Guide on kicking depression without using medication

[Adente 1,000]

Hey MLP forums! So, due to my interactions with my friends and just random people on here, it seems sadly that a fair number of users on here suffer from varying degrees of depression. It also saddens me that many of my friends tell me that their medications help very little or not at all. So I decided to help somehow. I went out and did some research and found a technique that just requires six simple steps that curbs depression much more effectively than medications, and people who use these methods are less likely to regress back into depression.

 

1) Omega 3 vs. Omega 6 fatty acids. These are two acids that are present in our brain. A balance of them, usually between 1:1 or 1:2 ratio is ideal for a healthy, happy brain. However, the average American has a ratio of 1 Omega 3 to every 9 Omega 6 acids. The reason is that Omega 3 acids are found in healthier, "Mediterranean style" diets of things such as fish and olives. Omega 6 acids are found in unhealthy friend foods and animal fat, and fast food is brimming with Omega 6. This imbalance can put people at risk for depression more. The solution? If you are eating too much fried or fast food, try a more Mediterranean diet. If you cannot afford or don't have the means to change your diet, simply using a cheap over the counter natural Omega 3 supplement will suffice as well.

 

2) Avoid Rumination. Rumination is also known as solitary dwelling. If left alone, the human brain, especially one at risk of depression, tends to focus on negative experiences and memories, facilitating a slide into depression. To avoid this sort of rumination, find an activity to engage in, or interact with someone. (face to face, not on social media or online) Just doing something you enjoy like going for a run or reading a good book is enough to prevent the brain from engaging in rumination, although face to face interactions are the best way to beat it. The thing to avoid is just laying around either on social media or doing nothing at all.

 

3) Exercise. People who take a brisk 30 minute walk 3 times a week are much less likely to suffer from depression than completely sedimentary people. Ideally a person would exercise for 60 minutes a day, but this isn't always feasible with people's schedules. The point is to get out, get your heart pumping and your blood moving and do something regularly. It doesn't have to be too physically demanding, such as a brisk walk, it just needs to get your heart rate up a bit and get you vertical and moving. Anaerobic exercise such as weightlifting is much less effective than aerobic exercise, but it can work in a pinch. If you must do anaerobic exercises, try and do more reps with less weight and do circuits to get a more aerobic element in your exercise.

 

4) Sunlight exposure: People who are out in the sun more tend to be happier. The reason for this is because a deficiency of natural light exposure throws off the body's internal clock and can cause chemical imbalances in the brain that can lead to depression. This is why many people feel "gray" in the winter, because there is less sunlight. And people are less likely to be outside when it is sunny and below freezing as opposed to sunny and balmy outside obviously, so what sunlight there is isn't enjoyed by people. The solution is simply to be outside often. This could coincide with your working out from step 3, because even the natural light on a gray, overcast day is much brighter and healthy than indoor lighting. 

 

5) Sleep. Much in the same way that lack of sunlight exposure can throw off the body's internal clock, so can a lack of sleep. Now, I know that a lot of students in college and high school, or those working jobs feel that they don't have enough sleep time, and I completely sympathize with you there. But simply increasing your sleep time each night by as little as half and hour to an hour consistently can do wonders for your mood. The key word is consistent. If you know you can't consistently get more sleep, don't try to. If all you can get every night is 6 hours, take the 6 hours instead of having one night of 5, then one of 8, then one of 4. The consistent 6 hours is much healthier.

 

6) Social Support. Obviously this is the hardest and most ambiguous step, since many depressed people feel isolated, lonely, and cut off from all social support. This is not the case. There are people ready and willing to help you who want to help you. Maybe they're friends on here, they could be your family, your acquaintances, whatever. Trust me, they're out there. They will support and help you to improve and feel better, and if you follow the five steps before this one, you will find step 6 becomes easier to accomplish as time goes on.

 

So, hope that helps everyone suffering from depression or just feeling a little gray! Feel free to ask questions or comment your thoughts! Good luck to all of you! 

 

(Side note: I didn't want to put this in life advice, because I'm not seeking advice personally, but if a mod deems that this is better suited to be placed there, then go right ahead.)

