02/07/2009: Richared from Long, Quebec: "Fighting the blues with Fennel

I have been plagued by the so called blues most of my life and so its been a preoccupation with me to find suitable remedies to cure my down times. While the following have more benefits than just making one feel better... they all seem to make life more generally happy for me. So after many years of trying one thing and another.. here's a list that I hope will be helpful..

Fennel..Powder form
Black sesame seed powder...some chinese markets carry it.. I take quarter of a cup a day
Chamomille tea
Garlic
lemon and lime juices
Poppy seeds
''Fleur de sel''.. the salt that they harvest at certain select times
Blackstrop molasses
Omega 3 oils... a must for those prone to the blues like myself
hemp protein..acts for me within minutes especially if I mix it with applesauce
ACV
canadian ginseng..doesn't affect BP as much as others..its a cooler energy than the others
goji berries...soaked first..they are less expensive at chinese groceries
number 8 of the ''Schuessler Salts'' some health food stores carry this..this one affects me a lot.. I feel grounded, good, in tune with my spiritual self.. I have heard others say the same about this one

I hope this helps,

Richard"

[YEA]  10/30/2006: Desire from Chicago, IL: "5HTP, Omega3, Chlorophyll, ACV, Lemon and H2O everyday, Yoga 4 days a week. This combination has cured plenty; depression, regularity, appetite suppressant, etc. I'm just one happy camper"

[YEA]  05/19/2013: Paul from St Louis, Mo: "In regards to Niacin, it has absolutely changed my life. I take 500mg of it twice a day. The depression seems to just melt away after taking it. I like the niacin flush I get. Be careful when you first start taking it, I recommend starting by cutting the pill into 50mg increments."

[YEA]  02/10/2007: Caroline from North Ireland: "Porriage oats boiled for 2 minutes on the lowest heat drain then eat good for depression and nervous disorders. multi vitamins and minerals (iron supplement) is good for acne and hair loss. you can get this supplement from the chemist boots"

[YEA]  10/11/2010: Dosti65 from Castries, St. Lucia: "I have suffered with depression from childhood which I feel has wasted a huge chunk of my life. I now try to treat it with diet, etc, I hate the thought of taking any form of drugs into my body. I feel that they are more damaging in the long term. Always on the lookout for natural ways to relieve the depression, I stumbled on your site last night after reading about OP on another site. Though I was skeptical, It sounded interesting, so I kept reading the testimonials until I came across what one person said about the effect that OP with olive oil had on his depression! Well... I immediately shoved a tbsp of olive oil in my mouth and swirled to my hearts content for 20 mins. What do you know, my mood lifted immediately, I felt motivated, positive, I was singing and dancing, my energy was back! Hey, I was back! I hadn't felt like this in many, many months. My mouth felt great too. I woke up the next morning without the usual panic attacks and feelings of foreboding. I'm stoked! I OP again this morning and my motivation has lasted through out the day. No depression! I just realized that a pain in the throat before doing the OP is completely gone. Hadn't noticed it before, so amazed at the renewed spirits! Still cannot believe this 'miracle', so I'm going to keep monitoring and listening to my body while doing the OP. I plan to do it just in the morning using the olive oil. If this keeps up words will not be able to express how this site and all your comments have given me my life back... No words. Thank-You! Q:Does it make a difference whether one uses olive oil or evoo? I'm a newbie so feedback would be welcome."

[YEA]  12/06/2007: Rachel from Baldwin, WI: "re: euphoria remedies -- I have found that after eating pink salmon, followed by green veggies and then 1/2 cup of blueberries, I get extremely happy, almost giddy. The first time it happened, I didn't realize that it was from what I ate and forgot about it. Then on another day, I ate the same thing and it happened again; and found that it repeatedly works for me. I don't know if it would work for everyone, but for me it is a depression cure!"

[YEA]  01/25/2012: Railey from Detroit, Mi: "I HIGHLY reccomend PR OIL for depression. I have always had great will power and am strong minded, but after a couple of car accidents I have felt weak emotionally and physically for a couple years. I did research and found primrose oil. It is recommended for women, though a lot of men say they have had very much success with it. There are good seminars/workshops you can watch on Youtube if you would like to obtain more information.

Primrose oil works with a lot of different disorders and diseases, good luck!"

08/14/2012: Christine from Nottingham, England: "I had a period of depression a few years ago. I also had anxiety attacks. I would like to recommend a book I purchased that helped me overcome the problem. The book is called Self-Help for your Nerves. It was written by a lady doctor called Claire Weeks. She had suffered with the problem herself. This book became my bible, I would read bits of the book over and over again when I felt down. I still have a copy and recommend it highly. Hope this little book will work its magic for you as it did for me."

