How Can You Treat Depression Without Needing Medication?
When dealing with depression it can feel an awful lot like going out to your car in the morning to find it won’t start. Sometimes there’s a mechanical failure that requires repairs, but often it’s as simple as needing to give your battery a jump. Treating depression is the same way. Depression correlates very closely to chemical imbalances—sometimes that requires medication to correct, but often there are other non-invasive solutions that can help you get back on track.
In this article, we’ll examine how you can treat depression without medication.
A Wild Dance & Delicate Balance
The chemistry of the human body is ever-changing and in flux. It’s a wild dance of hormones and chemicals, derived from both our mental state and the environment around us. Our bodies seek a balance, whether we know it or not. Everything from the food we eat to the games we play and the people we surround ourselves with contribute to the flow of dopamine and serotonin. Conversely, periods of stress and trauma flood our systems with hormones like cortisol, which are designed to improve near-term performance at a long-term cost.
Depression is sometimes genetic in nature. Some families are more prone to it than others. In other cases, it’s the result of outside stresses. Relationship troubles. An unexpected medical issue. Stress at work or home. The good news is, there are ways you can restore balance to your body.
Self-Care
While it may be difficult, one of the most important things you can do is make yourself a priority. When you’re feeling depressed it can be easy to let self-care slip—but loving yourself and your body is a key component to keeping your engine running smoothly. It’s not a complicated process, either:
Exercise regularly
Eat a healthy diet
Get a full night’s rest
Soak up some sunlight
Practice saying no
Don't burn out taking care of others. Carve out some time to take care of yourself, too.
Create a Support Network
Depression is often linked to feelings of hopelessness and despair. When we’re depressed, our first instincts are often hibernation and isolation. While we may need time to rest, repair, and gather our thoughts, social contact is one of the key ways humans recharge their batteries. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, your energy for social interaction may be limited while depressed. Spend your valuable energies on people you know are safe and empathetic.
Other options for creating a support network include looking for support groups online and seeking out new hobbies or interests outside your comfort zone. Branching out and meeting new people can help restore that sense of hope that might be missing from your life. You deserve safety and love—it is critically important to control your contact with negative influences.
Therapeutic Options
For people who are interested in pursuing a holistic treatment plan for their depression that doesn’t involve medication, there are a wide variety of therapeutic options. Here’s a basic rundown of those options, and how they can help:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT Therapy focuses on challenging negative thoughts and behavior patterns, and teaching skills and techniques that can be used to change them.
Strength-Based Therapy
In strength-based therapy, the therapist works with their client to understand their own unique strengths and resources and explores how those strengths can be leveraged to battle depression.
Psychodynamic Therapy
This type of therapy explores the underlying causes of depressive states and helps people understand and change the unconscious beliefs that are driving their depression.
Trauma-Focused Therapy
A past history of trauma often contributes to depression. As such, Trauma-Focused Therapy helps clients by helping them resolve and heal the wounds left by prior traumas.
Schedule a Consultation
We offer free phone consultations for people interested in learning more about how various types of therapy may benefit them. As a therapist, my mission is to give people a safe space to explore their thoughts and feelings. I provide my clients with practical, results-oriented solutions to the problems that they face on a daily basis. Reach out today to schedule a consultation for depression therapy.
