David vs Goliath. Can You Fight Depression Without Medication?
Today I’m going to discuss if you can fight depression without medication. I’ve talked a lot about my experience with depression. I’ve made my case for treating depression with medication, talked about my struggles when my medication stopped working and described my month from hell suffering antidepressant withdrawal. Despite medication causing all these issues, I personally don’t feel able to cope without it.
However, I do know people with depression who elect not to take medication. My late father found the side-effect too bad, I assured him they would pass, but he wasn’t prepared to wait. Other people feel wary about taking mind-altering chemicals, even if they are regulated and prescribed by doctors.
So, if you have depression but don’t want to take antidepressants is it possible to fight depression without medication?
It Depends
If you were looking for a definite answer, I’m afraid you won’t get it. The human body is a funny thing. Antidepressants that make one person feel back to normal may make another feel much worse. There’s no way to predict how it will react if you introduce a new substance, and that’s without thinking about potential interactions with other medications you’re taking.
Some people have reported fantastic results taking herbal remedies, so let’s take a look at them.
St John’s Wort
This herbal supplement is one of the most popular treatments for people who choose to fight depression without medication. Many swear by it and insist it works better than antidepressants. A 2020 review of previous studies found “The absolute increased response rate with the use of St John’s wort ranged from 23% to 55% higher than with placebo.”
I need to point out that all the St John’s Wort studies deal with mild to moderate depression. Studies into severe depression still need to be carried out. Also, there is evidence that it can negatively interact with other medications, so you should consult your doctor if you want to try it.
I tried it in the past but couldn’t take it long enough to see if it made a difference. However, it seemed to affect my hormones, and my breasts were really sore until I stopped taking it. Apologies if that’s TMI!
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is another biggie in mood disorders. People with depression are more likely to have low vitamin D levels or even have a deficiency. As many of us spend all day inside, vitamin D deficiency is a big problem. Even if you don’t have depression, it’s recommended you take a vitamin d supplement to protect your bones, teeth and muscles. It’s one of the supplements I take every day.
There were four randomised controlled trials in 2019. They found that vitamin D supplements produced improvements in people with major depressive disorders. An additional study in 2020 gave a single high-dose vitamin D injection to depression sufferers with a vitamin d deficiency as well as their normal treatment. The severity of their illness, symptoms and quality of life were all significantly improved.
Even if you’re not trying to fight depression without medication, it’s definitely a supplement worth taking.
Zinc
Zinc is a key vitamin relating to brain health and neurotransmitter pathway function. There’s a strong link between zinc deficiency and an increased risk of depression and the severity of depression symptoms.
Studies found that people suffering from depression tended to have lower zinc levels than those without it. They also found that giving zinc supplements as well as antidepressants significantly lowered the symptoms of depression.
Creatine
Creatine is most commonly used as a supplement to build muscle. However, it’s also an important part of maintaining brain energy. It’s been suggested that changes in brain energy levels are responsible for the development of depression.
Some studies indicate that 2-10mg per day of creating may reduce symptoms in people with major depressive disorders.
Creatine can affect kidney function in people with certain conditions, so you should definitely discuss it with your doctor before taking it.
Other Possibilities
St. John’s Wort, Vitamin D, Zinc and Creatine are the most commonly suggested supplements to fight depression without medication. However, you can boost the effects by taking care of yourself in other ways:
- Getting a good night’s sleep, a minimum of seven hours per night
- Exercising regularly
- Eating a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables
- Reducing or abstaining from alcohol
- Taking steps to reduce stress
- Getting out in nature
Takeaways
Yes, reduce those too 😉 Seriously, though, clinical depression is a complicated illness, and the treatment will never be to take one medication or supplement and voila, you’re cured. Everything I’ve listed here has been studied and shown to produce benefits. That does not mean it will definitely work for you. Treating mental illness is very much about trial and error, as frustrating as that may seem. The most important thing is to learn what triggers you, what helps, and be consistent. It’s hard, but you will have better days.
