Alternatives to Antidepressants

With the high prevalence of cases of depression, there is no doubt about the fact that an increasing number of people are turning to therapies like light therapy and antidepressants to fight the problem. However, not many people are aware of the negative antidepressant effects that can be rather harmful to the body. For this reason, as long as it is not absolutely necessary, most patients of depression are asked to consider alternatives to antidepressants as a form of treatment.

Antidepressant Effects

The following are some of the antidepressant effects that have lead many towards alternatives to antidepressants:

– Anxiety
– Urinary retention
– Dryness in mouth
– Sleep disruption
– Sedation
– Abdominal Pain
– Dizziness and headaches
– Nausea
– Agitation
– Loss of Libido

There are many other antidepressant effects that can be detrimental to a patient’s recovery and effect the daily life and depression as well. It is therefore advisable to consider alternatives to antidepressants. If you are looking for an antidepressant alternative, the following solutions may really help.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy is perhaps one of the most effective forms of treatment if you are looking for an antidepressant alternative. Unlike antidepressants, this form of therapy goes beyond treating the symptomatic effects of depression. This approach aims to help depressed patients observe how they think about things and how that brings about depressive effects on their thinking. CBT helps patients of depression to tackle problem areas in their thought process and take on a more positive approach to life making depression recede gradually. A lot of patients are given CBT with antidepressants in the beginning which are phased out gradually due to the mentioned side effects.

Exercise and a Healthy Diet

This is one of the hardest pieces to follow for most patients of depression due to the sheer lack of motivation. But if one can push oneself towards maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly, it does make a big difference in coping with depression. It is a known fact that exercise is a great way to boost serotonin levels in the brain. Apart from this, it also gives a purpose to an individual. Another great antidepressant alternative is a healthy diet. Including foods such as St. John’s wort and other vitamin B rich foods in your diet is a great way to counter the effects of depression. A healthy diet combined with exercise and regular sleeping habits sets the body on a healthy path to recovery from depression.

Meditation and Yoga

Meditation can be considered to be an offshoot of cognitive therapies because it deals with taming the mind and gaining control over it. Meditation as well as yoga provides the required amount of exercise both to the body and the mind which eventually has a calming effect on a person. Again, these activities are also known to improve brain chemistry which is really the root of all problems related to depression.

You can choose to use one of these approaches or even a combination of a few of them. Since there is no fear of side effects, these methods, though time consuming, are better alternatives to taking antidepressants.