anyone know non meds for depression?

[luvmyfam444]

any things to try before prescriptions - our insurance doesn't kick in til the beg of the year....

 

[Aidensmom]

St. Johns Wort is an herbal depression remedy. You cannot take it if you are on birth control pills though.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

They say exercise helps.

 

[rie'smom]

ST John's wort or SAMe. Talk to your doctor. Many times they have samples. Explain your situation.

 

[themarquis]

My parents take St. John's Wort and they say it works well, but who knows

I agree -- many doctors will get samples, and they can sometimes cover you for quite a while with them.

Another option is a depression med that is available as generic -- meaning relatively inexpensive. Prozac is one, and I think wellbutrin, and maybe zoloft and paxil. They may not be too expensive.

I have also read that daily exercise (like 40 minutes 5 times per week +) has been *clinically proven* to be as effective as exercise (too bad some of us are lazy! ), but it is a really good idea.

good luck.

 

[TrixieBel]

When my friend was diagnosed with depression about 8yrs ago her dr asked her to go for a daily walk and to eat 2 bananas a day. Seemed weird to the rest of her friends at the time, but supposedly banana's have some sort of natural "happy" drug in them? And it's well known that regular exercise can up your endorphins(?)...

Regards

 

[Green Tea]

Many antidepressants are available generic and are cheap.

But St. Johns Wort might get you through.

 

[alldiz]

I agree excersize and maybe St John's Wart.

Be careful though....this "herb" interacts with a lot of medication.....

Make sure you tell your doctor you are taking it.
Kerri

 

[ADisneygirl]

Exercise! If you're not already someone who exercises, you'll hate it at first but grow to love how it makes you feel.

Quick fix? ~ busy your mind with helping others. When you are helping others who truly need it you forget your own problems for awhile.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I used to take St. John's Wort for anxiety and it worked really well. I get bouts of depression every now and again and can't take St. John's Wort anymore since I'm on birth control pills, so I started taking a daily Vitamin D supplement from a recommendation I got here. It's the vitamin found in sunlight and is supposed to improve your mood. Well, it works! I'm not sure how it'll work for anything other than mild depression though, which is what I have.

Good luck!

 

[ducklite]

Clinical depression is caused by a chemical inblanace in the brain. It can not be "cured" with anything but medication. While some homeopathic remedies can mask symptoms temporarily, untreated depression will only get worse. (My DS has suffered from clinical depression on and off for ten years, so I have some knowledge on this disease.)

OP, please go to your doctor and explain your circumstances. They almost always have samples that they can give you to hold you over for a couple of months. They will also cut you a break on the office charges if you are upfront with them about your situation. Wellbutrin is now available as a generic, as are several others.

 

[DeterminedOne]

Exercise

 

[Acklander]

If it's seasonal depression, then a full spectrum light bulb can help. This (and exercise) helps me this time or year.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Eat healthy and exercise.

Dr. Oz did a study on eating fish, it will improve your mood if you eat it 3 times a week.

Avoid sugar, include stretching, mediatation, yoga, or Tai-Chi is good.

 

[Sleeping~Beauty]

Clinical depression is caused by a chemical inblanace in the brain. It can not be "cured" with anything but medication. While some homeopathic remedies can mask symptoms temporarily, untreated depression will only get worse. (My DS has suffered from clinical depression on and off for ten years, so I have some knowledge on this disease.)

OP, please go to your doctor and explain your circumstances. They almost always have samples that they can give you to hold you over for a couple of months. They will also cut you a break on the office charges if you are upfront with them about your situation. Wellbutrin is now available as a generic, as are several others.

I 100% agree with Ducklite. If you are suffering from clinical depression, you will need to talk to your doctor. St. John's won't be able to fix it.

ADisneygirl wrote:

Quick fix? ~ busy your mind with helping others. When you are helping others who truly need it you forget your own problems for awhile.

This is really the wrong thing to say to someone truly suffering from depression. Depression is a chemical imbalance. Saying something like this who is suffering makes things worse.

 

[ckay87]

My parents take St. John's Wort and they say it works well, but who knows

I agree -- many doctors will get samples, and they can sometimes cover you for quite a while with them.

Another option is a depression med that is available as generic -- meaning relatively inexpensive. Prozac is one, and I think wellbutrin, and maybe zoloft and paxil. They may not be too expensive.

I have also read that daily exercise (like 40 minutes 5 times per week +) has been *clinically proven* to be as effective as exercise (too bad some of us are lazy! ), but it is a really good idea.

good luck.

Exercise does help GREATLY!!! However, I would not even suggest a specific amount to a person who was truly depressed. Whatever you can do will help. If you get hung up on having to stick to a schedule or a goal, well there is just one more thing to stress about and be sad about not being able to keep up with, you know? Honestly, do anything, whether it's a vigorous aerobics class, a walk around the neighborhood, or squats in your kitchen.

Also, my son was having some mild depression with sleeping difficulties. The doctor suggested Melatonin for the sleeping trouble and I think it helped his sadness as well.

Best wishes to you.