08/14/2012: Lisa from Jax, Fl replies: "Have you had any testing? The depression could have a physical root. The fact that you are experiencing an unnatural fear makes me think it could be an imbalance. We are more affected by our physical state sometimes than we realize. I am praying for you today."

08/14/2012: Cherie from Nashua, Nh, Usa replies: "Im so sorry to hear of your suffering, depression is a very real and very hard thing to pull ourselves up and out of and away from. I am no proffesional in this topic, I have had some bouts of depression here & there. I would advise finding things that help you feel happier to suround yourself with! No jerks, trouble makers, drug users, none of that. Find a neat hobby, don't focus on the sadnesses that lead u to depressed feelings. And if you live near a local library or can afford to buy a couple books new or used from amazon, do some reading and take notes on all the tips mentioned that strike any chords within you. There are some really excellent books out there that are really well written. Like I said, I dont claim to be any expert but I saw your post and I wish that you find what you are searching for, I do hope that you find all the remedies that will allow you to heal. Another tip that may help; always good to count blessings, any of them! There's gotta be at least 2; life, nice smile, those are examples, but once you do list a couple, it gets easier to find more. The world is a crazy yet wonderfull place, I know it's a hard thing sometimes, lots of us know this, we are enlightned beyond the average Joe, and sometimes that alone can be a hard pill to swallow. But you'll do alright, just keep seeking knowledge and the answers that feel right in your soul. Carry on standing tall, know that you are loved."

03/07/2013: Heather from San Diego, Ca replies: "This is a little late, but I have been close to where you are: anxious, panic attacks, depressed, not wanting to leave the house.

I think the advice given by Cherie from Nashua, Nh was very, very good, and you should incorporate her advice. Counting your blessings is important. Laughing, even if it is a fake laugh - make like an actor and fake it. Also, if bad things have happened to you, it is a good idea to speak with a therapist.

However, the single most thing that helped me with my depression, insomnia and anxiety was 700 mg of magnesium citrate daily. It also helped the body pain and the insomnia. It is better to take it in 350 mg two times per day. If you are small (I am not), perhaps 600 mg per day would be enough.

I use the powder form. There's really only one company that sells powder form cheaply, it is in an plastic bottle, sold in 8 oz, with an orange label. You can search powdered magnesium citrate on Amazon.

Xanax is helpful in emergencies, I.E. for acute panic attacks.

Other things that helped were SAM-e (antidepressant) and taurine, but I'm not taking them anymore because of the expense. I am taking extra stress vitamins.

Sleep is the single most important thing you can do (other than laughing, smiling) to help your body heal. You must, even if it requires using prescription drugs, get 7-10 hours of sleep per night. I use melatonin (9 mgs), herbal teas, and sometimes half of a low dose trazadone and low dose xanax. It is best to mix (with your pharmacist's help) small amounts of herbal and prescription sleep remedies rather than taking a large dose of any one remedy so that you don't get hung over or further depressed by the lack of sleep medication.

You must become protective of your sleep, doing whatever it takes to get it, so that your body and mind can heal.

Depression and anxiety are tricky. Your description sounds a bit like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which occurs as a result of a bad experience. Look into that as well. The only known cure for that is cognitive behavioral therapy. PTSD can affect parts of your brain that are responsible for stress and fear. There's no supplement that will cure the trauma issues but magnesium will calm you down.

It takes a lot of work to get this kind of thing under control, but magnesium citrate (or gluconate), with or without added taurine and SAM-e, will make it possible to do this work as a first step. You should take a good quality multivitamin and other supplements like Vitamins C, D (1,000 mg- 2,000 mg per day, or none if you go outside and get sunshine every day. Or only in the winter if you get it in the summer but not the winter)

If you're seeing a doctor, tell her about the SAM-e in case it reacts with any other meds.

Improving your diet, eating simple, whole foods and not too many carbs also helps as does avoiding any liquid vegetable oils (except olive oil) because they become toxic in your system. Coconut oil and butter are best.

Walking in nature is very therapeutic.

These supplements and changes helped me tremendously."

08/08/2012: Juliette from Reston, Va replies: "I'm sorry! How is your diet? diet and exercise very important. That first step is hard but once you get going it feels much better. If u can start believing that a power greater than yourself can help you that can change everything. Prayer and meditation have changed my life. Many guided meditations on youtube that are easy all you have to do is relax and listen. Good luck! Sending you love and light :) anything is possible!"

