Anyone Battling Depression Without Using Meds?
 

I was wondering if anyone out there is dealing with depression, but has decided not to go on anti-depression medication.

I'm not opposed to meds. I have been on them before. I've tried a few different ones. They work as far as the depression symptoms go, but there are other side-effects I don't like. Really one side effect. Things are more of a challange in the bedroom :o . Actually, I have NO interest in the bedroom, if you get what I mean. :(

I am fortunate that my depression has rarely been so severe than I am unable to function. So, I decided to manage my depression as best I can through other methods. Namely healthy eating, exercise, adequate sleep, learning to recognize when I am feeling "down", verbalizing it to my husband, who is very supportive, and intercepting it when possible.

Also, I've become aware of situations that are high risk. Like if I'm inside day after day with the kids, as we have basically no family in this area, and my friends basically all work full time, so if they do have kids, they are in child care during the day when I'm home with my kids; so I am alone all day. No one to talk to. Depression deveolpes quickly for me if I'm not out and about in the world. But then once it gets here, I don't feel like getting ready and dressed or being bother to say go to the mall. (With the kids too)

Thankfully my son has pre school a few days a week (not today) so it forces me to get dressed and go out at least 3 days a week. Usually once I'm out, if I stay out, I feel better, kind of. Because still walking around stores, I'm still not socializing. And talking to people on line doesnt count. Iwant to hang out with people. I tried joining a mom's club, but my town didnt have one. The nearest town that had one is pretty far. I joined anyway, but never went to anything because it was like a 40 minute drive to go to get togethers.

I work per diem. I keep my job because it forces me to get out of the house, and I notice that the next day (after being out ther day before) I feel much better.

However, there are days when I'm sitting home, like today. Especially during TOM, like today, when no one is around. And I feel the fog settling. :( I don't feel like doing any chores. I don't even feel like doing things I enjoy. I have to still scrapebook 2010's holidays. I have a quilt I'm working on. I could exercise. I need to organize some papers for work, and they are just sitting there. I dont feel like moving off the couch. I havent even showered. Ew.

I'm not non -functioning, though. I still feed/ care for the kids. And I did do my usual morning exercise routine at like 7am. But still days like this, I wish I could go on an anti-depressant without the side effects. I feel like a blob.

Also, this time of year is high risk for me (and a lot of people) for depression, and I notice my symptoms worsen this time of year.

Hi GlamourGirl,

I was diagnosed with depression when I was 16 (I'm now 31) but it probably developed in me as early as 11-12 years old.

Technically I have Dythsmia. Which is a constant low level depression. It's always there. I'll have it for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, it also can also morph into major depression. I've have two major depressive episodes, one when I was 16, when I was first diagnosed, and then another when I was 22ish? And when I am in a Major Depressive episode, I have BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) traits.

But I have been medicine free for exactly 5 years now. I came off all my medicine when I became pregnant with my daughter. I'm not sure how you would deal with depression if you are in a major episode (I couldn't, I almost landed myself in a psych ward the last time), but I am able to cope with it when it is just my regular dythsmia. I think one of the things that keeps my mental health the most "safe" is that I avoid uncomfortable feelings.

I won't say it's the healthiest thing I ever do :lol: But I will not watch sad shows, movies, or read sad stories, books. I am hyper sensitive and somehow amazingly am able to relate everything I see, hear and read back to my own life. And it can be incredibly sad.

I often don't feel like doing things. But that could also be attributed to the fact that I was just diagnosed with hypothyroid. Sometimes it's impossible to push through things and just do them. I'm hoping with the treatment of the hypothyroid will help me lose weight, feel better, have more energy, etc (Incidentally, hypothyroid is linked to depression. Have you been tested?)

It is a goal of mine to learn to sit with my uncomfortable feelings. And realize that they will come and they will pass. Feeling sad, or mad or even happy, is not a permanent feeling.

I have also found that making a genuine effort to take care of yourself helps as well. It's hard to get up, get dressed and attempt to look pretty, etc when you feel sad, but it's also a vicious circle. You feel sad because you don't look like you feel you should. You don't look like you want to because you feel sad. Making an effort to break the cycle sometimes works wonders.

