Did anyone reduce their depression naturally?

[Suziee37]

Tried medication, tried councelling many times and types of treatments. I’m now interested in natural methods. I’ve heard nutrition might play a part. Not gone well today as having a bad day so eaten a lot of junk! Any one experienced in healing themselves from depression

It's not binary. It's first hand experience and in dismissing it you are actually sending the message that it's someone's own fault because they could have 'done more'. I'm immune to such messages but many aren't, ESPECIALLY if they are struggling with it or in the middle of a bout of it. It's the next best thing to telling someone to buck up or think positive. It's also highly offensive. And impossible to do for many.

And my nights out with friends had the same effect. It's not the walking or the fresh air it's being with people you like and talking about/thinking about something else. It shows how little you know though. Because I sat there and told my GP that I couldnt have depression because I was sometimes happy, especially when out with friends. And she told me in no uncertain terms that it did NOT mean that at all and that was not what depression was. It's perfectly possible to be happy at home on your own, or out with friends. You're not sitting around crying the whole time. Ffs. You also don't know what's in your brothers mind because he's too ashamed to talk about it. Because that's what it does.

If you have not had a particular MH condition it is next to impossible to truly understand it unless you work with it. Because the very nature of them is how private they are. My ex friend had no fucking idea that her husband had it. Her running 4 times a week, outgoing, successful husband. And she, like you, thought she knew a thing or two about such things. Because the clues that he gave out meant nothing to her in her narrow idea of what it is and her insistence that everything could be better if only you are more veges or went to the gym more.

I doubt my diet has been worse than it is currently in a long time, maybe ever. I'm getting next to no exercise either (thanks Covid). Yet this is the best place I've been in for years. You don't know how this works. No one does really,

I'm on the fence with this one.

There are times when I can't physically get out of bed, my head is pounding and I just want to curl up and die.
What works is routine, fresh air, eating healthily and all the other natural suggestions. Anyone who suggests otherwise is wrong.
Sometimes it's not enough in itself and medication maybe required too. The problem is when you are stuck in bed the things you know will help seem so far away and unachievable.

Getting out and about always helps. Seeing friends, doing things. No question. But unfortunately the things you should do are not the things you actually do at that time. If you are well enough to be doing them then you probably don't have depression as a rule. Because if is by it's very nature something that stops you from being able to participate.

You need to be a certain amount of not depressed before you can actually take the steps you need to. Otherwise you aren't doing what you know you should and are beating yourself up for not making the 'right' choices. 'If only I wasnt so shit I'd be exercising and I wouldnt be depressed' kind of thing. Instead of just realising you need help and getting it.

And it's easy to just get through doing enough to keep your head above water but not realising that you're far from great. You're just managing. Not actually getting anywhere but not drowning either.

At the time you don't even know it's happening. But you know all that Devlesko. I've never had it as bad as the first time but only because I got treatment each time a lot faster. Each time I was quicker at getting to my GP. So over time it's just never been as bad. It's like it just doesn't manage to get a hold now and if you leave it then it's like a cancer and just gets worse.

But of course the drugs do stop working or maybe the depression just isn't there in a way they can treat?

I’ve heard nutrition might play a part.

Mediterranean diet. Google it. Boosts omega-3s, which helps (studies done using high grade supplements showed improvements on those with Bipolar 1, for example), and enhances gut health, where the bulk of serotonin the happy hormone is manufactured, if I recall it right.

Years of depression, anxiety, (I suspect complex-PTSD). I was bed-bound with anxiety, developed odd somatic disorders (eg my blood pressure would drop when I stood up, so I'd nearly faint. It was real, it was physical and measurable, but the cause was anxiety).

What worked for me was

1. doing the surprisingly hard work of dividing up past stress, all the kicks in the teeth that life had given me, and current stress. I wrote it all down, as much as I could, and for the first set, acknowledged to myself that I'd been through a lot, it wasn't fair, big self hugs. It helped me see the second set more clearly and eliminate as much stress as I could by saying NO to some things, asking for specific help with other things.

1. Giving up drinking - I can't drink at all, a couple of glasses of wine destroys my emotional balance for days after. I took ages to realise this after trying to reintroduce wine after a sober spell. My brain chemistry is just to fragile now to handle it, it is what it is.

1. Better diet and more exercise - getting out and going for a walk regularly, alone, I force myself to do it when I don't feel I want to, and step 1 really helped me to demand the time and space for myself to do it. Exercise just seems to reintroduce the natural "highs" that your brain has forgotten the habit of producing.

I don't think we acknowledge the role of stress, in all its forms, enough in mental health. A lot of the time, something is just too much for us to bear, and we need to fix that something, not try to drug ourselves into submitting to it.

How are you op?

I found antidepressants helped when I was severely depressed and suicidal. Then I was able to do some CBT and schema therapy which also helped.

However what has worked for me longer term has been changing my lifestyle and focusing on what's important to me. I've changed job to something less stressful that I can manage easily and that gives me satisfaction to do to a high standard, although it's a bit boring at times, I've also gone part time. I've been honest with my manager about having anxiety and depression and will say what I need at work. Open communication and recognition of hard work, a praise sandwich if there's something I need to change. Luckily he mostly gets it and can see how hard I can be on myself, but also that I'm dedicated and work hard.

I'm honest about my feelings with my husband, so if things are feeling a bit much he can take over or he can help me to reframe things. I avoid caffeine, try and eat a bit more healthily and most importantly for me prioritise sleep and getting outdoors. I've built a bit of a walk into my working day by parking further away (when at the office) so I can have a bit of time to myself before and after work. I've also moved house, away from my parents, and seeing them less often has helped too, it stops me reverting to feeling like a teenager and helps stop that negative internal voice coming back too strongly.

