What to Take For Depression - Prescription Drugs Or Natural Medicine?

If you're wondering what to take for depression: natural medicine or prescription drugs, this article will help you decide which is the best choice for you. You will also learn some practical tips for helping you feel better about your life.

When most people think about treating depression, they think about prescription drugs. This is because pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars every year on advertising. While prescription drugs may be the preferred treatment of doctors in the United States, other countries with more progressive health and prevention programs, like Germany, consider natural medicines the number one treatment. In fact, when you consider that natural remedies have been used for centuries and antidepressants for less than 50 years, prescription drugs are really the new kids on the block.

When considering what to take for depression, it's important to understand that while drugs do suppress the symptoms of anxiety and depression, they are not a cure. While drugs work for some people, they do not work for others. In fact, some drugs can make symptoms worse due to their side effects. Although the side effects will vary with drug that you take, some common ones include weight gain, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. The bottom line is that some people can tolerate side effects better than others.

Although many people do fine on prescription medications, others are concerned about the long term implications of taking these drugs. Although pharmaceutical companies know that they work well in some cases, even they aren't sure about their long term effect on the brain and whether they contribute to decline in brain function.

By contrast, natural remedies have been used by countless generations since the time of Socrates. In this regard, they have certainly stood the test of time. Made from natural herbs that have been proven to treat depression, like St. John's Wort and Passion Flower, they elevate mood and create motivation by increasing the production of serotonin and dopamine. Most people can use these natural supplements without side effects which makes them an excellent solution to the question what to take for depression. Unlike drugs, they have no worries about addiction or implications for long term use.

What to Take For Depression: A Prescription for Good Food and Exercise

In fact, after taking them for a few weeks (like drugs, they do take some time to build up in the system), you will start to feel better, so you can make some small changes that will enhance your mood even more. Since it's easier to make changes when you feel good and are motivated to make improvements to your life, this is a good strategy for lifting yourself permanently out of depression. The first change is to make simple substitutions in your diet. If you have been eating a lot of sugar or processed food, substitute healthy food slowly over time. For instance, instead of having a big bag of chips, have some fresh crunchy celery sticks with sea salt. Instead of having a bowl of ice cream, choose a bowl of fresh berries in season with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream. As you eat better, good food will enhance the action of the natural remedy and will be ready for the next step in this simple program.

Of course the final answer in what to take for depression is to make sure that you get daily exercise. This is not the no-pain-no-gain type of exercise, but movement that you enjoy, that makes you feel good to be in your body. When nobody is home, turn on your favorite tunes and dance to your heart's content. Or take your dog for a brisk walk around the block, enjoying the natural beauty, sounds and smells of the world around you. Make exercise into a sensual experience and you will look forward to it every day.

So there you have it, your answer for what to take for depression: a natural supplement that lifts your mood without drugging you, good food and daily exercise. What could be simpler, more practical and easier than that? Get your life back and get started today.

ADHD and Depression: Recognizing the Symptoms

Is your ADHD child listless, moody, and socially withdrawn? Several new studies show that ADHD and depression comes hand-in-hand for many children, with those diagnosed with ADHD three times more likely to experience depression than other children. Before delving deeper into the topic, let's take a look at depression and how children experience this condition together with ADHD.

Depression is a condition that involves much more than simply feeling sad or down. For a person to be depressed, he or she must feel depressed most of the day almost every day - there is a loss of interest in most or all activities, he or she feels lethargic or extremely restless, and he or she is plagued by inappropriate guilt, feelings of worthlessness, and constant thoughts of suicide or death. Additionally, these symptoms must cause significant impairment and distress - that is, they must interfere with a person's relationships, career, or school performance. In addition, depression as a psychological condition is not due to medications and is not accounted for by grief due to loss of a loved one.

Studies show that kids and adolescents experience the same basic symptoms of depression as adults. Studies also suggest that certain symptoms appear more prominently depending on the age; for instance, adolescents and teens may feel extreme irritability rather than listlessness. Additionally, social withdrawal, motor problem, and sleep problems are more common in children - they are very shy, have poor motor skills, and may sleep too much.