Edited February 8, 2014 by Windy Runner

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

These are very helpful but I want to give my two cents in.

Another way you can kick depression is cognitive behavioural  therapy. Its a good way to kick depression's butt without chemicals.

 

A more new age approach is hypnotherapy.  i have a friend who did this to get rid of his anxiety and it really did wonders for him.

it shoould also be noted that too much sleep can increase depression in some people.

[Scootalove 10,689]

Those are some very helpful tips for anyone that has depression, spot on! I should use these tips if I do have depression.

[UserNotFound 964]

Had a quick read through and this seems like the kind of stuff I've been told to keep up to avoid depression... it's just healthy to do in general even if you aren't depressed!

[NomDeSpite 452]

Windy Runner knows what he's talking about; his advice correlates well with my own experience and my own autodidactic naturopathic education. I'm good regarding Exercise, Sleep and Sunlight (thank God I live in Arizona. We are BLASTED with sunshine). Rumination is the one I struggle with. So, I need to Ruminate less. Thanks for the post!

[Adente 1,000]

These are very helpful but I want to give my two cents in.

 

Another way you can kick depression is cognitive behavioural  therapy. Its a good way to kick depression's butt without chemicals.

 

A more new age approach is hypnotherapy.  i have a friend who did this to get rid of his anxiety and it really did wonders for him.

 

it shoould also be noted that too much sleep can increase depression in some people.

 

Agreed, these are just the most basic barebones antidepressant steps you can take. No meds or doctors are involved in these methods. Also, the sleep step is for people who are sleep deprived, not people already getting a healthy amount of sleep every night. But thanks for your opinion! 

Edited February 7, 2014 by Windy Runner

[~Silver Essence~ 2,625]

Another helpful tip for the day, thanks bud!

 

You know, I too suffer from depression at times, but it rarely kicks in, and even when it does, I tend to exercise or think to myself for a period of time before doing anything else.

 

But believe it or not, for some like myself, being alone can indeed be helpful for some, as it gives them their private space and own peace of mind to focus and get rid of those thoughts, but again, not everyone can be alone most of the times.

 

But with all that, thanks for the tips, and a double thanks for helping those in need pal. 

[Adente 1,000]

Another helpful tip for the day, thanks bud!

 

You know, I too suffer from depression at times, but it rarely kicks in, and even when it does, I tend to exercise or think to myself for a period of time before doing anything else.

 

But believe it or not, for some like myself, being alone can indeed be helpful for some, as it gives them their private space and own peace of mind to focus and get rid of those thoughts, but again, not everyone can be alone most of the times.

 

But with all that, thanks for the tips, and a double thanks for helping those in need pal. 

 

 

That's a good point, I guess it depends if you are a introverted or extroverted person a bit, doesn't it? But I feel there's a difference between solitude and loneliness.

[Celestial Wish 349]

Hey MLP forums! So, due to my interactions with my friends and just random people on here, it seems sadly that a fair number of users on here suffer from varying degrees of depression. It also saddens me that many of my friends tell me that their medications help very little or not at all. So I decided to help somehow. I went out and did some research and found a technique that just requires six simple steps that curbs depression much more effectively than medications, and people who use these methods are less likely to regress back into depression.

 

1) Omega 3 vs. Omega 6 fatty acids. These are two acids that are present in our brain. A balance of them, usually between 1:1 or 1:2 ratio is ideal for a healthy, happy brain. However, the average American has a ratio of 1 Omega 3 to every 9 Omega 6 acids. The reason is that Omega 3 acids are found in healthier, "Mediterranean style" diets of things such as fish and olives. Omega 6 acids are found in unhealthy friend foods and animal fat, and fast food is brimming with Omega 6. This imbalance can put people at risk for depression more. The solution? If you are eating too much fried or fast food, try a more Mediterranean diet. If you cannot afford or don't have the means to change your diet, simply using a cheap over the counter natural Omega 3 supplement will suffice as well.

