How to get out of feeling depressed without medication?

Why is medication not an option as far as you are concerned? I ask this because of course I was very much like you, suffering through depression and trying my hardest to pull myself out of it on my own. But after a few years of painful suffering I’ve come to realize that it’s simply something I can’t do at this time without medication, and this doesn’t mean I’m weak or anything, it’s simply that we cannot influence our brain chemistry as much as the contents of a pill can. So I urge you to not discredit all medication out of the box, because from my personal experience pulling yourself out of depression without any type of help is pretty much very hard if not impossible to do. And I don’t intend on being on medication for a long time at all, just long enough for me to solve these core issues of why I am depressed and take steps to remedy them.

If you won’t try medicine, you need to talk to a therapist. Talking to no one will get you nowhere, I promise you, and you don’t want to burden your friends so it’s time to get some serious help here. In only one session with my therapist we had identified many new things that I had not thought about beforehand. It was a complete eye opening experience.

A therapist is an option that I am considering, I am just trying to find a free one in my local area as my job pays poorly.

I understand that other people take medication and know others who do but my personal reasons for not wanting to is that I have a mother who is severely mentally ill, her condition isn’t heriditory but shes been on so many different pills her whole life that I have witnessed doing all sorts of strange things to her mental state.
Another girl who I used to be friends with used depression as an excuse for everything even though she admitted to being fine. She used to tell the doctor she was so unhappy to get the pills so she could get the financial benefits as well which horrified me and is the reason we aren’t friends anymore.
As I’m sure you can understand it has put me off the whole idea, so I want to try everything but for the time being.

Some recent studies have shown that increased physical activity daily can produce higher levels of the same neurotropins that SSRI antidepressants are known to act upon (serotonin and dopamine, largely) so you may want to consider running for a half an hour a day.

That having been said, depression is the single most treatable psychological disturbance, and it also has the capacity to be fatal under certain circumstances, so it would seem to me to be the better part of valor to seek treatment.

Medication without psychotherapy is not as effective as psychotherapy without medication. You need to be fully evaluated to see if medication is even indicated, and if it is, you may be able to substitute running, swimming or some other activity.

I suggest you consult your local mental health center to help you find a well-trained Cognitive-Behavioral therapist. You don’t need to continue to suffer.

I want to suggest to do take one of your friends (you would know which one) in confidence.
Telling a friend you’re not feeling well (at all) is usually not considered boring them.
You might find that that specific friend has a good ability to listen yo your problems, maybe even have some directions for you to follow.

Apart from that, i agree with some above, visiting a specialist is always a good idea.
I did it, and i am happy that i made that (for me) important, first step.
They’ll not put you on meds standardy, although a mix of talking/meds does happen.
I wish you good luck with making a start with helping yourself.
It’s worth it.
You are worth it.

Edit: If you decide to see a therapist, you can of course tell him/her your wish to work on it drugs-free.

NAMI.org for more information and to find low or no cost services.

Depression is discussed frequently on Fluther… run a search, or if you are on a desktop, check out rhe related questions (“Siblings”) to the right of the page.

I always enjoy working out when I’m in a rut. Once you’re working out, the only thing I think of is the workout I’m doing, making sure I go through the right motions, and so on.

Also, running helps clear my mind, though I think a lot of any problems I might be having at the time, I think it still helps to think about it while running.

And like Rebbel said, talking to a friend, who you can confide in is always helpful. To kind of vent out your problems and thoughts to.

Hope all is well, and you start feeling better soon.

If your depression is mild and if you are determined to go the drug-free route but would be willing to try herbs, you might consider seeing if St. Johns Wort would give you enough of a boost.

Please read about its use in Europe. Also, the proper dosing instructions and when it might be indicated.

I felt exactly like you do about medications for many years. I am going to say that I was wrong. If you have clinical depression, which only a professional can determine, that is not something you can “pull yourself out of.” It is a matter of a chemical imbalance.

You may find the self-test on this site informative.

Please take care of yourself.

The one thing that will effect an almost imediate improvement (if you don’t do it already) is exercise. Even a half hour walk every day can eleviate the symptoms of depression. Also, omega 3’s, help brain function as well.
The natural route takes dedication and work. Other helps are journaling and goal setting.
If you try all these sugestions and you still feel down, I hope you will seek out the help of a professional counselor. They can often help you navigate these tough times with or without medication.

my answer to everything: bikram yoga…it helped me get off anti depressants some time ago…i’m back on them now but a much much lower dosage

I have a differing view on St Johns Wort, and do not recommend its use. Recent studies have cast doubt on its efficacy, and have also highlighted some possible downsides to using it. I suggest that in the face of doubt it is safer to use the exercise option, which we know works, and which has no downside.

