Can Meditation Change The Structure Of The Brain
Meditation will most likely help your brain handle strong emotions better, which can be valuable when trying to treat depression without medication.
In 2010, Dr. Norman Farb and his colleagues wanted to find out if people who meditated regularly reacted differently to sadness than those who didnt. As it turned out, they did. People who meditated regularly used the present moment network in their brains when feeling sad. Meaning, they could experience the feeling of sadness, without becoming caught up in it or making it worse with worrying thoughts. The non-meditators used the evaluation network of the brain. Meaning, they got caught up in thoughts about sadness, such as why do I feel this way?, how can I stop this? theres something wrong. Heres a picture of their brains:
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 holistic way to treat depression without medication regular meditation practice is definitely recommended.
Dig Out The Underlying Cause
Even though were talking about beating depression without medication, I urge you to try and figure out if there could be any underlying cause for your depression.
Without knowing whats wrong, youre unlikely to find the right way to beat your depression without meds.
So, whats going on for you?
What has happened in the past, and whats happening to you now?
If you can identify the root cause of your worries and troubles, you can start taking practical steps to address them. That is the most direct and effective way to beat depression without medication!
Cant seem to put your finger on whats making you feel depressed? Think most of your life is fine?
In that case, too, I recommend you talk to a therapist or even a trusted friend. An outside perspective can really help you to figure out whats going on for you right now.
Cant seem to put your finger on whats making you feel depressed? Think most of your life is fine?
In that case, too, I can really recommend you talk to a therapist or even a trusted friend. An outside perspective can really help you to figure out whats going on for you right now.
Your next step is making sure you witness youre making progress in beating your depression without medication.
Heres how to do that
Information Overload = Emotional Overload
It may seem as though the daily dose of information we are exposed to is harmless, however, this is not entirely true. In fact, a large portion of it is purely destructive and dangerous.
We can feel extremely overwhelmed because of exposure to too much information or having to make too many choices. The scientific term for this is called information or cognitive overload.
As a result, this information overload causes us to experience analysis paralysis. A phenomenon where our brains enter a sort of power-saving mode and by default, passively default to a wait and see state.
Cognitive overload often leads to indecisiveness, hasty, and often bad decisions. It can also cause a reduced level of daily activity, moodiness, anxiety, and ultimately, chronic depression.
What makes it so dangerous is that one rarely associates their depressive state with exposure to toxic information. This way, the virus survives in our minds for ages, completely undetected.
Read Also: Bible Verses To Help With Depression
Achieve Tms East Leading Provider Of Dtms For Depression In Massachusetts
Achieve TMS East operates five convenient office locations in Massachusetts, providing many with relief from the symptoms of MDD and a renewed sense of health and well-being. The team of compassionate doctors and dTMS specialists provide a high level of treatment in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Contact us today for more information about Major Depression Treatment without Medication and TMS Therapy. Call our friendly staff at 297-5816.
As Reported In The Lancet
Individuals who exercised had 1·49 fewer days of poor mental health in the past month than individuals who did not exercise but were otherwise matched for several physical and sociodemographic characteristics.
All exercise types were associated with a lower mental health burden than not exercising.
The largest associations were seen for popular team sports , cycling , and aerobic and gym activities , as well as durations of 45 min and frequencies of three to five times per week.
Recommended Reading: Taking Antidepressants But Still Depressed
How Can We Keep Our Stone Age Brain Happy
Brains can change, and we have the capacity to change them. The key is finding the most effective ways to do that. Enter neuroscience. The chemistry of our brain is very responsive to what we do for better or worse. Depending on the choices we make, we can deplete it or enrich it.
In preliminary clinical trials comparing the effect of lifestyle changes against antidepressants, researchers found that lifestyle choices brought about a reduction in depressive symptoms almost three times that experienced by the antidepressant group. There are six primary lifestyle factors that have been proven to protect the brain against depression and reduce depressive symptoms and Ilardi details them in his book, The Depression Cure. Interestingly, these lifestyle factors are remarkably close to the way we would have been doing things had we been living in the Stone Age.
Pillow time. Blissful, restful abundant pillow time.
Yes. I know you know this one, but despite knowing how important sleep is, so many of us remain chronically sleep-starved. We need at least eight hours as eight hours every single day. Sleep is like a superpower. It really is that good and that important to mood and mental health.
Disrupted sleep is one of the most potent triggers of depression, and theres evidence that most episodes of mood disorder are preceded by at least several weeks of sub-par slumber. -Dr Stephen Ilardi
Complementary And Alternative Treatments
Some people find that complementary and alternative treatments, such as massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic care, help their anxiety symptoms. A 2018 systematic review of 13 mostly small studies suggests that both acupuncture and electro-acupuncture may ease anxiety.
While some studies report promising results, there is no conclusive data showing these treatments work. So people trying alternative remedies should use them as a complement to other treatments, not substitutes for care.
