The Best Natural Cures For Depression

In this article, when I talk about natural cures for depression, I’m referring to lifelong changes in the way you think and act–not herbal supplements or other so called “natural depression cures.”

This is not to say that doctor prescribed medications for depression (”Prozac,” for instance) should not be taken for short-term help.

Prescription Drugs Aren’t The Cure–Only A Treatment

No, usually this will fix only part of your problem.    It comes down to the level of commitment you give your new way of life that will be the actual cure. Depression is a signal that your life is out of balance; it’s a wake-up call. So “curing” yourself of depression involves making the necessary adjustments to get your life back in balance.

These things include daily (or almost daily) cardiovascular exercise, eating healthy, quitting smoking, no heavy drinking, and NO illegal drugs whatsover.  Usually doing (or not doing) just these things by themselves will “cure” depression in most cases.  “Extra credit” would be things like counseling or other cognitive therapies.

But when most folks think about natural cures for depression, they think of herbal ‘medicines’ that you can swallow like a pill.  The hope is it’s going to be another ‘cure-in-a-pill.’  This isn’t surprising.  Because we live in an age of ‘instant gratification.’  We’ve become conditioned to expect a quick and easy fix for nearly everything:

Instant Fix For Everything Today

Need your oil changed?  Pull into Jiffy Lube.  Need cash at 10 pm?  The ATM.  No time to cook?  The drive-thru at McDonald’s…or complete meals from your freezer to microwave ready in minutes.  Need information on the DNA of Mammoth tusks for a paper due tomorrow?  A few keystrokes on the computer…need the paper written for you?  Have your credit card ready.  

…Same for our medical needs:  Are you tired?  Drink a Red Bull or similar energy drink for a quick burst of energy…even the remotest service station carries them.  Feeling stressed out?  Take one of your prescription tranquilizers…You can get a steady supply if you really want to.  Don’t want to get pregnant?  You’re right–the answer comes in a pill.  Think you may have RLS–”Restless Leg Syndrome?”  Sure you do, and the pharmaceutical goliaths can PROVE you do…and they happen to have the remedy…in a pill, of course.

So we expect the pharmaceutical companies to have a cure for depression for us, too.  And, of course, they do have different drugs for us.  Oh, but if it were only that easy, though.

There’s No Money In The Cure For The Pharmaceutical Giants

But while it may be necessary to take a pill in order to get your neurotransmitters ‘evened out,’ it’s only part of the cure–and by far the easiest part.  The hard part–which has been proven more effective (overall) than drugs in curing depression–is daily cardiovascular exercise and eating healthy, amongst other “free” things.  (I know you may be thinking that buying & preparing healthy food can be expensive–which can be true.)  But this is also the part that gets little or no press…the “grunt work.”  This is the part of curing depression that no one want to talk about or admit.

Because there’s no money in the cure for depression–only the treatment–for pharmaceutical companies, they have limited support and promotion of things like eating right and exercise.

The Cure Is Up To You

So it ends up being up to the depression sufferer to pull him or herself ‘up by the bootstraps’ and do these things (and stop doing things like drinking, drugs, smoking, and any other self-destructive behaviors).  And these life-changing things must be continued daily for life–along with, if necessary, anti-depression medications.

I realize that accomplishing some of these natural cures for depression is much easier said than done…and that if it were easy, no one would be depressed.  (Heck, just thinking about cutting out your vices and exercising & eating right may make you depressed!)  Somehow, however, you’re going to have to accept these challenges and forge ahead with your self-improvement plan anyway…

Stick To Your Plan and Don’t Give Up!

Having a plan of action to improve yourself is a great start.  But remember that there is no change without ACTION; knowing what to do is great, but you must take measurable action to get and stay well for the rest of your life. These natural cures for depression take some effort, but they’re the only way for a fulfilling and happy life.  Yes, you can do it.

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