@Judi You took the words right out of my mouth. My holy trinity is the following:
1) jogging every other day for 40 minutes
2) cognitive therapy, and
3) avoiding alcohol.

If I keep to this regimen, and it is indeed hard work, then I’m okay. I am on a low dose of Prozac (and experimented, disastrously, with lowering it even further), but I’m sure without my regimen the dosage would be necessarily far higher.

If you go to a Psychologist, it WILL be drug free. A Psychiatrist, who is a medical doctor, WOULD prescribe something.

Don’t let your mother’s history interfere with your taking pills, however. An antidepressant may be just what you need. I suspect the strange behavior you witnessed was not caused by the medicine, but her ILLNESS.

However, walking is good. Go to a local mall. Window shop. Buy only a soda if you can’t afford it.

And, actually, YES. You don’t want to always and ONLY talk about your depression with your friends. But you SHOULD let your friends know you’re thinking about finding a therapist and why. Ask them if THEY know a good one. That’s ALL you need to say. Then, if they ask you how things are going, you can tell them. Otherwise you don’t have to say anything.

I was taking an over the counter supplement for a little while – 5HTP. My Naturopathic doctor recommended TravaCor which contains 5HTP. It has helped me. The website is www.neurorelief.com. I take 1 pill at bedtime. The Naturopathic doctor had me take a urine test to check my serotonin levels as well as other things to put me on the right thing.

Urine test for Serotonin?? It’s supposed to be a blood test.

@quagmire – it can be a blood test or urine test. My Naturopathic doctor believes the urine test is more accurate

I can understand the wish to not first turn to medicine to fix a problem. But you really have to be willing to put the work in and understand it can take some time, same as trying to lose weight. Last year when I was in the same kind of rut, I went out and bought a yoga DVD and after a week, I could feel myself being happier and even more confident. Another idea (especially if seeing a therapist isn’t in the financial cards) would be to get a small pet to care for and talk to, even if it’s just a Betta fish. Good luck and stay strong. Remember, even the most destructive storm is beautiful in someone’s eyes.

While going thru depression, I tried Prozac, and found I was having bad reactions to it.
I then took Paxel for 18 months or so. I hated the way it took away all emotions from me, but it probably saved my life.
To deal with mild depression, now, I use music. Dancing to crazy, weird music like Desi Arnaz doing Cuban Pete

Butters, why did you paint your wall?
You’re grounded.

Exercise.
Regular schedule.
Proper sleep.
Proper nutrition and meal schedule.
Meditation.
Other activities that get you out of your head and into your body, like dancing, music making, etc.
Monitoring your thinking, and learning mental techniques that help you live with but not attach much importance to the thoughts that are not helpful.
Spending time with friends.
Joining support groups with people like you to talk about how it feels and what you do to deal with it.
Talk therapy.

Depression is often the result of changes in brain chemistry. You can use non-drug interventions, because you can change your brain chemistry by thinking, but it is a lot harder to do it that way, and not everyone is capable of it. It is not a moral failure to use meds. Many people can cope on their own. But why do you need to?

@rebbel Did you notice I am also wearing a pink ribbon now?

Daloon’s right. Get a regular exercise routine, even if its 2–3 times a week. It’ll help a lot because working out is addictive, and in between workouts you’ll be anticipating your next one! Works for me.

The hardest part about this method is that it’s really hard to get started. But once you get started, you’re hooked.

@filmfann Let me find my magnifying glass.
I’m sure it looks good on you.

I became depressed a few years ago when my anxiety got out of control. Luckily, I was unemployed at the time, so I signed up for medicaid and went to a mental health center. I specifically asked for a therapist who worked with CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Research has show that people dealing with depression, several forms of anxiety, agoraphobia, OCD and several other other things found the highest rate of success with CBT. In fact, CBT has a higher success rate than medication alone (and the highest success rate comes from combining the two).

CBT is about taking control of your thoughts. Instead of letting the chemicals in your brain control your thoughts, you use your thoughts (and behaviors) to change the chemicals in your brain. I was stubbornly against using medication due to a general distrust of the pharmaceutical industry in the US, but my therapist didn’t try to force anything on me, letting me know I could have it if I felt I needed it.

