Meet Yourself Where You Are
Depression is common. It affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles.
Every day with this disorder is different. Its important to take your mental health seriously and accept that where you are right now isnt where youll always be.
The key to self-treatment for depression is to be open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what youre going through.
Listen To Good Mood Music
Music can have a powerful effect on your mood and on anxiety. They key however is to not just choose songs you like. but also make sure that you are listening to music that represents the way you want to feel. Happy or relaxing music can directly impact your mood and the way you feel.
While many people find it soothing to listen to angry music when theyâre angry or sad music when theyâre sad, the truth is that this type of music will only help you get in touch with those negative emotions. That won’t help you feel better. When you’re trying to stop anxiety, you should listen to music that will help you feel the way you want to feel.
Tip : Practice Relaxation Exercises
If you’ve ever sought out help for anxiety in the past, then you’ve no doubt come across relaxation strategies like visualization, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and others. You may have even tried them, and if you have, you probably didn’t experience that much success.
That’s because what these people don’t tell you is that it can take a long time to feel the benefit. Part of the reason for this is because in the beginning, all you’re doing is thinking about how to do them correctly and whether or not they’ll work. Your mind gets caught up in analysing rather than actually relaxing.
We’ve said time and time again that you cannot hope to fight anxiety if you are thinking about it too much. So when you start any relaxation exercise, you’re thinking about how it makes you feel and what it does, and whether you’re doing it right, and how ridiculous it feels, and so on. This is natural when trying something new. You’re doing nothing but thinking, because the relaxation exercise isn’t natural to you yet.
For it to be effective, you have to keep doing it and expect little results until the exercise itself becomes both boring and second nature. As soon as you’re able to perform the relaxation exercise without thinking about it or focusing on each individual part, that’s when it should start working for you.
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Facing Addiction In America: The Surgeon General’s Report On Alcohol Drugs And Health
This executive summary of the Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health addresses alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drug misuse in the United States. Chapters of the report cover neurobiology, prevention, treatment, recovery, health systems integration, and recommendations for the future.
Can Junk Food Cause Depression
According to studies, people who rely on a poor diet that includes all sorts of junk, including processed meat, chocolates, fried foods, and other such things are more likely to show symptoms of depression.
On the other hand, people who kept a distance from such food products and had most of their diets rich in fruits and healthy food were less likely to show such signs.
These results also align with results that showed how a good diet protects one from diseases.
However, we still need more research to establish a clear connection between depression and diet.
But the results till now only point towards the importance of avoiding unhealthy junk!
With this being said, we move forward onto the foods that help fight depression by presenting you with a list you must include in your platter!
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How Meditation Works For Depression
The most helpful type of meditation in Goyals study wasmindfulness meditationa self-awareness practice that involves focusing on the present moment andgently refocusing, without judgment, whenever attention wanders. Thetheory: Meditation may ease depression by stopping, for a while, theever-churning worries and fears that can fuel it.If Im depressed about a life change like divorce or losing a job and keepthinking about it, I may become more depressed. And the churning thoughtscan cause a cascade of symptoms that lead to feeling debilitated, Goyalsays. One way mindfulness may help is by causing you to pause and reactless to whatever is bothering you. This process can reduce the symptoms,making them less bothersome, and over time can become second nature withmore meditation practice.
Small Steps Big Impact
Depression can drain your energy, leaving you feeling empty and fatigued. This can make it difficult to muster the strength or desire to seek treatment.
However, there are small steps you can take to help you feel more in control and improve your overall sense of well-being.
Read on to learn how to incorporate these strategies in a way that makes sense for you.
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Magnesium Supplementation For Depression
Although the causes of many mood disorders are not yet understood, low blood magnesium concentration can induce anxiety and related symptoms including:
- nervousness
- weakness
- depression
Studies show magnesium can help downgrade anxiety by regulating cortisol levels, which keeps the nervous system calm and helps to manage stress.
Increased magnesium intake can also balance hormonal activity in the areas of the brain that control anxiety and fear, and influence the activity of the adrenal system .
I’ve Bolded The Main Points Throughout The Post So You Can Skim If That’s Your Thing Because There’s A Lot Here
*Just have pen and paper handy and jot down 2-3 options that resonate with you most to start off with. You can add more later or come back here to try something different if needed. Be patient, but it’s so worth it to help yourself in these natural and safe ways.
Before Jill shares her story and tips below, I’ve got a few ideas you could also try to fight depression and anxiety naturally:
- This probiotic alone has helped many people with anxiety and depression, and since gut health and brain health are SO connected, this is the other FIRST thing I suggest people start taking. Again, get a discount with the code KOP here.
- Here are 2 supplements I also take for mood, along with plenty of pastured fats mentioned above, because they all work together: Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 . Use the code KOP at those links for a discount on both of those.
- Also, Rescue Remedy is a safe, natural supplement for episodes of anxiety and it’s popular for all ages, and even animals. You might want to give it a try or keep it on-hand for a quick-acting calming remedy.
- Another on-the-fly remedy to take as needed is this one, a good friend says it helps with her panic attacks in under 15 minutes.
- My friend Cara said this supplement helped her when she used to have anxiety. It’s an amino acid and herb blend. Her daughter’s anxiety was helped , which is also an amino acid.
What if Im already taking an anti-anxiety drug?
- This combo remedy helps many with sleeplessness or stress.
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Complementary And Alternative Therapies
Some people find complementary and alternative therapies help to manage their symptoms. For example, this may be aromatherapy, reflexology or acupuncture. Complementary therapies may also help manage some of the side effects of medication, if you decide to continue with it.
