Have you been feeling down in the dumps lately? The holiday season doesn't bring cheer for everyone. Those who are overwhelmed with family, entertaining and shopping often feel twinges of seasonal depression. You aren't alone. Millions of people deal with depression everyday. Just know that there are ways of coping.Depression symptoms manifest themselves differently in everyone. For some it may be the urge to stay in bed all day while others may lose interest in hobbies and activities. Likewise, the cause of depression can be different for everyone, perhaps the loss of a loved one or a chemical imbalance. With all these variations, battling depression is an uphill struggle. Thankfully, there are many treatments for depression.
There are several different types of depression medications that appear on our top searched depression remedies list. The top searched treatment is an antidepressant, but there are also ways to treat depression without medication.
How have you treated your depression? Let us know what worked for you. Search for more information about depression on AOL Search and AOL Health.
Top Searched Depression Remedies on AOL Search:
1. Lexapro
2. Psychiatric help
3. Cymbalta
4. Xanax
5. Zoloft
6. Wellbutrin
7. Celexa
8. Prozac
9. Meditation
10. Effexor
More Sponsored Links For: depression treatment centers, depression hurts, depression medicine
posted by Brittney
|
103
comments
COMMENTS
33. DEPRESSION IS LIKE A HEAD ACHE, WE BRING HALF OF IT ON OURSELVES. THE CURE FOR DEPRESSION AND HEAD ACHE IS A MATTER OF STAYING BALANCED AND CENTERED. PERIOD.
You're kidding, right?!?!?!?! That's like saying, Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, DISEASES in general are brought on by ourselves?!?!?!?!? Depression is a DISEASE! a chemical imbalance
By Michele on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:07AM
For many years my late mother suffered from depression, in and out of mental hospitals. Was given about 20 shock treatments - OUCH. One doctor said it might be a THYROID inbalance. BINGO!! Sure enough, THYROID medication did the trick. She was pretty good for the next 25 years. GOD bless that doctor, who saw outside the box.
By Mike from Long Island on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:20AM
I live in Seattle, which has extremely dark and depressing winters. However, I have found means of combatting depresion very effectively. They are: taking fish oil capsules(4 grams daily); the amino acid l-tyrosine(2 grams daily); the amino acid l-tryptophan(1000 mg at bedtime); folic acid(800 mg. daily); and the use of full-spectrum lights from verilux.com, which duplicate sunlight. When I get up in the morning I turn on all those lights, I put on some great music(Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Mozart, Haydn), and do an hour of really strenuous exercise(free weights, kettlebells, jumpropes, stairclimber, plus rigorous bodyweight exercises). Then I eat a big lo-carb breakfast and take my supplements and I feel like a million bucks. I NEVER take chemical antidepressants. They are false friends. Regular sex is also a great depression fighter.
By Stuart on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:42AM
Lexapro is the top searched antidepressant on the AOL list. I am currently using that medication to treat my depression and it has worked very well for me. I'd recommend it.
By carina on Nov 13th 2008 at 9:10PM
To all of you "so called" depressed people telling your "stories". It is so interesting to see that you all have is some way to find a way to make it all better. You all make people who are very sad want to be happy. Why not give your phone number? Instead you promote some bullshit ad. Karma
By jaimie eberle on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:42AM
You have to find a reason to get up in the morning, eg. counseling session, short walk, go out for coffee; I went on Zoloft and added ABILIFY weeks later; depression lifted within days.... ask your doctor about adding Abilify to your other meds; Good Luck--
By freeport74 on Nov 13th 2008 at 1:03AM
I was a psychotherapist for close to 40 years and was in therapy for most of that time. The studies show that for many people a mix of antidepressant and therapy works the best. It wasn't until about 9 years ago that I thought, "Gee, so many of my clients are on antidepressants and they definitely help and I recommend evaluations. Why not try this?" My therapist was agreeable and referred me for evaluation. I went on effexor. In two weeks the terrible angst in my gut that I carried all the time desolved. I couldn't believe it. I could trace dysthymia (chroinic mild depression) through my life but suddenly I no longer feared making a fool of myself, falling short, etc. Over a few years I recognized that my energy was freed to be availabale to me to be more alive and spontaneous. I felt elated to be alive and to know people around me. I was successful and had grown tremendously in therapy but there needed to be a combination for me to feel whole and alive.
