Overcome Depression Blog

There is no doubt that just within the past century, medical science has made leaps and bounds delving into the causes and cures of countless diseases, disorders and syndromes. If you’ve got it, chances are there’s a pill for it. Or a surgical procedure. Or a lotion, injection, salve or liquid solution. This, of course, is a good thing because the relief of suffering is always on a physician or medical researcher’s mind. If no one had asked, “what is this fungus?” we wouldn’t have penicillin.

There are several natural remedies available for treating depression. Find out which one works for you and get back to a happy life.

Did you know that the great majority of medicines we use today are derived from plants, leaves, fungi, bark and flowers? We just extract the active ingredient, combine it with stabilizers, and the result is that pill you take every morning. This is why a natural remedy for depression may work well for you; many natural or herbal compounds are used for a wide variety of medical conditions.

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Congress is taking steps to help women suffering from post-partum depression.

How to Use a Natural Remedy for Depression

First, before you do anything else, if you believe you are depressed, see your family practice physician or psychiatrist right away. Don’t try a natural remedy for depression unless you have been professionally diagnosed with this illness. Together, you and your physician will decide the best way to treat your depression. If you would like to try a natural remedy for depression, your physician can advise you of the pros and cons of this approach and provide you with educational reading material about natural remedies for depression.

St. John’s Wort is the best-known natural remedy for mild to moderate depression. This includes seasonal affective disorder (a form of depression that occurs in the wintery, darker days), anxiety, and insomnia, both of which are associated with depression. St. John’s Wort is a wild-growing plant with orange petals; it also has anti-viral properties. As a natural remedy for depression, it is thought to work the same way that prescription anti-depressant medications called Serotonin Selective Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs work; by elevating the levels of the brain neurotransmitter, serotonin, that governs moods, sleep, appetite and other body functions. Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, and other SSRIs should never be taken with St. John’s Wort; it is a choice of one over another. You always have a choice. If St. John’s Wort does not work for you, you can try one of the prescription anti-depressants.

Many natural remedies have side effects when combined with other herbs, plants or prescription drugs. St John’s Wort can decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives and the AIDS medication Indinvir, and the triptan class of migraine relievers. It can cause miscarriage and uterine bleeding and sensitivity to sunlight.

Other natural remedies for depression that don’t appear to work as well as St. John’s Wort are Valerian root, a natural sleep aid and sedative, soy lecithin, wild oats, and the California poppy. It should be noted that the seeds of the California poppy are not the same as the opium poppy, the seeds that produce the narcotics opium, thebaine, and codeine. The California poppy acts as a mild sedative, relieving the anxiety commonly associated with depression.

Tags: Natural Remedies For Depression