It was a long and difficult process, involving many different elements, but it was worth it. I started going to the gym, eating healthier and doing a number of CBT exercises with my therapist. In situation, I felt I wasn’t getting enough, so I sought an outside program to supplement my work with my therapist. The following are the things I believed were most helpful in my recovery:

1. Relaxation breathing technique – 3 times a day, to learn to instantly calm myself when necessary. Also gives you a chance to clear your mind of all thoughts and meditate
2. Keeping a log of negative thoughts – Learning to identify my negative thoughts as they came and eventually learning how to deconstruct them and reevaluate them realistically went a long way in getting me out of being depressed
3. Learning to have realistic expectations – This takes some work; it requires removing a bit of your emotional side and looking at things more logically. When your expectations are realistic, you don’t get stressed or depressed about things not working out
4. Keeping a journal – It keeps you thinking about the events of your days and teaches you thinking differently, which is what you need
5. Exercising and healthy eating – A healthy body really does equal a healthy mind
6. Avoiding drugs – Even alcohol and caffeine. Just cutting out the latter caused a major change for me. I still partake occasionally, but I don’t let it get out of hand

The most important piece of advice I can give you is find the will to change. If you don’t want something different from your life, you won’t get it. The hardest part of therapy for people is changing who they are, but always keep this mind: if the old you with your old habits wasn’t happy with your life, then you must change and learn new ways to find your happiness.

As @drdoombot said, CBT can help. It has helped a lot of people. However, it doesn’t work for everyone, and if it doesn’t work for you, do not despair. There are other mental toolboxes that might work. Psychiatrists don’t know what meds will work, so they try one after another until they find one (or several) that works.

Therapies are the same. Usually people have to jump from one therapist to another until they find one with a method that works for them. If you’re lucky, you can find a therapist who knows many methods, and you can stay with him or her while you try to find one (or several) that works.

I can totally relate. For me, it’s ecspecially during winter time.
& the only way for me to get throught the difficult times is through focusing on others.
When you first start doing that, It seems it’s done in vain
However, you can’t help but get focused on helping others & seeing their needs that youres are not so much visible.
That’s my best & good luck!

@russian123 have you been evaluated for Seasonal Affective Disorder? Sometimes it can be treated with light therapy…

@pdworkin ..
i believe things like “seasonal affective disorders”
are by choice.
sure it seems to be a bit ridiculous to see it that way but the reason i do is because ive had winters that were hard when i let them be hard but when i chose not to feel that way anymore it seemed to disappear. It’s like when you hear about how powerful your mind really is you know?

Some people can choose, others have something organic going on. I’m all for the less intervention the better, but as I said before, depression can be lethal, so laissez faire doesn’t always work for everyone.

It WAS lethal for my first husband and my little brother.

Oh, I’m really sorry. Yeah, it’s not a joke. Especially since it’s so curable.

@russian123 Statistics do not agree with you on that.

@Marina : obviously not all statistics are 100% true.
if i’m telling you straight up.
anyways, its only an opinion, something that worked for me..
& concerning the topic of your mind’s power i guarantee there are statistics to back me up on that.

@russian123 I agree with the power of the mind. I agree that certainly not all statistics are true.

The problem with touting that is that it can lead people who physically are unable to do that to feel like failures.

It is also true that the power of the mind cannot overcome all obstacles.

Did you ever live somewhere where there is no light most of the winter? I have. It had the highest suicide per capita rate in the United States.

I understand where you are coming from. We use the term depression very loosely and it is so easy to pop in a mood elevator so we don’t FEEL certain feelings.

There are normal feelings in everyone’s life like sadness at the loss of a friend or loved one or frustration when we don’t get what we want or anger at injustice. All of these things can make us feel poorly and we want them to go away. If that is what you are talking about the suggestions here, basically don;t dwell on it and do something else until you are better are perfectly adequate.

On the other hand there is a chemical depression that just can’t be run off or ignored away. I was given medication for cholesterol that had a very rare side effect of depression. Evidently I was susceptible to that side effect. The deaths of family members didn’t affect me that badly. I was on the point of quitting my life. Not suicide but retiring from my job, stopping necessary medical treatment, and just spending my ;ife in bed. There was also a pysical feeling that the air was pressing down on my body.

I went to my cardiologist and told him I wasn’t coming back, that nothing was working and I just wanted to be left alone. He looked at my chart and said, “Stop taking the atenolol and call me next week” Of course 3 days latter the world was great again. The point is if someone is depressed for a physical reason, affirmations won;t be enough. anti depressants might be the only solution. A good dr will be able to tell the difference.

@Marina
– With people that are unable to do that I believe they more often than not, have other problems they are hiding, or issues they’re not dealing with. That’s why in most suicide cases people leave notes & other things that say specifically about what LED to their depression. make sense?
– & i certainly don’t believe that the mind can overcome everything, just some things.
-& it I agree with the fact that dark places have higher suicide rates, but dark places also have more underlying problems. I used to live in portland, OR. Their suicide rate is higher as well..

@galileogirl
– It certainly makes sense that you were depressed for a reason. Many medications have some heavy side effects. In your case, there was a reasonable cause for it and it was physically real depression.