But the best advice I can give, is that even if you are not taking medicine, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is extremely helpful. So long as you find a good therapist. It doesn't have to involve medicine, and make sure that your doctor is aware and willing to work with that aspect. Having someone to bounce your ideas and help you guide you through issues is imperative (imo) :)

LR

I am. I haven't been diagnosed, but I don't need a doc to tell me what's wrong. I've been dealing with it for a long time on my own. This morning I didn't want to get out of bed but I did. This past year has totally sucked for me. I'm sure I could use therapy and meds but I don't have insurance or any money right now so I just take it day by day. Some days I'm fine some days I am not fine. When I'm not fine I try to distract myself from myself if that makes any sense.

Hi GlamourGirl,
WOW, it's like you were writing exactly how I feel when I'm depressed!
I have SAD(seasonal affective disorder) during the cold long dark days of winter in New England and the hot humid dog days of summer.
I find what helps me is to force myself to get a good cardio workout for at least 30 mins each day, better in the morning. Also, making sure I don't eat more than 2-3 servings of carbohydrates at any meal. Sticking to whole grain/natural carbs is even better and no fast carbs after dinner.
I also take a supplement called 5-HTP, but only during the winter and July-Aug. I also don't take other meds that may interact with 5-HTP
Hang in there!

Hi Lauren,

I didn't have insurance from 18 year old, until just recently actually, and I don't know what sort of resources might be available to you in Nevada, but in Philadelphia, there are alot of teaching hospitals. And when I had had my 2nd episode of major depression, I had found a hospital here that does sort of like a sliding scale thing.

This hospital specializes in lots of things, including psychiatric care, and I basically signed up for a program where my treatment was used as a teaching tool. I had went in for an interview, sat in a room with a one way mirror, was asked a lot of questions by the head therapist, and then he went into the other room where the psych students were sitting and listening to my story and issues and asked which one wanted to take my case. ( It's not that they aren't doctors or therapists, they've done all the schooling, passed all the tests, but they hadn't had alot of experience yet in applying their skills. And that is where I came in. )

I nice young psychiatrist thought he could help me and we went from there. He was honing his skills (all treatment and medicine was approved first by the head of the department), and I was getting some desperately needed help. :)

They base your payment on income, at the time I was in college, and so I paid $20 per visit. (Which was awesome because I was going to a world class hospital- there are alot here in Philly) And my therapist/psychiatrist even helped me fill out all the forms for the prescription assistance programs available through pharmaceutical companies (Astra zeneca and Merck both have very good programs!) the rest of the medicine that I needed that didn't have assistance programs- my doctor gave me samples for free. Every month he'd give me a bag full of Lexapro.

It was a great program, and he was a great therapist. Unfortunately, he was so good, that the hospital decided to tenure him. And once they are tenured, they cannot participate in this program. If I wanted to continue to see him, I'd have to pay $250 dollars a visit. :dizzy:

So I was assigned another therapist.. and she sucked. :lol: but I was stable at that point, so I was ok. And then maybe 6 months later, I became pregnant with my daughter and so I stopped all medicine.

(incidentally, my original therapist still practices in this area, and now that I have insurance, I think I might go back to him. :) I have some more stuff to work out)

Anyway, the whole point of this long story- are there any hospitals in your area that have teaching programs like this? (Any hospital that is affiliated with a medical school should)

There are also behavioral health programs that should have sliding scale programs. It might take a little research, but it would be worth it if you could find the help you need that can be comfortable for your budget. :) Let me know if you need any help, I'd be glad to see if I can find any programs in your area

LR

Lauren,

I DO take meds but I am not here to say what's the best route. Just know that there ARE options if lack of insurance and/or cost is prohibiting you from getting treatment. Like the wonderful post says above there are teaching hospitals, County Mental Health facilities etc....
You CAN feel better.....you don't need to feel this way all the time.

Have you thought about seeinga Naturapoathic Doctor - there are herbals such as Griffonia or St. Johns Wort that can really help without all of the nasty side effects. I suffered from depression for most of my adult life - and prescription medications had the side effects and lost their efficiency over time for me. Also maybe look into getting a SAD light - it's a full spectrum light that you sit under for 30 minutes a day - it can really help too! (((hugs)))

I use this book, the Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression for my depression. It was nothing less than life changing for me.

And when I was in the depths of it, I found acupuncture helpful too.

But, I recommend the book most highly. I still go back and work through it when I start to forget.

I do. I tried anti-depressants once but didn't like how they made me feel and the fact that they completely took away my ability to...umm...enjoy bedroom activities to their fullest. ;) I spent 6 or 7 years dealing with severe depression, self injury and serious suicidal thoughts. Exercise really has helped me. When I go the gym on a regular basis, my mood improves so dramatically it's crazy. When I lapse on those visits by even 1 or 2 days, I can tell my mood starts to dip. I've also learned to identify when I start going into a black stage and doing my hardest to stop any further drop. More exercise or just even forcing myself to get dressed and get out of the house to go window shopping.

