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Alternative Depression Therapy

Depression is an illness that affects the whole body. It can impact every aspect of your life including the functioning of your body and your outlook on life. It's also very serious, and true depression is not a temporary rainy day feeling that will go away on its own. In fact, left untreated, it can go on for years. Although there are numerous pharmaceutical medications to treat depression, many people can treat their depression successfully with natural therapy.

  1. Therapy

    • Highly trained professionals such as psychologists are an extremely effective first step in treating depression. Therapy will address the feelings of helplessness, self doubt and meaninglessness that come with depression. It can also help a depressed person to focus more on the positives as well as creating a behavioral plan to cope with stress and increase productivity.

    Positive Psychology

    • Positive psychology is a relatively new school of thought that studies the strengths and virtues of an individual. Basically it's the focus on what's going right within a person's life as opposed to the negatives. According to the University of Pennsylvania's Positive Psychology Center (see Resources), it is the practice of understanding positive emotions entailing the study of contentment with the past, happiness in the present and hope for the future. Positive psychology as an alternative depression therapy uses things such as an individual identifying his strengths, writing letters of gratitude and keeping a journal of good things that happen each day.

    St. John's Wort

    • There are some natural alternatives to widely used pharmaceuticals such as Prozac, which is primarily used to treat severe depression. A study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine demonstrated that although St. John's wort was helpful for more mild forms of depression, it was not effective in treating severe depression. St. John's wort is an herbal remedy, and although it is harmless in small amounts it can be toxic in large doses.

    Other Alternatives

    • Be sure to also get plenty of morning sunlight as studies, including one from the Scientific Institute at the University of Milan, have shown that sunlight can reduce the length of depression. A good diet is also absolutely an essential natural alternative treatment for depression. Make sure you get plenty of fruits and vegetables and seek to reduce your intake of refined sugars. Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels has been shown to help keep a steady mood balance. Eating numerous small meals throughout the day that also contain lean proteins will help maintain proper blood sugar levels. Incorporate a daily walking program into your schedule as well. Walking is an excellent alternative to television, and natural endorphins are released. Endorphins are considered the "feel good" hormones. The University of Maryland Medical Center (see Resources) has recommended massage, acupuncture and dietary supplements as helpful. Gradually introduce some or all of these alternative therapies for depression and expect some natural help for this painful condition.

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