Many people believe that the treatment of depression must be done by a doctor. But it is interesting to know that there are some solutions that people with this condition can use to make many changes in their mental states. A person who suffers from depression usually has negative feelings such as despair, sadness and anxiety and has difficulty in doing normal tasks. In order to prevent the development of depression and reduce its symptoms, it is better to learn effective methods in this field. Stay with us until the end of the article to learn about ways to treat this condition.
Treating depression without drugs
It is possible to suffer from depression at all ages and for all people. This disease affects the morale of patients and causes them to feel worthless, unable to do normal daily tasks, insomnia, self-harm, and in advanced cases, death. That is why it is very important to treat depression without drugs in the shortest possible time.
There are many anti-depressant drugs that we will discuss below, but since all drugs cause many side effects and problems in the body, it is better to consider drug-free solutions as well. If you use these methods, you will reduce the symptoms of depression and increase the possibility of its treatment. The basic solutions are as follows:
Set up a proper routine
According to the psychological theory named Ian Cook, in order to return to the normal routine of life, a proper routine and program should be set and all the items in it should be followed. These things are the correct way to spend the day and night, which is usually a little difficult for people with depression.
Don’t forget to set daily goals
Inability to do things will intensify your negative feelings such as worthlessness, etc. For this reason, in order to treat depression, it is better for the patient with the condition to set goals for all daily tasks. These goals can include dusting the bedroom or doing a few dishes. It is better to expand the goals daily so that the mind faces new challenges.
Treatment of depression with exercise
Exercising and doing physical activity is suitable for all people, especially those suffering from depression. By exercising, people usually gain more self-confidence and reduce their stress levels. Improving the quality of sleep and increasing the feeling of happiness in exercise reduces the symptoms and cures depression.
The best available sports include yoga, walking, swimming, tennis, etc. In order to achieve results, a person must do sports activities continuously.
Attention to the amount of sleep
One of the aggravating factors of depression is lack of sleep, and one of the symptoms of this disease is lack of sleep. For this reason, you should pay special attention to your bedtime. In order to be able to sleep comfortably during the night, avoid daily naps and choose a specific time to go to bed. Also, not using mobile phones, computers, etc. is effective in improving the quality of sleep.
Have a healthy diet
Eating useful and healthy foods is important for all people, and this issue is more important in patients with depression. The best foods that are effective in treating depression include the following:
• Regularly include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Use healthy oils such as olive oil, coconut, avocado and edible butter.
• Increase consumption of probiotic foods such as kombucha, fermented vegetables, miso and kefir.
• Increase the consumption of omega-3. These acids are found in foods such as fish, cheetah seeds, egg yolks and walnuts.
• Foods such as raw cheese, yogurt, black beans and organic lean protein chicken should be consumed regularly.
• Food supplements of vitamin D3
Avoid negative thoughts
Depression is a disease that affects a person’s mind, so it is necessary to create mental challenges for yourself to treat it. Of course, getting rid of negative thoughts is not easy and requires awareness and continuous practice. But it has a great impact on people’s spirits.
In the course of treating depression, you may feel that you are the most worthless person in the world and that you can’t handle anything, but these thoughts are completely false and created by your mind. For this reason, you should change the situation for yourself with logical reasons. This method, if used properly, is considered the best natural method for treating this disease.
Do not shy away from responsibilities
Moving away from the normal process of life and not taking care of daily responsibilities is one of the natural symptoms of depression, and failure to deal with it causes the development of depression.
For example, an article about the treatment of depression has written that you should do your daily responsibilities as much as you can. If the disease is advanced and the person is not able to do all the work, at least accept part of them.
Put new things into your schedule
This new job can include reading a book, learning a language or skill, traveling, having fun, etc. You may think that the mentioned tasks are simple, but it can be difficult for a person suffering from depression to do anything.
Do things that make you happy
Some people do not enjoy any activity during depression, this is completely normal. But to treat depression, you should include all the things that used to make you happy in your daily or weekly schedule.
Avoiding the use of drugs and alcohol
The effect of the use of drugs and alcohol on depression has not been proven, but according to research, long-term use of these substances causes destructive effects on the brain and causes neurological disorders. People who suffer from depression usually exaggerate the use of substances such as marijuana and alcohol, which is completely harmful to their health.
Treating depression with medication
In addition to the mentioned ways that have a great effect in reducing the symptoms of depression, some drugs can be used to treat severe depression with drugs. The point that should be taken into account when taking drugs is the risk of developing addiction to them. For this reason, people should not use any medicine without consulting a doctor.
Antidepressants such as SSRIs and SNRIs can be mentioned among the effective drugs in the treatment of this disorder. Other drugs include the following:
Buspirone (Buspar)
Diazepam (Xanax)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
• Benzodiazepines
Taking a large dose of these drugs causes damage to the body and has harmful effects on the patient. To use them correctly, you must consult a specialist doctor.
It is possible to treat depression by taking antidepressants or using natural methods. This condition causes people to feel hopeless and full of sadness, and if not treated, it leads to risks such as self-harm and death.
In addition to different drugs, there are also non-drug methods that reduce symptoms and treat complications. These solutions include doing sports activities continuously, setting daily goals, purposeful planning, healthy diet, adjusting sleeping hours and adequate rest, avoiding negative thoughts, etc. In case of exacerbation of symptoms, be sure to consult a doctor and avoid self-administration of medicine.