And sometimes, those really black and horrible stages still hit their hardest and I just try to push through them as best I can. It's all I can do, right?

I am have been diagnosed with bipolar depressive type, pmdd, and depression at various points in my life. I do not take meds. My depression occurs montly for the week -week and a half before my TOM. during this time it is a phenomenal effort to get out of bed and when I am out of bed my depression presents as rage. I cannot take birth contol or any type of hormones because i have factor 5 leiden and am very prone to blood clots. So I pay attention to my triggers - being tired, not eating well, etc.
Exercise helps tremendously, I hate getting started but I have to tell ya it really keeps me going. when I am at my worst if i can't motivate myself to do somethng for me I will open my patio door and feel the breeze. I know that sounds cheesy but sometimes that little act will make me feel better.

I have had depression for nearly 8 yearsnow and iv been on and off meds over the years i have decided they are not for me and the only way to feel kind of normal is to eat well and exercise and i do have councelling which is helping me alot. I do have trouble with my sleeping all the time though thats the only down fall of not being on meds xxx

I had the same experience (the libido drop) with lexapro, and amitriptyline. Although I wasn't taking them for depression as much as for improved sleep for my fibro (I didn't realize I had any depression issues at all, until I felt better and more in control of my emotions when taking them).

Actually it wasn't so much a libido drop (I was still interested in sex, though slightly less so), but the ability to have a satisfactory sexual experience was blunted. To be blunt, my ability to orgasm was nearly nil (and if I would have one, it was so fast a sneeze would have lasted longer and felt more satisfying).

To even have a chance at at fun sex, we had to time sex to right before my amitriptyline dose was due (at bedtime) and right before my pain medications (tramadol) wore off.

Both tramadol and amitriptyline affect serotonin and other neurotransmitter function.

Ironically, when my doctor prescribed a third medication that affects neurotransmitters (a muscle relaxant called cyclobenzaprine), not only did the interest snap back to normal (maybe more than normal), so did the capacity to have good sex (and without having to worry so much about timing issues. Most times of the day are now just fine).

I had to study antidepressants and other neurotransmitter affecting drugs in college and graduate school (psychology - I have my BA and MA), and it's just one of the weird things about these drugs. Alone or in combination they can have unpredictable effects or polar opposite effects on mood, appetite, sleep and sex drive/performance.

When I was on Meridia (the weight loss drug, which was originally created as an antidepressant), my libido shot through the roof, along with severe mood swings (mostly manic. I loved it, because I felt so energetic and powerful (though I was having such a high sex drive, that I had a hard time concentrating at work - it was very strange). Hubby and he begged me to stop taking it, because he said I was "scary" on it. It wasn't helping for weight loss so I did.

I'm not suggesting that you combine amitriptyline, cyclobenzaprine, and tramadol, because a drug or drug-combo that works for me, might not work for you at all. What I am saying is that having a side effects om any of these medications, doesn't mean you would have the same side effect (in fact you could see the opposite side effect) with a different medication or combination of medication.

I have dysthymia with the occasional major depressive bout (coming out of one now.) I have never used medication (not proud--just haven't.) Right now I'm using amino acid supplements that promote serotonin and dopamine production (l-tyrosine and 5-HTP.) I don't know if you would consider those "meds", but they're reported to come with a lot less side effects. Also, like anyone else, exercise is a big help to me. It's just a matter of getting out of bed to do it.

I recently had been diagnosed with Clinical Depression... most likely had it since at least age 14 (probably earlier). I'm 18 now. Only now diagnosed. I'm not on medication. And I go to weekly (when it can be scheduled) sessions.

I'm looking forward to seeing how everybody else deals with theirs... to help me learn how to deal with mine.

My grandma was schizophrenic, my mom is manic bipolar, my dad suffers from anxiety and bipolar disorder, and my sister is manic bipolar depressive...

I'm pretty sure I have something to cause sometimes when I'm in the car I think stupid things like what if I just opened the door and jumped out... but I only think stupid things when my dads talking, I know thats mean to say but... yeah... I'm not really depressed, I'm just... kind of off...

Oh and I paint what ever I think, thats how I deal with things, lots of self portraits, or abstract stuff.