08/08/2012: Lisa from Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa replies: "Hi Angelglow, I would like to suggest reading works by Dr. Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Louise Hay, Alan Cohen, Eckhart Tolle and/ or Marianne Williamson. When I was in my teens and into my 20's I struggled with that. My childhood was wrought with difficulty and led to so much anger. Depression too, which is anger turned inward. Eventually I learned to meditate, read and read and did spiritual practice which dispelled all of that. I never used medication and in my personal opinion, it was a deep connection to the Source that helped me heal. Those authors I suggested also had painful experiences (Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay and Eckhart Tolle, for sure) and were not afraid to frankly share them to show we can all find our way out of the pain. Try to read something enlightening every day, preferably each morning to help your mind set or vibration, some call it.

Anyway, I hope this gives you some guidance. I wish you the very best. Blessings, Lisa"

08/08/2012: Rob from Manhattan, NY replies: "To repeat Juliette, getting the body moving.. yoga, anything is the biggest 1st step...

One thing I noticed to help alter my dark moods is taking 2 (500mg) Krill oil pills... I generally notice a change within a few hours...

Eating an anti-inflamatory diet can help... high in greens, berries, omega 3s...

This link from Weil may help as well... http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00696/depression-treatment

and

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/depression-and-inflammation_b_1071714.html"

08/10/2012: Tina from Houston, USA replies: "The following has helped with my (past depression)...

1. Cold showers
2. Brief amounts of high intensity exercise.
3. Green veggie juice
4. High quality cod liver oil.
5. Vitamin D levels between 70-80 optimum.
6. Sunshine.
7. Smelling peppermint oil several times daily. Some folks respond well with lavendar oil.
8. Probiotic rich foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, lacto-fermented veggies. More info here at http://culturedfoodlife.com/

Additional info on natural remedies for depression here...

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/23-natural-alternatives-depression1

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/product/downloadable-document-depression-unipolar

Hope this helps you! Good luck, Tina"

08/22/2009: James from Seattle, Washington replies: "Bob;

The problem might be solved with chromium supplements. When you smoked you were also supplementing chromium. Chromium is in tobacco. Seems our food supply is short of chromium, except for brewers yeast.If you google "depression" "chromium" you get about 350,000 hits.

Another thing about chromium is it makes insulin and glucogon work more efficently. These two hormones effect weight. So a quick cut off of chromium after quiting smoking might account for the weight gain heavy smokers have.

I quit in January and gained 20 pounds before I started supplementing chromium.I hope this helps you."

08/21/2012: Cherie from Nashua, Nh, Usa replies: "Chromium, great idea! I hope Bob looks into it and that it helps, it's such a great thing that more and more people are smart to think of a natural supplement over a damn pharmaceutical."

04/11/2010: Jim from Anniston, Alabama: "I took the prescribed amount, one capsule a day, of 340mg or Rhodiola. It showed on the bottle that it contained 3% rosavins = to 10.2mg. I bought it in the hope that it would help with some depression that I've been having. I didn't want to take anti-depression medicene and hoped this would be a good route without the terrible side effects of any of the anti-depression medicines. About 20 minutes after taking the capsule of Rhodiola, I began to feel light-headed and so far that's all that's happened. No reduction of the depressed state of mind, no energy, no nothing.. just the light-headedness. Maybe I need to take it for awhile? But based on what I've read already about it, I should've gotten some response other than light-headedness."

EC: Hi Jim,

It's helpful if people wait at least a few days before sending in feedback about a remedy or supplement. From your post it appears to only have been an hour or two... Thanks.

07/24/2012: Ulrike from Boston, Ma Usa replies: "Thanks to everyone who posted about rhodiola. Does anyone know where to buy the root (chopped is fine, but not powdered) grown in Russia, not in China, and preferably organic, or ethically wildcrafated? I prefer making teas and tinctures of the root rather than taking powdered capsules or pills. This is because I like to connect with the plant itself, so the closer to its original form, the better. (This is a beautiful plant judging from online photos. ) My web search has only shown grown in China or pill/capsule form. Also, many thanks for this wonderful website. Have found so much help here and have recommended it to others!"

05/20/2008: Henry from San Francisco, California replies: "Who knows what these acronyms mean? Please speak in plain English. What are UTI's, VCO??"

EC: UTI: Urinary Tract Infections VCO: Virgin Coconut Oil

05/24/2008: Henry from San Francisco, California replies: "thanks :)"