Is There A Valid Alternative Treatment For Depression?
When people think of alternative treatments for depression, they are clearly thinking of what alternatives there are to prescription drugs, which are heavy on side effects and not as effective as they are made out to be. Prescription drugs are supported by powerful lobbies which penetrate every level of public and private life in Europe and America.
Depression can be devastating in the effects it can produce. As it is basically a neurochemical imbalance, this can affect our motivation, mood, will power, appetite, physical well being and our whole outlook on life and why we are alive. It can affect our sleep patterns and ruin relationships and careers. Depression is a major health problem in our modern society.
Let us look at an alternative treatment for depression from a holistic point of view and we can immediately widen our perspective and stop thinking in a rather blinkered way. The latter is the pharmacological approach. If we take the holistic approach, then we are looking outside the frame at a wide variety of ways and methods which can restore the balance, upset by the chemical imbalance in our brains. That seems to be the major cause of depression although other factors play a part too. However the lack of serotonin which is the major neurochemical responsible for our well being and our good mood, is the main target of the prescription drugs, such as Paxil, Zoloft and Lexapro.
Acupuncture is an excellent alternative treatment for depression when the anti depressants fail or cannot be tolerated. The World Health organisation (WHO) now recognises that acupuncture is safe and reduces depressive symptoms. There are no side effects.
Another lesser well known alternative treatment for depression is aromatherapy. Did you know that aromas can change our perception of pain ? It can certainly affect our mood and our whole outlook on life. It has been proved to help with cases of mild depression. Rose, clary sage, lavender and sweet marjoram can all help to relax and bring peace to a troubled mind and also enhance mood.
Other alternative depression treatments can include homeopathy, ayurveda, yoga and meditation. Again, these are very often overlooked or just not given enough attention.It is true that they are not universally effective but patients need to experiment and see which one brings most relief for their depressive symptoms.
Of all the alternative depression treatments, my favourite one is a herbal remedy which consists of St. John's Wort and the passion flower. There are excellent results from this type of remedy especially when it is combined with a few simple lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Before getting your prescription drugs for depression, why not try this alternative treatment for depression ?