So what would the "typical" depressed ADHD child look like? While no two children are the same, you can generally expect this child to be moody and highly irritable, which is a dramatic change from their usual state. The depressed ADHD child might stop doing or getting excited about the things he or she usually enjoys. The child's eating patterns changes, and he or she loses weight or gains weight dramatically. The child might also be significantly less energetic, complain about being unable to sleep, or start referring to themselves in overly-critical ways. They also have more difficulty concentrating; their grades may suffer and they may be unable to complete tasks. These behaviors usually persist for a few weeks and are radically different from how the child normally behaves.

Many parents often wonder if the depression might simply be due to being "demoralized" by dealing with ADHD symptoms. However, a new study suggests that depression in children with ADHD may have deeper roots. The researchers of this study looked at 76 boys who were diagnosed with both ADHD and major depression, and followed their progress for 4 years. They discovered that their ADHD symptoms were not related to their major depression; diminished ADHD symptoms did not necessarily lead to diminished depression. On the other hand, the struggles posed by ADHD do pose a risk factor in developing depression.

The good news is that depression in kids with ADHD can be effectively treated with counseling and other therapeutic interventions. In fact, studies show that such interventions are more effective in treating depression than medication. If you suspect that your ADHD child may be depressed, bring your concerns to the doctor and discuss what treatments may help your child.

Causes Of Bipolar Depression Syndrome

Bipolar depression syndrome or manic-depression disorder is basically a mood disorder characterized by an elevation of energy level, cognition and mood with or without depressive episodes. For elevated moods, they are referred to as mania. For milder moods, they are referred to as hypomania. Persons who have bipolar depression usually experience depressive episodes or sometimes mixed episodes of moods that feature both mania and hypomania. These episodes are usually separated by having normal moods. In some cases, there is a fast shift between mania, hypomania and normal moods; this is known as the rapid cycling. When extreme manic episodes are left untreated, they can lead to delusions and hallucinations.

There are different causes of depression. One cause is through heredity. Although studies made were inconsistent and the results of test were not replicated. Recent studies found that different genes from different families may also cause depression. Offspring from old parents are also at risk of having this condition due to increase new genetic mutations.

Life events and environmental factors often trigger bipolar disorder syndrome and that genetic disposition of individuals may interact with psychological variables of individuals. There are many instances that prove that personal relationships and events in life can trigger depression. There were also findings that about thirty to fifty percent of individuals diagnosed experienced traumatic experiences during childhood.

Abnormalities in the structure and function of some brain circuits can also trigger bipolar depression as hypothesized by researchers. They have found out that there are differences in the structures of the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Recent research in Japan suggests that the dysfunctional mitochondria in the brain may also play a part in triggering bipolar depression.

Bipolar depression can be diagnosed both by reporting own experiences and reports given by relatives, friends, co-workers and anyone close to the person being diagnosed. This is then followed up by an assessment of behavior observed by clinical practitioners. Usually, lithium carbonate or lamotrigine, are prescribed as mood stabilizers. Lamotrigine is for the prevention of depression and lithium is prescribed to lessen suicidal tendencies.

Although very disabling, persons with this kind of disorder can live a normal life as long as they are taking medications. But to have a normal life, both prognosis and diagnosis should be accurate.

The Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder - Are You Manic Depressive? Learn the Four Signs

While it was initially thought that bipolar disorder only affected 1% of Americans, doctors now accept that up to 5% of the population suffers from this illness. Bipolar disorder is a neurological disorder that results in mixed moods, from depression, a low, to mania, a high. Depending on the person, the severity and length of these episodes will vary, however, here are some common symptoms that afflict those with manic depression.

Hypomania - The one blessing of bipolar disorder must be hypomania. A disproportionate number of artists and authors have been manic depressive, and the disease greatly contributed to their creativity. Hypomania is an excited state, where the person is more productive, although the downside is that hypomania can quickly progress into a dangerous manic phase.

