Not everyone who suffers from depression is able or willing to seek professional treatment from a psychiatrist. Although the myriad of depression medications available today have high success rates, not everybody needs to take advantage of them to reduce their depression. Thankfully, there are a number of changes that one can implement into their daily life that have a fairly high success rate in reducing and eliminating depression. Natural treatments for depression focus on lifestyle factors that are under each individual’s control, such as diet, exercise, sleeping patterns, exposure to light, social interaction, etc. Physical exercise is known to alleviate depression symptoms When we get depressed, we often have a feeling of lethargy and heaviness that not only burdens our mind but also our physical bodies. It is well known that physical exercise helps to reduce depression, so if you feel depressed it is a great idea to force yourself into physical […]
Lamictal (Lamotrigine) Off-Label Treatment for Depression
Lamictal is an anti-seizure medication that has also found some success in treating the symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder. It has not been approved by the FDA for treatment of depression as of yet but it has found an off label use as such because many psychiatrists have found that it has substantially benefited the treatment of manic depression in their patients. Usually Lamictal is not used as a front line medication in the treatment of depression. Standard SSRIs are usually prescribed first because they have a longer track record of success and have less side effects. Patients whose depression is unresponsive to standard medications are sometimes been prescribed Lamictal, which often has the effect of augmenting the standard depression medication. In fact, Lamictal is often prescribed in conjunction with another SSRI such as well Wellbutrin or Cymbalta. Lamictal acts as an antidepressant and also as a mood stabilizer. […]
Why Alcohol Just Makes Depression Deeper and Darker
You may have noticed that alcoholism and depression are very often linked together. Where you find one, frequently you find the other. People who have struggled with depression throughout their lives have a very high likelihood of turning to alcohol and drugs for respite. In fact, over 50% of those who commit suicide were also abusing alcohol or drugs at the time of their death. Paradoxically, however, alcoholics often don’t associate alcohol as being a major contributor to their depression. The reason they drink is because that is the only time they can escape the insufferable darkness and feel good. But when you are in the midst of alcoholism, it’s difficult to see just how this short-term buzz is actually dragging you deeper over the edge in the long-term. I’ve been there, done that. It’s exasperating. That tasty buzz fuels the spiral Obviously, it’s true that alcohol consumption initially delivers a […]