Just come off anti depressants. Natural alternative suggestions

Absolutely! It's like people saying 'pull yourself together '. They just haven't got a clue.

About 12 years ago DH was diagnosed with prostate cancer, two years after a diagnosis of throat and neck cancer. The first cancer was a terrible shock but the treatment was successful. If there had been an Oscar for putting on a brave face, I think I'd have walked away with it. But following the news about the prostrate I could feel myself going down as I didn't think I could go through it again. I started swimming at a local health club, having never been to a gym/pool before. I can only say that it saved my life. It was like having time out from what was going on. Mentally and physically. DH had the hormone/radiotherapy treatment and I was able to be his "brick" again- his description! He's fine and I'm still swimming. If you can find something to take you away from your situation, you'll return to it refreshed. Best wishes to you both.

Why have you come off them if they are helping you?

I agree with others re being in nature - I aim to go for a walk every day - we're fortunate to have a small hill in our village - and as you say LillyPollen, a walk in the meadow and hearing the birds sing is lovely.
I would also add meditation- there’s a great app called Insight Timer with loads of free meditations - I like the guided ones with background music, and have found them very helpful.

Someone mentioned St John's Wort. It is popular in Germany. The liquid form is best. It might take a few weeks to kick in as many other drugs do also. It need not be taken continuously perhaps a course over the winter for the winter blues. My husband thought it was great but being on warfarin he had to stop as would have needed more frequent monitoring. So need to clear with chemist or GP. Regular walks are his mainstay now.

Books not Boors!!!

I have just come off Citalopram as I was on it due to a number of time limited complex family issues I had no control over. I take Kalms if necessary However I have joined the library which allows me to down load the Borrowbox app which is a free of charge. I'm allowed 8 boors at a time. I have down loaded all sorts of novels and enjoy many different stories on my tablet. This means that I can always relax and cheer myself up any time. It all free.

And, getting prescribed medication is not a quick fix, one's got to go through a period of trial and error and lots of patience to find the right medication that will work. Years ago, when I was in a completely dark place after my divorce I was put on Prozac by my wonderfully understanding & intelligent GP. After some years I recovered but over decades the depression came back after other life-changing experiences. I have tried citalopram & Sertraline but those did not work. I am now on Fluoxetine which is serotonin-based like Prozac and I am feeling more balanced after a long while. Don't give up. It is worth trying prescribed medication, be patient and see what works for you.

Bit weary of the Band Aid analogy. I didn't stick a big metaphorical knife in myself.

I became ill and needed help.

Lostmyglassesxx

If you have circumstantial depression which it sounds like then you knoewhy you are feeling so low . Life is a pile of poo sometimes it becomes extremely difficult to deal with it, especially when things come all at once. Clinical depression is different .
Anti depressants work for some people
But when you know what’s causing it in the first place why would you medicate yourself? So you go round in a fog? That’s what I found anyway there are problems whether you can resolve them or not that you have to deal with going round in a blur going on or whatever isn’t really gonna make them go away SSRIs bad things and all they do is mask everything like a Band-Aid on a wound. Percent the route to the loot is therapy if you can get it private all through the NHS because it is available through talking therapies that you might have to wait awhile to me something , somewhere where you can offload gives a bit of perspective. It doesn’t make the problem go away but it makes you feel a little bit stronger and how to deal with it with coping mechanisms . Good luck x

I disagree with most of this. You would probably call my depression as circumstantial as it is strongly linked to a chronic bowel condition which makes life very difficult.
Shortly before Christmas I finally admitted I needed help as I didn't want to continue living and I was already employing "coping strategies" and other self-help.I have been on antidepressants since then.
I am not "going around in a fog". I am actually able to think much more clearly now than before I started to take them. Talking therapies are not suitable for everyone - and accessing an appropriate one has been impossible in my case.
To say that you shouldn't take medication if you know what is making you depressed is a dangerous comment

Many of us don’t know what causes our depression. I am one of them. For many of us antidepressants work. Don’t knock them.

If you have circumstantial depression which it sounds like then you knoewhy you are feeling so low . Life is a pile of poo sometimes it becomes extremely difficult to deal with it, especially when things come all at once. Clinical depression is different .
Anti depressants work for some people
But when you know what’s causing it in the first place why would you medicate yourself? So you go round in a fog? That’s what I found anyway there are problems whether you can resolve them or not that you have to deal with going round in a blur going on or whatever isn’t really gonna make them go away SSRIs bad things and all they do is mask everything like a Band-Aid on a wound. Percent the route to the loot is therapy if you can get it private all through the NHS because it is available through talking therapies that you might have to wait awhile to me something , somewhere where you can offload gives a bit of perspective. It doesn’t make the problem go away but it makes you feel a little bit stronger and how to deal with it with coping mechanisms . Good luck x

No, zakouma, your post wasn’t too sharp. You understand clinical depression, as do I. Taking prescribed medication isn’t a sign of failure. I have no faith in ‘natural remedies’ for clinical depression. The likes of St John’s Wort (which isn’t suitable for those who, like me, have epilepsy) or Bach Remedies are not for the severely depressed.

B12 or St John’s wort helps with depression, I take B12 to stabilise my over thinking due to fibromyalgia, hated the side effects of amitripuline . Hope you can find something that works for you

Sorry my previous post was unecessarily sharp.

No, they don’t. I’m very grateful for mine. If you met me professionally or socially I would probably be ‘the last person you would think needed to take them’. But I do need them, and have needed them for almost 40 years.

unfortunately had to succumb to antidepressants

Do we talk of a diabetic succumbing to insulin?

Or a person with a broken arm succumbing to plaster?

Nobody chooses depression.

One of my loved ones has unfortunately had to succumb to antidepressants, wife with a debilitating illness and two young children. He needed to discuss the fact that he didn’t think the dosage he was on was helping and could he speak to a GP by telephone due to his working hours. The next telephone appt was for three months time! This was just before Christmas, he came iff them was pretty rough. Now started on a higher dose with regular contact with GP. He was the last person I would think needed to take them. Always happy go lucky, we just cannot foresee how people can cope when life throws a curved ball!

I'm glad that this topic has given rise to some useful suggestions. I have used Bach Rescue in the past so a bottle on standby is a good plan.

I would say, speaking from experience, keep off the alcohol, which in itself is a depressant as I’m sure you know. Good luck ❤️

Clinical depression is a hormonal balance condition and must be regarded as something to put right. The ideas on this chat are all most valid and helpful. As a retired classical homeopath, I have treated this condition many times. Everyone is different and a skilled classical homeopath recognises this and matches the remedy to the person, not the ailment - the opposite to a regular antidepressant drug. Practical homeopathy is also useful but rarely permanent or long term. Never, never self medicate with homeopathy.

Well done for coming off the drugs, and hope all goes well with the cancer treatment and with you too as you cope with it all.

Bach rescue remedy

I have recently come off Citalopram as well. No side effects and not feeling sleepy all the time as well.

peploe

We use the term ‘depression’ too often and too lightly.
Clinical depression is life threatening condition and needs to be understood much more.
If you have ever suffered from clinical depression, you would know that it is very difficult to treat.
A sad/ fed-up feeling which can be helped by going a walk is not clinical depression.
Please don’t belittle the condition.

spot on, ive suffered it for too long,ive tried most things, which offers brief relief. I will quote, 'depression is a serious illness that has to be taken seriously' Ive known 6 people to commit suicide with this vile condition. A cure seems to be distant , no magic bullets yet, I use a combination of exercise,meditation, journal,diet,and hope.........

I don't think anybody was belittleing depression?

Just throwing around a few ideas really.

Its good to get different perspectives.