11 ways to beat depression naturally
How many antidepressant users actually need them? Discover helpful tips to kick depression on your own, in chemical-free ways.
Photo: r.f.m II/Flickr 
The other day I saw a report that said that one in 10 Americans older than 12 take antidepressants. That seems sad to me. But what was truly shocking was that less than a third of the people taking these drugs have seen a mental health professional in the last year — and most people who take these drugs don't need them. Antidepressants are taken mostly by white women, and their use has increased 400 percent since the early 1990s. It could be that these pharmaceuticals are just the new version of "mother's little helper." But it also could be that too many women (and girls!) are suffering and medicating their problems rather than solving them at the source.
2. Go for a long walk outside. In Europe, doctors prescribe exercise for their depression patients. I think the best is a combination of exercise and getting out in nature ... along with giving your body and mind enough time of mindless walking to let the true feelings and thoughts rise to the surface. You will also see that nature has cycles, too — there are times of joy and times of hibernation. Allow your body and soul to sync with nature and you'll automatically feel a bit better.
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Depression has hit me hard, about 4 times in my life so far. It is nothing to be ashamed of; in fact getting over a bout is something to be proud of. Depression, although hell whilst at its worst, can make you a stronger and better-balanced human being.
Whether on medication or not, whether you need it or not, whether it's clinical depression or not.... these other tips should be just as crucial to treatment as any RX. You have to do work, too. Some people need the meds to actually do the work but still the work must be stressed by doctors - who tend NOT to stress it. So I, for one, am thankful for the insight of articles like these.
I can see how this advice can be useful in everyday management. However, there is much more than just making oneself to enjoy life to feel better. I dont like taking medication, But I have to. It doesnt do it all. I still have to make the choices to be happy. I still have to talk about whats bothering me, and laugh and make time for me.
Good for you.
And, lifestyle changes are recommended for Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High/Low Blood Pressure. Pills can't do it all.
I really appreciated the list and will print it out as a daily reminder. I think this isn't intended to say "don't take meds" but rather to do a checklist and work on things before you decide to. I also like that seeing someone was on the list. I've also picked up the book Unchain The Pain by http://boblivingstone.com/ that really helped me by looking within myself. Sometimes we spend so much time dwelling on what happened in our lives that we forget to heal ourselves. It was a great self help read..... More
Am I missing something? #1 is mentioned to see a counselor in case of serious depression. That was clear to me but seemingly not to many posters. Reading these posts, I am seeing more anger than sadness. Maybe some of you need Anger Management instead of Lexapro.
What a condescending load of crap. "Periodic bouts" of depression are NOTHING like clinical depression, severe anxiety, or PTSD.
I have to agree with you....i have suffered from Clinical depression and i would not wish it on my worst enemy.
If only it were that easy. I really wonder if people think before they post articles like this. Do you really think we haven't been told stuff like this before? Do you really think we haven't tried this before? This is nothing "new" or "insightful". It's the same crap I get everyday from people who think I'm "just sad".
I agree that depression is a disease. The real question is why does the body have this disease? Disease forms when the body is not balanced and is either not getting enough nutrients or is getting too much of something. In the case of depression the body is likely deficient. Specifically in Niacin & Vitamin B-6. There is an excellent article about treating and curing depression naturally from Andrew Saul .... More
I think a key step is the first item: See a counselor.
Another thing to consider is that just like health professionals don't recommend you just take a pill for high cholesterol or Type 2 diabetes, the same holds true for mental health. Everyone needs to consider lifestyle changes before and in conjunction with medications.
Certainly no one should put off seeing a health professional for any reason. Discuss the whole scope of the issues, treatment paths, and more. It may be.... More
If medication works, then use it. Depression is considered physical at times, and does not always mean that something is wrong in one's life, and if the symptoms of depression continue without being treated, one could face even more trying conditions as I did, requiring 29 ECT treatments ( Electroconvulsive Therapy ) Always check out the medication thoroughly before using, noting all the side effects, as I loved the medication Prozac, but developed manic behavior at times on it.
I would.... More
Thank u for sharing your experience. It is helpful for me to understand how to help my sister. Hope u r feeling better yourself.
Sound advice based on experience and suffering. Some people are bio-medically treatment resistant to some anti depressant drugs, and may also be very sensitive to some drugs. All drugs tend to be generic and may be effective for some but not all people. The dosage is important. Feedback to the doctor can help to produce a more therapeutic result.
