Natural Remedies for Depression | Holistic Treatments & Supplements

I have an occasional bit of depression and using palo santo is like magic, I have recommended it to a couple people and they had the same result; one person came to me with bad depression and while we were talking she sniffed the palo santo a couple of times and a while later I asked her how was her depression she replied she had not realized it was gone.

I have found many herbal remedies are so subtle that you don't realize the condition is gone or lessened. I have seen the same result for pain remedies anyway I don't need to keep on, best wishes

Addicted. Depressed. Another precious life lost to suicide.

I haven't had time or inclination for television or movies for some time. But I remember Robin Williams. And I know how famous he was. And I feel very, very sad. Very sad over a life lost to pain and suffering. Maybe people knew that Robin was suffering on the inside. Probably many did not. I did not. Perhaps if someone met him, they would think, ‘Lucky guy. So funny. So popular. Rich. Famous. He has it all.” And go along never realizing his pain and suffering.

The truth is that Robin William's situation is a picture of so many lives all over the world. People look a certain way on the outside. You may know someone a long time and never know their internal pain or suffering. And it is something to consider when dealing with others. How often have we interacted with others and had no idea of the pain? Some are funny. Some are angry. Some are bitter. Some are loud. Some are quiet. Maybe some are vocal about their pain and suffering. Many more are silent.

What does this mean? It means that when someone is rude to me at the grocery store, I should try and be kind back to them anyway. Maybe they just lost a loved one. Maybe they just lost their job. It means when someone is angry at me, perhaps it is because they have had a lot of hurt and are angry at others. Returning anger to them will only escalate the situation. Where there is no wood, the fire goes out.

It means that when I meet someone that seems to have it all, I should not wish I were them. They probably have more pain than I can imagine.

I was sharing some thoughts with a friend about this and she commented that sometimes people say “How are you?” and you know they don't care. We should ask and care. And listen. It can be hard to listen to someone grumble and complain. But sometimes people just need to know that someone will listen to them and that someone cares.

Why such a ramble on a health site? Because compassion matters to health. Caring matters. We can share remedies and stuff and that is good. And when it comes with love and care, it is better. So, I am reminded this week of silent suffering and hope it will help me to love and care better for others.

Just my two cents...

~Mama to Many~

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/apr2008_Why-Aging-People-Become-Depressed-Fatigued-And-Overweight_02.htm?source=search&key=tryptophan

You can also call LEF (Life Extension Foundation) for a free consultation (tel. 800-226-2370). I got relief from depression by following the GFCF diet (Gluten Free, Casein Free = no dairy, no wheat, barley, no rye, no oats unless gluten-free oats. ) My life picked up from that diet. Lots of info online about it; also see the book THE ULTRAMIND SOLUTION by Mark Hyman, M. D. Also I got great results by learning how to increase serotonin through diet. Do see this excellent book: NATURAL PROZAC by Dr. Joel Robertson. You can start by reading the reviews on Amazon for these books.

Couple of things that helped me...

1) Seeing a chiropracter and getting the spine re-aligned, which in turn allows the nerve endings to do their bit effectively.

2) Acupuncture and chinese herbs which allowed me to wean off the nasty allopathic depression meds that I was originally put on.

3) Soaking 1-2 times daily in dead sea salt (Available at ebay. The more you buy, and you use 3-4 heaped cups or more in a single soak). This allows your body to absorb magnesium and other critical elements and minerals that are missing from your body which may most definitely be adding to the 'low'.

4) Green juice first thing in the AM on an empty stomach. Include celery, cucumber, parsley, ginger and lemon juice. This detoxes your liver and flushes out the toxins from your body which will shift things very fast for you. FRESH juice drunk as soon as you have juiced, preferably withOUT the pulp.

5) Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine, atleast 30-45 mins daily in nature.

6) Walk barefoot atleast 30-45 minutes daily on the earth, grass, see earthing under separate heading on this site.

7) Exercise to release those endorphins.

8) Eliminate all sugar, white flour, and processed foods from your diet. HUGE in getting better. Substitute with more healthy choices like greek yogurt and agave and nuts for a 'sweet' treat.

9) Addition of raw foods to your diet. If you can go 50% raw, you will find you are getting better very soon.

10) Pranic healing. Please google it. Learn to do it yourself or find someone who can do it for you. Life CHANGING!

Please ask any specific questions. I really know the above has shifted my being and hope it can be helpful to you too.

Then I read somewhere online that there is a set of people whose depression responds to Acetyl L-Carnitine, they said the depression lifted in these people when using 3-4 grams a day, and to take two grams of acetylcarnitine on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning.

This amino acid is the most amazing substance; I've never been able to take more than 2 grams per day - there is such great mental clarity, there is utter inability to be depressed, but there simultaneously is no euphoria - just calm lucid clarity. I've read that it assists the brain in making many different neurotransmitters - so it is not anything, not anything at all like 5-htp which floods the brain with serotonin - which, if you don't need it, might create severe anxiety.

