How to Get Out of Depression Naturally | 10 Practical Tips to Overcome

Depression is a mood disorder that interferes with daily life activities.

As per NIH, it affects about 21 million adults in the United States, with a higher prevalence among females.

Besides, people with depression have a 64 percent greater risk of developing coronary artery disease and other disorders.

DBSA states that despite a high success rate with medical treatment, two out of three people with depression give up taking medicines owing to either side effects, high financial costs, or fear of addiction (DBSA).

Hence, treatments devoid of side effects, addictions and the least expensive options are needed.

Scientifically depression is thought to be a disorder with changes in the levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in the brain.

However, recent findings indicate that there is a dysregulation of nerve growth factors in the brains of depressed patients.

Modern medicines change the neurotransmitter levels in the brain to elevate the mood of depressed patients.

But the outcome is not effective if the person constantly encounters depressing situations.

These drugs are also neurotoxic in nature and, when consumed for a long time, produce adverse effects and withdrawal symptoms if discontinued suddenly.

They also tend to produce some unwanted behavioral changes in the patient.

Hence, options to treat depression naturally with support, careful guidance, and medication are the best way out.

Of the available natural options, counseling or behavior therapy is the best, along with a few natural drugs that mitigate mental stress and elevate mood.

Such an approach rejuvenates the patients and helps them regain control over their mood and thoughts, and helps them come out of depression.

So the best way to get out of depression is naturally or by non-medical means. But this is possible if a patient is still under self-control to even a small extent and he has some support from others to guide him on the way to getting out of depression.

How to get out of depression naturally.

As mentioned earlier, a combination of behavior therapy and natural medicine is the best bet.

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Behavioral therapy under the guidance of psychiatrists is very helpful in overcoming depression disorder.

But based on my experience, treatment of a person with depression or any other mental illness requires the following.

• Compassion
• Human touch
• Understanding the patient’s conditions and problems.
• Time

CBT covers these factors. When a person with the symptoms undergoes CBT, they tend to be relieved of internal stress, and the desire to socialize increases, leading to faster recovery.

Hence, CBT and support from family or others are essential to eliminate the problem quickly and with ease.

Professional healthcare recommends the use of medicine and CBT. However, some physicians rely on medicines alone.

The program offered by Online therapy includes live sessions with a personal therapist and recommendations for yoga, activity plans, messaging, etc.

2. Natural Medicine “Divya Medha Vati”

Depression is triggered and worsened by mental stress, and it tends to get severe in people who constantly face negative situations.

Due to this, they tend to lose sleep and appetite and develop insomnia and anxiety.

In such a case, medicine helps impart mental strength to the person and cope with unwanted moods and thoughts.

To address this issue, I particularly prefer Patanjali’s Medha Vati tablets as natural medicine.

Medha Vati is an herbal ayurvedic formulation that shows instant results.

Take one tablet twice a day on an empty stomach.

Unlike modern medicines, this natural medicine does not directly modulate the neurotransmitters or their receptors in the brain.

Instead, it promotes a natural sleep cycle, reduces anxiety, minimizes unnecessary thoughts and also enhances your mood.

Also, they do not show habituation and adverse effects during usage.

Further, these drugs will help you to carry on your regular duties without a problem.

Read our experience with Divya Medha Vati.

3. Destroy Depression A Guided Treatment

This is a method developed with over 20 years of research. Here the patient learns the ways to overcome depressive symptoms through proper approaches to lifestyle, diet, and behavioral methods.

The treatment plan helps you gain control over your mood through the process and spend a focused life without brooding over negative thoughts. It makes you mentally stronger than before and helps you handle yourself well and thereby getting rid of depression.

You need not rely on drugs and also start getting into a job and other life activities within the first week. You can be completely free of depression in a year.

4. Holy Basil or Tulsi

One of the major problems with depression is lack of sleep and excess anxiety. Even if they tend to sleep late, they awake very late and are not ready for the day.

For such conditions, tulsi works better. One feels relieved of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Regular intake of tulsi will help overcome this depression and other symptoms. This suits those people who are working and have depression.

5. Ashwagandha tablets

This is a natural herbal extract from the plant ashwagandha. It helps fight stress and depression, and it shows its effect almost immediately.

If you wish to try the medicine, you should take it in tablet form for better results.

6. Reading positive or self-help books

This is a good and effective way to get out of depression for people of any age or gender.

One has to read these books before going to bed for at least half an hour every day.

Even it is advised to reread the topics covered already in those books.

One of the advantages of reading books is to overcome mood disorders subtly.

This reading of positive or self-help books gets out of depression due to the below qualities.

• Positive books have real-life experiences of adverse situations faced by other people. They also provide advice or tips on how they overcame such issues. This really inspires any reader of the books and builds up self-confidence.
• Further, while reading the book, the person is focused and stress-free mentally. This minimizes any mental stress responsible for depression.
• Reading every day makes it a habit and the person is given a chance to divert his mind from depressive thoughts.

Also, take up spiritual books like Geeta, or you may read the experiences of enlightened people. I can list a few of them, like the Ramana Maharshi books especially.

Because they try to clarify what mind, body, and soul are, which can set a different approach to life as a whole.

