Natural depression treatment – how to get rid of depression without medication

How to beat depression without meds

You’re searching for depression treatments without medication – so I suspect you’ve been feeling pretty lousy lately.

Perhaps you’ve had enough of the antidepressants because they don’t work and have too many side effects. Maybe you can’t get treatment for whatever reason. Or you simply don’t like taking any medication.

Therefore you’ve chosen to stay in control of your recovery instead of relying on something your family doctor or psychiatrist prescribes.

Great! Know that feeling in control of your destiny is an inborn emotional need. So, you’re choosing in line with your innate needs and resources. In other words – you’re very likely to have already what you need to beat depression without medication – you were born with it!

And antidepressants have far more side effects and risks than your doctor would have you believe.

The good news is that you’re much less likely to suffer a relapse further down the line when you learn to fight depression without meds.

However, depression is a serious condition. Left untreated, it can cause no end of misery for you and your loved ones. So, if you’re feeling depressed, I urge you to get a diagnosis from a qualified mental health worker, be that your family doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist. Please, consider that even if you’re unsure of the signs and symptoms of depression (link). But, be prepared to stand your ground if your doctor wants to prescribe.

“Can depression be cured?” you might ask yourself because you may have already suffered several episodes.

Let me reassure you: mostly, it can.

Sadly, though, some people are left having to struggle through repeated episodes of deep depression. And all too often, loved ones just don’t get it.

However, I’ve witnessed hundreds of clients get better – mostly without meds (some were already on antidepressants by the time they came to me).

They learnt to meet their essential emotional needs in balance. They also made full use of their inborn resources. This strategy is one of the best natural cures for depression as it encourages your body/mind’s healing mechanisms.

However, let me start with a warning before we get cracking with treating your depression without medication.

How to get rid of depression without medication

Being proactive is THE best way to fight depression without meds

Unfortunately, some of my clients were already on antidepressants (mainly SSRIs) when they came to see me. They’d consulted their doctor, who may have had:

• little time for them
• limited knowledge of how to treat depression without medication 
• not referred my client to a suitably qualified therapist.

Also, the protocol your doctor follows is often to prescribe antidepressants and offer talking therapy simultaneously (depending somewhat on where in the world you reside).

Oh, how that frustrates me as a therapist!

If you do both at once, how would you, as the patient, ever realise that you’ve made progress because of your own efforts and not because of the medication?

Most people can get better with time and without any medical intervention.

However, you do need good information to help you find ways to beat that depression without medication.

Fortunately, though, these days, doctors are increasingly prescribing exercise and other health-promoting lifestyle changes.

Step 1 – essentials for when you’re depressed

Firstly, if you’re feeling suicidal, please go straight to my page: Help with emotional problems, to find where you can turn to right now.

Secondly, there are numerous medical conditions (e.g. an over- or under-active thyroid). So, do have a health checkup if you haven’t had one yet.

Thirdly, check the side effects of any of your prescribed medications.

Drugs prescribed for high blood pressure, hot flushes (flashes), prostate enlargement, pain, digestive system or lung problems, epilepsy, and – would you believe it – depression and anxiety, are linked to depression.

(Source: http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-mind/mood/article/your-medication-causing-depression)

Step 2 in dealing with depression without medication

Dig out the underlying cause to beat that depression

Even though we’re talking about beating depression without medication, I urge you to try and figure out if there could be any underlying cause(s) for your depression.

Without knowing what’s wrong, you’re unlikely to find the right way to beat your depression without meds.

So, what’s going on for you?

What has happened in the past, and what’s happening to you now?

1. Are you unhappy in your marriage?
2. Are you dissatisfied at work or overburdened to the extent you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown?
3. Are previous unresolved difficulties in any area of your life rising to the surface again?
4. Have you been traumatised? Could you have PTSD? Or are you living with someone with PTSD?
5. Do you have money worries, or are you stressed about the children?
6. Are you feeling anxious about something – or everything?
7. Do you have relationship issues?
8. Have you had a traumatic birth?
9. Are you having relationship problems after the baby?
10. Are you drinking too much? There’s a link between alcohol and depression.
11. Are you in the menopause?
12. Are you a man suffering from depression and reluctant to ask for help?
13. Are you having money issues? Is your partner or spouse spending too much?
14. Are you dealing with constant criticism at work?
15. Are you going through a divorce?
16. Are you bored with life?
17. Anything else?

If you can identify the root cause(s) of your worries and troubles, you can start taking practical steps to address them. That is the most direct and effective way to get rid of depression without medication!

Can’t seem to put your finger on what’s making you feel depressed? Think most of your life is ‘fine’?

In that case, too, I recommend you talk to a therapist or even a trusted friend. An outside perspective can really help you to figure out what’s going on for you right now.

Can’t seem to put your finger on what’s making you feel depressed? Think most of your life is “fine”?

In that case, too, I can really recommend you talk to a therapist or even a trusted friend. An outside perspective can really help you to figure out what’s going on for you right now.

Your next step is making sure you witness you’re making progress in beating your depression without medication.

