Depression

[space_cat]

Are there any alternative treatmens out there for depression. They can't include any herbs etc as i'm already on a high dose of anti-depressants. Accupuncture has always kinda interested me, but whether it will work for my condition is another matter.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[firecoins]

Are you seeing a psyhiatrist or are you getting these medications from a general practioner? I suggest therepy treatment on top of the medication.

acupuncture is very useful for depression. It ususally requires you take herbs. learning qigong is cheaper and has the same effect.

You probably should think about a change in you diet, more exercise & meditation. Also listen to cds on positive thinking.

I cant stress more that you do alot of physical exercise. Running is good exercise and when your in shape, it becomes like a moving meditation.

[traditionalist]

exercise is just as, if not more, effective as meds.
physical activity is a must and meds should only
be used as a last resort...also changing your environment
is key as well. you can do all these positive things
to help you with depression, but if the very reason for it
still surrounds you, the problem with never leave.

[mojo shorin-ryu]

chigung helps....also in all honesty, get involved with a good church group ( not just cause i would want you to go to church ) its just that people who go to church and are invloved tend to be happier than those that dont.... ( that is if you arent already, but if you are get involved with ministry )

theres the stuff i can think of that hasnt already been mentioned

[Lord Spooky]

Are there any alternative treatmens out there for depression. They can't include any herbs etc as i'm already on a high dose of anti-depressants. Accupuncture has always kinda interested me, but whether it will work for my condition is another matter.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.



What level is your depression at may I ask?

I found meds did sod all for me, in fact they made me worse so I came off them but that was me it may be different for you. Also I came off them on my own, without guidance from my GP which was really stupid and not the right thing to do.

One thing I would recommend, from experience, is to sort your diet out because I would imagine that if you’re depressed to such a degree that you require high levels of anti depressants then you probably aren't eating correctly. Next step is to increase you level of activity. I found both of these helped give me a boost and more importantly helped me get some decent sleep.

Firecoins gave some good advice!! Positive thinking though it may sound corney will do wonders. The cycle of negative thoughts is one of the big things, IMO, that keeps you down it needs to be broken. Look up CBT!

It's a vicious circle with depression and no matter how many people you’ve got to help you the only person that can break that circle is you. Also read as much as you can on it, information really is ammunition with this.

There really is no one miracle cure for this, it's lots of little steps that you have to take.

[RazorKaine]

exercise is just as, if not more, effective as meds.
physical activity is a must and meds should only
be used as a last resort...also changing your environment
is key as well. you can do all these positive things
to help you with depression, but if the very reason for it
still surrounds you, the problem with never leave.

Well not really, it could become better even with little things.
BTW, the suggestions are good: excercise can do miracles, will release positive substances in your body. Try.
Also: never change/stop meds without a phisician advice or supervision!
You could think of joining (if you don't already) a psichoterapy to the meds, it could help.
See people, even if you don't feel like it, try.
HELP OTHER PEOPLE. Try being a volunteer in some kind of shelter. Do little things that can help people, probably it could make you feel better.

Iperico is a herb that can help depressed people, BUT before taking it ask an expert since I don't know how it could interact with meds.
Best of luck, been there, done that (and I know that sooner or later it will return, and I'll fight back!!!).

[Moosey]

Omega 3 supplements (like cod liver oil) have a positive effect on depression - eat oily fish, or take cod liver oil capsules if you don't like fish, or I think flax seed oil is a vegetarian alternative.

This isn't an "alternative" therapy, it's been scientifically proven on a population wide level to have positive effects on the illness.

[Mixitup]

Omega 3 supplements (like cod liver oil) have a positive effect on depression - eat oily fish, or take cod liver oil capsules if you don't like fish, or I think flax seed oil is a vegetarian alternative.

This isn't an "alternative" therapy, it's been scientifically proven on a population wide level to have positive effects on the illness.


I saw a program on this a couple of weeks ago (watch anything about Omega 3's as my son has been taking it for years). There was a guy who had been depressed for years, several suicide attempts etc. He took Omega 3 for a couple of months and he had turned into your normal fun loving guy.

They had scanned his brain before and after the treatment and it had grown, something they thought was not possible.

I wouldn't think it would interfere with any treatment either. Make sure you get a good brand though, there's a lot of crap out there.

[Su lin]

Does Omega 3 help general concentration etc, as having problems with that at the moment?

From my experience (many of my family members suffer from depression) the anti depressents they took made them worse.My Dad in particular was on Seroxat and it completely changed him ,it was awful to see. Its frightening how gps seem to prescribe them so easily.

If you can find a more natural alternative I imagine its worth a try. And excercise always seems to improve mood.

[Moosey]

I saw a program on this a couple of weeks ago (watch anything about Omega 3's as my son has been taking it for years).
One local council did a trial where they found that providing cod liver oil capsules in schools improved children's concentration and behaviour. It's funky stuff!

Edit: just did a quick poke around and found that omega 3 as a supplement to anti-depressant medication has a positive and very fast-acting effect. So, to the OP, perhaps that's the way to go?

[Mixitup]

It's supposed to help all aspects of you, skin, hair, nails, joints, mind, body and spirit. :D

It's starting to be recognised as a general cure-all supplement that everyone should be taking (unless you eat lots of sardines and mackerel).

We started my son on it years ago when recommended by a martial arts based nutritionist. That was for his joints and general health, it's only recently that the positive effects on the mind and concentation have come to light.

