Like A Placebo: St John’s Wort
St. John’s wort increases your brain’s serotonin levels. It’s widely prescribed in Europe and is readily available as a dietary supplement in the U.S. The yellow flower is the medicinal part of the plant, which grows wild in Europe. Although it’s considered an exotic flower in the U.S., it can sometimes be found blooming from June through September in moist climates like the Pacific Northwest, the Northeastern U.S. and even northern Arizona.
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Ancient Greeks used the yellow flowers to make a tea, but the herb is most commonly used in pill form in the U.S. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, studies since 2000 have shown the pills are equally as effective as placebos in double-blind studies.
It’s essential to tell your doctorif you’re using St. John’s wort. It interacts with many medications, including antidepressants, birth control pills, heart medications, cancer medications and more. In the worst instances, a life-threatening increase in serotonin can bring on symptoms such as an increase in body temperature, heart palpitations, diarrhea, high blood pressure and agitation. It can also worsen psychotic symptoms in schizophrenic or bipolar patients.
Should You Treat Your Depression With Medications
You might be asking your healthcare provider this question if you have been feeling low and your friends and family have mentioned this to you. Your provider might have mentioned medication if your mood interferes with work, family or socializing for more than two weeks. Some people with depression might even have legal troubles linked to outbursts.
What Are The Treatments For Depression
Many helpful treatments for depression are available. Treatment for depression can help reduce symptoms and shorten how long the depression lasts. Treatment can include getting therapy and/or taking medications. Your doctor or a qualified mental health professional can help you determine what treatment is best for you.
- Therapy. Many people benefit from psychotherapyalso called therapy or counseling.7,8 Most therapy lasts for a short time and focuses on thoughts feelings and issues that are happening in your life now. In some cases understanding your past can help but finding ways to address what is happening in your life now can help you cope and prepare you for challenges in the future.With therapy, youll work with your therapist to learn skills to help you cope with life, change behaviors that are causing problems and find solutions. Do not feel shy or embarrassed about talking openly and honestly about your feelings and concerns. This is an important part of getting better.Some common goals of therapy include:
- Getting healthier
- Making sense of past painful events
- Identifying things that worsen your depression
- Having better relationships with family and friends
- Understanding why something bothers you and creating a plan to deal with it
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Make Someone Else’s Day A Little Better
“One of the coping skills I use with my bipolar depression is to take five minutes and make someone else’s day better. Uplifting another person instantly makes you feel better. You never know what someone else is going through, so a smile, compliment, or act of kindness can go a long way on both ends.”
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is a condition that occurs in children and youth ages 6 to 18. It involves a chronic and severe irritability resulting in severe and frequent temper outbursts. The temper outbursts can be verbal or can involve behavior such as physical aggression toward people or property. These outbursts are significantly out of proportion to the situation and are not consistent with the childs developmental age. They must occur frequently and typically in response to frustration. In between the outbursts, the childs mood is persistently irritable or angry most of the day, nearly every day. This mood is noticeable by others, such as parents, teachers, and peers.
In order for a diagnosis of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder to be made, symptoms must be present for at least one year in at least two settings and the condition must begin before age 10. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is much more common in males than females. It may occur along with other disorders, including major depressive, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, anxiety, and conduct disorders.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder can have a significant impact on the childs ability to function and a significant impact on the family. Chronic, severe irritability and temper outbursts can disrupt family life, make it difficult for the child/youth to make or keep friendships, and cause difficulties at school.
Treatment typically involves and/or medications.
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What Are Some Natural Ways To Deal With Depression
Psychotherapy and medication are two common ways to treat depression, but they are far from the only resources available. There are also natural or alternative ways to help your depression on your own. You may choose to try these while also taking medication or seeking therapy. If you start with natural ways but continue to feel depressed, it is important that you get professional help.
Major Depressive Disorder With Seasonal Pattern
Previously called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, this type of depression is related to the reduction in daylight during the fall and winter.
It lifts during the rest of the year and in response to light therapy.
People who live in countries with long or severe winters seem to be affected more by this condition.
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Ways You Can Look After Yourself
If youre depressed, there are steps you can take to lift your mood and help your recovery. These steps can help if youve been depressed in the past and want to stay well.
- Talk about how youre feeling. Talking to someone you trust, or finding peer support, can help you feel better and less alone.
- Eat well. A healthy diet can lift your mood and maintain your mental health.
