Treatment Options for Healing Depression

re: Treatment Options for Healing Depression

vlpearce — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:21:11 GMT

Frankly, I'm not sure that I believe that there's such a thing as "pathological" depression. We live in a very dysfunctional society, and I believe people react to life events. I think the source of the problem should be addressed, and that means big societal changes, with elimination of child abuse, isolation, poverty, and many of the other stresses that afflict us.

re: Treatment Options for Healing Depression

jimgkiss — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:52:04 GMT

also see www.beat-depression-naturally.com

re: Treatment Options for Healing Depression

size8jeans — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:04:29 GMT

I'd be dead without my anti-depressant medication. All I could think about 24/7 was killing myself and I know I would have eventually followed through. It was simply a matter of time. ADs have literally given me my life back.

re: Treatment Options for Healing Depression

dancepartner — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:41:24 GMT

I have occasional bouts of depression. I think about all the junk in my life. In essence, I am sitting on the pity pot.....it's all about ME ME ME.......and that IS the problem. I believe that if each of us would practice random acts of kindness the world would be a better place. I try to do at least one thing every day to make someone's day or to make another person's life better. When I get depressed, I step up that effort. The more I shift my concerns to other people, the better I get. I go visit elderly, lonely people. I read books to small children. I call people simply to tell them how wonderful they are and how important they are to me. I go to the coffee shop and tell each person I meet something I admire about them. Try it! When you make an effort to improve someone's life , yours become so much better.

re: Treatment Options for Healing Depression

thewhiterider06 — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:42:52 GMT

Angelica, what are you taking for your thyroid, if you don't mind me asking?

re: Treatment Options for Healing Depression

thewhiterider06 — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:42:08 GMT

Dr. Mercola, where did it say in the article that only a third respond to treatment? I thought it said 60-80 percent? I argued this point (the one you made about a third responding to treatment) to a friend recently and he vehemently disagreed, but I wasn't really able to back it up, so I was wondering if you or anyone else can point out how you got to that conclusion. By the way, I agree with you, doc, I'm not trying to call you out. A third of the people being treated this way getting help fits what I personally have seen. Thanks

re: Treatment Options for Healing Depression

Angelica_LA — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:32:20 GMT

I, too, am a psychiatric survivor. I discovered that I had low thyroid activity, and so take daily thyroid hormones every day, which has helped the depression somewhat.

I have discovered that caffeine (coffee and chocolate in any form) makes me irritable and depressed; the depression gets worse if I continue to ingest caffeine several days or weeks in a row.

I have to wean myself off the caffeine, and to do this, I take SAMe, which can be found in most healthfood stores, and now, even some drugstores. The SAMe works well for me, with absolutely no side effects.

re: Treatment Options for Healing Depression

saynotoquacks — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:11:13 GMT

As a psychiatric survivor, I can't not comment on this. First, "depression" is not a disease. It is a symptom. It can be a symptom of toxins such as mercury, MSG, or hormone-disrupting plastics. It can be a symptom of cruel treatment in school or otherwise. Second, anti-depressants are extremely addictive, powerfully psychoactive drugs. Many psychiatric survivors say that antidepressants are more addictive than heroin or cocaine. I personally never was suicidal until I was given an antidepressant, and then had to quit because it made me crazy. After I quit, my personality changed. I was afraid to leave my room, and I was constantly suicidal. My sleep has never returned to normal. To say that antidepressants "work" or "don't work" is like saying that heroin or alcohol "work" or "don't work."

The worst of it is that the doggone quacks want you to think that your withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants are not withdrawal--rather, they are your "mental illness." This was the LIE that kept me in their clutches so long.