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Natural Health and Wellness

depression

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Alternative Therapies for Depression and Anxiety

AlternativeHealing_gn2_04When you suffer from anxiety and depression, you may feel that you don’t have many options beyond antidepressants and talk therapy. But a new and emerging market has developed with alternative therapies to treat these conditions.

In fact, there are many things you can do to support good mental health instead of or in addition to drug therapy. It’s important that if you’re taking a prescription medication that you talk to your healthcare provider before stopping it.

Read on to learn some possible alternative therapies for anxiety and depression. You may find that these are good additions to your current treatment.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is an herbal medicine that has been shown to treat mild depression and anxiety with some success. This is available without a prescription, but shouldn’t be used in combination with prescription anti-depressants.

Kava

Kava is an herbal therapy that can be used to reduce problems with anxiety. This treatment should be used under supervision of a healthcare provider and is best when used for short periods of time.

SAMe

Same is an herbal supplement that can be used to treat depression, anxiety, and other issues. It naturally helps the body to make serotonin which is the chemical that creates positive mood.

This is available without a prescription, but like other herbal formulas, shouldn’t be used in combination with prescription anti-depressants.

Yoga

Yoga has been shown to help people experience relaxation and improved mood. This is a practice that combines stretching with breathing and meditation. You can take classes in person or use yoga videos and practice it in your own home.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a Chinese medicine approach to wellness. In acupuncture, small needles are placed in various points of the body to help remove blocks in energy flow that can lead to health problems. Many people experience positive results from acupuncture when used to treat anxiety and depression.
Massage Therapy

Massage therapy can be an effective treatment to lift depression and soothe anxiety. It can help to relax the muscles in the body and reduce the effects of stress that can often lead to depression.

In addition, if you’re suffering from depression related to chronic disease, massage therapy can help to give relief from symptoms and improve your mood. Massage may not completely eliminate depression, but can be a good supportive therapy.

Homeopathic and Naturopathic Medicine

You may also be able to get relief by visiting a homeopathic or naturopathic physician who is trained in whole body wellness. They can help to treat the underlying causes of anxiety and depression and help you to get relief.

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7 Natural Healing Methods For Depression

photo (63)Dealing with the blues does not mean you have to keep on popping those orange pills. Studies show that one of the major deterrents to treating depression is the fear of patients to be addicted to anti-depressants.

While conventional anti-depression drugs provide an effective way of treating depression, it is by no means the single cure to this medical illness. There are a host of natural healing methods that are considered safe and effective in improving mood and altering brain chemistry to take your blues away.

Exercise to boost your mood

Exercising literally pumps you up because it releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins that interacts with your brain receptors and diminish the perception of pain. Much like morphine, endorphins suppress pain by triggering a feeling of happiness and a positive outlook. Unlike morphine though, endorphins are naturally occurring chemicals that do not lead to dependence or addiction.

Scientific evidence points that doing a 30-minute routine of moderate aerobic exercise at least three times a week is effective in alleviating symptoms of depression. Those who maintain their exercise routine even after being treated of their depression are also less likely to return to a depressed state.

Eat Healthy

Depression tends to disrupt normal eating habits, pushing those who suffer the symptoms of depression to either overeat or starve themselves. Taking control of your eating habits does not only keep your body nourished, it also restores a certain sense of control over your life, which also in part relieves your state of depression.

Some studies show that eating foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids found in tuna and salmon, as well as those that are rich in folic acid such as avocado and spinach helps relieve depression by restoring chemical balance in the brain and nervous system.

Meditate To Relax

Much of the anxiety, stress and symptoms of depression that we experience can be relieved by giving ourselves some time to relax and clear our mind. Meditation enables deep relaxation by clearing the mind of distracting thoughts and focusing on proper and deep breathing. It provides us a means to have an altered state of consciousness.

Meditating on a daily basis is a good anti-depression practice because it trains us to let go of our thoughts, focus our attention on the here and now and cultivate an attitude of acceptance and openness, which could also help relieve depression and the negative feelings associated with it.

Do Yoga

Although most yoga techniques also involve meditation, yoga promotes an added incentive of exercising the body to improve balance, strength and flexibility while also practicing proper breathing techniques to help clear the mind and focus.

As a whole, yoga works to align the spine, invigorates the nervous system, improves blood circulation, promotes mental clarity, reduce stress and anxiety and promotes relaxation and emotional wellbeing. It provides a potent way of alleviating symptoms of depression.

Get Enough Sleep

Being in a state of depression can lead to an altered sleeping habit and make getting enough sleep feel like a tiring battle. Unfortunately, being sleep deprived can heighten your depression and make matters worse.

While it might prove difficult to sleep well, try hard to make certain changes in your sleeping habit to ensure that you get enough shut-eye when you need it most.

Try going to bed and getting up at a specific time every day to encourage your biological clock to cooperate.

Remove all distractions from sleeping such as TV, computer or even your mobile phone. Whenever you can, try to also take a nap during the day to relax and feel rejuvenated.

Take Anti-Depression Herbal Supplements

Supplement your diet and boost your mood by turning to natural supplements such as having a relaxing drink of chamomile tea or St. John’s Wort. Both herbs are proven to relieve depression and anxiety.

Have A Massage

We know all too well that touch therapy promotes relaxation and uplifts our mind and spirit. Specific massage modalities such as Swedish, Shiatsu and Hawaiian Lomi-Lomi promote relaxation and healing. The use of aromatic oils and music that promotes relaxation during massage provides a holistic experience to deal with the blues.

These natural healing remedies for depression work well to complement whatever medication or psychotherapy session you may be undertaking to help you improve your mood, promote emotional healing and come out triumphant in your bout with depression