Some herbal remedies can interact with antidepressants and other types of medication. So if you are thinking about taking a herbal remedy alongside any medication, speak to your doctor or pharmacist about whether this is safe.
St John’s wort
St John’s wort is a herbal medicine that is sometimes used to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is available to buy without needing a prescription.
There is some uncertainty about the effects of St Johns Wort, as well as the correct dose to take and how it interacts with other medicines. It is best to seek advice from your doctor before taking it, especially if you are already taking any kind of medication.
Natural Remedies For Depression: Find Hope Again
May 11, 2018
Did you know that 1 out of 7 individuals will suffer from depression symptoms at some point in his or her life? Today, depression is one of the main causes of disability in developed, as well as low and medium income countries. In fact, around 150 million people suffer from depression worldwide.
The World Health Organization predicts that depression will become the second most prevalent disease worldwide by the year 2020. But what are we doing to prevent and treat this life-altering mood disorder? The typical treatment antidepressant medications dont work for every person with depression and also come with a slew of side effects. However, sometimes people dont know where to turn to find a treatment that wont bring on more health problems.
The good news is there are natural remedies for depression that are effective and help address the root cause of the disease. If youre looking for a natural way to improve your depressive symptoms, studies suggest that you should focus on eating an anti-inflammatory diet one similar to the Mediterranean diet that provides critical vitamins and minerals for hormone balance and brain function. A moderate to high level of physical activity/exercise has also been shown to prevent against depression. Additionally, using essential oils for depression and making other lifestyle changes to control stress are some of your best options.
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Chai Hu For Depressive Disorder
Chinese herbal medicines have already been employed for thousands of years in a number of Asian countries to cure various psychiatric disorders. Several single herbal medicines are commonly used in the therapy for depression, such as Hypericum perforatum, Crocus sativus and Lavandula angustifolia et al. Among these single herbs, Chaihu was one of the most frequently used for the treatment of depression in numerous Chinese herbal medicine formulas .
The Bupleurum genus of the Apiaceae family consists of about 185 to 195 kinds of plants and it is initially characterized in the book Shennongs Herbal for the treatment of psychosomatic disorders. Pharmacological studies in depression models have been performed on several species, such as Bupleurum chinense DC., Bupleurum yinchowense and Bupleurum falcatum L. . In the last several years, a number of studies have been performed on Bupleurum chinense DC, which grows predominantly in the northern and northeast part of China . Originally documented in the classic book Treatise on Cold Induced Febrile Disease as a chief component of an ancient formula Xiao Chai Hu Tang from about decades before Christ, Bei Chaihu is one of the most important components of Chaihu-Shugan-San, and reportedly has remarkable antidepressant-like pharmacological activities in animals .
Where Can I Get Omega
While it is possible to get these essential fatty acids naturally from foods, such as flaxseed oil or walnuts, supplements would be the easiest way to get them.
There are many different brands out there, and choosing one might seem overwhelming at first. Still, you should always ensure that they have a seal of approval for quality by trusted organizations and health professionals.
If you are looking for my favorite Omega 3 fatty acid supplement, I suggest looking at Zinzinos product line.
Zinzino uses fish oil sourced from northern waters to guarantee the highest purity levels, and LegitScript has also awarded them a seal of quality. This organization checks for legal and ethical business practices.
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Three Ways To Beat Stress
Start A Walking Program
Walking just 30 minutes a day can significantly reduce your risk for major chronic diseases, including anxiety and depression. Read these tips to get started.
Use the following ideas to start your own walking program.
- Wear the pedometer for a few days and see how many steps you average.
- Set a daily goal and work up to it. A good goal is to increase your average daily steps gradually so that you get used to the increased distance. Recommendations vary on how fast to increase steps. Anywhere from 500-2,000 steps a week is reasonable.
- Record your daily steps in a log or notebook.
There are many ways to increase your daily steps:
- Choose a more distant parking place
- Take the stairs
- Walk over to a friend’s dorm room or a colleague’s office instead of using the phone or e-mail
- Walk the dog
- Walk with a friend each day
Find ways to walk even during the winter months or other inclement weather.
- Walking in the malls
- Local school track or fitness center
- 3-5min “walk breaks” during study time/work/etc
If you experience pain or discomfort, check with your primary care provider.
Remember, it takes about six months to “lock-in” a new behavior. Think of your walking program as a permanent change in your behavior. If you maintain your walking program for a minimum of six months, you are much more likely to maintain this change long-term.
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The Science Behind It
A 2016 study suggests that the effect the plant has on patients of depression is not altogether different from the effect of pharmaceutical antidepressants. The study indicated that St. Johns wort:
- Lessened symptoms of mild to moderate depression more than a placebo
- Seemed to have fewer side effects than prescription antidepressants
- Didnt seem to reduce sex drive, often a side effect of antidepressants
However, the study did not cover the effects of the plant on patients with severe depression.
Another study concluded that fewer people stop taking St Johns wort than those who stop taking SSRIs, or their antidepressants. This is likely the case because of its very minimal side effects.
Its possible that St. Johns wort may have other properties, including healing wounds to the skin, alleviating symptoms of PMS , SAD , and OCD , but research into these conditions is not yet extensive enough.
Exercise And Physical Activity
Exercise is a great way to relieve your body of excess stress that builds up during the day.
Its also been shown to improve and even prevent depression symptoms, especially in obese or overweight, since being more physically active can help reduce weight gain, which is often a side effect of antidepressant medications.
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