Best meds or herbal remedies for depression??

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It doesn't wear off if you keep smoking it...as for cigarettes and alcohol I haven't been drinking lately I've had a couple sips of beer but that's about it and I've been going days without smoking cigarettes and just having one maybe a couple days a week or if someone offers me one, it has stronger effects that way anyways.

I don't find those things comparable to marijuana though they are significantly more harmful and not very good tools for self medication.

Sure, big pharma has probably done their own trials but there are also a ton of independent studies done and even many done by the FDA. All you have to do is search on PubMed and theres a vast amount of data on suplements and herbal remedies.

But youve also got things like St Johns Wort for example, that has no regulation or testing done to ensure that your getting the proper formulations. A good majority of that at stores isnt even the variety of the herb that would help with depression.

There are examples of companies pushing supplements that they know doesent work except for a small percentage of the population.

Take all of the diet supplements. There are tons at Walmart and even more at places like GNC that prey on overweight people, desperate to lose weight and so they buy all kinds of supplements or herbs that dont work. Now if you look back to the days when ephedrine was one of the main ingredients, some of them worked decently well, but not anymore.

Um...Dude. Im not sure if your being serious or making a lame joke. But if its the first, I gotta ask you, have you actually smoked bud at all or even just a couple eigths? Up until about 2 years ago when I started to have problems with funding, I had smoked all day every day for nearly 10 years. I smoked ciggs but weed didnt have any effect on how many I smoked. I actually smoked less because waiting for that next bowl was more enjoyable than going out and chain smoking like I usually did. And the booze...smoking pot doesent have any effect on how much you drink. Maybe if you go to a bar and are having fun with some friends you might have a little more to drink than usual. In the past I have been a total raging alcoholic and after I had sobered up, smoking weed didnt make me want to get drunk but quite the opposite. And the wild women...weather your smoking pot or your sober as a judge, Im pretty sure that the average male, no, I know that the average male is all about women and given the chance to have a wild one I doubt that too many would pass that up.

And the god thing. I dont really believe in a god or a higher power but I respect others that do but thats nowhere near a cure for depression. Im pretty sure you cant pray yourself into feeling like a million bucks and not be depressed anywhere.

I love to joke but am being highly serious on this occasion. As an old hippy cowboy from the 60's no cherries to be popped here as regards herbal meds..sorry..lol.
You must be tough or getting some weak sister rope..cause gluttonous combos of herbs and hooch makes the room start spinning and a puke bucket can come in handy.
Your failure to believe in God effects Him not in the least. Will agree Prayer does not relieve Depression.you will find its "PRAISE " which does the trick. There is a difference ya know? Works like a charm for them who are smart enough to try it.

Praising God isn't going to cure depression or any other mental disorder.

@bigwheel. As stated in another thread. It is not acceptable to try to hijack threads to push your religious beliefs onto others. You have stated your opinion, now leave it alone. Don't keep bashing people over the head with your bible.

I just started reading Unstuck by James S Gordon
subtitle: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey out of Depression

Quick summary: in his practice the author uses anti-depressants as a last resort only. The book recomends an integrated approach including exercise, meditation, guided imagery, art, yoga, nutrition and supplements, acupuncture, herbal therapies, and various spiritual practices. For herbs he prefers traditional Chinese medicine.

Anti-depressants have worked well for my brothers but not in my case. So I like the author's skeptical approach. Without going into detail, here are a few things from about pages 10 to 24:
-- there is little evidence that anti-depressants are more effective than placebos and non-drug therapies.
-- the profitability of SSRIs has likely lead to the publishing of distorted statistics.
-- they tend to blunt the whole range of emotions, making you overly passive.
-- the side effects of anti-Ds can inlcude gastrointestinal problems, agitation, headaches, and weight gain.

More bad things about anti-depressants:
If you don't take them when suicidal, you might kill yourself.

I agree with everyone that's saying marijuana's a great choice. It's possibly the best remedy out there, though it's still illegal in places. Always go for the skunky stuff if you do decide to delve down this wonderful road.

If you're too iffy, it's understandable. I'm talking 10mg of Citalopram for my depression and it works great for me. But if you get the chance, use that and the marijuana together and you'll be on the highest of cloud nine!

saffron is good thats the thing that is put in spanish rice to make it yellow unfortunately it is expensive so cheaper places tend not to use it so they use turmeric instead (although turmeric is good for relief of pain)

Well, I'm a bit late to the party, but oh well...

