depression

[archiemac]

Can anyone suggest natural ways to deal with depression?

[incitatus]

Regular exercise, lots of daylight. Both of these have a marked effect. Also interacting with groups of friends helps. Exercise has been prescribed for depression, with good results. As well as this there is the old favourite of St Johns Wort, but this does have side effects...photosensitivity being one.

[andy hughes]

The major problem of dealing with depression is the need to convince oneself as a sufferer that the condition can and will abate with time, because the troughs of the illness, the times when such motivation is needed, are the times when it is unavailable. Try to write down your feelings on your good days, and refer to them on your bad days, to remind yourself that the awful feeling of isolation and disconnection are temporary, and will eventully ease. Although you may have an aversion to modern drug treatments for this condition, medical science has made vast improvements over even the last ten years, and the subtlety of modern medication to correct the chemical imbalances that create this debilitating illness are far less intrusive than was the case in days gone by. Nietzsche said "What does not kill us makes us strong." and anyone who has suffered from depression knows from first hand experience exactly what that means.

[SMILL48]

There is an article on Answerbank answering your question - just click article 2775

[incitatus]

Unfortunately Nietsche was also a loonie. The process the good hughes is describing is a variant of cognitive therapy, and can be very effective. But the feeling of disconnection is often best adressed by forcing yourself into some kind of non confrontational social interaction....join clubs etc. Something non challenging. Beginners pottery, say. Something where you can talk to people without any pressure. This can work wonders. And if worst comes to worst you get a plate out of it.