Thoughts of Suicide - Bipolar disorder has the highest incidence of suicide compared to any mental disorder that exists. It is estimated that 15% of those suffering from manic depression will successfully commit suicide, with over 30% making the attempt. Those who experience rapid mood fluctuations such as those found in bipolar II or mixed states are at the highest risk.

Loss of Appetite - It is common for those with bipolar disorder to be either underweight or obese. The biological feedback mechanism in the brain, that tells the body to eat, does not function properly in some of those with bipolar disorder. The danger of a lack of appetite is that without food, the mind will enter into a state of mania much more readily. As well, some of those with bipolar suffer from anorexia, as a result of negative body image.

Increase in Appetite - As a method of coping with depression, some individuals with bipolar II will use food to cope. Seeing as the levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine are low in manic depressive patients, foods like chocolate or sugar can temporarily alleviate mood. For someone with bipolar to lose weight, they must learn different ways to cope with their problems.

Are There Effective Vitamin Supplements For Depression?

There are research studies showing that vitamins and nutritional supplements specially targeted for depression are just as effective as prescription anti-depressants for some people. There are many natural health care providers who rely on this approach.

Admittedly, a natural approach to depression and anxiety treatment is not the "mainstream" strategy in the U.S., although acceptance of this approach is growing. This is not the case for many countries in Europe, where herbs, vitamins and other nutrients are often recommended to help ease the symptoms of depression.

If you're experiencing depression and have not found relief by using prescription anti-depressants, there are natural options available. It is now known that nutritional deficiencies are many times at least part of the cause of both physical as well as mental and emotional symptoms. This is why simple diet changes along with vitamins and nutrients can often provide depression relief.

Research has shown these vitamins and supplements for depression to be the most effective at this time;

* The nutrient SAMe is naturally found in abundance in the body, but levels tend to decline with age. There are many important processes in the body that involve SAMe, and current neurological research suggests that it plays an especially important role in brain and nervous system function.

* Although fats have gotten a bad rap in the last several decades, there are healthy fats which are essential for optimal health. These fats are called Omega-3 fatty acids. Dietary sources of Omega-3 fats include oily fish like salmon and flax products (seeds, meal, oil). For deficiencies severe enough to produce depression, stress or anxiety, supplementation is a good alternative.

* The African plant griffonia simplicifolia provides the important nutrient 5-HTP, which is being used successfully to address issues such as migraine and tension-type headaches, as well as anxiety and depression. It has been noted that some people with so-called "treatment resistant depression" have had positive results with 5-HTP.

* It has been known for decades that B vitamins play a large role in nervous system and brain function. Deficiencies occur sometimes for various reasons such as in alcoholism and poor diet. B vitamins cannot be stored in our bodies, so we depend entirely on our daily diet to supply them.

There is some variability in the quality of nutritional supplements. For effective results, it pays to seek out manufacturers who use the highest quality ingredients and production methods. Certain nutrients are very fragile and can easily be destroyed if special care is not taken during production.

An enteric coating is often used by the companies which produce the highest quality supplements. The enteric coating protects the fragile nutrients from being destroyed by stomach acids, and ensures that they are released in the small intestine where they will be better absorbed.

Since depression and anxiety symptoms involve both the mind and body, it's important to pay attention to dietary choices. After making healthy diet adjustments, vitamins and supplements for depression can help to provide additional benefits which can help to make up for any gaps in dietary nutrients.

Insight Into Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is defined by the National Library of Medicine as moderate to severe depression in a woman after she has given birth. It may occur soon after delivery or up to a year later. Most of the time, it occurs within the first three months following delivery. A new baby can bring an influx of emotions and a whirlwind of unfamiliar feelings into the household, especially for the mother. Many new moms will experience mood swings and crying spells after giving birth, but those are quite common and usually go away on their own and shouldn't cause concern. Postnatal depression is different than these common, fleeting episodes though, even though it can look similar at first. While the baby blues don't need much care to fade away, postpartum depression can be a bit more complicated, and in severe cases when left untreated, downright dangerous.