I have used a combination of prescription medications, non-drug treatments and supplements/vitamins to make myself feel better. I take a lot of stuff, but I don't think most people need as much as I do. I will do my best to explain what I take and whether I think it helps. I will put the text in bold for the things that I think had the biggest impact. It is worth noting that I built this regime up before I realized I have Asperger's. There are fluctuations, but overall I feel amazing- so much better than I ever dreamed was possible.

Wellbutrin- It was the first antidepressant I tried and it worked wonders. It has a side effect of anxiety for some people, but for me it reduced anxiety. It made me far less irritable and reactive. Taking it was like putting on glasses after a lifetime of not being able to see. It didn't get rid of all the depression, so I tried many other antidepressants, anti-convulsants, etc in conjunction with it. In the end, I gave up; they all either didn't work or had side effects that wouldn't go away. I kept taking Wellbutrin, though, because it worked with no real negative side effects (sleeplessness went away after a few weeks).

Namenda- I take this off-label for binge eating and food craving.

Adderall- I was prescribed this for ADHD. I would strongly recommend never touching this stuff- it is a temporary solution that in the end only causes you tons more problems (and you'll likely be addicted to it, to boot). It works great at first, but your body quickly adjusts. I've been slowly coming off it, looking forward to being free of this beast.

Intuniv- Prescribed for ADHD. It didn't work for that, but it is also a blood pressure drug and it did work on my high blood pressure. So I kept taking it.

Exercise- I started doing this after reading info written by a professor saying exercise has nearly the same effect on depression as our strongest known prescription antidepressants. There is a synergy between antidepressants and exercise as well (against depression and other mental illness).

Daylight- You need it to make Vitamin D (which is needed to support glutathione, one of your brain's main antioxidants). If you get strong daylight within 2 hours of waking up, it fights any effect seasonal depression may have for you (I think this is related to the light hitting your retinas, so it is a completely separate benefit of sunlight than when it hits your skin).

Omega 3 Capsules- I took these a long time with no noticeable benefit. Then I read an explanation on how to correctly select fish oil capsules that will work (written by Dr. Frank Sacks, professor of cardiology at Harvard). I followed his advice, and within 24 hours the effect against depression and hyperactivity/anxiety was huge. Basically, he says the fish oil must be fresh in order to work. Buy it from a place that sells a lot of it, like a vitamin store (or Costco, I remember him recommending). Don't buy crappy quality fish oil. I take 1 gram per day. Other people I know take 2-3 grams/day, but for me additional amounts didn't do any extra good. I usually get GNC triple strength fish oil that is enteric coated (no fish burps then).

Whey protein- This was an accidental discovery. I started EEG neurofeedback and the technician suggested I eat more protein. She suggested I try protein shakes. They made a big difference in how well I could think and react. Got rid of a lot of brain fog. I found out later the whey protein most protein shakes are made with triggers your body to make glutathione. Glutathione will make you feel way better in more ways than one. I usually drink Atkins shakes or GNC lean shakes every day. The powder mixes are cheaper, but I can't stand the gritty texture.

N-Acetylcysteine- This is a dietary supplement that triggers your body to make glutathione. Always choose whey protein and N-Acetylcystine (NAC) over actual glutathione pills. Your body won't absorb glutathione in pill form; it must make its own. NAC is also used to treat OCD and hair pulling compulsions.

Probiotics- I take high dose probiotics (75 billion CFUs a day). I used to get sick all the time, but I don't now. This also got rid of my long-standing toenail fungus infection that not even prescription Lamisil could kill off. It improved my rosacea somewhat as well (topical probiotic moisturizer did way better for that, though). The effects of this took time to build up- the probiotics need time to form colonies in your gut. I am convinced that good quality general probiotics (in high doses) have had a lot to do with my recovery. I have listed a specific type of probiotic separately below which helped me a lot with anxiety.

Lactobacillus GG- This is the probiotic strain in Culturelle. It had a major anti-anxiety effect on me. Others I know have had mixed results with it. I think the only reason it was able to help me is I'd already been on the general high dose probiotics (above) for months. That had given those friendly bacteria time to take up residence in my gut, making it a more hospitable place for Lactobacillus GG later.

Alpha Lipoic Acid- This is a good antioxidant. You need lots of antioxidants to feel better.

Green tea/green tea extract- Another strong antioxidant. You can take it in pill form and the effect it has against anxiety will be stronger. If you want it for anxiety, use it sporadically throughout the week (2-3 days, max) so your body doesn't get used to it. Then it will continue to make your body produce GABA, the neurotransmitter that will calm you down. Ironically, this is true even though green tea has lots of caffeine. Unless you have other reasons for avoiding caffeine, consider keeping the caffeinated version. The caffeine and EGCG (active ingredient in green tea) have a synergistic effect.

