Therapies for depression - any thoughts?

[rachel(:]

I have suffered with depression for a number of years, and been treated medically without much success. Now I am looking into trying some complementary therapies to see if they give me the boost I need. I have always been interested in complementary therapies and if I could get well enough would like to train as a therapist myself. So I am fairly open minded.

Any ideas of what may help? All thoughts welcome!

Claire

 

[rosey88]

In my opinion two that may help are EFT Emotional Freedom Technique there are loads of free resources here www.emofree.com and NLP I would suggest going to see a practitioner I think that there is a list of therapists on this site but not sure where.

 

[Jen x]

Thanks, I will look into EFT and give it some thought.

I have had NLP in the past without any success.

Thanks for your help

 

[servmal]

What a shame but the fact it did not work is a statement about the practitioner who tried to effect a change and not a reflection on you or your condition.

 

[oicjyrqv]

massage and aromatherapy have had good results with helping people with depression - something elso to consider

 

[Fuzzyjubjub]

Aikijason - thanks for saying that, I was worried that it was me that stopped it working because im quite shy, and have become very withdrawn since i got depression

hemelgirl - thanks, good idea, i will add massage and aromatherapy to my list!

Anyone else? I would try most things! Anyone know of cranial osteopathy is any good for depression?

 

[LilNicole089]

cb

do you do any form of exercise? - yoga may also be something to consider - helps with breathing and relaxation as well as the physical side of it

 

[ria <3]

My suggestion is to try everything!!

The fact that you are willing to search for other solutions shows that you have the will, drive and resources within yourself to change.

 

[~Poon Strangler~]

While you are exploring eg EFT, you could also include bach flower remedies.
Mustard is a great help if the depression is like a dark cloud that seems to come from nowhere.
Gentian is a good one if there is a known cause eg loss of home, loved one, job etc.

tigress

 

[Holy Cow!]

Thanks tigress Mustard sounds like it could be the right flower remedy for me

 

[VKIS]

Cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness

 

[hockeygirl7003]

i have suffered from that condition in the past and sometimes it crops up. what helps me is Noni juice. taken every morning on empty stomach.within one week i was coping with gardening.get one with high % of noni.

Amethystfairy

 

[klswdurg]

In my experience no-'one' cures you of depression... but they help... It's something that ultimately has to overcome by oneself...

My best suggestion is Taiji (& this is not to say hat any of the other suggestions are not effective or even far better), however if attemped with enough concentration, effort and often... you'll probably find that it works.

good luck to you

 

[unbelied]

Hello Claire
Probably most therapists are going to suggest their own- and I'm no exception as I would say Homeopathy!
The appointment is lengthy which gives you time to reflect on the nature of your depression and any possible contributing factors, and the remedies are deep acting and tailored to you as an individual- there are no set remedies for conditions- they are given according to the characteristics of the problem and the nature and susceptibilities of the person.
They can 'open doors' for you and help you to perceive things differently, if appropriate. It's not unusual for patients to make all sorts of changes to their lives, big and small, and for the better, during a course of treatment.
Although I think homeopathy's fantastic, it would be good, probably, if you choose a therapy that really appeals to you- especially if you're thinking of taking things further with studying etc. Good luck! HTH Hom

 

[BrokkenHarted]

At the top left of every page of HP, just under the banner, there's a tab marked 'Directory', which will take you there.

Holistic

 

[Kuro Yuki]

Hi Claireybear,

I suffered severe depression after having miscarriages and having a relationship break up (We're back together now). I was on anti-depressants - until I ditched them !! I can only give you the treatments that i have found helpful/not helpful over the years. I'm not knocking any of them - just that some didn't work for me.

Counselling - didn't really do anything for me - just found it traumatic re-living the awful events. Counsellors also told me that I had to "feel the pain" - when in reality if I'd "felt" it any more I'd have gone round the bend.

Bach remedies - found useful but only for a short period of time

Homeopathy - got rid of the depression within 2 weeks and it's never come back (thank God)

I've had the following treatments but only for relaxation and their effect was short lived (only a few days/weeks max) - reflexology, massage, aromatherapy.

(I've had acupuncture but not for depression, so can't really comment).

I've only recently come across EFT but have found it useful in dealing with anxiety etc, so this may work for you.

There are also a good number of positive thinking books on the market which i've found really good. I lent most of mine to a friend/neighbour and haven't had them back. I had intended to get them back but life just flies by. When i get them back - I'll post them on here.

Wishing you all the best.

Love and hugs

 

[Toni]

Hello Claireybear

Sorry to hear you have depression. I had a very bad period 2 years ago which lasted a year. No sign of it coming back so far. This is what worked for me - I read Overcoming Depression by Paul Gilbert, and the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

That, and giving up the things in my life that were stale - After a year of not getting out of bed I quit my job and went back to college, and started to do things that I loved again. When you are really low you get an amazing perspective on what is important and what isn't. Hope you find some peace x

 

[T.e.s.s.]

Thank you everyone for your replies, there is definitely a lot for me to think about here. It always helps too to read about people who have experienced the same kind of thing and got through it, so thank you.

Claire

 

[?SourCherry?]

From personal experience I agree totally with hemelgirl in saying that exercise is a major part of keeping depression at bay. I find a mixture of jogging, yoga and weights very beneficial. I firmly believe in healthy body, healthy mind. It takes a while for the effects to be felt but a lot of research has been done into the subject and if you look online you'll find plenty of articles and research on the subject. Please give it a try!

 

[JanStolz]

I am a firm believer that all changes in our emotional states are fundamentally changes at the chemical level and if you think about the human body we all individual chemical factories producing and releasing chemicals into our bloodstream all the time.

Exercising to a proper level will help release endomorphines into your bloodstream which is our bodies happy drug and it's free!!