Depression and Health

[Alice]

I'm starting this thread because there seem to be a lot of people on here lately who've been suffering from depression.
I need to share the things that have helped me. Keep in mind that I'm not a nutritionist.
If you have something that's helped you, feel free to share. And of course this if just the word of one person. : )

Depression--
I had this so bad a few years ago. I just wanted to stop hurting. I felt suicidal too, but never did anything about it. (Thank God!)

I turned to things I shouldn't have to make me feel better, but it only ended up making things worse.
There were a lot of things that didn't help, even stuff that should've (theoretically).

The things that DID help me--

God. I had some bondages in my life because of sin, and other things that weren't even necessarily my fault. (Hurts, etc.)
God helped me with these. I don't have an easy answer to give you. But... ask Him to show you if you have bondages in your life, and how to get free from them.

Praise and worship also seem to be important for me in the area of depression. Not sure why.

Health. A special kind of vitamin supplement helped. (I still take these and can give you the name if you're interested.)
But a very large thing was, I believe, the systemic yeast or candida infection that I had. (Its like bad flora that grow in your digestive tract and poison you and make you feel awful.)

The stuff that helped me with that: a medical perscription helped (although it turned out to weaken the immune system). >.<
Better -- (and I still take this intermittently) D-Lenolate, which is a special extraction of Olive Leaves. It kills off the candida. Also I took Primodophilus Bifidus (a kind of acidophilus), to restore the body's natural, healthy flora.

Because of the western diet, a lot of people have the potential for candida. (Candida feeds off things like white flour, and especially sugar. Even honey. Anyway, I had to stop eating those things altogether for awhile. I'm still careful and try not to eat any sugar. Believe me, it was worth it!)

I did not start feeling better until the Candida infection started to get under control. I'm still careful about it. But I feel so, so much better than I did. Still have some health issues, but... that's for another thread.

Anyway, if you decide to take the D-Lenolate, be careful. It's strong stuff. The die-off reaction at first can make you feel worse than ever. So start slowly. The full dose is 2 capsules x 3 meals a day. If you're just starting, it's probably better to take one or two a day and work your way up to the full dose. If you don't have candida, it won't hurt to start slowly, and if you do, you'll be doing yourself a favor by not going too fast. (D-Lenolate is also an immune support product, so it's like the opposite of the drug I was taking at first.) Of course, it's also important to get enough fiber so that your body can get rid of the bad stuff. >.<

I just wanted to mention this stuff in case it can be of help to anyone. Like I said, my health still isn't perfect, but it's so much better than it was.

Below is a picture of the D-Lenolate stuff I was talking about.
I'm not trying to be an advertiser, but it does matter which brand you take.


In the end, I still get depressed sometimes, but it's for a short time, usually for some reason, and not the deep well of death-like despair it used to be. I hope this helps someone. Even if it didn't, I hope it doesn't cause anyone trouble.

[shooraijin]

The MD will only say that there are no widely recognized double-blind clinical studies regarding its efficacy, nor is there any regulation of it by the FDA, so you're on your own. There, that's your fine print.

[kazekami]

I'm on Effexor I think thats how its speeled I always say it wrong when I go to the dr. heh. It works good for me.

[Fsiphskilm]

I'm on

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I have this stuff called Ultra Calm. My depression stems from extreme anxiety, so it does help somewhat. But yeah, depression sucks. I eat the right foods but need to get more excercise (not a fan of it though).

[kazekami]

I have this stuff called Ultra Calm. My depression stems from extreme anxiety, so it does help somewhat. But yeah, depression sucks. I eat the right foods but need to get more excercise (not a fan of it though).

I also have anxiety problems. The Effextor is a god one for the anxiety and the depression.

Volt sometimes you need the extra help.

[Alice]

Medicines didn't work for me.

They made things worse. ToT

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

The herbal ones are better for your health but I think they are often more expensive.

