How to Reduce the Effects of Depression Naturally

Are you having trouble sleeping, or is the quality of your sleep diminishing? Are you experiencing sad days? Do you find it hard to get motivated to do the simple daily tasks? Is your mind constantly thinking negative thoughts?

There are numerous risks associated with Depression. For instance, there can be emotional, physical and mental health risks that also fluctuate within the minor’ and major’ categories. Depression related illnesses can also include anxiety; low self-esteem or suicidal thoughts - to even committing suicide itself.

Depression also tends to lead to other co-dependent behaviors and these may include an increase in self-harming behaviors (e.g. smoking, increased alcohol consumption, or drug taking). Indeed, this can escalate the symptoms when the associated high diminishes. It can also have other serious implications on treatment programs or expected outcomes.

For example; physically, there can weight loss due to lack of normal eating patterns or exposure to an unhealthy dietary intake. There can be other risks; such as negative life events, and a sufferer may have an inability to hold down a steady job, or a relationship break down with family or friends surfaces often.

Lets not ignore another risk factor - in that, sufferers can often have difficulty sleeping or their quality of sleep diminishes. This in turn, can affect the person’s physical and mental health status and a sufferer may have other constant issues surfacing such as; extreme tiredness, loss of energy, and difficulty concentrating or making decisions.

It's also important to be mindful that another scenario can surface. Meaning, that some people can go about their everyday lives not even knowing they are depressed. Unfortunately, this naivety’ can present additional health risk factors. Bearing in mind also, that another silent but more serious risk factor can eventuate - which is the escalation of clinical depression, especially when it’s occurring but remains untreated.

Many people experience depression in their daily lives and when you’re in a depressive state of mind, every day is a bad day. In short, when people are medically diagnosed as being depressed, then certain drugs are commonly used to escalate synaptic levels of the mono-amine neurotransmitter - serotonin.

This is affectionately known as the 'happy hormone’ by the way.

Subsequently, when this hormone is depleted, it has a triggering effect on an individuals’ brain, and a person can start to regularly feel unhappy. In turn, it has the potential to lead onto an unhealthy state of mind. Or, what I refer to as a ‘sad state of mind’.

The question beckons...

How can Depression symptoms be reduced without having to rely on medication?

Self Help Strategies to help Reduce Depression Symptoms

‘Nutrition’ and ‘Gut Health’

As I write this article, there’s becoming an abundance of high-end global research surfacing about the connection of low serotonin levels’ and depression. Also, the subject experts are seeing a strong connection between a person’s ‘Gut Health’ and the level of Serotonin’ in the brain (e.g. low nutrition > lower serotonin, or alternatively high nutrition > higher serotonin).

Interestingly, not many people may know this, but serotonin is mostly produced in a person’s stomach.

Unfortunately, people suffering depression symptoms can have diminishing appetites or cooking becomes a huge chore they could do without. Plus, there can be a tendency to seek out unhealthy toxic foods (e.g. fast foods, take-away or processed foods laced with harmful substances (e.g. additives, saturated fat, colourings, processed sugar, salt, etc.).

Subsequently, a vicious circle eventuates; as, a sufferer will in time start to deplete their healthy nutritional intake and their gut health’ can then become compromised as toxins from bad or unhealthy foods start breaking the stomach lining down and then enter the bloodstream. (Think of a sausage or a haggis which has a membrane or lining, but once pricked, the juices flow out and away).

Hence, a reduced level of serotonin.

Researchers are right on the money, by trying to get people aware of this ‘gut’ and ‘brain’ connection (although the fast or processed food companies may disagree).

Therefore, depression sufferers would be wise to strive for a daily nutritional intake of serotonin enhancing foods; such as fresh fruit & vegetables. Indeed, looking to increase Omega 3 fats’ from freshly cooked fish such as salmon, or nuts etc. and drinking plenty of fresh purified water’ can be a good start.

Exercise - When you are suffering depression symptoms, I would tend to sway towards the thinking that 'exercise' is the last thing on your mind, never mind pursuing it.

It would be safe for me to say that most people of adult age would have a sound understanding that a good workout makes you feel better, and regular exercise not only enhances physical health but can lift mood, reduce stress, and heighten self-esteem by improving appearance and physical strength.

But how useful is exercise for people with severe depression or anxiety or chronic mental illness? Hundreds of studies now show that it can help — but there are qualifications.

According to the MAYO Clinic in the U.S Regular exercise may help ease depression and anxiety by:
Releasing feel-good endorphins, natural cannabis-like brain chemicals (endogenous cannabinoids) and other natural brain chemicals that can enhance your sense of well-being Taking your mind off worries so you can get away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression and anxiety and regular exercise’ has many psychological and emotional benefits, too.

For instance, it can help you to increase your confidence’ and get you out of the indoor rut and ‘get more social interaction’. Ego aside, it can even help you feel more comfortable about your appearance. And, start to enhance your mood.

'Interacting with Nature’

It's well documented in the scholarly literature and can present a sufferer with a broad range of the benefits. It has been shown that interactions with nature can deliver a range of psychological well-being, cognitive, physiological, social, tangible and spiritual benefits and that access to green space and natural areas is important for facilitating activities that are beneficial for human well-being.

It's also worth noting that Meditation & Yoga is well worth learning and practicing, or even tai chi to calm the mind. Similarly, the practice ‘Mindfulness’ can help you to learn to look at the things around you and be in the present moment. No thoughts of the past or future

Sunshine Therapy & Vitamin D is a free prescription for depression sufferers, and it's very beneficial to just try and spend some set time in the daylight or sunshine each day.

Refs:

Mayo Clinic (2017). ‘Depression and anxiety - exercise eases symptoms.’ Article cited online at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495. Published 27 September, 2017. Accessed on January 12, 2018.

Harvard Medical School (2014) 'Working off depression.' Harvard Health Publishing. Article Published: March, 2014 cited online at https://www. health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/working-off-depression.

Lucy E. Keniger, et.al. (2013). International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health; Vol. 10, pp.913-935.