Natural Treatments For Depression

Depression is a state of feeling low. While for some it may be a minor concern, some may cause disturbances in their day to day life. There are many treatments available, however, some people prefer natural treatment for depression.

Depression is a condition that is best diagnosed by a physician. When suffering from depression, people often experience the feeling of sadness, worthlessness and are dissatisfied with all that they have. It is considered as a serious disorder if these feelings persist for more than two weeks or occurring repeatedly. At this stage, counseling or medical support proves to be helpful.

Treatment of Depression

There are many ways to bring a person out of depression. The treatment of depression depends on the symptoms, severity and the type of depression a person is experiencing. The recovery period depends upon the type of depression, the duration of suffering, the severity and the support from the people around. It may be psychological support from an expert along with friends and family members. Sometimes, if the condition is very serious, it needs immediate medical support in some cases. For other cases, many times, the disorder can be cured by doing a counseling program with the patient. Patients are advised to attend workshops to improve mental health if the condition is manageable. Taking therapies to bring behavioral changes, cognitive therapy is some of the psychological therapies provided by the psychologists.

Natural Treatments for Depression

The number of people suffering from depression has increased in today’s time. Even though if the condition is manageable because of lack of knowledge and awareness, the condition progresses and worsens to an extent that it cannot be cured without counseling and therapy.

Some of the natural treatments that a person can follow to avoid mental disorders or to keep him/her mentally and physically healthy are as follows:

Diet: The people start eating junk foods or processed foods that too without control when they are in stress. This may increase the weight of the people. Many people under stress or suffering from depression are overweight or obese. It is advised to eat a healthy and balanced diet which supports good health. From researches, it is found that the foods rich in omega-3-fatty acids are known to improve mood and help in managing depression.¹ Fish like tuna and salmon are rich in this nutrient. Even fruit like avocado and green vegetable like spinach help a lot which contain folic acid.
Sleep: An important natural treatment for depression is having adequate sleep. People with deprived sleep are more prone to mood problems and can also experience depressed feelings. While lack of adequate sleep affects the performance, it can also increase irritability and frustration. In contrast to this, with adequate sleep, a person feels more relaxed, has a better mood and can experience things in a positive way. Removing the things which disturb the sleep, avoiding the nap, going to bed early are some of the measures can be taken to support good sleep.
Being Occupied: Being occupied helps keep the mind diverted from thoughts of hopelessness. When people are engaged in some work, it not only improves mood but also develops a feeling of self-worth. So it is always good to have some tasks at hand, especially which the person enjoys and can be followed regularly. There will no room for unnecessary brooding over the same thing which usually worsens depression.
Achievement: People often have some goals in life and work hard to complete their goals. Sometimes, long term goals or unrealistic expectations can be tiring and worsen depression. Instead, when people plan small steps to reach their goal, each step gives a feeling of achievement. Accomplishing smaller goals makes a person happier and is inspired to go to the next level. This is a part of the natural treatment of depression by way of planning positive behavior.
Responsibilities: Usually depressed people would like to withdraw from the responsibilities at work, at home and other places too. This is mainly because of a lack of self-confidence and their previous experiences that may have led to a depressed mood. Instead of withdrawing or postponing the tasks, if such people are involved in interesting activities and positively supported, it can help them cope with depression. Empowering them with some responsibilities will not only keep them engaged but also develop a sense of being wanted. Responsibilities can be in any form like taking up a manageable job, helping someone in their tasks, taking up household chores, guiding children with their studies or playing with them, depending on the person’s abilities. When a person takes up responsibilities and fulfills them, it improves their mood and helps relieve depression. Thus, this too acts as a natural treatment of depression.
Innovative activities: In spite of doing the routine work and getting bored, it is better to involve in any new activities which emphasize innovative and creative thinking. Those activities may become hobbies after some days. These days, there are many provisions and people can choose to take up any activity that interests them. Apart from being engrossed, if there is some learning involved, it can be more effective as a natural treatment of depression. It could be learning a new language or a musical instrument, joining a group for story narration, singing or art-related activities like doodling. Recreational activities, games or sports also can be included here to get relief from work stress.
Positive Thinking: Negative thinking is the most dangerous and a major hindrance to one’s success. Negative thoughts can severely affect the person and create a block around, leaving no room for positive feelings and thoughts. This can make the person helpless, frustrated and even more negative, only leading to more depression. However, when people are positive, the atmosphere around them is entirely different, energetic and positive. Being positive keeps one’s mind open to fresh thoughts, which opens the door to success. New ideas can be expected when the mind is in a relaxed state. It creates a sense of hope and self-confidence and is an essential part of natural treatment of depression.
Exercise: Physical exercises, walking, and yoga help in the production of chemicals in the brain like serotonin and endorphins. This will, in turn, help people stay in a joyful mood and stay healthy. Exercises make people physically strong and fit, which to has an impact on their health and appearance. For some, it may also help in losing some weight and look more attractive, while for some, regular exercises can relieve pain, headache or digestive problems arising from depression. Thus, exercises to are an important natural treatment of depression.
Entertainment: In some cases, the counselor suggests people with depression to find ways to involve in entertaining activities immediately when they start feeling stressed. The activities which entertain them should be done on a daily basis. This could be watching funny or interesting movies, singing, dancing, listening to music, reading a book of jokes or solving puzzles, as per a person’s taste.

Apart from these lifestyle measures and modifications in thinking and behavior patterns, there are certain natural medicines used as a part of the natural treatment of depression. Hypericum, which is an extract of St. John’s Wort, is popularly used for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.²

Conclusion

There would be many things, challenges in life to face. Negative feelings like comparison with others, being jealous, the feeling of hatred or hopelessness are detrimental to a person’s health. Focusing on one’s task and being grateful for all that one has is equally important. Setting a goal in life is essential, but one should also enjoy life every moment without overdoing anything. Positive thinking and being hopeful can help manage depression. Natural treatment of depression also includes a healthy diet, intake of certain nutrients of omega-3-fatty acids, adequate sleep, regular physical exercise, and natural remedies.

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Natural Treatments For Depression

Treatment of Depression