 

2) Avoid Rumination. Rumination is also known as solitary dwelling. If left alone, the human brain, especially one at risk of depression, tends to focus on negative experiences and memories, facilitating a slide into depression. To avoid this sort of rumination, find an activity to engage in, or interact with someone. (face to face, not on social media or online) Just doing something you enjoy like going for a run or reading a good book is enough to prevent the brain from engaging in rumination, although face to face interactions are the best way to beat it. The thing to avoid is just laying around either on social media or doing nothing at all.

 

3) Exercise. People who take a brisk 30 minute walk 3 times a week are much less likely to suffer from depression than completely sedimentary people. Ideally a person would exercise for 60 minutes a day, but this isn't always feasible with people's schedules. The point is to get out, get your heart pumping and your blood moving and do something regularly. It doesn't have to be too physically demanding, such as a brisk walk, it just needs to get your heart rate up a bit and get you vertical and moving. Anaerobic exercise such as weightlifting is much less effective than aerobic exercise, but it can work in a pinch. If you must do anaerobic exercises, try and do more reps with less weight and do circuits to get a more aerobic element in your exercise.

 

4) Sunlight exposure: People who are out in the sun more tend to be happier. The reason for this is because a deficiency of natural light exposure throws off the body's internal clock and can cause chemical imbalances in the brain that can lead to depression. This is why many people feel "gray" in the winter, because there is less sunlight. And people are less likely to be outside when it is sunny and below freezing as opposed to sunny and balmy outside obviously, so what sunlight there is isn't enjoyed by people. The solution is simply to be outside often. This could coincide with your working out from step 3, because even the natural light on a gray, overcast day is much brighter and healthy than indoor lighting. 

 

5) Sleep. Much in the same way that lack of sunlight exposure can throw off the body's internal clock, so can a lack of sleep. Now, I know that a lot of students in college and high school, or those working jobs feel that they don't have enough sleep time, and I completely sympathize with you there. But simply increasing your sleep time each night by as little as half and hour to an hour consistently can do wonders for your mood. The key word is consistent. If you know you can't consistently get more sleep, don't try to. If all you can get every night is 6 hours, take the 6 hours instead of having one night of 5, then one of 8, then one of 4. The consistent 6 hours is much healthier.

 

6) Social Support. Obviously this is the hardest and most ambiguous step, since many depressed people feel isolated, lonely, and cut off from all social support. This is not the case. There are people ready and willing to help you who want to help you. Maybe they're friends on here, they could be your family, your acquaintances, whatever. Trust me, they're out there. They will support and help you to improve and feel better, and if you follow the five steps before this one, you will find step 6 becomes easier to accomplish as time goes on.

 

So, hope that helps everyone suffering from depression or just feeling a little gray! Feel free to ask questions or comment your thoughts! Good luck to all of you! 

 

(Side note: I didn't want to put this in life advice, because I'm not seeking advice personally, but if a mod deems that this is better suited to be placed there, then go right ahead.)

 

 

 

This is a very helpful post, but you forgot one more thing...

 

MLP! My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is DEFINITELY a remedy! It may be temporary but the optimism provided in the show brings a person into a state of self reflection at times. Especially with the life lessons you think on through out the episodes! 

 

I know from personal experience, when I was upset the other week and wasn't facing a solution at the moment, I plopped down.. turned on Netflix and watched MLP. When I got up an hour later, I was smiling. It's truly wonderful!

[~Sugar Sprinkles~ 638]

I would suggest maybe some therapies or whatnot. They can usually help out with no medications what so ever. I know someone who goes to therapy for depression and is not on prescription at all.

 

Getting medications for depression is helpful, but I would REALLY consider a therapy. Other than that, I kicked mines butt, by just making more friends. I used to be the lonely one.

[GhostPony750 959]

I went through a depression 3 years ago, I know what it's like. :/ And weirdly, I followed most of the stuff here, without even knowing it.

Thanks for these nice tips, they are indeed useful.

 

Medication is a bad thing actually, it's even harder to stop the pills.

[Adente 1,000]

I would suggest maybe some therapies or whatnot. They can usually help out with no medications what so ever. I know someone who goes to therapy for depression and is not on prescription at all.