First off, self forgiveness and acceptance. Years ago, I was about 12 years old at the time, I did/said something to my mom that was uncalled for and certainly not a way a person should ever treat their mother. As it's embarrassing I'll keep the details to myself. I had apologized and everything shortly after... But it wasnt enough for me... I spent a week or so allowing myself to be torn apart by it. I was depressed, I was beside myself crying when I was alone, praying for forgiveness, and not finding any peace at all. I ended up opening up to my mom about it. And I'll never forget what she said, "How can you expect forgiveness if you cant even forgive yourself?" It became clear to me, that the only reason I couldnt find peace and let it go, is because I hadnt forgiven myself. I was expecting the feeling of peace and forgiveness to come from some outside source. The issue was entirely with myself. I had to accept that I had made a mistake and I had to forgive myself for it. My mom had forgiven me the instant it happened as any good mother would. Regardless of the situation, you always have to be able to live with yourself. You always have to accept, forgive, respect, and love yourself. You cant expect peace or happiness if you're disgusted with yourself.
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Next... Dealing with external things... When I was a kid, there was a popular saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me." As time goes on, western culture seems to stray further away from that simple philosophy. We have slowly placed more and more power in words, events, and circumstances. It used to be glorified and shown to us in media such as movies and TV shows, someone would make a rude comment and the hero would go and start a fist fight to defend their honor. A fight with a loved one would result in the protagonist turning to alcohol to cope. Or some horrible event would turn the protagonist to a life of depression and alcohol abuse. In our modern day, it is almost virtuous to be offended or to be a victim. It's a matter of duty to be outraged or to be hurt and to let it be known that you have been wronged.

What we have forgotten is that NO ONE HAS THE POWER TO DISTURB YOU BUT YOU. Absolutely NO ONE. Every word that is spoken to you, every event that you encounter, and every circumstance that you endure, you are faced with a choice of how to perceive it. You have the power to dwell on it and let it disturb you or you have the power to pay it no mind and go on. When someone says a bad thing to you, you have the choice to be offended or not. You have the choice to take that with you and dwell on it. You have the choice to let it define who you are or not.

Every time you allow yourself to be disturbed, hurt, offended, angered etc by words, circumstances, and events, you are giving those things power over you. You are allowing those things to control you and to define you. You are allowing those things to steal your peace and happiness.

Every moment of every day, you have the choice to seek out happiness. You have the choice to dwell on peaceful things. You have the choice to forgive and to forget. You dont forgive as a favor to those that wrong you, you forgive as a matter of health/wellbeing for yourself and as a way to maintain control over your emotions. It harms you mentally and physically to harbor negative feelings.

Awful things happens, far worse than words people say. Circumstances can be hellish. But you always have the choice to control how deep you allow these things to disturb you. Its not always easy. But how you respond to them, will certainly affect how quickly you recover and the damage you sustain from them.

Next time something negative happens big or small, and you're tempted to let it push you further into that pit of despair, stop yourself, and remind yourself that you have the power to change how that affects you.

On top of the mental diet, sunlight, try to stay around people you love and enjoy. Avoid isolation. Join in fun activities whenever possible. And allow yourself to enjoy them. When thoughts of "hiding" how you really feel creep up, shrug it off and remind yourself that you are enjoying yourself. THIS IS how you feel.

An anxious mind is one that dwells on the future, a depressed mind is one that dwells on the past, and a mind at peace is one that is present.

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Look for the good...

If I told you to look around you, where ever you're at and find everything thats blue. You'll likely find plenty of things that are blue. But then I tell you to close your eyes without looking anymore and told you to tell me everything that you saw that was brown while you were looking for the blue.... Did you even notice anything that was brown? Probably not near as much as you would have had you been looking for stuff that was brown.

Your mind will see what you are looking for. So if you go through life with this idea that only negative things happen to you, you're going to see every single little negative thing to reinforce that idea. You catch a cold, check... they screw up your order at a restaurant, check. You have a bad day at work, check. You stub your toe on the coffee table, check. Someone makes a rude comment, check. And you'll likely gladly accept the negative things that happen to others as part of it.. a friend gets sick, check. A coworker gets divorced, check. A friendly coworker quits, or gets fired, check.. The list goes on.

But in all of this negativity how much good might you have missed? You got a free drink through a mix up at the drive thru. The nice person at the cash register rounded your change up from .95c to $1 so they wouldnt have to count change. You had a good day at work. You havent been sick in months. Your family was happy and healthy today. Someone complimented you, ("Hey, I really like that shirt! "). A friend or family member had a new baby. etc...

Chances are there isn't near as much bad as you believe there is and chances are there is just as much good to balance it out or completely tip the scales the opposite direction, you just refuse to see it.

Your mind amplifies the negative while overlooking the good or brushing it off as if its a lie or a rare fluke. You can flip this on its head and train your mind to look for the good while overlooking the bad. You just have to start looking for the good. And when you see it, dont brush it off or make excuses for it. Let that be "just your luck". Let that be the normal occurrence that you look for.

Hope you know you are loved in this word..regardless

Jodie

Buying pre-made supplements can get pricey. But there are lots of herbs that are cheap by the pound and then a tea can be taken. It is more work than a pill, but in the long run may be worth the trouble.

