There are many Natural remedies for depression Which can help you fight it, especially if it is mild or moderate. Although psychoactive drugs may work in some cases, in others they are not necessary and it is better to use other treatments.
These home remedies will help you Depressive stages For love breaks, failures in work, family problems...
Natural Remedies Against Depression
In addition to the drugs prescribed by psychiatrists, there are a number of natural remedies that can be very helpful. The effectiveness of each of them is variable, depending mainly on the degree of depression you have.
Here are some of the natural alternatives you can use:
1-Sleep well
Did you know that people who do not sleep well are at increased risk for depression?
In addition, patients who have insomnia And depression recover more quickly when their insomnia is properly treated, for example, with cognitive behavioral therapy and medications.
If you take certain steps to improve the quality and quantity of sleep, Your nervous system Will work better and You will avoid depression , Or you'll get better faster.
To sleep better , Remember the following tips:
Lie down and get up at about the same time every day.
The environment where you sleep must be dark, quiet, without noise.
The temperature of the bedroom should not be too warm or too cold.
A couple of hours before going to sleep do not watch TV or sit in front of the computer.
Avoid drinking coffee or alcohol before going to bed.
2-Hypericum extract
The St. , also know as Grass of San Juan , Has been shown to have a very positive effect in patients with symptoms of depression.
Although it is not known exactly what are the components of the herb responsible for this effect, it has been seen in numerous scientific studies that the administration of 150 to 300 mg daily of St. John's wort extract for 4 weeks Decrease anxiety And helps to alleviate Symptoms of depression .
St John's wort is generally well tolerated and has very few adverse side effects. Therefore, it is an ideal supplement for the treatment of depression.
On the other hand, there are a number of Herbs and herbal teas Which will help relieve anxiety, which is often given next to the depression: passionflower, basil, lavender, chamomile, ginseng, tila, hawthorn or melissa.
3-Psychotherapy
There are different types of psychotherapy that can be very useful in the treatment of depression, a good example of this is Cognitive-behavioral therapy , Gestalt or group therapy.
Going to therapy can be an excellent complement to treatment with medication or other natural remedies for depression because it can help you:
Adapt to the complicated situations you are experiencing.
Identify beliefs Or negative behaviors and replace them with positive behaviors.
Explore new experiences and develop positive interactions with other people.
Find new ways to solve your problems.
Identify the factors that contribute to worsen your depression.
Finding the feeling of satisfaction and control in your life
Managing feelings of anguish and hopelessness, typical of depression.
Learn to set realistic goals for your life.
So if you have been diagnosed with depression, do not hesitate to resort to psychotherapy as part of your treatment.
4-Healthy Eating
It should no longer be a novelty for anyone that the food directly influences the way you feel, physically and mentally.
But what you can not imagine is that there are certain foods that are able to avoid depression, and there is a lot of scientific research to support this claim.
For example, two recent studies have shown that Mediterranean food Is able to prevent depression.
In the countries surrounding the Mediterranean there are far fewer cases of depression than in other countries and scientists believe that this may be due to the eating habits of the population of these countries.
A diet rich in fresh vegetables, whole grains and olive oil helps maintain mental health, scientists say.
While depression is a multifactorial disease, healthy eating will certainly help you improve the symptoms of depression and of course it will be a perfect complement to any treatment you follow.
In addition to following a Mediterranean diet, pay attention to the following list of nutrients that will help you get out of depression:
Selenium . Several studies have associated low levels of selenium with symptoms of depression. This mineral is found in whole grains, meats and eggs, among others.
Tryptophan. It is the precursor of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that typically lowers its levels in patients with depression. Foods such as chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, beans and seeds can help you improve your levels of tryptophan and serotonin, helping to prevent depression in this way.
Omega 3. Several studies have shown that omega 3, present in foods such as tuna, sardines, flax and pumpkin seeds
Vitamins of Complex B. It is also known that these nutrients are essential for maintaining good mental health. Remember to include in your diet a good amount of green vegetables, yeast extract and beans, to obtain an adequate amount of these vitamins.
Other foods that can help you are those Increase serotonin production , Such as: p Blue fish, meat, eggs, dairy products, cereals, nuts, fruits, vegetables and chocolate .
You may also like These foods to increase happiness .
5-Sunbathing
This natural"remedy"is well known, since it is known that in countries with less sunlight, suicides are more frequent.
On the other hand, it is also known that during the winter some people suffer what is called"seasonal affective disorder", a kind of depression that appears when the days are shorter.'
The sun is a means to fix and absorb certain types of vitamins, including Vitamin B . It also promotes the generation of vitamin D , Responsible for the fixation of calcium in our bones.
Research has linked vitamin D deficiency to higher levels of depression and other mental disorders, which may explain why exposure to sunlight is able to improve symptoms in depressed people.
6-Write a journal
This exercise can help you release the negative thoughts related to your depression.
The simple fact of writing what you feel day by day will help you to organize your ideas and these will not spin in your mind all the time. Visit this article To learn how to write a personal diary.
When depression is relatively mild, the person may have a more or less finished perspective of what happens to him. When you write and later read what you have written, you can identify causes or circumstances that aggravate or improve the picture.
The diary can also become a tool for ordering ideas And setting goals . Both things help make the person feel more oriented.
7-Playing sports or exercising
Doing physical exercise can also help avoid depression, possibly through regulation of mood-related neutrotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and Serotonin .
In addition, physical exercise also stimulates the secretion of other chemicals in brain , Calls Endorphins , Which cause a sensation of general well-being .
You do not need to kill yourself in the gym for many hours to get positive effects. Doing moderate exercise five times a week for twenty or thirty minutes should be enough to make you feel better.
Scientific studies carried out on this subject show that exercise has a similar effect to psychotherapy or Medication for depression . Here you can know the benefits of physical exercise .
8-Practicing yoga
If you are one of those people who are somewhat skeptical about these types of alternatives, it is time to investigate a little more. The Yoga Is one of the Meditation techniques And relaxation programs spread throughout the world.
When a person begins to practice yoga, he begins to have greater control of his body and his mind. He begins to be more aware of how the human being can control his mind, and with it certain diseases.
Yoga also generates certain benefits on a physical level, since stretching exercises and spine hygiene are practiced. Greater physical well-being contributes to greater mental well-being.
Even if you are a beginner, yoga classes can be very useful when controlling anxiety, achieve greater relaxation and thus avoid depression.
Scientific studies have shown that classes of any type of yoga are useful to reduce anxiety and therefore, depression.
If you've never done yoga, go for a few classes, you're sure to do very well.
Here you can learn about other relaxation techniques.
9-Being part of a group
Participating in a self-help group has several benefits for a person who is depressed.
That way you can see that you are not alone in that fight and through the testimonies of those who have overcome the disease you will feel socially supported, reducing the feeling of isolation.
You can also freely express everything that torments or saddens you, something that you may not be able to do in your daily environment.
10-Therapeutic Massages
When a person receives a massage session, he feels more relaxed and with a sense of"peace". This condition can certainly help you improve your symptoms of depression.
A scientific study carried out around this topic showed that the massage sessions performed during 12 weeks were able to improve anxiety and alleviate depression in some people.
If you are already receiving some type of treatment for your depression, do not hesitate to complement it with these 10 natural remedies, which will undoubtedly help you recover faster.
And what other remedies for depression do you know?