Here’s how to do that…

Step 3 – grade your mood

At the start of curing your depression without meds, you’ll want to make a note of where you’re at.

Consider how you’re feeling grading your mood between 0 and 10 before and after any activity.

So, take a journal, a notepad or set up an excel sheet – whatever works for you. Fill in numbers zero to ten. 0 = suicidal and 10 = ‘deliriously’ happy. Decide on the ‘in-betweens’ moods yourself.

3 tips to stay on track with treating your depression without medication

1. Plan your day – hour-by-hour.
   Set realistic, achievable goals to measure your success and tick some boxes on your to-do list. Remember, if you’re going to do the same as before, you’re going to get the same results. Not what you want. So, please take this seriously and commit to it!
2. Focus on what is going well,
   and do more of it. Taking baby steps is absolutely fine (and remember to reward yourself).
3. Cut yourself some slack
   without succumbing to hours and days of doing nothing. Fatigue and depression can go hand-in-hand.

Step 4 – natural ways to help depression without meds

None of the following ways of treating depression at home requires you to take any medication. And yet, all can contribute to improving your mood significantly.

5 ways to beat your depression at home

1. Stop ruminating!

That is – stop yourself going over and over the same problems, as that is what’s maintaining your depression. Give yourself a maximum of 2 x 20 mins a day to confine your worries to specific times.

See also: How to get rid of depression.

2. Familiarise yourself with earthing to deal with depression

For further information, see ‘earthing‘.
(Search YouTube for videos on how to do it safely).

3. Pick up something creative

Dig out your long-forgotten projects, start one you longed to do for ages or find a new course to take (there are plenty of, often free, internet offerings these days to enjoy from the comfort of your home).

Get in the zone in a healthy way instead of becoming transfixed on everything that’s depressing in your life.

4. Stop giving yourself a hard time

Constantly undermining and humiliating yourself generates depression.

5. Stop procrastinating to beat that depression

Notice the stories you tell yourself as to why you can’t or won’t do something. Challenge yourself!

Despite that depression and fatigue, I love you to commit yourself to take action. You’re not going to get better by hiding under the duvet. Staying slumped on the couch aimlessly flicking through TV channels makes you even more depressed.

Step 5 – food affects your mood

Use food to get rid of depression without meds

Everything you swallow provides the raw material (or not) for the production of important ‘chemicals’ (hormones, peptides, neurotransmitters etc.) in your body/brain. All that stuff ensures that your body does what it’s supposed to do.

These substances affect all processes in your body – not just what happens in your head. That’s why tablets – like antidepressants – manufactured by pharmaceutical companies have significant ‘unexpected’ side effects.

And therefore, you also have to be picky about your natural remedies for depression!

In addition, the foods you eat – and don’t eat – have an effect on how you feel mentally and emotionally.

It’s vital to make sensible food choices. Good quality food contains all the natural ingredients for the production of those important body chemicals.

We need proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. We need them in a particular combination to achieve optimum mental and physical health.

Therefore, a healthy, varied diet is one of the best natural remedies for depression.

Just think – how would a petrol car function if you filled it with diesel?

Read on…

Nutrition and depression

We need proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. We need them in a particular combination to achieve optimum mental and physical health.

Therefore, a healthy, varied diet is one of the best natural remedies for depression. These days we are much more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies.

We eat far more food with empty calories (you know the ones I mean!) and food that grows on soil depleted of natural substances that would have added the necessary minerals to our diet.

In addition, there are extra demands on your body, and thus its need for vitamins and minerals, if you… 

• are stressed,
• have health problems,
• have food sensitivities or allergies,
• take medication,
• have a genetic condition or predisposition that thwarts the absorption and use of vitamins and minerals.

Deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals are known to contribute to mental health problems.

Step 6 in dealing with depression without meds

Can you really beat depression without medication?

For sure, there are plenty of natural ways to treat depression without drugs!

Now add a few of the ideas in this list to your plan of action. Focus on what you can do – not on what you think you can’t – and give it time.

Choose at least one you can do daily, once a week and once a month:

19 natural ways to deal with depression without meds

1. Meeting your essential emotional needs in balance, as I mentioned earlier – it’s the best way to treat depression without medication.
2. Exercise – see how and the results of a study further down.
3. Light therapy – we have become rather shy of the sun with all the warnings about cancer. BUT… the sun is life-giving.
4. Self-development – getting to know and accept yourself without judgement and taking actions known to increase happiness.
5. Personal therapy – connect with a licensed therapist.
6. Relationship counselling – about 50% of those suffering from depression have relationship problems. If you and your partner are falling out, talk to an online relationship expert.
7. Aromatherapy, reflexology, and massage are known to improve mood.
8. Psychobiotics – supplying your bowels with specific bacteria with a beneficial influence on your mental health [1]. I know – you might find that hard to believe right now… but watch this space! To be honest, you can make a huge difference simply by adjusting your diet.
9. Religious practices – the sense of community, meaning and purpose – all human givens – can help you find great relief.
10. Make decisions – particularly those you have been putting off – no matter how small. Get back in the driving seat of your life. 
11. Meditation – See my article on how to deal with a nervous breakdown.
12. Practising gratitude
13. (Re)build your self-esteem – see my article: How to improve your self-esteem.
14. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) – one of the best natural ways to deal with depression without meds. See this clinical study.
15. Hypnosis for depression – it’s powerful, affordable and very user-friendly. See my article: Self-hypnosis FAQ and downloads.
16. Undertaking new and different activities to break the cycle.
17. Dance – any type of dance (that includes the dancing you do in your own way in your own home!)
18. Music therapy [1] – watch the inspiring talk by violinist Robert Gupta from the LA Philharmonic. Robert has a special interest in music and mental health. Enjoy this wonderful treat.
19. Drumming (link opens in new tab), in particular, is very effective.

