Ways to Treat Depression - Helping Yourself Get Over With Depression

Prescription antidepressants and tranquilizers are usually the first line of treatment for depression. But for some experts, these drugs should be used only as a last resort to treat this psychiatric disorder. The drawbacks of these drugs are their side effects such as anxiety, sleeplessness, weight gain and aggressive behavior. Though they are effective in some cases, they are sometimes not enough to relieve all the symptoms associated with depression like fatigue and physical pain.

The natural ways to treat depression are much cheaper than prescription drugs and are also considered to be effective. These include exercise, meditation, sleep, NLP and hypnosis as well as having a balanced diet.

 Exercise is one of the good ways to treat depression because it acts as a mood booster and is believed to be better than prescription medications in preventing the recurrence of mild to moderate depression.

Meditation is beneficial in treating depression by controlling negative thinking like failure and worthlessness. Getting enough sleep at night is also good to avoid a depressed mood which is commonly associated with sleeplessness. Diet is about eating healthy foods especially those that help produce serotonin like oats, bananas and whole wheat. Other foods that are good for those with depression are foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and tuna and folic acid like beans and peas.

Yoga and acupuncture are also some of the other alternative ways to treat depression. Yoga helps alleviate the symptoms of depression because it quiets the mind and gets you into focus. The old practice of acupuncture on the other hand, does not only restore your body's emotional balance but also lessens the physical pain associated with depression.

These natural ways to treat depression are more preferred by many over prescription drugs because antidepressants and sleeping tablets can be addictive and may result to additional problems. But if the patient is already taking prescription antidepressants, you have to check with your physician if any of these alternative treatments will be good for your case.

When it comes to natural supplements, the herb St. John's wort is also considered effective in managing symptoms of depression. Passion Flower is another remedy that helps dispel depressed feelings and supports a positive mental behavior.

Since stress helps trigger depression, you should also learn to manage stress effectively and avoid taking illegal drugs or those that were not prescribed by your doctor to avoid substance abuse.

Psychotherapy is another option in treating depression. It is recommended to help relieve the symptoms of depression like anger or despair to regain self-control and sense of happiness. NLP and hypnosis have also been used in conquering depression and the many psychological factors and symptoms that comes with it.

In some cases, supportive care that involves counseling sessions with your doctor is also as helpful as prescription antidepressants. It would also help a lot if you get support from family as well as from other people having this disorder. Other treatment being considered is the combination of behavioral, cognitive and interpersonal therapy.

Aside from these ways to treat depression, there is also the electroconvulsive therapy or electroshock, which uses electric current in stimulating nerve cells. However, this procedure is still being controversial considering the long term and adverse effects it can give to the sufferer.