Take 1 teaspoon natural Pink Himalayan Sea Salt per day, divided in several doses of 1/8 tsp or 1/4 tsp throughout the day with a large glass of water. You will likely feel the effects within a few hours if you are trying to ease depression or reduce anxiety.

And if you have trouble sleeping and wake up in the middle of the night often, this is another indication that you are low on sea salt. Right before bed, take 1 pinch of pink sea salt and put it under the tongue for 30 seconds before drinking a cup of water to wash it down. You will sleep through the night because the salt will prevent your aldosterone from spiking and waking you up in the middle of the night. If you do wake up, take one more pinch of salt under the tongue with water and go back to sleep. You will eventually figure out the best dosage for yourself based on how low in salt and water you really are.

I used to work for a major pharmaceutical company that sold antidepressants and drugs for insomnia, both highly addictive btw, and when I found out about this remedy I was absolutely shocked that it was real.

I used to wake up at 1am, 2am, 3am, until I started taking a pinch of pink sea salt under the tongue each night, and now I sleep like a baby and don't wake up at all until 6:30, it's my personal miracle remedy...sleep well!

First, again Lilac you have great information which comes from your ample research. Please continue informing the EC community about your insights and progress. There's nothing like living through an issue that makes suggestions have real meaning.

One of the most memorable persons we all know who had depression issues was President Lincoln. So severe were his manic depressions, that he would not carry a pocket knife with him for fear he would use it on himself. At least that is in one of the biographies on Abraham. I have four or five.

And to both you and Mama to Many, thank you for your condolences.

I am such an impatient person, and I expect instant recovery after a short time but find that grief is more persistent and perplexing in this case (loss of a mate) than I'd anticipated, even though I knew for years the prognosis of her cancer.

One would think the mind and soul would be ready when the end finally came. Oh not so. Very rarely in my life have I experienced mental confusion. Quite frustrating. So many cross currents seem to be at work with a spousal loss.

I can now better sympathize with those who suffer the death of a husband/wife. It's only been a month so really what should I expect? The "rawness" is still there, and the strange quietness of the house when I'm here alone...always nearly expecting her voice. But knowing that is an impossibility and then the intellectual refusal to talk to her; she is not here. Not here. The thought seems so self contradictory..."she"...not here...in her own home. You see? An impossible demand; a command by the emotion to expect the "normal" but the "normal" is a "goneness" that is mystifying. Then the "brain" says, "no quit that...she is gone." Not just left me...even for another man...that would be easier I think. She is just gone.

The only consolation in a way, is I am convinced that "absence from the body is presence with the Lord" and that can console me when the extremes are working me over...overloading both sensation and reality. The reality. That insatiable reality will not leave me alone. I'm told again and again by wiser than me that time will take the edge off. OK. It's just been a month.

The "reality" is an "un-reality"....and that is so frustrating to deal with. Why can't the mind just control the emotions? It is what it is...now let's move on...would be the mind's command.

So is this depression...or still a bit of shock? The last two months were very hard. She died at home. In my arms. And I'm oddly proud of that. Interesting that I observe my most emotional moments come in recollecting what "we" went through during those final weeks. Is much of grief about "me" and not "her"... ? My mind wants to put it all into an analysis.

I was her "nurse" for about 15 hours a day and her sister the rest. So I saw it all. At the end she could not speak except to blink a "yes" at my questions..."do you want water?" "blink"...then I bring water. She could only walk with help and a walker for her to lean on. And she died taking a tour of the upstairs...she wanted her normal clothes on...and then we "walked" her holding the walker and I holding under her arms. She inspected upstairs bedrooms and then she had to sit down on the walker so I could push her back to her bed. While standing...ready to sit...she made dramatic eye contact ... eyes became like saucers...huge....I'd never seen that before ... in 29 years of marriage. I though somehow I'd hurt her, even though the eyes were not "grimacing" as if in pain ... no facial expression of pain and then, she fell into my arms. She was dead. Instantly.

She left over a period of two weeks, in dramatic downturn. And then died while standing. Just like her. She was a tiger. A very alive person.

So the unreality permeates..."she"... a most alive mate for all these years is not here any longer.

Many who write here to EC are facing dire situations and potential loss of a loved one ... we see that often on posts. And I sometimes have just glossed over the intensity between the lines; the desperation for help.

I will never be so glib; so quick to fire off some "answer" without sensing the hurt...the dawning of loss written in those lines.

So many who write to EC are in pain and are suffering. Those are emotions. So many have suffered for years; for decades.

I cannot fail to consider that suffering when I read their stories. Never again will I just focus on the "answer" without "feeling" their suffering....to some degree to empathize. At the tomb of Lazarus ..."Jesus wept.

Whenever I feel a depressive mood coming on I simply pour myself a glass of juice or tea and add about 3 dashes of just regular grocery store bought cayenne pepper, drink up and in seconds I begin to feel much better and relaxed. Works really fast! No need to even stir the cayenne into the drink.