 

Getting medications for depression is helpful, but I would REALLY consider a therapy. Other than that, I kicked mines butt, by just making more friends. I used to be the lonely one.

 

First of all, congrats on beating it!! And second, I suppose this was just meant to kind of be "do it yourself treatments" since not everyone can afford therapy, and many can't bring themselves to go because of the negative connotations associated with therapy. Thanks for the advice though! 

[Katana 298]

I'm still going through my depression, but I can at least confirm that all of those seem pretty effective (minus the Omega one, since that's difficult to feel any direct effect of. I can say at least that I always attempted to eat pretty healthily)

[Adente 1,000]

I'm still going through my depression, but I can at least confirm that all of those seem pretty effective (minus the Omega one, since that's difficult to feel any direct effect of. I can say at least that I always attempted to eat pretty healthily)

 

Yeah, I guess something like that is going to be a subtle thing. Then again, anything to do with brain chemistry generally does, but it has been found to have a significant positive effect in numerous studies. It also explains why depression in America has gone up sharply in the last two decades, because the consumption of fast food and thus Omega 6 acids has increased sharply. 

[~Sole~ 852]

How I'm holding back my depression? Sheer force of will, and family support. Pretty much the only things keeping me from giving myself lead medication honestly.

[Adente 1,000]

How I'm holding back my depression? Sheer force of will, and family support. Pretty much the only things keeping me from giving myself lead medication honestly.

 

Well, try out some of the methods I suggested in my original post! 

[SharpWit 2,647]

go around with an attitude of fuck it. why? because fuck it. answer to all of life's problems.

[GrimCW 658]

... What no hobbies?

 

Hobbies of some sort can keep your mind off of whatever the problems are, and get ya focused on something far more entertaining. Often they don't require to much outside help (Helping if your don't have a large pool of friends to mooch from )

and they can often feel very rewarding..

I for one like to build custom kits, paper craft, and store bought model kits. They keep me busy, can easily use/reuse parts and gear from previous projects, and give ya some neat things to hang or wear around

 

 

But I also agree with the ponies though, they've kept me smiling through my recent bout of depression, and near loss of home.

They may have been "meant" for kids, but the cracks they make are just 100x funnier when you realize that the joke wasn't meant for that audience so much

The latest comic book #16 here is a fine example. Goes from Lord of the Rings, to 28 days later, to startrek, and on into Dial "M" for murder (Who knew Rarity liked Noir style stories? heh) within the first HALF of the issue...

While cute on its own, knowing the source material makes it flipping hilarious (especially the rate/MoS identifier Pinkie has on her ST style uniform being a screw+Ball.. throwback to the Looney Toons days!) U can read and re-read these comics and the subtle jokes they have either up front or hidden in the back grounds are just the best, and cleanest, humor I've seen in decades.

 

go around with an attitude of fuck it. why? because fuck it. answer to all of life's problems.

 

Edited February 8, 2014 by GrimCW

[Adente 1,000]

... What no hobbies?

 

Hobbies of some sort can keep your mind off of whatever the problems are, and get ya focused on something far more entertaining. Often they don't require to much outside help (Helping if your don't have a large pool of friends to mooch from )

and they can often feel very rewarding..

I for one like to build custom kits, paper craft, and store bought model kits. They keep me busy, can easily use/reuse parts and gear from previous projects, and give ya some neat things to hang or wear around

 

 

But I also agree with the ponies though, they've kept me smiling through my recent bout of depression, and near loss of home.

They may have been "meant" for kids, but the cracks they make are just 100x funnier when you realize that the joke wasn't meant for that audience so much

The latest comic book #16 here is a fine example. Goes from Lord of the Rings, to 28 days later, to startrek, and on into Dial "M" for muder within the first HALF of the issue...

While cute on its own, knowing the source material makes it flipping hilarious (especially the rate/MoS identifier Pinkie has on her ST style uniform being a screw+Ball.. throwback to the Looney Toons days!) U can read and re-read these comics and the subtle jokes they have either up front or hidden in the back grounds are just the best, and cleanest, humor I've seen in decades.

