to get out and walk some days, but it is really worth it.  As you can tell, my mood does get better during this time of year, and if I even think of something like a wool sweater, I have a flash of depression.  Use ‘natural’ brands of SPF lotions, especially on your face.  Don’t buy Coppertone or any of that other drugstore stuff.  

[imported_refuge821Participant]

I can get real moody and down over life’s events and there’s plenty of them to yank you into a hole.  How we think does make a difference and thought patterns are very hard to change, but if you work at it, they can be.

I’ve found that Niacin (B3) helps for many folks who are blue.  It’s called the Happy B Vitamin and has made a difference for me when I’ve gone through grieving seasons of life.  I always use a B complex to go with it since it’s good to have a base of balance in the B’s when you’re going to take more of one B vitamin.

Whether it changes the neurotransmitters (chemical balance) around I don’t now, but B Vitamins are definitely involved in many things and these days with all the junk food and stress, we don’t have enough of them.  They are water soluble which means they aren’t stored in the body and they are important for a zillion functions in the body.  

What I used is Nature’s Sunshine Niacin since it doesn’t cause the flushing:
http://www.theherbsplace.com/Niacin_250_mg._p_524.html

Along with a super B Complex:
http://www.theherbsplace.com/B_Complex_Capsules_p_464.html

Hope that helps.  B vitamins have been linked with depression in a lot of research.

Here’s a site that says:
“The B-complex vitamins are essential to mental and emotional well-being. They cannot be stored in our bodies, so we depend entirely on our daily diet to supply them. B vitamins are destroyed by alcohol, refined sugars, nicotine, and caffeine so it is no surprise that many people may be deficient in these.”

Read the entire article here:
http://www.depression.about.com/cs/diet/a/vitamin.htm

[Author]

Posts