Magnesium- Make sure you get the right kind. Magnesium citrate is best. Whatever you do, don't get magnesium oxide (the cheapest, most common type available), it won't be well-absorbed by your body. Take your magnesium separately from calcium and zinc (i.e. not in a multivitamin).

B Vitamins- All the B vitamins, plus Choline and Inositol (these have been added to and removed from the list of official B vitamins, just count them as just as important as the others). These will all help you a great deal. Many people are deficient in B vitamins, but the problem is that it can take a long time to rebuild damage done from deficiency of some B vitamins (I even read about one type that took a full year to get back to normal). They are a major necessity, though.

You can do a lot for yourself by watching your diet, adding lots of fruits/veggies and complex carbs (like brown rice). And get your Indian food on! If I could sum up all I've learned about health, it's that you will get very far eating a diet typical of most Indians: lots of veggies, lentils and heavy on spices.

There are non-drug interventions, too:

EEG neurofeedback- This made an incredible difference for me. A bit pricey at first, but worth every penny. Knowing what I do now, I would pay 10 times what I paid for those treatments. Initial visit was $600; subsequent visits were $90. Keep in mind I live in an expensive place. It is likely far cheaper in other places. The results are permanent.

Cognitive behavioral therapy- Don't be afraid to find a good therapist and work on your issues. Everybody has 'em. The sooner you ask for help, the sooner you can bury them and move on with your life. If you're in college, there's likely a free counseling center on campus. That way you can go to one without your parents being in your business.

EMDR- I never believed this one would work; I only tried it to shut my friends up (they raved about it). I thought it was the dumbest thing I ever heard of. Lo and behold, PTSD flashbacks I'd been having for years ceased after 2-3 sessions and never came back again. If you have trauma and anxiety/flashback problems, this is a good choice.

Meditation- This is another thing I laughed off. I used to be a strictly pharma girl! But I have a tendency to go with the facts, and when the numbers in numerous studies supported the effectiveness of meditation for everything from arthritis to OCD to depression, I couldn't deny that it works for at least some people. Couldn't hurt to give it a shot, I figured. It calms you waaaaayyyy down. You don't need much- 5 minutes is good for me.

Hope this helps! It has made a world of difference for me.

True, and the opposite is also true. The author has a couple of paragraphs citing studies on how anti-depressants can potentially increase the risk of suicide:

Quote: "In recent years, reevaluation of drug company data and additional studies in Britain and the United States have shown an increase in suicidal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors among children, adolescents, and, most recently, young adults who are taking SSRIs. This data has been convincing enough for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to compel pharmaceutical companies to relabel the drugs, with a strong "black box" warning about their potential hazards for those under twenty-five."

And he stresses the importance of being aware that these possible suicidal ideations are most common within the first weeks of starting a new SSRI: "...may provoke an agitated, deeper, occasionally suicidal depression" is how he words it.

Knew that. Also knew, from personal experience, that they can provoke mania in bipolars if taken without a mood stabiliser. SSRI triggered my first hospitalisation.

(Holds up sarcasm sign) I think I'll write a book telling people not to take any medications, and to take saffron in warm milk instead. It'll be ground breaking stuff. And everyone can stop suffering from their mental illnesses and the trials and tribulations of medication, and be happy and cured, and go off into the lala land of pot smoking.

Remeron not the least bit natural or homeopathic. But it is an interesting antidepressant, I started it last month and the first three days I felt as though I had been hit by a freight train, I slept most of the 3 days, but my mind felt like it was relaxing in a hot tub of bliss. That said I was completly unable to do anything durring that initial three days. I went down in dose to be able to function and am slowly building up the dose, but it seems to work better than other things I have tried. I need to write a log of my medications some time soon I think this is number 30 something I've tried to treat depression. Not included in the drugs list is ECT which can be effective although it has its own downfalls.

Lets just ignore all the studies that indicate the various chemicals in marijuana do have medicinal uses, high CBD strains have calming effects and can be used to calm anxiety and in some cases it is effective for people with schizophrenia. I can certainly go find a source if need be though its pretty easy information to dig up. I really don't care if people agree that it can be used medicinally or not that is up to each individual to decide for themselves but the ridicule towards anyone who even brings it up gets old considering there are valid studies out there and medical marijuana available in a few states.

It's like back in the day getting ridiculed for thinking maybe the earth revolves around the sun rather than the other way around after there already was a growing base of knowledge indicating that was actually the case.

That said just like SSRI's its not for everyone.

I believe the Sun orbits around the Earth.