Unfortunately some people have serious chemical imbalances that are not triggered by externaliies and a change in diet or exercise are not going to help

@galileogirl
– & that’s where I’m not so sure.
People believe whatever they hear. Years ago, were there really chemical imbalances? You probably want to say that we didn’t have such technology back in the day, but also were suicide & depression rates so high? No.
– Years ago, I could have said I feel depressed all the time & what would the doctor do but say i have a chemical imbalance & put me on anti depressants?
Now, I am not “depressed,” but I used to think I was. That’s where the whole choice thing comes in.
-It’s a bit hard for people to understand where I’m coming from, but after experiencing all this first hand, I just don’t see it the way all the others do with the whole, “chemical imbalances” thing..

Smoke some weed. It’s a natural herb.

@ soar
-for sure lol (=

exercise is a great way to lift your mood. eating healthily too. it sounds kind of trite and untrue, but as far as studies go, even people with serious depression can at least get a little relief by changing those lifestyles.
and of course, therapy too.

@russian123 I’ve been on both sides of the fence. I had a depression early in life, and I just decided not to be depressed, and I got better. Well, it wasn’t quite like that. It was more that I had faith it would be over, and I decided, as odd as this sounds, to enjoy it, and in a few weeks it was over.

So that was my prevailing model for depression. It was something that people have control over. I was always a bit unsure about people taking meds. It seemed like a sign of weakness, and besides, I wasn’t sure it really worked.

Then I got depressed and was diagnosed as bipolar. I kept on beating myself up for not being able to get better. I felt like I should be able to, and I just couldn’t, and that made me feel even worse. Eventually, I felt so bad, I wanted to crawl away and die next to a granite curb by a cobbled street outside a fish store.

My wife and my psychiatrist and others persuaded me that it wasn’t my fault. Brain chemistry can go wrong and it can be beyond your to fix it by choice. I still didn’t believe it, but I agreed to take the meds. My depression began to life, and it felt like it was nothing I was doing that made it lift. Later on, I took an additional med, and it seemed to me like it didn’t just change my feelings; it changed my thoughts. It blew me away.

We’re so used to thinking of our thoughts as volitional. To experience a chemical changing your thoughts just doesn’t see right. Something doesn’t make sense there. I mean, if our thoughts are determined by chemicals, what are we? Automata?

I’ve learned a bit more since then, and found out that you can change your brain chemistry via thinking. Positive thinking can work. As well as the other techniques we’ve used here. But there is no shame in being unable to make it work. Sometimes you are too far gone.

We’re humans. We are tool-using animals. We don’t insist on hammering a nail in with a rock when a hammer is available. We don’t use a hammer when one of the air hammers is available. It’s more efficient to use the right tool for the job. Now some people do enjoy doing things the old-fashioned way. There’s something more satisfying about doing it without tools. Or without modern tools. But that’s just aesthetics.

The point is that we want to get it done. If you want to do it all by yourself, that’s cool. More power to you. But to suggest that everyone else do it your way is more like it’s about validating your way. You don’t need that. What works for you may not work for others. The point is to find something that works, not to judge people based on what tools they use.

@daloon
– I agree with you completely.
As I have said, it’s purely my opinion & I wish good luck..
Good response by the way! (=

Exercise, get proper sleep, eat right—basically take very good care of yourself physically. Find at least one friend that you know you can confide in, and talk to them about your problems; you’re not going to bore them, they’ll more than likely be glad to listen and do anything they can to help out. Keep a journal and write down your thoughts and feelings, because it helps to get it out somehow. Listen to music that makes you happy. Keep yourself busy, do things to keep your mind off it. Learn to recognize the kind of thoughts that are spawned by your depression (for instance, “none of my friends really like me and secretly I get on their nerves” is one of mine), realize how unrealistic they are, and dismiss them as such.

Most importantly, don’t give up. Overcoming depression is really hard, and there will be days when it’s a one step forward, two steps back kind of thing. There is absolutely nothing you can do, even WITH medication, that’s going to make this go away overnight. But keep fighting and eventually, you can be happy again.

I didn’t expect so many answers! but thank you to everyone who has contributed, I am very weary of things related to mental illness and have encountered many people who stereotype such things due to their own ignorance.
With regards to the idea of a chemical imbalance that cannot be corrected by willpower alone, I sincerely hope that isn’t the case for me so I am going to do as much as possible to help myself first. Simply feeling this way is upsetting in itself.
Therapy is an option I am going to try but I am interested mostly in the idea of exercise and especially yoga and meditation so lets see how it goes.

@saraaaaaa
– those are good techniques to try. I think they really will help.
– goodluck! & know that there are always people that really do care for you
=)

Sorry, I didn’t read the other answers but my recommendation is to talk with your friends about your problems. If you don’t feel comfortable with that you should see a psychiatrist because letting those feelings out will give you a relief and help you to see that after bad times the good ones will come :)

Exercise. Helping other people.