Let us take an easy one of the depression alternatives to start with. Exercise. Now before you groan inwardly, look at this shocking statistic. According to a report from the Mental Health Foundation, exercise may be just as effective in treating depression as antidepressants! One study showed that regular exercise about three times a week was just as effective as being on antidepressants. Often, a lack of exercise can actually be one the contributing factors to the onset of depression in the first instance. This must be the top of the alternative treatments for depression.
Almost everyone can do exercise. The benefits are enormous for general health but for depression, experts note that after exercise, patients feel and look happier because of the release of endorphins which have a positive impact on our mood. Then there are all the other benefits as well such as looking better so that your self confidence receives a boost. Stress, anxiety and sleep problems improve as well. There is the social element too which should not be underestimated as we know that socialising on any level can be a help to a depressed patient. Those people lucky enough to have close affectionate relationships with partner, family and or friends have a much lower possibility of getting depressed. You may wonder why this has got so little attention as one of the best alternative treatments for depression.
Fish oil might sound smelly but it can do wonders for the depressed state of mind. We are talking here about diet because let’s face it the food we eat has an immediate and lasting effect on our state of mind and our general mental well being. Look at the results of a study done where depressed patients were given 1 gram of fish oil a day and the symptoms of sadness, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, insomnia and loss of libido all dropped by 50%. If you are suffering from depression, get some fish oil into your diet. That can be in the form of pharmaceutical grade capsules or by eating salmon, tuna, flaxseed oil and olive oil and nuts. Add complex carbohydrates, protein such as lean meat and a supply of Vitamin B and D foods and you will be well on the way to recovery. Diet, like exercise has been overshadowed in looking at the alternative treatments for depression.
The big pharm have been keeping very quiet about the poor results that antidepressants actually have in curing depression and obviously will not be rushing to put up websites on depression alternatives. The scandalous statistic is that anti depressant medications will actually only cure about one third of all cases! In about 5% of cases, depression symptoms will actually get worse. Given the side effects of antidepressants, isn’t it about time that more attention was given to herbal remedies as one of the best alternative treatments for depression? Other treatments consist of light therapy for SAD (seasonal affective disorder), meditation,yoga, counselling and cognitive behavior therapy.
Want to learn about alternative treatments for depression ? Robert Locke has written extensively on Mental Health for many years.
Article Source: How Much Do You Know About Alternative Treatments For Depression ?
