Natural Depression Treatment
Ways You Can Alleviate Your Depression Naturally
This page discusses Natural Depression Treatment.
Depression is a word that brings a lot of different images to mind including late night romances and gallons of ice cream, which may make for good television or movies but fails to address what can be a serious problem.
Symptoms can vary wildly from one person to the next, as can the underlying causes, but one thing is certain, if you are depressed, you need concrete solutions!
Medical Advice
There are many natural depression treatments you can use, but the first thing you should do is consult your medical professional.
Depression can be quite severe and include hallucinations and/or a break with reality. If you have struggled with feelings of hopelessness and guilt with thoughts of suicide or death for at least two weeks or longer, you may be dealing with major depression.
Even if you prefer to avoid medications, your doctor could suggest a good therapist who can administer cognitive behavior therapy.
Nutrition
A lack of proper nutrition can wreak havoc with your system and though from a physical perspective the body is fantastic at overcoming the many deficiencies we throw at it, the mind is sometimes less resilient.
Lack of proper nutrients such as vitamin B, Omega three fatty acids and vitamin D can leave you feeling fatigued, foggy, irritable and depressed.
A good way to find out if you have low levels of any of these or other nutrients that can result in depression is by consulting a holistic practitioner.
Exercise
When you are feeling depressed it can be very difficult to get adequate exercise. In fact, the inability to motivate yourself to get up off the couch can actually send the depression spiral even deeper.
So how can you use exercise as one of your natural depression treatments?
In some ways it is a mind game, for instance do not think of it as exercise, but simple movement.
Today, instead of circling the parking lot at the grocery store five times to find a closer parking spot, you simply take the first one available.
These few extra steps are a great start to an eventual workout routine!
Other tips:
- Support- find family or friends who are willing to take a walk with you, even if it is just up to the corner and back. Research shows that simply seeing someone else exercise is motivation.
- TV- is your treadmill gathering dust? Make a deal with yourself to watch your favorite show, but while watching you walk on the treadmill. You will get caught up in your movie or show and not even realize you are exercising.
- Children/grandchildren- We will often go a lot further for a loved one than we will for ourselves. Take young children to the park or play a short game of hoops in the driveway a couple times per week.
Routine
If you are all out of sorts, take a look at your routine or more to the point a lack of one.
When you spend your day simply running to catch up it is difficult to get anything concrete accomplished.
At the end of the day, there are a hundred things you feel you should have completed which contributes to feelings of helplessness and frustration. A schedule or set routine can take much of the chaos out of your day.
Make a list of phone calls you need to make, chores you need to complete and errands that need to be run in a given week.
Now you are prepared to take them on one at a time and at the end of your day or week, you will enjoy a feeling of accomplishment.
Meditation
Whatever your personal beliefs there is room for meditation a part of your natural depression treatments.
Taking a few minutes every day to find a quiet place and meditate could be just what the doctor ordered.
Prayer, yoga and mindful meditation are all powerful anti-depressants. One technique that can be very helpful is to sit in a quiet area, close your eyes and focus only on your breathing, when your mind begins to wander gently bring it back to simply concentrating on each breath in and out. The latter part of the exercise is the important part!
Sleep
Are you getting enough sleep?
Lack of sleep can lead to depression, which can lead to bouts of insomnia, and around you go!
If you are struggling to get enough sleep, it is important that you attempt to get into a routine, in bed and up at the same time each day.
Do you find you are lying awake staring at the television or cruising social media sites on your computer?
Remove both distractions from the bedroom!
Your bedroom should be a place of peace and tranquility, particularly if you are depressed.
Use soft lighting, make the bed and if you must have sound to fall asleep try using a fan or play soft calming music in background.
Arguing with Bad Thoughts
Depression is often coupled with very negative thoughts, which are not helpful in the least!
The next time you have a bad thought such as, “I have no friends” use logic to discern the truth. Honesty says there is at least one person in the world who likes and cares about you, therefore the everyone hates me spiel is a lie.
This is just one of many negative thoughts you may encounter, which means you may want to talk to a friend, relative or even a professional counselor about the thoughts in your mind. Many times just saying things aloud can change your entire perspective.
Fun
What did you used to enjoy for fun? When it comes to natural depression treatments for depression this can be instantly effective and simple to do at the same time.
How long has it been since you were on a pair of roller skates?
Have you read a good book lately?
Whatever used to give you joy can be a powerful depression buster. In some cases, your favorite activity may also be tied to a tragic event, in that case sign up to learn something new and challenging!
Have you always wanted to learn to sky dive?
Conclusion
Depression is not something you should take lightly; however, there are several natural depression treatments.
In some cases, medication can be helpful, but not everyone has the same positive results and many people would simply prefer to use a natural alternative to mood altering drugs. Of course, as with any medical condition you should always start by talking to your medical provider.
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