By Jim Wyrtzen on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:46AM
A psychiatrist once told me that women under physical or mental stress tend to deplete their B vitamins at a faster rate than people in normal situations. Before prescribing an anti-depressant, doctors should do bloodwork to look for vitamin and mineral deficiencies or hormonal changes, and perscribe those medications if needed to see if that is what is causing the brain to have problems. Taking a B50 or B100 supplement can give you more energy, and reduce your desire to eat lots of carbohydrates like cake, cookies, and chips. If you crave carbs, then your body is craving B vitamins that are found in grains. Multi-vitamins are not enough to fix a vitamin deficiency. It worked for me, and others. Try it before taking an anti-depressant that can really mess with your mind.
By Rosie on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:47AM
Hi if someone could help me. My doctor has tried all those medicines (8 of 10) with no result. He has me on Seroquel. Which make no sense bescuse I'm not bio ploar. Can anybody offer a suggestion.. Thank you
By ARIDEE on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:47AM
It is a known medical fact that depression is related to the seratonin level in the brain. That's why most precription depression meds, like Proac, Zoloft and Lexapro are SSRI's, or drugs that control the production and use of the brain's seratonin levels. It's also a known medical fact that the brain cannot properly manage the seratonin without the proper amounts of Omega 3's and 6's. It just won't happen. Just like your body cannot use calcium without Vitamin D. (That's why they put Vit. D in milk and calcium supplements.) So if the body needs the Omega 3's and 6's to process the seratonin (which is what prevents depression), then the logical solution is to give the body what it needs. This can be accomplished with a daily dose of Omegas in the form of Fish Oil Capsules. Fish Oil capsules don't taste bad anymore and you don't have to swallow nasty oils, like cod liver oil. There are capsules now that have no taste and don't give you fishy burps or affect your bowel movements. One good brand is called FiSol and it contains all 3 of the types of fish oil that your brain needs. It is also enteric coated (very important because the coating allows it to dissolve in the intestine instead of in the stomach. This is a much more effective means of delivery into the bloodstream). You can find FiSol at health food stores or places that sell herbal medicines, even though it's not an herbal remedy. It's something you would get naturally if you could eat enough fish. In countries where fish is a main staple of the diet, depression is almost unheard of. A family member of mine has had depression all her life. She started on the fish oil capsules a few months ago. She is coming out the depression and anxiety that has plagued her for years. Also, the fish oil works best when combined with folic acid, another daily necessity. You need 400 mcg's a day of folic acid. The fish oil helped her, but when the doctor said to add folic acid supplements, she saw an improvement in less than two weeks. It takes about 2-3 months on the fish oil to see the improvements in depression, but it works and it's not a crazy herbal medicine thing or any of that mumbo-jumbo. It's giving your body and your brain what it needs to function normally. There is seriously almost no depression in countries that eat fish almost daily. I'ts hard in American to consume enough fish in our diets to get what we need, what with mercury poisoning and all, but the fish oil capsules work without any side effects or worries. Try it before you go on another prescription antidepressant. It will work just as fast and just as effectively with no side effects, no tapering on and off, no suicidal tendendies. In fact, my relative was so depressed she was having suicidal thoughts before she started on the fish oil/folic acid supplements. And that is all in the past now. She's getting back to her old life, her old friends, socializing, her general health has improved and she feels a hundred times better. Ask your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing before taking any vitamins. Check it out on the internet too. It really works. Good luck.
By BJM on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:48AM
PEOPLE UNDER STRESS WHO CRAVE CAKES, COOKIES, CHIPS, AND OTHER CARBS ARE SUFFERING FROM A VITAMIN B DEFICIENCY. LACKING ENOUGH B'S CAN ZAP YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ENERGY. GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT! MULTI-VITAMINS ARE NOT ENOUGH TO OVERCOME A VITAMIN DEFICIENCY. GOOD DOCS DO BLOODWORK TO CHECK FOR VITAMIN, MINERAL, AND HORMONAL PROBLEMS BEFORE PRESCRIBING ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.