Other alternative therapies may also have some benefits in treating anxiety.
Don’t Miss: Podcasts To Listen To When Depressed
Know That Today Isnt Indicative Of Tomorrow
Internal emotions and thoughts can change from day to day. Tracking experiences through journaling or keeping a mood diary can help to remember this.
If you were unsuccessful at getting out of bed or accomplishing your goals today, remember that you havent lost tomorrows opportunity to try again.
Give yourself the grace to accept that while some days will be difficult, some days will also be less difficult. Try to look forward to tomorrows fresh start.
Essentials For When Youre Depressed
Firstly, if youre feeling suicidal, please go straight to my page: Help with emotional problems, to find where you can turn to right now.
Secondly, there are numerous medical conditions . So, do have a health checkup if you havent had one yet.
Thirdly, check the side effects of any of your prescribed medications.
Drugs prescribed for high blood pressure, hot flushes , prostate enlargement, pain, digestive system or lung problems, epilepsy, and would you believe it depression and anxiety, are linked to depression.
You May Like: How To Ask Someone For Help With Depression
Meditate To Protect Yourself From Depression
Sometimes meditation can replace medication
Another invaluable tool that will help you treat depression without medication, is regular meditation exercises. Regular meditation practice can help you out of a depressive episode and prevent you from falling back into one a second time.
One study reveals that63.6% of the subjects say regular meditation was helpful in moving out of mental health crises and negative thinking.
Meditation is a mind-body health practice that has multiple benefits beyond improving your mental well-being.
Think of meditation as maintenance for your mood. It can help you handle emotions better, spot signs of depression earlier and stop your symptoms from worsening.
Meditation essentially involves three simple steps:
This is great exercise for your brain and it will help you treat depression without medication.
How To Get Off Suboxone: 3 Steps To Take When Quitting
Approved by the FDA in 2002, buprenorphine – brand name Suboxone and Zubsolv – is now the go-to drug for medication-assisted treatment with opiate addiction. Unlike methadone treatment, it can be prescribed by physicians in the comfort of …
withoutmedicationsinsuranceinsurance
Also Check: Clinical Depression And Anxiety Disorder
Options For Managing Bipolar Depression Without Medication
Mood stabilizers are the primary treatment for bipolar disorder but even with them, and certainly without them, bipolar depression can be hard to manage. However, there are options that act as antidepressants that are not pharmacological in nature.
According to Jim Phelps MD, a noted bipolar specialist, these include:
- Bipolar-specific psychotherapy many psychotherapies have been shown to be useful in bipolar disorder treatment. These include:
- Prodrome detection therapy seeing the signs of a bipolar mood before it is full-blown
- Psychoeducation becoming educated about bipolar disorder
- Cognitive therapy involves multiple areas of therapy including building a support team and coping with depression
- Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy involves improving personal interactions and creating a routine to help with bipolar disorder
- Family-focused therapy involves multiple types of therapy including psychoeducation and diagnosis acceptance. This therapy also gets the family involved with the person with bipolar disorder.
- N-acetylcysteine an over-the-counter amino acid that may work to treat bipolar depression but likely is subject to tolerance, like most medications.
- Thyroid hormone getting ones thyroid hormone in an optimal range for bipolar disorder can reduce symptoms. While this does require testing and a prescription, the medication is not psychopharmacological in nature.
Practice These Coping Skills Every Day
I recommend doing many if not all of the following coping skills and techniques once a day when experiencing depression. Its important to know you probably wont be motivated to do any of them at first because depression frequently saps motivation. In other words, know that its normal to feel unmotivated until youre halfway done.
The patients I work with who frequently practice these coping skills get better.The seven techniques can be memorized with the acronym MY PEERS.
1. Meaning: Find small ways to be of service to others.
Find personal meaning by serving something larger than yourself. Remember service doesnt have to be big to count. Consider this, Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued it must ensue as the unintended side effect of ones personal dedication to a course greater than oneself. Viktor E. Frankl, Mans Search for Meaning
2. Your goals: Find workable goals that give you a sense of accomplishment.
Most people feel guilty when talking about goals because they set unreasonable or unworkable goals. A goal is workable if its:
If something goes wrong with your goal, adopt a what can I learn from this? attitude . Also, be careful when comparing your progress with others. We usually compare our biggest weakness with another persons biggest strength. This is unfair .
3. Pleasant Events: Schedule pleasant activities or events.
4. Engagement: Stay in the present.
Read Also: What Can You Get For Depression
Can Taking Supplements Really Improve Your Mental Health
Im not a fan of taking any supplements with the expectation that they can transform your well-being.
Nutritional supplements, such as the B vitamins, magnesium and fish oil are often recommended to improve mental health.
However, to get the benefit of one, you need another for the first one to be absorbed. And for your body to be able to use the latter, it needs yet another substance, and so on.