Oh, and I forgot – HEALTHY eating – feeding your mind and body! See my Pinterest board: Easy Healthy Desserts & Sweet Treats and further down.

I’ve also developed a free printable worksheet for you to help you take the best care of yourself…

How to beat depression naturally with exercise

I so want you to take to the streets – in the right way! Motivate yourself by creating an account on MapMyWalk.com and chart your progress.

Walk out of your front door and carry on walking. It’s as simple as that. I’m serious!

I know you’re likely to have trouble motivating yourself to do anything at all at the moment. However, we’ve already established that you need to stretch yourself to beat your depression without meds.

So, just start with 10 minutes if that is all you can face right now.

Then walk a minute further every day or at the very least 3 times a week. Make it an unbreakable habit. I know you can do it! And see how far you can get eventually.

Here is the result of a huge study:

Step 7 – adding natural remedies to beat that depression

St John’s Wort for depression and fatigue

Considering taking herbs to fight depression?

Sure, they’re natural. But, remember that herbs can still be considered ‘psychotropic’ drugs and not necessarily safe.

St. John’s Wort, for example, is one of the most recognised natural remedies for depression and safer than SSRIs, according to this study (link opens in new tab).

But it comes with one safety warning. You’ll need to consult your doctor before taking it if you are on any medication (particularly antidepressants) or the contraceptive pill.

And while we’re talking about the contraceptive pill, research has shown that the pill can cause anxiety, depression and low libido [3]. So it might be worth asking your doctor to review your medication to ensure it’s suitable and appropriate for you.

Natural remedies for depression: Bach flower remedies

This healing system is based on energy. Dr Edward Bach discovered that the energy emitted by specific flowers could heal particular character traits and emotional states.

He distilled 38 plants and flowers into special preparations. Here are some natural remedies for depression (or really – depressive states):

• Agrimony -for when you’re feeling tortured on the inside, but appear cheerful on the outside,
• Cherry Plum- fear of going mad,
• Gorse – for a sense of hopelessness and despair,
• Sweet Chestnut – for extreme mental pain.

Supplements to treat depression without medication

Can taking supplements really improve your mental health?

I’m not a fan of taking supplements with the expectation that they’ll transform your well-being.

Nutritional supplements, such as the B vitamins, magnesium and fish oil, are often recommended to improve mental health.

However, to get the benefit of one, you need another for the first one to be absorbed. And for your body to be able to use the latter, it needs yet another substance, and so on.

In addition, the average supplement you find on the shelves often contains chemical ‘lookalikes’ with a good chance your body doesn’t even recognise it – if it can absorb it at all.

So, it’s no surprise that eating the right foods is the safest, most effective ‘supplementation’.

Home ‘remedies’ to fight depression

No matter how rubbish you feel, think again when you’re just about to eat another ice cream, cake, sweet, doughnut, bagel, bag of crisps, chip, lump of bread, etc.

These provide only’ empty’ calories – they fill you up and give a temporary sense of comfort – but crucially, they don’t provide the nutrients you need to help you recover.

And sugar “causes chronic inflammation, which disrupts your body’s normal immune function and can wreak havoc on your brain” [4].

So, instead of junk, think fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, olives, and fermented foods (such as kefir and sauerkraut. If you’ve never heard of it – just google it).

These are the best home remedies to deal with depression without medication, even if they don’t provide immediate relief.

Finally

There are plenty of natural ways to beat depression without medication.

But, don’t beat yourself up if you decide to go for the antidepressants after all! You choose what suits you most – medication or no medication!

I know you’re far stronger, capable and resilient than you think. You’ve got this!

Other helpful links

References

[1] Wium-Andersen M, Ørsted D, Nielsen S, Nordestgaard B. Elevated C-Reactive Protein Levels, Psychological Distress, and Depression in 73 131 Individuals. Elevated CRP Levels and Psychiatric Illness. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2012; DOI: 10.1001/2013.jamapsychiatry.102

[2]

[3] The Contraceptive Pill: How Safe Is It? BBC Horizon

[4] Ramsey, Drew, MD, and Phillip R. Muskin, MD. Vitamin Deficiencies and Mental Health. How Are They Linked? Current Psychiatry, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2013.