- Stay physically active. Exercise may feel like the last thing you want to do, but it can ease the symptoms of depression. Research suggests it may be as effective as antidepressants in helping you feel better.
- Spend time in nature. Research shows that being in nature can make us feel happier, feel our lives are more worthwhile, and reduce our levels of depression
- Avoid cigarettes and alcohol. They may feel like theyre helping at first, but they make things worse in the long run.
- Try talking therapy to stay well. NICE guidelines recommend CBT or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy if youve been depressed in the past.
Load Up On Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds contain healthy fats and magnesium, both of which can help lighten your mood. They also contain L-tryptophan, an amino acid that is involved in the production of serotonin.
You will need-1 cup of pumpkin seeds
DirectionsEat 1 generous cup of pumpkin seeds once a day. I like to sprinkle mine with just a teensy tiny bit of salt to add a little boost to their already delicious and nutty flavor.
What I have experienced is that prescriptions these days are handed out at the mention of a single symptom of depression and that has led to some serious problems. I dont think the path to dealing with depression is made of prescription bottles, but thats not something youll hear a doctor say often. Dealing with depression isnt just one thing-its a whole mish-mash of lifestyle changes and it takes work. Whether or not you need prescription medication, working in some natural depression remedies can better your mood and, maybe, help you learn to get away from all the drugs.
Tip: Exercise and diet change arent instant fixes, but they are so important. We spend so much time skirting around them and trying to find all these shortcuts, when really, nothing can replace these two vital components of life.
I think the happiest human is the one who is closest to their intended natural state of being Do your best to form these habits-they will pay off.
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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.
Depression And Suicide: Getting Help In A Crisis
Some people who are depressed may think about hurting themselves or committing suicide . If you or someone you know is having thoughts about hurting themselves or committing suicide please seek immediate help. The following resources can help:
- Call to reach a 24hour crisis center or dial 911. is the National Suicide Prevention Lifelineexternal icon, which provides free confidential help to people in crisis. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationexternal icon runs this lifeline.
- Get help from your primary doctor or other health care provider.
- Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
- Contact a minister, spiritual leader, or someone else in your faith community.
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How Is Depression Diagnosed
To be diagnosed with depression, an individual must have five depression symptoms every day, nearly all day, for at least 2 weeks. One of the symptoms must be a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities. Children and adolescents may be irritable rather than sad.
If you think you may have depression, talk to your health care provider. Primary care providers routinely diagnose and treat depression and refer individuals to mental health professionals, such as psychologists or psychiatrists.
During the visit, your provider may ask when your symptoms began, how long they last, how often they occur, and if they keep you from going out or doing your usual activities. It may help to make some notes about your symptoms before your visit. Certain medications and some medical conditions, such as viruses or a thyroid disorder, can cause the same depression symptoms. Your provider can rule out these possibilities by doing a physical exam, interview, and lab tests.
Read NIMHs Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider to help prepare for and get the most out of your visit. For additional resources, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website.
Serotonin And Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
SNRIs prevent the absorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine into the bloodstream. The increase in levels of these two chemicals in the body helps improve mood. SNRIs include , , and . Studies have shown that like SSRIs, SNRIs are effective at treating major depression. They also produce similar side effects as SSRIs and generally are considered to be safe medications.
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Types Of Antidepressant Medications
There are several classes of antidepressants within each class there are many individual medications. While all antidepressants work well overall, no drug or type of drug works equally well for everyone who takes it. You may be advised to try more than one type of antidepressant or to use a combination of antidepressants to seek relief from your distress.
The different types of antidepressants are listed in the order in which they are most commonly prescribed. Medications are referred to in two ways: by their generic name and by their brand or trade names. Brand names available in Canada appear in brackets.
SSRIs
This group of drugs, including fluoxetine , paroxetine , fluvoxamine , citalopram , escitalopram and sertraline , is usually the first choice for treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. These medications are known to have milder side-effects than some other antidepressants. Buspirone is similar to SSRIs and has been found to help with anxiety but not depression.
Common side-effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight gain, dry mouth, headaches, anxiety, sedation and a decrease in sexual desire and response. This group of drugs may also cause a jittery or restless feeling and sleep difficulties, such as problems falling asleep, waking in the night, vivid dreams or nightmares.
SNRIs
NDRIs
Common side-effects are jitteriness and insomnia.
NaSSAs
Common side-effects are drowsiness and weight gain.
