Friday, March 29, 2024

How To Fight Off Depression Naturally

The Challenge Of Getting Started

How to fight depression naturally

Depression manifests physically by causing disturbed sleep, reduced energy, appetite changes, body aches, and increased pain perception, all of which can result in less motivation to exercise. It’s a hard cycle to break, but Dr. Miller says getting up and moving just a little bit will help. “Start with five minutes a day of walking or any activity you enjoy. Soon, five minutes of activity will become 10, and 10 will become 15.”

Diet As Depression Treatment

You cant drive a car without proper fuel and a poor diet will likely contribute to depressive symptoms. Perhaps, quite a lot. Our first medication-free depression treatment is about changing your diet. In 2017, Esther Vermeulen and her colleagues found that people who eat a lot of red meat, added sugars, high-fat dairy products, fried foods and creamy sauces experience more depressive symptoms and depressed moods than others. 4969 people participated in the HELIUS study. This means that sugar and fat equals low mood. It also means that a meal at our nearest fast food restaurant is not as cheap and convenient as it seems. We eventually pay for it with our mental health. You get the point. Its a good idea to stay away from too much fat and sugar when depressed. But what foods will act as a depression treatment?

How To Get Rid Of Depression Forever: 6 Changes

Can depression be cured permanently?

Absolutely. There are 6 specific things you can do to get rid of depression naturally, without any drugs, pills, medication, or antidepressants.

The key to getting rid of depression for good is to make these types of positive changes a permanent part of your life.

So dont think of these changes as temporary changes. Instead, think of them as permanent lifestyle changes things youll do from this moment forward to become and remain depression-free for the rest of your life.

Don’t Miss: Depression In Bed All Day

Do Something You Enjoy

Depression can push you to give into your fatigue. It may feel more powerful than happy emotions.

Try to push back and do something you love something thats relaxing, but energizing. It could be playing an instrument, painting, hiking, or biking.

These activities can provide subtle lifts in your mood and energy, which may help you overcome your symptoms.

Research suggests people who spend time in nature have improved mental health.

Exposure to sunlight may offer some of the same benefits. It can increase your serotonin levels, which can provide a temporary mood boost .

Consider taking a walk at lunch among the trees or spending some time in your local park. Or plan a weekend hike. These activities can help you reconnect with nature and soak in some rays at the same time.

Or Spend Time With Loved Ones

How To Fight Depression Naturally

Depression can tempt you to isolate yourself and withdraw from your friends and family, but face-to-face time can help wash away those tendencies.

If youre unable to spend time together in person, phone calls or video chats can also be helpful.

Try to remind yourself these people care about you. Resist the temptation to feel like youre a burden. You need the interaction and they likely do, too.

When you do the same thing day after day, you use the same parts of your brain. You can challenge your neurons and alter your brain chemistry by doing something entirely different.

Research also shows doing new things can improve your overall well-being and strengthen your social relationships.

To reap these benefits, consider trying a new sport, taking a creative class, or learning a new cooking technique.

Knock out a few birds with one stone spending time with other people and doing something new by volunteering and giving your time to someone or something else.

You may be used to receiving help from friends, but reaching out and providing help may actually improve your mental health more.

Bonus: People who volunteer experience physical benefits, too. This includes a reduced risk of hypertension.

When you do something you love, or even when you find a new activity you enjoy, you may be able to boost your mental health more by taking time to be thankful for it.

Research shows gratitude can have lasting positive effects on your overall mental health.

Also Check: Genetic Testing For Depression Meds

Assess The Parts Instead Of Generalizing The Whole

Depression can tinge recollections with negative emotions. You may find yourself focusing on the one thing that went wrong instead of the many things that went right.

Try to stop this overgeneralization. Push yourself to recognize the good. If it helps, write down what was happy about the event or day. Then write down what went wrong.

Seeing the weight youre giving to one thing may help you direct your thoughts away from the whole and to the individual pieces that were positive.

Alcohol Tobacco And Other Drugs

Misusing alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can have both immediate and long-term health effects.

The misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medications affect the health and well-being of millions of Americans. SAMHSAs 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that approximately 19.3 million people aged 18 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year.

Also Check: Hope For Treatment Resistant Depression

I’ve Bolded The Main Points Throughout The Post So You Can Skim If That’s Your Thing Because There’s A Lot Here

*Just have pen and paper handy and jot down 2-3 options that resonate with you most to start off with. You can add more later or come back here to try something different if needed. Be patient, but it’s so worth it to help yourself in these natural and safe ways.

