Natural Treatments for Depression

Once considered a figment of the imagination, depression is recognized today as a real medical disorder, one that often requires years of treatment and therapy to successfully overcome. Millions of Americans suffer from bouts of depression each year, most of whom will see improvement within a few weeks. While severe depression should be monitored and treated by a doctor, occasional depression may respond to natural treatments.

Symptoms

• Depression affects a person's mood. It reaches across racial and social lines to affect people of all ages and economic conditions. Sometimes, depression is a result of life changes, but often there is no outwardly apparent cause. During a period of depression, a person may feel unshakable fatigue, irritability, sadness and the inability to make decisions. Physical symptoms include weight gain or weight loss, muscle aches and in severe cases, thoughts of suicide.

Hormones

• Three times as many women suffer from depression as do men. A study published in the (2005) Psychology Press indicated that hormonal imbalances might play a part. Natural food products that include phytoestrogens, such as soy milk, alfalfa sprouts, barley and garbanzo beans, when eaten as part of a healthy diet, may alleviate hormone-reactive depressions symptoms in women, especially during the menopause years. Post-partum depression should only be treated by a physician. (See Resources)

Physical

• Some depression sufferers find relief with natural physical treatments that include meditation, yoga, deep massages, acupuncture and acupressure. In addition, chiropractic treatments may reduce depression symptoms, as reported in the (2006) issue of Clinical Chiropractor, if they relieve chronic neck or back pain that causes the patient to feel limited and depressed. Most natural physical treatments for depression are temporary, and the patient must maintain his depression-free state by continuing with the treatment.

Food

• Senior Magazine Online advises that the foods you eat may contribute to depression. By keeping a log of what you eat and how you feel afterward, you may be able to pinpoint certain foods that make you feel down in the dumps. Reducing sugary snacks and highly processed foods in the diet that cause blood sugar to spike may stabilize the body's insulin levels and prevent depression in some. Other foods linked to depression in some people are caffeine, pasteurized dairy products and produce grown with the assistance of pesticides. However, there is no clear set of foods that create the same reaction in everyone, so keeping a log is imperative when determining which foods trigger your depression.

Exercise

• Perhaps the last thing you want to do when you are depressed is exercise. However, just taking a brisk walk releases endorphins into your bloodstream, which will boost your mood. Any type of physical activity that elevates your heartbeat for longer than twenty minutes releases endorphins, and you will feel better. Choose an activity you enjoy, such as mowing the yard or raking leaves. Some depression sufferers find it easier to join an aerobic class with others. The long-term effects of regular exercise may reduce the recurrence of future bouts of depression.

Herbal

• Herbal teas, capsules and tinctures may alleviate some of the symptoms of occasional depression. Some of the popular herbs used to treat depression are St. John's wort, ginseng, kava kava, rosemary, thyme, licorice, borage, ginger and clove. (See Resources)