In addition, the average supplement you find on the shelves often contains chemical lookalikes with a good chance your body doesnt even recognise it if its able to absorb it at all.
So, it comes as no surprise then that the safest, most effective supplementation comes from eating the right foods
You May Like: Does Adderall Help With Anxiety
Give Yourself A Bedtime
With your busy schedule, theres no time for sleep, right? Some workaholics brag about only needing three or four hours of sleep a night, as if to say, Im more determined and committed than everyone else. But no matter what you might tell yourself, youre not a robot. Humans need sleep to function properly, so unless you beamed in from some nearby planet, this also applies to you.
Whether you deal with insomnia, purposely limit your amount of sleep, or youre a self-professed night owl, chronic sleep deprivation makes you susceptible to anxiety. Do yourself a favor and get eight to nine hours of sleep every night. Develop a bedtime routine to read a book or do something relaxing before bed. The better prepared you are to get a good nights sleep, the better quality of sleep youll have, which leads to a better morning as well.
Recommended Reading: What To Expect In Therapy For Depression
Natural Remedies To Alleviate Anxiety
Some anxiety is a normal part of life. You might feel a certain amount of unease or uncertainty when it comes to stressful situations such as taking a test, giving a presentation, or meeting new people. In many cases, a small amount of anxiety every so often can be a good thing. It helps to keep you aware of potential dangers and motivates you to be prepared.
For many people, however, anxiety occurs more frequently. They experience it almost every day. Anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or phobias can interfere with normal daily activities, affecting their work, home, and personal lives. They differ from regular anxiety in that people feel an excessive amount of fear or anxiousness.
Dealing with anxiety can be stressful, but it is treatable. Many people with anxiety find relief with treatment. While some people benefit from taking medication, others find success with natural remedies.
Learn To Recognize Negative Thinking
Sometimes these thoughts can be obvious, such as times when you berate or criticize yourself. Other times, they can be more subtle. You might find yourself engaging in things like catastrophizing or all-or-nothing thinking.
Catastrophizing involves always anticipating negative outcomes. All-or-nothing thinking means that you think of things as either successes or failures with no in-between. Once you get better at recognizing these cognitive patterns, you can start working on some healthier replacements.
Recommended Reading: How To Help Your Daughter With Depression
Mild To Moderate Depression
Although the benefits of St. John’s wort are still being explored, research suggests the herb can be more effective than a placebo in alleviating mild to moderate depression. A 2015 review published in the Annals of Family Medicine examined whether antidepressants were more effective than a placebo for patients being treated for depression by their primary care doctor.
The researchers examined 66 previously published studies and found that both antidepressant medications and St. John’s wort extracts were more effective than a placebo for treating mild to moderate depression.
People taking St. John’s wort were also more likely to continue treatment, as the herb was associated with fewer adverse effects compared to tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor , a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor , and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant agents .
Magnesium Levels In The Body Tend To Reduce During Hyperventilation And Stressful Periods In A Persons Life
Thus, people with magnesium deficits are at increased risk for a further drop in their magnesium levels when suffering from prolonged bouts of anxiety. Lack of magnesium does not directly trigger anxiety, but it may be the cause of certain sensations and symptoms which can then activate or worsen anxiety.
Magnesium can be supplemented by using a topical magnesium gel, taking a supplement of chelated magnesium, and/or taking a bath with Epsom salt in the water.
The road towards how to beat anxiety without medication must come with a set strategy rather than a a mindset based around hoping and trying. When the strategy is in place and implement for a period of a few weeks to a few months you can gauge your progress and see what needs tweaking in order to become more than anxiety once and for all!
Recommended Reading: Do I Need To See A Psychiatrist For Depression
Lets Learn As A Society To Better Treat Anxiety And Depression Without Medication
Perhaps depression is inherent to the human condition. That doesnt mean we cant heal or that healing always requires drugs. From diet to exercise to meditation there are natural interventions that can help treat depression without medication or antidepressants.
At Flow we believe the best way to fight depression is a combination approach. If you are finding it difficult to know where to start, why not try out a few of the approaches listed here and see what works for you. Committing to a few habits can help you discover what approaches, whether it is tDCS, or medication, or perhaps both, will help reduce your depressive symptoms.
Remember there is no single best and fail safe treatment for depression. What works for you will be individual to your experience and the unique balance of chemicals in your brain. We are rooting for you.
Before you go, dont forget to check out our .
If Youre Up For Exercise Consider A Walk Around The Block
On days when you feel as if you cant get out of bed, exercise may seem like the last thing youd want to do. However, exercise and physical activity can help to lower symptoms of depression and boost energy levels.
future depressive episodes.
Even when you have the feeling that youre unable to or have very little energy, see if youd be willing to do the opposite of what your mood is telling you to do, such as curling up in bed. Instead, set a small goal for yourself, such as taking a walk around the block.
Read Also: Devotionals For Depression And Anxiety