Nonselective cyclics
MAOIs
Exercise Is Something You Can Do Right Now To Boost Your Mood
Your fatigue will improve if you stick with it. Starting to exercise can be difficult when youre depressed and feeling exhausted. But research shows that your energy levels will improve if you keep with it. Exercise will help you to feel energized and less fatigued, not more.
Find exercises that are continuous and rhythmic. The most benefits for depression come from rhythmic exercisesuch as walking, weight training, swimming, martial arts, or dancingwhere you move both your arms and legs.
Add a mindfulness element, especially if your depression is rooted in unresolved trauma or fed by obsessive, negative thoughts. Focus on how your body feels as you movesuch as the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, or the feeling of the wind on your skin, or the rhythm of your breathing.
Pair up with an exercise partner. Not only does working out with others enable you to spend time socializing, it can also help to keep you motivated. Try joining a running club, taking a water aerobics or dance class, seeking out tennis partners, or enrolling in a soccer or volleyball league.
Take a dog for a walk.If you dont own a dog, you can volunteer to walk homeless dogs for an animal shelter or rescue group. Youll not only be helping yourself but also be helping to socialize and exercise the dogs, making them more adoptable.
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Are You At Risk For Depression
Some things make you more likely than others to have depression. These are called risk factors. Having a risk factor doesnt mean for sure that youll have depression. But it may increase your chances. Talk to your health care provider about what you can do to help reduce your risk.
Your health care provider screens you for depression at your prenatal care checkups. Screening means that your provider asks you questions about your risks, feelings and mood. If the screening shows that you may be depressed or that youre at risk for depression, your provider can help you get treatment.
Risk factors for depression during pregnancy include:
How Is Depression Syndrome Diagnosed
Everyone may feel sad or down from time to time. However, clinical depression has more intense symptoms that last two weeks or longer.
To determine whether you have clinical depression, your healthcare provider will ask questions. You may complete a questionnaire and provide a family history. Your healthcare provider may also perform an exam or order lab tests to see if you have another medical condition.
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Meet Yourself Where You Are
Depression is common. It affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles.
Every day with this disorder is different. Its important to take your mental health seriously and accept that where you are right now isnt where youll always be.
The key to self-treatment for depression is to be open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what youre going through.
Break Up Larger Tasks Into Smaller Ones
“I break up the overwhelming tasks into smaller pieces and pat myself on the back for getting each thing done. For instance, if the whole house is a mess and I don’t think I can get it all cleaned, I start by cleaning up the living room, then focus on the next chore only instead of everything at once. Sometimes I get it all done, sometimes I just sit in the clean room. But I feel much better getting some things done rather than putting it off until the next day. Getting it done gives me some control and helps me start the next day on better footing.”
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Ssris: The Most Frequently Prescribed Antidepressants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant class.
Although it is not clear how these drugs treat depression, these drugs are known to prevent the uptake of serotonin into cells.
These are the SSRIs currently approved by the FDA to treat depression:
Although MAOIs can sometimes help people who do not respond to other antidepressants, they are not widely used today because of their potential side effects and interactions with certain foods and beverages as well as other drugs.
For example, for people taking MAOIs, ingesting large amounts of the compound tyramine could cause dangerously high blood pressure.
You may also experience serious reactions if you take an MAOI with various medications, including:
- Other prescription antidepressants
- Cold and allergydrugs
- Herbal supplements
On rare occasions, MAOIs and other serotonin-containing drugs can cause a potentially life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. You may be at risk if you take too much of a serotonin-containing antidepressant, or if you combine an MAOI with another prescription antidepressant, certain pain or headache medications, or St. Johns wort .
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Path To Improved Health
Your doctor will consider many factors when choosing the antidepressant medicine to give you. He or she will think about the following:
Keep in mind that antidepressant medicines arent tranquilizers or uppers. You wont get a high when you take them. Also, theyre not addictive.
Youll know if your antidepressant is working based on how you feel. Youll be able to sleep better. Youll have more energy to meet your day-to-day obligations. You can take care of yourself. Your appetite will be closer to normal. Youll have an increased desire to engage in life. You and your family and friends will notice these changes. Be patient, though. It may take some time to get back to the way you felt before the depression.
It is important to remember that antidepressants can help with symptoms of depression. These medicines work best when you try to have an active lifestyle with exercise, get eight hours of sleep a night, and eat healthy foods. Your doctor may also recommend working with a counselor to help you improve the thoughts of depression.
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