It is now known that antidepressant drugs tend to be only 50% effective. Other approaches such as talking (treatments) counselling, Cognitive.... More
I too suffer from "clinical" depression - but I do understand that this article is not intended for those of "us" that truly DO need medication to function.... HOWEVER, I feel that many "clinically" depressed people also do not necessarily see things as clearly as others and therefore, may misinterpret what the article is actually trying to say. Nobody is telling you to stop your medically prescribed medications!! Only your physician should be suggesting such a thing. And, I for one, think the.... More
I just posted a huge paragraph, and did not get posted ? Wasted my time for nothing !
I'm seeing here what I see with a lot of disease - people allowing themselves to be defined by it. I would try these "suggestions" in spades before I would ever resort to medication.
Wow. People need to relax a bit in here. I never read the words "Clinical Depression" in this article. Or did I miss that? You all need to take a walk, laugh a little.
I love how most of the comments are about bashing the author for essentially not doing her homework about clinical depression.
not ONCE does she mention CLINICAL depression. She talks about the common depression that almost everyone feels at one point in their lives.
Clinical depression in by no means is anything to be taken lightly and cannot be cured so simply.
I think the point of this article is about the amounts of people who feel depressed (not diagnosed with clinical.... More
What a misleading, dangerous article. I have seen more patients than I can count end up in hospital because they went off their antidepressants after reading crap like this. Lovely common sense approaches for a bad mood, horrible advice for people fighting a real medical illnesss.
You can beat it Wende as I did. I did 30 ECT treatments at one time, could hardly walk from depression and now I am medication free. It's very hard work thought, but it can be done, as I am living proof, but I am a rare case, and I do realize that I could go back deep in the woods with this disease, and if I do, ECT all the way ! No Doubt. ! I do agree with you in some respects and there should be an article title change here. I will say that depression starts of mentally,.... More
Frankly there should be a law that only people who have experienced a disease can write about it, but freedom of speech prevails. It is sad that just about everyone who has had a day of the blues thinks they know about depression. This article should be rephrased to "11 Ways to Beat the Blues Naturally", since it is an absurd suggestion to anyone with chronic/clinical depression that these could cure the illness they are on meds for. They are, however, all good suggestions for anyone who.... More
I agree with a lot of what you said, but I pretty much beat depression without medication, as at one time in my life, I needed to get 29 ECT treatments to get out of the woods, but to this day, I am medication free and to the amazement of my medical doctor. Very difficult, yes, but not impossible. Sometimes we do need a little help in life as I did by my fellow borthers and sisters, and if my depression ever gets to be what it was, no doubt I would seek professional help. ( That's what they.... More
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Although, since I have depression, I suppose "laugh" since that'll kill two birds with one stone.
Depression is tragically a catchphrase for feeling blue, having a bad day, having a bad month, or being unable to leave your bed because you cannot find the energy to throw back the covers. Giving someone antidepressants for having a bad day is silly. Giving someone advice like this to someone unable to play with their kids because nothing means.... More
Many of these tips will be helpful for some in preventing what can eventually turn into clinical depression. When folks aren't getting proper nutrition, exercise, sleep, or creativity for extended amounts of time, body chemistry changes. Moods can be affected by your quality of life. A main concern, of course, is that for many the opportunities for a good quality of life are limited by all sorts of factors.
Rubbish. None of the things you listed are the cause of clinical depression. Citation from a scientific source, please.
These tips are really lovely and handy for people who might be in a slight funk in their lives - who might just be feeling down for the day or week. But for somebody who is actually suffering from depression, these 'tips' undermine their true condition. Clinical depression is a very real mental illness, just like schizophrenia or OCD. It's not something you can just snap out of, and suggesting that you can is an insult for those suffering through this.
The vitamin D part was good the rest is dumb if u really got depression...you wont even want to do these other things...
I think your article is off base. Depression is not something that a person can be cajoled out of! As far as I'm concerned, this article causes far more harm that good. It is as if you are suggesting that a depressed person should or could "snap out of it".
Speaking as somebody who has suffered from clinical depression much of my life, allow me to tell you how helpful this article isn't.
Please stop showing your ignorance in public. It's a little embarassing.
Most of your suggestions are good. I have suffered profoundly for much of my life and the only one above that does not help at all is the counseling! In fact, I am not sure it doesn't actually do more harm than good. Having said that, anyone taking meds should be seeing a counselor regularly if only because the meds can alter your behavior in undesirable ways. The problem with depression is that it immobilizes you and even though you know what you ought to do and that you might feel better.... More
This article is so full of fail, it's really sad to me it could be published as true advice to someone suffering from clinical depression. Sure, these are good cures for general blues or the blahs, but for someone suffering from clinical depression? No. Not in the slightest. Just taking a walk in the sunshine isn't going to do a damn thing. You're assuming someone with depression can even bring themselves out to leave the house, which can be a huge effort in and of itself.