Signs of Postpartum Depression

The first thing to know about it is of course, what are the symptoms? How can you tell if you or a loved one is suffering from it? Some of the common signs are as follows -

• Loss of appetite


• Insomnia


• Intense irritability and anger


• Overwhelming fatigue


• Loss of interest in sex


• Lack of joy in life


• Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy


• Severe mood swings


• Difficulty bonding with the baby


• Withdrawal from family and friends


• Thoughts of harming yourself or the baby

Like most illnesses, the earlier you seek treatment for your post-baby depression, the simpler it is to get a handle on. Untreated it can last up to a year or longer not to mention can cause a host of complications for the baby and mother alike, so it's definitely not one of those things you want to ignore or be too proud to admit you're struggling with. It's just not worth it. Especially in light of the fact that with proper treatment, postpartum depression usually goes away in just a few months.

Are Some Women More At Risk for Postpartum Depression?

Yes, some women are more at risk than others. Risk factors that increase the chance of developing postpartum depression include a history of depression either in the pregnant woman or in her family, a history of substance abuse, stressful environmental factors, and being depressed during pregnancy. These factors don't necessarily mean that you will develop postpartum depression, but if you or a woman you care about have increased risks, it's a good idea to educate yourself and pay close attention for signs and symptoms after childbirth.

Treatment of Postpartum Depression

After it has been diagnosed by a medical professional, traditional treatment of counseling and in certain cases medication can begin. Counseling is often found very helpful by women suffering from postpartum depression as it can teach them new, healthier ways to process and channel their feelings and emotions as well as coping strategies when they're feeling stressed or upset. Antidepressants are also proven to work for the treatment of postpartum depression, but it is important to note that these drugs will pass to your baby through your breast milk if you intend on breast-feeding. That said, there are a few antidepressants available today with minimal risk of side effects to the baby so be sure to discuss these options with your doctor if this is a route you're interesting in taking.

How To Recognise The Difference Between Depression And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Is being depressed the same as having chronic fatigue syndrome? Many people including some professionals still believe that chronic fatigue syndrome is a mental health condition, that it is all in the sufferers head, so for this reason they relate it closely with depression.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and depression are in fact poles apart and two completely different conditions. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is finally being recognised as a physical condition, only being accepted as such by major health professionals around the world in the last ten years or so. The UK government accepted Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a physical illness officially in 2001 but there are still many doctors and health care workers who disbelieve this and are still diagnosing and treating the condition as depression.

Here is a list of some of the symptoms experienced by sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as you will see "Depression" can be a very real symptom, depression though is only one symptom of many, most of which, you will see are physical symptoms.

• Extreme exhaustion following physical or mental exertion - a sufferer will feel a lot more fatigued than the normal person would in the same circumstances


• Flu like symptoms


• Restless Legs Syndrome - having to move the lower legs to gain relief


• Pain in joints and muscles


• Increased risk of cold and virus infections


• Headaches - which occur regularly and are more intense than usual


• Depression


• Stomach Pain


• Constipation and/or Diarrhoea


• Dizziness


• Extreme Insomnia

These are the most common symptoms that sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will experience. Each person is different and will have different symptoms than the next, some will only have some of these symptoms whilst others may well suffer all of them and more as well.

To date no actual cure for this condition has been found, due mainly to the fact it was always thought to be psychological condition and people were diagnosed wrongly and treated for depression.

Research is now being carried out into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which will hopefully result in a cure for this condition being found.

For now at least, most people with this condition will be diagnosed properly and treated correctly.

If you suffer from any or all of the above symptoms and have been told "it is in your head" or that you are suffering from depression then you need to re-visit your family doctor and discuss this with him or her. There is a lot more information out there now and most doctors will recognise the distinct difference between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and depression.