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Natural treatments for depression

How to deal with depression without medication

Use natural treatments for depression to avoid all the horrible side effects from prescribed antidepressants and stay in control of your own recovery.

As your depression is likely to affect your personal relationships too, and may have been caused by relationship problems, do read my pages on relationship advice too.

Please seek help from a doctor or mental health professional right now if you are feeling suicidal at this moment!

How to overcome depression without medication

The great of advantage of taking natural treatments for depression is that you make your own choices. That is SO important when you want to beat that depression!

Taking prescribed antidepressants often contributes to your feeling out of control - the drugs are doing whatever it is that is happening to you, not your own efforts. The reason you got depressed in the first place may have been that you already felt powerless in the face of life-events. Unfortunately prescribed antidepressants are also more likely to increase your chances of developing further episodes of depression.

All the more reason to treat that depression naturally, including using herbal remedies, supplements (see link further down to Natural Antidepressants) and a diet for depression. Your own body is very capable of producing the very best and safest of natural antidepressants. It only needs a bit of encouragement with some natural treatments, such as for example fish oil.

It is really important that you start taking care of yourself with the benefit of the best advice available.

Pick one activity to improve your mood today!

None of the following activities require you to take any medication whatsoever and yet all contribute to your feeling better - much better - very quickly.

First of all - familiarise yourself with 'earthing' (link below). This is the one most simplest of strategies that you can do, that is not necessarily going to cost you anything. Dr Billy has also written how inflammation is reduced by earthing and the link between inflammation and depression (link below).
Go for a massage or reflexology. Do a course in massage yourself!
Go for a brisk walk or a cycle ride (at least 30 min. 3 x a week). Aerobic exercise increases feel-good hormones (endorphins) in your body.
Join a gym or aerobic exercise class. Watch this 9 minute video (# 2 of 7) about the benefits of exercise for depression. Dr Mercola here is interviewing medical journalist Robert Whitaker, who has written several books about the dangers of antidepressants. If you have time, I certainly urge you to watch at the very least the first part of the seven in this series.

Go swimming regularly. Take swimming lessons - learning any new skill helps.
Join a tai chi, yoga or meditation class - fantastic for lowering stress and feeling great.
Improve your mood initially within just 20 minutes and go on to permanently cure your depression with the Complete Depression Recovery System
Do something creative - dig out your long-forgotten projects, find a course.
Stop giving yourself a hard time! Relentlessly bullying yourself generates depression!
Make that decision - stop procrastinating. Not sure what to do?
Check out the proven remedy: MindSoothe for for Depression, Insomnia, OCD and Anxiety from the amazing company Native Remedies.
Eliminate your anxiety with Panic Miracle

Grade your mood

Consider how you are feeling between 0 and 10 before and after any activity - 0 = suicidal, 10 = ‘deliriously’ happy.

Remember that if you are feeling low, you may not necessarily be suffering from depression - you may just be having a lousy day - no natural depression treatments needed! Just make sure that your essential emotional needs are met. See my page: the human givens for further information (link below).

Every morning decide on, and commit to, actions that are most likely to make you feel good. Plan your day.

"To be yourself in a world that is trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Questions about hypnosis? See: Hypnosis online FAQ.

5 Tips to stop negative thinking

Keep a journal/diary and note down during the day when you FEEL OK. It will deal with your negative bias and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Notice and challenge ‘black and white’/’all or nothing’ thinking and listen out for it in other people, without judging it in either yourself or others. Focusing on others will stop you becoming too self-absorbed.
Allow yourself time to worry (if you really need to!) - half an hour a day.
Write your worries down to ‘separate’ yourself from them at that time. This is one of the best natural depression treatments. You are not your worries - there is so much more to you!
Make a list of six things to distract yourself when you find yourself worrying, so that you can focus your attention outwards, rather than inwards.

10 Tips to raise your self-esteem

See also the link to: How to improve your self-esteem (see links below)

Turbo-charge your self-esteem with the Build Your Self-Esteem hypnosis download (via my page Hypnosis Online FAQ)
Stretch yourself -- physically, intellectually, emotionally; self-esteem comes from being competent in several areas of your life. Ensure you set achievable goals - you want to be pleased with yourself TODAY.
However awful you might feel - do look out for things you can be grateful for
Frequently remind yourself of your achievements: passing an exam, promotion, bringing up children, organising a party, managing a move, sorting finances, finishing a project, or simply going out. Write them down.
Find and get involved in a new interest, perhaps something you have always wanted to do; contact your Adult Education Center/local college.
Do some voluntary work to help you meet your emotional needs.
Remind yourself that there is no failure, only feedback.
Look after yourself: create a super healthy menu for the week, then shop.
Forget about following a diet to lose weight, other than prescribed by a professional for health reasons - 9 out of 10 diets fail.
Save your marriage or relationship - Click the link to read my review of the marriage repair system by Lee Baucom, PhD

TIMES ONLINE

Psychiatric diagnoses are less reliable than star signs”

Richard Bentall, Professor of clinical Psychology

How are you sleeping at the moment?

Sleep and dreaming are absolutely vital for mental health. Advice on natural depression treatments should always include advice on how to improve sleep.

First and foremost follow the advice on changing negative introspection.
Follow the advice on exercise.
Visit my page on natural sleep remedies and insomnia and treatments (link further down)
Solve problems you do have a measure of control over. Visit my page on problem solving strategies and techniques.
Set realistic, achievable goals, so that you can measure your success
Reward yourself after any activity that is not rewarding in itself.

The very best natural depression treatments

Puzzle with missing pieces You can get better - all by yourself, by using natural depression treatments! Look at all the ideas offered here. There must be some that really appeal to you.

Don't rely on one of two - decide on several. Keep an eye on your budget of course - I would not want you to add to any money problems you might have.

Bit by bit you can piece your life back together. The colour will return and you can feel better than ever! 'Trying' isn't going to do it. You just have to believe it and go for it. You deserve to feel happy, which is much easier to achieve with hypnosis - it will calm your emotions, settle you down and lift your mood - one of the best natural depression treatments. I strongly the Complete Depression Recovery Formula - it's safe and effective.

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You may also be interested in:
Depression questionnaire Fish oil and depression Natural antidepressants How to improve your self-esteem Human givens Natural sleep remedies and Insomnia and treatments Problem solving strategies and techniques Dealing with criticism Relationship problems Adrenal fatigue treatment