This should be done for a month or more to see results. But wait, do not consider it a time-consuming plan or effort.

Even the anti-depressant medication given by the doctor takes 2 to 6 weeks to show a positive response.

So reading positive books is even better. The person starts feeling the change in his first few days of reading them.

7. Breathing exercise

This includes deep yoga breaths by sitting or sleeping.

I prefer the sleeping position. This is called “shava asana,” i.e., lying down like a corpse with hands and legs spread wide and closed eyes.

This gives tremendous relief from both physical and mental stress suffered during the whole day. The best way is to do it twice.

Nadi shodhana asana is the best yoga to practice for this purpose. This energizes the brain and also helps oxygenate the brain to reduce stress.

8. Meditation

This is mentioned here just for those who can perform and not for children or those who do not like to do it.

Most diseased patients reporting to hospitals have a mind-related issue (like depression or anxiety) as a root cause.

Meditation consists of trying to set oneself free from thoughts by focusing on breathing etc. This practice gives tremendous control over mood and helps a person overcome any type of mood disorder.

Even it is a great stress reliever. Through meditation, one can avoid negative thinking. You can practice meditation through video demonstrations.

10. Trying to socialize

This includes going on a picnic, tour, movies, pubs, hotels, etc. These deeds will help divert the patient from depressive thoughts. But do not go for drugs, smoking, or alcohol, as they make you addicted and take away your self-control.

Go for a walk

Walking is of great benefit to getting out of depression. During the depression, there are many chances that the person is staying indoors in a closed room and sleeping mostly.

So go for a slow walk in a pleasant garden or beach or even on a farm. It helps breathe in the fresh air and also keeps the body in motion. Body in motion enhances blood flow to the entire body and the brain, removing any accumulated toxins.

Further, many scientific studies point out that stress is the cause of depression. Walking is a type of physical exercise; it helps relieve tension in the muscles and body and can help get out of stress. When stress is minimized, there is a natural decrease in depression. So it is very important to walk.

Avoid a sedentary life and socialize

Try to mix up with people like your friends or family. Avoid being alone; try to go for a movie, spiritual gathering, or yoga session.

Just being lazy and trying to lead a sedentary life is not a healthy practice. Even working for long by sitting is also not advisable. One needs to keep daily life with some sort of constructive activity.

If you are self-sufficient and do not need to work, still go for some social service sort of activity. Activity in some or other constructive forms brings happiness in life.

Mixing up with people, especially like-minded ones, helps to get out of depression. But the only catch is to try to have good friends who do not take advantage of you in such circumstances.

Have a smiley face

Stay cheerful and smile as much as possible. See comedy shows and funny videos to come out of a gloomy attitude and keep your mood pleasant.

Love from family

People with mental disorders need special love and care. Any mental behavior by them should be handled with love, care, and sympathy and not otherwise. It takes a hell of a lot of patience for a year or two but still, it is worth it.

Stay away from addictions.

Addictions seem to create a feeling of relief from depression. But in fact, it is not true and sometimes can enhance it. Addictions are the ones that have ended the lives of most recognized people abruptly. Those addictions can be sedatives, drugs, alcohol, smoking, the internet, etc. Once you get into it, it is tough to get out. So always stay away from addictions.

Avoid stress

Stress is the prime cause of depression, and as long as one is prone to stress, depression aggravates.

Be it mental or physical, one has to keep away from stress. Mostly mental stress can aggravate symptoms of depression. So trying to stay out of it is essential.

If the stress is due to a job or workplace. One could take a rest for a brief period of time to get to normal. If it is impossible, one could change the job or workplace as an instant measure.

Even if changing a job is not an option, one could take the help of others or friends in the workplace to ease the stress. If you think the office or workplace is the actual cause of stress, you could also take up some form of exercise besides good nutrition. This helps to overcome stress and get rid of depression.

Go for social service.

Serving people, animals, or nature without any return benefits is a good way to find genuine happiness. Not all people have depression just because they have critical problems in life. Some of them have it just due to the effects of pregnancy, hormonal changes, personal thought processes, etc. Even for such people, social service helps greatly to overcome depression.

Expect less

Having more desires and expecting a lot from something could lead to stress. Because the results get delayed, you would feel stressed mentally, leading to depression.

So unless it is indispensable, don’t go for medicines to get out of depression. It is a mood disorder and mostly goes off if the mood is changed. However, the recurrent encounters of a patient with depressive thoughts or situations make him helpless and stay depressed for a long.

Reading positive books, relieving mental stress by breathing, meditation, and enjoying mixing up with people helps a person get out of depression quickly and naturally. There may be a chance that the patient may again get back into depression if he stops reading books or encounters depressive situations. However, it is still advised to continue reading and breathing because even depressive medicines are recommended for many months or years to consume if symptoms relapse.

But keep in mind medicines are always toxic or have side effects on long-term consumption. Further, getting out of depression is necessary to be healthy and disease-free.

Disclaimer: This is just advice, and I request you consult your physician for better advice.

References

• Major Depression
• Depression-facts
• DBSA-Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• Treatment – Clinical depression
• Effects of Psychological Stress on Depression
• Efficacy of Yoga as a Form of Treatment for Depression
• How meditation helps with depression-A Harvard study