Before Jill shares her story and tips below, I’ve got a few ideas you could also try to fight depression and anxiety naturally:

  • Here are 2 supplements I also take for mood, along with plenty of pastured fats mentioned above, because they all work together: Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 . Use the code KOP at those links for a discount on both of those.
  • Also, Rescue Remedy is a safe, natural supplement for episodes of anxiety and it’s popular for all ages, and even animals. You might want to give it a try or keep it on-hand for a quick-acting calming remedy.
  • Another on-the-fly remedy to take as needed is this one, a good friend says it helps with her panic attacks in under 15 minutes.
  • My friend Cara said this supplement helped her when she used to have anxiety. It’s an amino acid and herb blend. Her daughter’s anxiety was helped , which is also an amino acid.

What if Im already taking an anti-anxiety drug?

Its A Proven Approach When Learning How To Fight Depression: Nourish Your Body Mind And Spirit To Boost Your Mood

7 Ways to Naturally Fight Depression

How to fight depression? One effective tactic is to make exercise part of your daily routine.

Depression manifests differently in everyone. Some people, especially the elderly, may think that feeling depressed is a natural part of aging. But depression isnt normal at any age. How to fight depression? Whether youre 18 or 80, you can take many lifestyle strategies to help yourself feel better quickly.

Read Also: My Son Is Depressed And Refuses Help

Psychedelic Therapy With Psilocybin Relieves Major Depression Research Study Programs

Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial fats located in many fish, nuts, and also seeds. Study suggests that omega-3s might help reduce signs and symptoms of depression. According to this research, saffron was far better than the placebo at decreasing the intensity of depression signs natural diet to fight depression. Recent research has located some evidence that saffron may be effective in dealing with light to moderate depression. Research recommends that St. Johns wort can assist people with mild and also moderate depression.

For most people, that suggests plenty of fruits, vegetables, and entire grains. Even if you do not feel natural diet to fight depression hungry, eat something light as well as healthy and balanced. Depression signs do improve with therapy, however it can require time.

Meditate To Protect Yourself From Depression

Another tool that will help you treat depression without medication, is regular meditation exercises. Regular meditation practice can prevent you from falling back into depression a second time. It will help you handle emotions better so they dont trigger another depression. You can think of it as maintenance for your mood. Just as a car engine needs to be checked every once in a while, meditation will help you discover early signs of depression and make it easier to stop depressive symptoms from worsening. This might seem more complicated than it is. Meditation can basically be defined in three simple steps:

  • Direct your focus to the present moment .
  • Try not to judge what you find.
  • When you get distracted by thoughts , bring back your focus over and over again.
  • This is great exercise for your brain and it will help you treat depressive symptoms. At the bottom of this section, youll find more information about where and how to begin.

    Mindfulness meditation and depressive thoughts

    Can meditation change the structure of the brain?

    The study by Dr. Farb can probably explain some of the reasons why mindfulness meditation can decrease depressive symptoms and work as relapse prevention for depression. If youre searching for a medication-free depression treatment, regular meditation practice is definitely recommended.

    Explaining how mindfulness meditation can be antidepressant

    How much meditation is enough to decrease depressive symptoms?

    You May Like: Difference Between Crippling Depression And Depression

    How To Fight Depression And Anxiety Naturally

    Thank you, Jill, for today’s guest post and for your willingness to share all you’ve been through in your own battle, and what you learned about how to fight depression and anxiety naturally, as well as chronic fatigue. Your story will be a source of hope and healing for many!

    Please remember that nothing here is intended to replace professional guidance neither Jill nor I are doctors.

    If at all possible, TRY to implement the below ideas EARLY before you need to go to the doctor besides helping you find counseling, which is obviously wise, usually ALL they know to do there is prescribe medication. I know the meds may sometimes be necessary, but so often they only make things worse as time goes on and it’s also VERY difficult to ever get back off of them Sadly, in most cases they are the beginning of a lifetime of ups and downs, with the continual need to tweak the meds again and again, then switch to a new one due to side effects or ineffectiveness, etc.

    Approximately 4 To 6 Percent Of Americans Have Seasonal Affective Disorder Experts Say

    Fighting Postpartum Depression Naturally

    If shorter days and shifts in weather zap your energy and make you feel blue, youve got classic symptoms of seasonal affective disorder a form of depression triggered by changes in daylight and weather that occur primarily in winter.

    Why do some people get SAD? Experts arent certain, but some think that those seasonal changes disrupt the bodys circadian rhythm, the 24-hour clock that regulates how we function during sleeping and waking hours, which cause us to feel energized and alert sometimes and drowsy at other times.

    Another theory is that the changing seasons disrupt hormones, such as serotonin and melatonin, which regulate sleep, mood, and feelings of well-being.

    Whatever the causes of ones SAD may be, the signs and symptoms typically can include:

    • Feelings of depression that happen most of the day, every day, in a seasonal pattern
    • Having tiredness or low energy
    • Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
    • Changes in appetite or weight gain
    • Sleeping too much

    RELATED: 10 Ways to Chase Away Warm-Weather Seasonal Depression

    Read Also: Medication For Depression And Anxiety And Weight Loss

    How To Cope With Depression Naturally

    If you are suffering from depression, it is important that you seek mental health help and guidance from a mental health professional. Additionally, there are several things you can do to cope with depression, and improve your mood and quality of life.

