6 Evidence-based Natural Remedies for Depression

In the U.S, millions of people suffer from depression—many of which have been left hopeless due to treatment failure. The standard procedure for treating depression is a combination of talk therapy and a daily selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). However, with the traditional combination failing to deliver for so many, new remedies are desperately needed. Hopefully, through a combination of both pharmaceutical and natural treatment approaches, finding relief for the symptoms of treatment resistant depression may be 60-70% more likely.

As the evidence suggests, there are some natural treatment methods that have shown to have lasting positive effects on those who suffer from depression:

• Regular Physical Exercise: There are a number of benefits to supplementing your schedule with regular exercise. In addition to the cardiovascular benefits, focusing on a productive activity often leads to an immediate and longer lasting positive mood. By repeating the process regularly, you teach your body to be happier—literally. Additionally, the rewards for regular exercise are two-fold: you develop a sense of pride for having such a healthy body, and for avoiding the adoption of your usual unnecessary, painful, and destructive thought patterns that lead to depression.
• Massage: The truth is, if we all got regular massages or back rubs, we’d all be living in a better place. It’s remarkable what a simple massage can do to promote a positive outlook on life. Perhaps by simply allowing our backs—that thing that holds our entire body upright—to have a break, we inspire our minds to do the same. Whatever it is, it certainly works, and it works fast.
• Meditation, Yoga & Mindfulness: We live in a busy, competitive world and that means, in order to survive, we must learn to make comparisons and quick judgements about our environment all day. While this has proven to be a useful tool for accomplishing many things, doing it too often can cause some to develop anxiety, and depression. To counteract this, mindfulness teaches us how to still our minds—to think of nothing—in order to silence our inner voice and simply experience the moment—however fleeting it may be. Some prefer to sit and focus on a chant, while others can do it in silence. There is no wrong way to do it, as long as you focus on nothing.
• Art Therapy: Sometimes, our anxiety and depression manifests because we don’t feel like we have had an opportunity to express ourselves appropriately. Using art therapy, we can find a medium to compose our emotions and our thoughts in ways that lets us take it out of our head, and bring it to life. Many find this very rewarding, even if nobody else ever sees their work.
• Acupuncture: There are many people around the world who profess the powers of acupuncture. This ancient Chinese practice is not as common in the United States, but it’s still easy enough to find a practitioner, should one be required. This art is based on the belief that special points on the body are doorways for our “chi” or energy. The understanding is that by manipulating these energies–using an acupuncture needle—we may control the release of this energy, in order to remedy different conditions.
• IV Hydration Therapy: This therapy is a softer, more direct treatment approach. While IV Hydration itself is not specifically an antidepressant treatment, it may lead to a more positive mood due to the newly acquired emotional and physical additions ala IV Hydration solution. The solution, which is largely composed of essential vitamins and nutrients is used by many to relieve hangovers and helps some athletes recover after an event. Modern medicine has shown that deficiencies in certain vitamins—like vitamin D and B-12—can lead to depression. Therefore, it makes sense that supplementing our bodies with these could be enormously beneficial. Learn more about IV vitamin therapy.

In addition to these integrative approaches to positive physical and mental health, combining traditional antidepressants with other solutions like ketamine infusions may work just as well. In fact, many patients who have tried ketamine infusions for their depression have found it helpful within their first 2 infusions. If you want to learn more about the treatment options we can offer you, give our clinic a call today. Use our online booking tool if you would like to schedule a free consultation.