Immunization Schedule: When Kids Get Their Shots

Natural Approaches To Depression

Depression requires active treatment, because the disorder itself can have enduring effects on brain function that make future episodes more likely. Apart from the intensity of emotional pain and despair, the longer a depression episode lasts, the more likely a future episode.

That said, there are many ways to treat depression, and some of the most effective, especially in cases of mild to moderate disorder, do not require a prescription or medical-type intervention of any kind. The irony of depression is that it saps mental energy and makes people feel uninterested in or incapable of doing anything, creating a state of avoidance.

Taking small, rewarding steps in spite of such feelings creates a pathway out of the problem. For example, just setting foot in a different location stimulates neural circuitry that leads to positive affect. Depression can be seen as a kind of cave, and it takes some time and effort to get out of the cave. But it is possible, usually by learning some new patterns of thinking and doing.

Is There A Natural Cure For Depression?

There are many potential causes for fatigue and depression. Without any real idea about your individual circumstances, it is difficult for me to give you very specific advice.

However, my experience in practice is that one or two underlying factors commonly seem to underlie the sorts of all-pervasive fatigue and mood disturbance you describe.

One imbalance I think you would benefit from considering is low thyroid function. The thyroid is a bow tie shaped gland that sits in the neck and governs many of the body's fundamental processes including metabolism, temperature, weight and energy.

In addition to fatigue and depression, under-functioning of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) can lead to a range of symptoms including sensitivity to cold, cold hands and feet, dry skin and hair, reduced sweating, weight gain, loss of eyebrow hair and low physical and mental energy.

Conventionally, a diagnosis of hypothyroidism is made by measuring the level of thyroid-related hormones in the blood.

However, my experience is that a significant percentage of people have normal thyroid function tests, but nonetheless have many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism and so may benefit from treatment.

A good guide to the working capacity of the thyroid is body temperature. If you suspect you have a thyroid problem, use a mercury thermometer to take your underarm temperature (the thermometer must be under your arm for at least 10 minutes) immediately on waking and before rising.

Take about seven readings and then calculate an average score. If your temperature is consistently lower that 36.4 °C, suspect a thyroid problem, particularly if you suffer from several of the symptoms listed above.

If this is the case, you can find more information about treatment options for low thyroid by logging on to www.Thyroiduk.Org

Another common cause of fatigue and depression is weakness in organs known as the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys.

These glands are the chiefly responsible or dealing with stress. For a variety of reasons, including long-term stress, the adrenal glands can weaken over time and this can lead to persistent fatigue.

The reason that this may be of particular importance to you is that adrenal weakness and low thyroid function very often coincide.

The Thyroid UK website also contains information about adrenal weakness.

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Treatment Of Depression

In the U.S. Women are far more likely than men to seek treatment for depression—as with all other conditions. Nevertheless, it is extremely important for anyone suffering to take steps to treat depression to the point of remission—and several months beyond, which is the generally recognized standard of care.

While episodes of depression may eventually lift by themselves, that may take many months of physical and mental pain, sadness, and disinterest in life, and can be very costly to self, relationships, and work. There is considerable evidence that the longer a depression episode lasts, the more likely are future episodes of greater intensity.

That said, there are many effective treatments for depression, including psychotherapy, which aims to correct the errors of thought and belief that unwittingly underlie depression and to facilitate strategies for coping with stress; medication to provide relief of symptoms, including suicidal ideation, or to facilitate intensive psychotherapy; neuromodulation, involving methods of directly stimulating neural circuitry to restore effective communication between key areas of brain function. There are also many natural or lifestyle measures that individuals can take on their own, from diet and simple exercise to joining a chorus and practicing meditation.

Studies repeatedly show that psychotherapy is at least as effective as medication, and the most effective treatment for many people may be a combination of both.

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