So for me it's been a combination of things and it's taken a while and a bit of trial and error to get here. Hope thats helpful for you.

For me: exercise, water, vegetables and sunlight. That's all it took. Go outside even if it's raining, even if you get soaked, it's exhilarating. Boil up a bowl of veg and just eat it. I couldn't be bothered with hiding veg into the big bowl of pasta I actually want to eat - just eat vegetables as fast as possible to get the vitamins in. Have a water bottle or glass all the time and you'll be shocked how much you eat. If you're stressed or anxious or scared or sad just move your body. Jump, dance, sit ups squats - anything for just five minutes (set a timer on your phone) and do not stop moving until it goes off.
Give it two weeks and you'll feel better.

Yes I went from unable to leave the house with one or two friends and an arsehole boyfriend who cheated on me regularly to doing extremely well in a very responsible job, much more happy in my own company and that of others and in love with a good man. First of all, I'd say look at your environment and put yourself first. No matter how hard it seems. Leave anyone and anything behind that isn't serving you and get busy. Make yourself busy with something that betters you. I know that's so vague but you genuinely need to love yourself. Not as in look in the mirror and think oh I'm gorgeous, as in proactively love yourself and do whatever it takes to give yourself the happiness you deserve. The depression will subside when you start putting yourself first I promise x

Oh and don't expect change overnight. I came off social media after finally having the guts to leave my ex to make sure I stuck to my guns & I was in a lonely, lonely place. You will rebuild your life I promise no matter what changes you have to make to get there ( doesn't have to be a breakup obvs but things do occasionally have to 'get worse' before they get better ). And give less of a fuck about what other people think. This doesn't mean be a mean bitch all of a sudden, you can keep your kindness and moral compass but you just need to make sure nothing is at the expense of your happiness anymore. All you have is you & you're complete you came to the world a blank empty canvas and whatever temporary circumstances have taught you that you need to be unhappy now are an illusion, you can empower yourself I promise. I am proud of you in advance x

I came of men's and of course I felt bad again.
However I talked to my friends about it.
Over the last few months things are getting much better but their is a 'rear in the back of my head that I live with.
I have
Cut out alcohol
Gone back to the gym ( weights and yoga)
Started eating much better.
Gone back to having full days walking in the mountains.,sometimes by myself sometimes with a friend.
Made plans of good things to look forward to. Even when we are under restrictions there's still good things to do.
As soon a judgemental nehative thought comes in my head I stop it dead and remember to be kind. ( most of the time, there are still fuckwits out there!)
I've made an effort to smile more so now its not a effort and I honestly feel sunnier inside.

@notacooldad - I especially appreciate your point about making plans to look forward to. I read somewhere that you should ensure you have something to look forward to each day, week, month and year. The daily one can be small - coffee with a friend or a new book. The weekly one can be an enjoyable hobby or fixture in your calendar. The monthly one is maybe less habitual and more of an event - a gig or a mountain hike (or whatever makes you happy) and the yearly one could be a big holiday or meet up (harder during Covid, but still possible).

@MarriedtoDaveGrohl sorry to resurrect the thread. I've been given go ahead by gp to use alphastim and have borrowed one. It's here! When you started using it how often did you do it? I'm in a position to use it frequently now I'm WFH.

Good healthy food. Sleep. Exercise. Light exposure. Music
This will help tremendously.

I needed medication but that's not to say I didn't find other things helped...

Reconnecting with nature and getting adequate daylight helped - i took up gardening, nothing heavy just a few flowers. Nurturing something else gave me a boost, being outside with hands in soil helped me relax and it gave me something to do without taxing my mind. I focused on growing things that gave me pleasure.

Baking bread- you really can't underestimate the feel of bread dough in your hands for one of lifes little pleasures.

Paying attention to the effect certain foods had on my mood - I definitely noticed a marked difference if I'd eaten badly the night before and I went tea total for a year.

Just gentle self care as much as possible. And if I had a bad day when I didn't achieve what I wanted, I let it go - try again the next day. Building in short routines, like just taking makeup off each night and making sure I never got into an unmade bed, helped a lot too and made me feel like I'd accomplished something.

And sleep, definitely sleep. Focusing on the best quality sleep I could get and over time my sleep slowly improved which helped everything else.

Following for the tips

I took fluoxetine for years since prescribed at 19 by the university GPs in 1990s.

Oddly started not working and making me quite wired and manic in recent times and just could not tolerate it even at a smaller dose.

Hmmm interesting thread.

I don’t drink ever, do exercise, eat well, have friends, yet have terrible mental health problems that have got worse as I’ve got older.

None of the mentioned things have worked for me.

Yes. Think cutting out alcohol and processed food/sweets and getting a bit of exercise, 20 minute walk in daylight are the three most effective things. The podcast Feel Better, Live More is amazing with lots of experts and people who have changed their lives. There was an interview with Felice Jacka who runs a centre researching the connection between diet and mental health and ran a clinical trial proving that a 33% of people with major depression achieved remission of their symptoms after 12 weeks on a whole food diet vs. 8% of a control group who attended a support group.

I fell into depression after I was raped. My life fell apart, I took a short dose of medication but I didn't feel it worked for me. Counseling helped a bit. Three years later from the worst point I feel much better and I attribute that to lifestyle changes.
I exercised for an hour a day, swimming or walking.
I avoided alcohol.
I forced myself into a routine, writing everything down I wanted/needed to do at the beginning of the day.
I changed my diet, made half the plate vegetables, avoided junk food/meal deals etc. Didn't restrict myself but cooked everything from scratch.
Tried to drink 8 pints of water a day.
Sometimes I felt like tackling small things which daunted me helped a lot.

Has anyone tried Wim Hof method?

In short - Cold water and breathing.