Oh and it's.... More
Way to make ill people feel worse. :(
Your tips are fine for getting out of a funk or for feeling better in general, but by adressing people that suffers from depression and say that your 'tips' beat depression, you're doing more harm than good.
When I was at my worst, I would've read your article, felt even more useless and as a failure since I couldn't do it without meds. And trust me, when you suffer from depression, the last thing you need is being told that there's nothing.... More
Where in the hell did you get this nonsense, the back of a crackerjack box? Clinical depression is a disease, which you'd know if you actually did your research. Or googled it. Or went on WebMD. If you are going to write such an article, call it what it is. This article is a way to cheer you up if you are feeling a little blue. It's a way for everyone to feel better. What it's not, is advice on how to cure clinical depression. Call a duck a duck. Don't try and turn it into the proverbial golden.... More
I loved your article! It's all common sense. :)
I'm sorry, but it's really not. A person suffering from an episode of clinical depression can't just "buck up" with steps like these, and suggesting that we should be able to if we tried hard enough harms people with depression. It makes people feel even worse because they haven't been able to pull themselves out of it. It can make them reluctant to go, or stay, on medication even if they need it. It's stigmatizing.
Again, if these were "11 ways to get out of a funk," fine. But.... More
If a person decides to take these tips and they work, then more power to them. They are good tips for someone who's discontented with how their life is going (assuming that they have the basics of food, housing, safety, etc., of course). They won't have much effect for someone who's having an episode of clinical depression, and they should not be marketed as such. Depression isn't the same as "feeling down." You wouldn't advise someone with a serious case of pneumonia to just drink lots of.... More
Well said! Very much agree with what you and others here are saying. The advice does not state the difference between mild and reactive depression and the much more severe forms of clinical depression that is not easily treated or remedied by general ways to over come feeling low in mood for short periods. A clinically depressed person may not be able to move, eat or sleep without an effective form of treatment, and at times,may feel like ending it all. But even that is too much effort to.... More
Yes, these tips should adjust the complex brain chemicals responsible for depression just about right, thanks so much!
Maybe your next article could be about how if only diabetics tried harder and got more exercise, they could produce insulin?
Good Lord. And here I've been wasting the past few decades on therapists and medications to keep my suicidal bouts of clinical depression in check, when all I had to do was laugh and take a walk! I am forever in your debt.
Tell me, if a suicidal depression patient decides to go off their medications because of this ignorant flapdoodle and harms themselves, will you tell their family to "laugh" and "take a walk"? Just curious.
As someone who knows people who suffer from it, I have to ask: do you have any clue about what clinical depression actually is? While these various ideas can help treat symptoms, the chemical imbalance experienced by true depression sufferers is not something that can simply be laughed away. If you find a way "out of depression" by following this advice, you're not clinically depressed. Please get some education about this topic before you insult people who actually need medication to get.... More
The above recommendations sound like they come from someone who's never been depressed. Other treatments are needed for true depression, not sunshine or long walks. But treatments don't necessarily have to be medications. One of the best treatments seems to be retraining your brain and your thought patterns.
Hi Sherri — These are tips, not cures. We realize treatment is much more serious than watching Modern Family or taking up cooking. These suggestions may help someone on antidepressants who doesn't need to be (though there are many that DO need them). We appreciate your input!
—MNN staff
Are you serious? "These are tips, not cures" -- have you read the headline or the sub-head on the article? If someone says they "beat" or "kicked" an illness, they mean that they are cured of that illness.
If you don't know what words actually mean, perhaps you should not be using them professionally.
Fact is, it's difficult to "beat depression naturally," if it's true depression.
If people are taking medication that is intended for depression because they feel unhappy or sad, well then, that says something about our healthcare system -- and our society. If you aren't depressed, you shouldn't be prescribed depression medications. You should be exercising, taking walks, etc.
People need to be educated on the difference between depression and bouts of sadness and.... More
And it's YOUR job to decide that too many people are on antidepressants? I'm so glad that journalists feel they've got the medical training to diagnose and treat serious issues like major depressive disorder, etc.
What is this, 1960? Lighten up, little lady, you're taking things too seriously!
Depression is a DISEASE. Antidepressants are part of the treatment for the disease. Mental illnesses are ILLNESSES, just like physical ones, and are sometimes treated with medication. .... More