    Depression is a medical condition that negatively affects the way you feel, think, and acts

    And per research, depression is not just a state of a chemical imbalance in the brain, but a result of a complex interplay of causative events including genetics, stressful life events, and faulty mood regulation in the brain. Also while chemical imbalance is involved, according to Harvard Health Publishing, it is a matter of more than just one chemical imbalance rather, there are millions, even billions of chemical reactions that influence your mood, your perceptions, and how you experience life.

    Unfortunately, depression is quite common causing major debility and affecting one in five Americans in their lifetime, according to the National Network of Depression Centers.

    If you are living with depression you know depression makes everyday life quite challenging. And what makes it so hard is the sadness and gloom, the lack of energy, feeling of despair accompanied by helplessness.

    Plus, when you are depressed, the things that can help you cope with depression are the last things you feel like doing, including lifestyle changes that can immensely help lift the cloud of depression.

    Quick Ways To Improve Your Diet

    Like we said before, eating healthy isnât easy to begin with, but depression can make it feel downright impossible. Here are some shortcuts that you can take to eat better on days when your depressionâs weighing you down.

    V8 Juice

    Donât have the energy to wash and cut some fresh fruits and veggies? Try subbing in a glass of V8!

    While V8 is advertised as containing two servings of fruits and vegetables , itâs still juice and isnât a seamless replacement for eating actual fruits and vegetables. However, drinking V8 is still better than nothing and makes for a great first step or occasional stand-in.

    Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken

    Cooking dinner can be a daunting task, and itâs perfectly okay to make things easier for yourself. Buying a rotisserie chicken instead of making your own chicken dish from scratch is a great way to get in a quick, easy serving of protein.

    Healthy Snack Packs

    Investing in some healthy snack packs is a grocery-shopping decision that will have you thanking yourself later. Prepackaged nuts, dried fruit, and veggie chips are all convenient healthy snacks that you can use to stay nourished on a low-energy day and even take on the go.

    .

    Bagged Salad

    Instead of trying to make your own salad, buy some bagged salad instead . Bagged salad doesnât require a lot of effort and is a great way to add some veggies into your diet.

    Also Check: How To Get Through Depression And Anxiety

    When To Seek Help

    It doesnt always matter how hard you try or how much energy you put into self-care and routines depression can sometimes creep up on you anyway.

    Try to remind yourself that depression is a mental health condition. Just like all other forms of illness, we dont always have control over how it manifests.

    If your symptoms of depression are making it feel impossible to follow your daily routine, or if youre having trouble concentrating or finding joy in things you otherwise would, it may be time to talk with a healthcare professional or therapist who can help you get to the bottom of whats going on.

    Nutrient Deficiencies And Depression

    How to Fight Depression Naturally

    Theres other evidence that nutrient deficiencies can lead to chronic depression. Lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D are all linked to lower levels of brain function and can contribute to depression.

    You can test your nutrient levels with a functional medicine or naturopathic doctor. If you want to avoid prescription drugs, youll have to get to the root cause of the issue.

    Read Also: Non Antidepressants Used For Depression

    Exercise As Depression Treatment

    When writing about different medication-free depression treatments, it would seem almost criminal not to mention regular exercise. Regular exercise is just as effective as antidepressant medication or psychotherapy for treating depression. In 2016, Professor F. Schuch at the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, concluded that exercise is an evidence-based treatment for depression. Think about it. Few people would let their precious car just stand in the driveway and rust. Similarly, your body needs movement to stay in a good mood.

    How much exercise is enough to treat depressive symptoms?

    Is it enough to do some stretching or do you need daily spin classes to recover from depression? The answer is somewhere in between. Regular walking is an excellent strategy for treating depressive symptoms without medication. Dr. Wendy Suzuki, Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University, gives us the exact recipe:

    • 30-40 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week is enough to get out of depression

    Why does exercise work as depression treatment?

    Overcoming Depression Requires Flexible Thinking Not Positive Thinking

    11. Talk it out. See a therapist, psychiatrist, or life coach and express how you feel. Sometimes just finding someone you trust who will help you work through your feelings can make all the difference in the world.

    If all else fails and you need antidepressants, don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes you can do everything right, and if your imbalance is biochemical, you may need the drugs. But don’t forget to nurture the rest of you, too. Depression, like most physical and mental illnesses, is multifactorial and requires a global investigation of your whole healthnot just your mind and body, but your relationships, your work, your financial picture, how you express yourself creatively, how you satisfy yourself sexually, your environment, and whether you’re letting your Inner Pilot Light shine.

    Read Also: Things To Say To Someone That Is Depressed

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