Alternative remedies for depression?

[AwesomeUsername]

I have a history of depression already, and even took meds a few years ago. For a long time after that I can say I felt somewhat better, and viewed myself as pretty much healed. During that period I started exploring psychedelics in hope it will further heal me, and while I had nice afterglows something was still not right.

Anyways, enough rambling. I feel it has started creeping back in, and I don't want to feel like that. I want to get well. For now, I'm considering using syrian rue and st. johns wort, I don't know if they can be combined but if they can that'd be great.

I'd generally avoid using more powerfull drugs such as ayahuasca, since it once turned on me and left me worse off. I could handle doing it up to 4 times a week, but these days I don't feel as safe diving back into these waters.

Any suggestions? Worth mentioning, I have a full time job, work out regulary, have ok sleeping and eating habits and abstain from drugs and alcohol with the exception of a 1 cup of coffee in the morning habit.

 

[obliguhl]

Raw Cacao Beans :lol:

I don't think combining a mao (syrian rue) with a SSRI (St.Johns wort) is a healthy idea though.

Is your social life well?

There is also a Thread on plant based anti-depressants around but i personally found nothing is more effective than lifestyle change.

As for drugs: Ketamine, Kanna, low dose salvia divinorum, 5-htp

But not every substance works all of the time.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

Cordycepin may be of interest to you. I have been encapsulating and taking cordyceps militaris for the past 2 weeks and have noticed significant improvements. :thumb_up:

Started low(100mg) day by day to where I'm at now(700mg). There seems to be long-lasting enhancements via mental/physical energy, mood and social behavior.

I should also mention that I've felt a very good synergy between raw cacao and cordyceps supplementation. Mostly in terms of a heightened sense of awareness. There might be a slight reduction in sleep quality with this combination(Ime) but doesn't seem to affect me with cordyceps, alone. Instead I wake up feeling refreshed and motivated. In both cases, utilization of Hawaiian kava in the evening has been of great ease for sleeping and wakefulness upon awakening.

3'-Deoxyadenosine (Cordycepin) Produces a Rapid and Robust Antidepressant Effect via Enhancing Prefrontal AMPA Receptor Signaling Pathway - PubMed

This study identified 3'-dA as a novel rapid antidepressant with clinical potential and multiple beneficial mechanisms, particularly in regulating the prefrontal AMPA receptor signaling pathway.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[DreaMTripper]

Syrian rue is a good one, I smoked a full spectrum extract and had
great success.

 

[Godsmacker]

The Best Antidepressant is to constantly change the cage you live in, so as never to succumb to the rot of complacency.

 

[dragonrider]

Meditation works. But excercise is the best thing. Anything that requires you to realy get out of the comfort-zone. Pushing the limits. I suppose that something like exposure to cold, like taking a cold shower everyday, would have a simmilar effect. It builds mental resilience.
Ofcourse you should not overexpose yourself to physical or mental suffering, and enjoy the good things in life. But if you train yourself in pushing the limit for just a bit more than you think you can handle, you build mental strength.

 

[null24]

In no particular order (my recipe, works sometimes, sometimes fails miserably)
-dialectic behavior therapy
-breath (different exercises :square breathing for panic /anxiety, fast breathing for insomnia, counting for grounding etc)
-1 hour weekly talk therapy
-2 hours weekly volunteer service
-4-6 hours weekly attending various recovery meetings
-social activities (writing groups, meet ups)
-daily walks at least three miles
-daily 30 mins exercise (isometrics)
-diet, no processed foods, eat what i know works for me
-using all coping skills at my disposal
-smoke pot

There's other stuff too, in short, it's a ton of work to get through each day.

 

[blue.magic]

I would add cashew nuts on top of the above. One or two handfuls of cashews significantly improve mood and it lasts for weeks. It has shown this has helped even suicidal patients.

The plant remedies may give you a time window to find roots of your depression and resolve it.

 

[Gowpen]

Consider buying a bicycle.... Read R.D Lang's 'Knots'
regards G

 

[downwardsfromzero]

One of my co-workers told me today that someone she knew told her that two handfuls a day of cashews will act on one’s brain chemistry in the very same way that antidepressant medication will

Uh...hu

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/cashew-butter-healthy-5685.html

Unlike many other nuts, cashews don't contain omega-3 fatty acids and neither does cashew butter. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential dietary fats

Don't get me wrong, I love cashews too but I'd love to see some solid data about cashew nuts helping suicidal patients.

It's just that searches along these lines aren't turning up anything beyond anecdotal and speculative results excepting plain nutritional data, of course.

Another snippet:

If you suffer from headaches and migraines, avoid cashews. These nuts contain the amino acids tyramine and phenyethyamine

Relevant in an ayahuasca/syrian rue context.

 

[Gowpen]

The Best Antidepressant is to constantly change the cage you live in, so as never to succumb to the rot of complacency.

Yes, a change of scenery ... Museums, walking, helping others. Whilst remembering that depression is quite normal to a degree.

 

[Tommi]

Love is the best remedy for depression. Green love!

Anyways, you may have just said it. Try cup of green tea instead of coffee in the morning. Coffee is actually extremely unhealthy in the morning! One more suggestion, if you need that caffeine boost, add some synthetic caffeine to your green tea.

Considering you do not eat lots of sugar and processed foods, since that causes depression as well. Change sugar to xylitol (birch sugar), cut off processed foods completely. Try these with the stuff you is doing: blackcurrants, tubers, papayas, green cabbage, coconut oil, pomegranate seeds, aloe vera.

Good luck