[shooraijin]

I think that's a difficult generalization to support. One thing I use to point out to people is the difference, say, between Armour Thyroid and standard Synthroid, or L-thyroxine, which is purified thyroid hormone. Armour Thyroid, on the other hand, is literally thyroid gland, ground up, (presumably) free of pathogen, and packaged into pills.

There are those who insist that Armour Thyroid is the better product because it's not "artificial" but the actual amount of thyroid hormone you get varies on the glands used to make the preparation, and is very difficult to control.

The point is that allegedly natural or herbal remedies ultimately depend on an active ingredient, or mix of ingredients, to do their work just the same as any pharmaceutical. For that reason, I don't think you can say an herbal remedy is better just because it's herbal. It may have a component that's better performing than what's available from a drug company, but that's a factor of the particular preparation and source used in that herbal extract, and may not be present in others that claim to be the same, or even in the same concentration among the same lot or production group.

I don't discourage people from using herbal remedies if they believe they're doing them good and I can't see a medical downside to their use, but people incorrectly believe that they're better by dint of simply being herbal and I think that's very difficult to defend.

[kazekami]

Medicines didn't work for me.

They made things worse. ToT

I had to try a couple different ones to find the right one and different dosages. But everyone is different.

[EireWolf]

I'm on 1 Vitamin a day. Get good amounts of SunShine, Walk a lot, and make sure to accomplish something every day.

To me it helps more than any drug ever could. I don't want to be forced to feel happy because of some pill, I'd rather have it radiate from within me.

That's great for you, Volt, and it's worth doing in any case. But some people have serious chemical imbalances that require drugs to stabilize.

I think alot of people in our society are overmedicated, and I think drugs should be a last resort. However, there are cases where they are necessary.

[dragonshimmer]

This sounds silly, but one thing to remember is not to give in. With depression, it's so easy to lock yourself away, sit at home and shut yourself away from the world. It's like a vicious circle. The more you shut yourself away, the worse it gets. MAKE yourself get out and do something, even if you don't want to. MAKE yourself be around people sometimes...just make sure it's people who care about you and love you. It's important to remember not to give into the desire for isolation.

[kazekami]

Eirewolf is right. I've tried going off the meds. I'll be ok for a month or so. But then all of a sudden I start crying for no reason and can't function at all.

Dragonshimmer is also correct. When I was at school, my depression got better once I had freinds who hung out with me at least once a week. Right now I don't have money or transportation or friends nearby. Plus my health is not good right now. So going out is impossible at the moment. But I do enjoy going to church on weekends. And sometimes I get to go to a festival with my familly. But besides that I feel a bit lonely even if i am spending the day with my cat and grandma.

[GhostPoet]

I get depressed sometimes about not having any friends to hang out with and play games with.....heh

[Fsiphskilm]

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[kazekami]

Well I've seen several Doctors. Been to councling and talked to my priest. I pray every day. I go to mass at least once a week. Some weeks I go more because of a special service. Even when I saw my friends a few times a wekk I would still get depressed if I went off the meds. Of course my problem isn't as bad as it was because of the councling however I have no choice but to stay on the meds because I can't stop falling into despair. And not everyone is able to stay off because they have chemical imbalances. I find that when I'm depressed and off the meds I tend not to do my work, I tend to be more anti social, and I cry all the time. All i do really then is cry and sleep. I also get physically ill. I get really anxious and irratable without it as well. Its no kind of life. I take as low as dosage as I can. And I often forget to take my medication. Which is bad. I try not to forget it. If I had a job i'd continue councling but I don't. And its too expensive. I do what I can not to get depressed. ALso being in the sunshine dosen't make me happy. It only hurts my eyes and the heat makes me sick. Not everyone cn be in the sun. THere are illnesses that make it impossible. =P And if you eat properly you don't need vitamins. I take extra calcium since I don't like milk. Also when you don't have a job or anything and live with difficult familly members it also doesn't do much to make you feel happy.