By Rosie on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:51AM
GOOD DOCTORS DO BLOODWORK TO CHECK ON VITAMIN, MINERAL, AND HORMONAL CHANGES, BEFORE PRESCRIBING ANTI-DEPRESSANTS. PEOPLE UNDER STRESS TEND TO DEPLETE THEIR B VITAMINS. THEY CRAVE CARBS. THEIR ENERGY IS ZAPPED. THEY FEEL BUMMED OUT. ALL ARE SIGNS OF A VITAMIN B DEFICIENCY. A VITAMIN B 100 OR VITAMIN B 50 SUPPLEMENT, ALONG WITH AN OMEGA FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENT CAN MAKE REMARKABLE MOOD CHANGES. TRY IT, ALONG WITH A MULTI-VITAMIN. GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND EXERCISE ALSO.
By Rosie on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:55AM
This is nothing but a page full of advertisers. Shame on those of you who are guilty.
By glenn57377 on Nov 13th 2008 at 12:57AM
Depression is a chemical imbalance that can be due to a vitamin, mineral, or hormonal imbalance. Depressed people tend to have an imbalanced diet, which leads to no energy. GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT so far as the body's behavior. Far too many anti-depressants are garbage. Good doctors do bloodwork looking for chemical imbalances. If you want to self-medicate try a Vitamin B 100 or 50 supplement, Omega Fatty Acid supplement, and a good multi-vitamin. Get exercise like a thirty minute walk each day. Read more, and watch TV less.
By Rosie on Nov 13th 2008 at 1:04AM
Im scared to take anti depressants. Im not a big medicinal person. However my "natural" anti depressant comes from my cat JarJar, my kitten Ardinn and my dog So'aliil. When I feel down and blue and I crawl into my bed, they come running and smother me with love. JarJar and Ardinn will squeeze close and purr softly and So'aliil will rest her head on my tummy. After they let me sit for an hour they begin to run and play and do some of the most hilarious things and I start to smile then I laugh.
I believe they work so much better than anything out there. They dont berate me when I feel like Im falling and nothing is right. They don't chastise me for feeling jaded. When i dont want to be around anyone including my fiance, I can never push them away. They really do brighten up my day and make my spirits lighter and make me happy.
By Malice on Nov 13th 2008 at 1:10AM
Depression is caused by a chemical/physical imbalance in the body. GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT.
By Mary Rose on Nov 13th 2008 at 1:23AM
Depression is caused by some kind of chemical imbalance brought on by physical or psychological stress. The non-medical way is to eliminate that stress. The chemical solution is to find out what the body is lacking like vitamins, minerals, or hormones. That is done through bloodwork and other lab tests. Do not go on anti-depressants until other avenues have been tried first. If you have a Vitamin B deficiency or a thyroid problem or hormonal changes due to menopause, an anti-depressant will not help.
By Mary Rose on Nov 13th 2008 at 1:16AM
Most women start going through hormone changed due to menopause in their mid 30s. They will not be fully menopausal until their mid 40s. Menopause puts a woman's body under stress in the same way as pregnancy. Women under stress deplete their B vitamins, so they crave cakes, cookies, and sweet cakey things to get their grains rich in Vitamin B. It is better to try a Vitamin B supplement. It worked for me, several of my relatives, and even my youngest son who is working in a hospital and found out that he had more energy with a Vitamin B supplement. It works. Vitamin B is pure brain food. So is fish and Omega Fatty Acids. Feed your brain every day. Brains also like salmon.
By Rosie on Nov 13th 2008 at 2:07AM
this is the first time in my life that i've experienced daily depression. i've had my ups and downs, but now it seems it's all downs. i keep thinking of my past when i had happier times and knew nice people. now, i feel empty and all alone, and just want to stay in and out of bed all day, every day. when i push myself to go out, i can't believe i keep myself all cooped up all day. i love the outdoors and sunshine. i don't understand why i don't want to get out of bed anymore and am always down. i'm 53 amd keep wanting to re-live my youth when i was happier.
By Kevin on Nov 15th 2008 at 3:53AM
Well i take zoloft and it works so good for me... ;)
By rluvmpoodles on Nov 13th 2008 at 1:26AM