Anxiety depression - natural supplements

[NortonLC]

Hi,

I take a multivitamin and currently attempting to try everything to pull myself out of my current fog. I have big waves of anxiety and low mood. Considering antidepressants but before I do wondering if anyone has tried natural remedies? Even open to trying alternative therapies. I'm currently doing some cbt therapy. TIA

Hi, I'm decades into this game so forgive me if I sound hard!

I tried everything from St John's Wort to CoQ10 to light therapy and all sorts of nonsense.

CBT is a great start, although it doesn't work for everyone. It is at least evidence-based.

Anti-D's can absolutely help, but you need to find the right one.

If anxiety is the main problem (do you have panic attacks at all?) then a beta blocker can assist.

You really need a good GP to help you. Hang in there, it can and will get better :)

If you can, I'd suggest daily fresh air, green spaces, and some exercise, whether gentle or hard. Stretching in the garden, a walk around the village or a brisk dip in the sea, whatever you can manage.

Consider trying tiny,tiny things that are 'new' or different to remind your brain that there are other connections possible (eg maybe try a new type of tea bag, or add a slightly different spice mix in your curry. Maybe get off at a different bus stop or buy a coffee from a different cafe. Try a different colour of socks or perhaps a different type of pen to write with?)

Best wishes OP, it's a difficult road you're travelling but you can absolutely get through it xx

ashwaghanda and lions mane are two supplements that I have seen recommended. I found ashwaghanda really helped me to sleep better, which had a big impact on low mood.

I also used Free Soul vegan protein blend and whilst I found the ingredients didn’t agree with me long term, I found the boost from the protein and its daily supplements to really impact on my energy levels and fog/mood. I’ve not found anything better.

Watch Georgia Ede on YouTube, she has some fantastic advice on how to improve mental health and well being.

She is psychiatrist, and advises a diet that is healthy for the brain. You might not agree with everything that she says, but it is evidence and experience based, and I wish I had heard of this 20 years ago.
Best of luck.

Faddy diets and pills are just ways to make money. Fresh air and exercise. Can you afford a nice swimming pool membership, with sauna or jacuzzi? There's something about water that's especially beneficial, we used to advise it at Rape Crisis.

The only thing that will alleviate the feelings is to figure out why you are having them and resolving the underlying issue(s). It could be rooted in childhood or it could be due to your current circumstances, or maybe both. Anything else is only likely to have a limited benefit, once you've ruled out any medical causes.

Do you drink alcohol? I really didn't drink much, but quitting still made a difference.

There is some evidence of the efficacy of st johns wort in the treatment of mild to moderate depressions. You do need to be careful though as it interacts with a lot of medications, shouldn't be taken with anti depressants and could possibly make the pill less effective.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4946846/

Xiao Yao San is Chinese medicine. I got it in tablet form from my herbalist.

Have a look for reviews and evidence of effectiveness. I'm sure I read a clinical study somewhere saying it was found to be as effective as sertraline.

It really worked for me. Noticed a difference in about a week or ten days or something. Just seemed to dull my anxiety without dulling me. Can't remember how long it took for that reaction sorry. But not long.

But it was dear so I stopped after a couple of months. I think it was about £15 for ten days or a fortnight.

Oh and I did acupuncture too. That worked right away. Lasted a week at a time. After a few treatments it seemed to have a cumulative effect. But again too dear so I was forced to stop.

Some people swear by magnesium x

@Sajacas I’ve read Georgia Ede’s book and also watched a lot of her videos along with Dr Chris Palmer, there is growing evidence that our modern unhealthy diets have a negative impact our mental health. I have cut out sugar and reduced carbs and follow some of their recommendations which has helped my anxiety although haven’t actually changed to a ketogenic diet

I’ve found ashwaghanda and lithium orotate have helped me. Especially lithium orotate, I can feel the difference if I stop taking it. Of course, it may be placebo but it has some good evidence behind it