 

 

 

Well, hobbies are one of the best ways to avoid rumination, so I kind of did mention them in step 2. 

[Acchan 232]

The way I handle my depression is unscheduled bouts of randomness. The stranger, the better. Always picks me up during a bad time.

[Adente 1,000]

The way I handle my depression is unscheduled bouts of randomness. The stranger, the better. Always picks me up during a bad time.

 

Uh... define randomness? And why not try some of the methods I mentioned in the OP? They're simple, scientifically proven, and also help just contribute to an all around healthy lifestyle. 

[GrimCW 658]

Uh... define randomness? And why not try some of the methods I mentioned in the OP? They're simple, scientifically proven, and also help just contribute to an all around healthy lifestyle. 

Randomness... is self explanatory. Just being random, doing something random, saying something random.. no specifics. Just something thats so far fetched and away from your norm that its entertaining enough to give a sense of joy.  Hopefully while being kept safe though... 

 

TBH you pretty much gave obvious advice that 90% of people already knew in one form or another really. Now if people follow it despite knowing it.. thats often questionable.

 

And I've heard "scientifically proven" plenty of times, then found opposing articles that "scientifically prove" otherwise.. tis rather entertaining how science works.

Kind of like those old belt machines that you strapped around your waist and they were "scientifically proven!" to "Melt the fat away!" and all that.. come a few years later.. debunked...

 

There's always some new "scientifically proven" method to kick depression or increase weight loss among other things each year. Fact is, most of those won't actually get rid of the depression, they merely set it aside and give a very momentary relief no better than the medication. The only way to truly get past it is understand why your depressed and find a way to cope with it or get beyond it.  

 

While some things work for some people, they may not work for ALL people. In fact, in some cases it can actually increase the problem (attempting social interaction with limited social circle and coming to the realization of your limitation for one.) Same goes for the medications, contrary to belief most of those meds are just crappy placebo's that work on a few people, and just get the rest high and thinking they're working. When reality is, they might be making the situation worse (If you need to "ease off" of a medication in order to avoid withdrawal problems, than something there is not right)

 

Without confronting the actual reason for the depression, all described is a very temporary relief from the base symptoms. While perhaps mostly effective for that period of time, if the problem itself goes unresolved, than it will come back with a vengeance. Worse off, you and others may not even realize the depression as grown due to the of of such simple things hiding it from being noticeable in an outward appearance. Not until that moment when it really ends up sinking in, and that moment only needs to be a second long. At that point it often is to late to do much more, and the damage can be forever lasting.

 

Not to go against you BTW, they are effective methods to help move along, But the best method is still finding the issue, and resolving or, at the very least, understanding it. You can band-aid a bad wound, but without proper care its still at high risk to become infected.

Edited February 9, 2014 by GrimCW

[Adente 1,000]

@@GrimCW,

 

Actually, the methods mentioned in the OP are backed up by over 100 different studies, have held true for decades without being disproved, and are very good about preventing relapses of depression, provided the 6 techniques are consistently and fully followed. It also helps that they all also promote good healthy living that everyone, depressed or not, should practice. See, true, clinical depression isn't often caused by an event or "issue" as you called it, but is simply a cause of genetics, brain chemistry, biology, and a host of other things combined together. These methods are excellent at combating almost every potential source of depression.

[~Master~ Button Mash 2,307]

Positive affirmations help. Also physically smiling, even if you don't feel a reason to. There's a physical-mental feedback system in the brain that can use physical inputs to change itself. Meaning just the physical act of smiling and force the brain to "feel" happier.

 

Positive situations are also important. Create positive feedback loops. Happy thing > motivated to do more happy things > happy thing > etc. It feeds on itself.

 

Not sure if you'd call them medication, but St Johns Wort and 5-HTP are both supplements that help depression. 5-HTP helps synthesize serotonin, while SJW is like a natural SSRI.

Edited February 10, 2014 by ~Master~ Button Mash

[applejackson007 58]

this is actually really helpful...thanks! ^-^