[ap Oweyn]

It's not specifically what you asked for, but I have to ask. How long have you been on the antidepressants? They take a while to build up and do their thing. And there are different sorts of antidepressants that work on totally different mechanisms. So just because one doesn't work, it doesn't mean that another won't help you.

But remember too, it's not an either/or. There are lots of good suggestions here. And there's no reason you can't combine good diet, exercise, helping others, therapy, and antidepressants. Hell, if you did all that, I'd be amazed if you didn't see a vast improvement.


Stuart

[Emil]

A good thing for depression is something called an Entrainment Tape. Basically, burn several songs onto a cd that reflect your current mood, then add tracks that reflect how you would like to develop, and then several of how you would ultimately like to feel.

[ap Oweyn]

A good thing for depression is something called an Entrainment Tape. Basically, burn several songs onto a cd that reflect your current mood, then add tracks that reflect how you would like to develop, and then several of how you would ultimately like to feel.
Huh. That's a good idea. I hadn't heard of that before.

[Emil]

Huh. That's a good idea. I hadn't heard of that before.

Yeah. I studyed Musical Therapy, and that is just one of many ways to help treat depression.

[space_cat]

Hey thanks for all your replies. I've been on antidepressants for 7 years and am now on the max dose , i do take omega-3's and i do/have taken regular vigorous exercise.
I've tried Qijong but find it too inward focused. As a systema bod i do practise some of the breathing patterns and exercises, oh yoga as been of some help. Infact all of the mentioned have been of some help but they just don't quite do it for me.
Anymore suggestions?

[ap Oweyn]

Hey thanks for all your replies. I've been on antidepressants for 7 years and am now on the max dose , i do take omega-3's and i do/have taken regular vigorous exercise.
I've tried Qijong but find it too inward focused. As a systema bod i do practise some of the breathing patterns and exercises, oh yoga as been of some help. Infact all of the mentioned have been of some help but they just don't quite do it for me.
Anymore suggestions?
Max dose of what? An SSRI?

[Nick K]

OK my tuppence worth.

If your depression is treatment resistant i.e. fails to respond two adequate interventions e.g. courses of antidepressants at manufacturers' recommended doses for SSRIs, >100mg/day for tricyclics or >150mg venlafaxine, etc or evidence based psychological interventions - CBT, problem solving, interpersonal therapy then you should ask for referral to a psychiatrist, preferably one with an interest in mood disorders. Treatments for TRDepression include combination of 2 antidepressants, addition of mood stabilising meds, especially Lithium, addition of atypical antipsychotics, addition of tryptophan and a variety of other things. Appropriate prescribing depends on a holistic assessment of you, your life and your problems. Expertise in delivering psychological treatments is highly correlated with success, so if you have only seen a primary care counsellor using a generic supportive approach, you may also wish to see a psychologist. Your psychiatrist should be able to sort this out for you. Psychoanalysis is not an effective treatment for true clinical depression.

The comments about diet and exercise previously made are all sound, unlikely to be harmful and may help. If you are female, then the adddition of folic acid brings about a response in some people to SSRIs.

Have a look at www.nice.org.uk for the UK depression guidelines. There are similar guidelines available from the American Psychiatric Association if you are on that side of the Atlantic.

[space_cat]

Yep max dose of Sertraline (zoltoft?). Am on 200 mg a day and aslo on olanzapine 10 mgs a day.

[aikiMac]

Are there any alternative treatmens out there for depression. They can't include any herbs etc as i'm already on a high dose of anti-depressants.
If the drugs are working, then why ask?
If the drugs are not working, then why do you want to keep using them?

The herb "St John's Wart" is a strong anti-depressant.

[space_cat]

Firstly i never said the drugs are working.
The drugs do work to some degree, but with all things they help, and it proberly is apparent that at this moment i am very depressed and i'm looking for some help with complamentry therapies.
If you've ever had any experience of serve clinical depression and the useage of antidepressants you should know that they are not the "cure all" that people beleive them to be. They are not like pain killers or anything like that, they take anything upto a month to "kick in".

All the literature that i've seen about St johns Wart is that it is only effective for very mild depression. Or prehaps you've some experience with it, or you have a super strong varaity growing in your back garden.

The reason i keep using them is that as i've already mentioned they take time to kick in. Also despite what the manafacturers may say they are addictive and can take weeks/months to taper/come off of them.

[ember]

I'm going to reiterate the "work with your professional" aspect first of all, don't drop medications without consulting them.

You say you've tried yoga, I would suggest keeping it up, along with your exercise program. You can get some recommendations on specific poses for therapeutic applications at Yoga Journal Online (http://www.yogajournal.com/index.cfm?ctsrc=tnav) . It specifies mild depression, but I suspect that's to encourage people to work with their professionals wrt medication and therapy.

[Nick K]

Yep max dose of Sertraline (zoltoft?). Am on 200 mg a day and aslo on olanzapine 10 mgs a day.

This is a combination of meds usually used for a good-going major depression. You should be under the supervision of an expert - I imagine you are. SJW or other herbs are unlikely to be helpful with this degree of likely treatment resistance.

Have you asked for a second opinion? - never a bad thing!

Nick

[alister]

WRT diet, there's a good book called "The Mood Cure" - can't remember the author, but you can look it up on Amazon I guess.

It's based fundamentally on making sure you get enough of all the amino acids which are important in the production of seratonin. Worth a read.

[robertmap]

its just that people who go to church and are invloved tend to be happier than those that dont....

Not sure about if that is true or not - Please quote your evidence base on this - I would like to see proof.

All the best.

Robert.