Alternative Therapy for Depression

Alternative therapy can help reduce the symptoms of depression. Depression is a mental health disorder that can take out the joy of things that you once enjoyed. Some people with the condition prefer alternative treatments that do not involve any medication. Such natural treatments can be effective on mild forms of depression, but people with moderate to severe depression might need more conventional treatments.

Popular alternative therapy for depression

Any treatment that is not classified as standard Western medical practice counts as complementary and alternative medicine. Alternative treatments that can help with depression include the following:

1. Herbal supplements

Herbal supplements like St. John’s wort can help with mild to moderate cases. It has been used for thousands of years, and research shows that it can benefit people with depression. Patients should consult with their healthcare provider before taking any supplement to ensure that it will not have a dangerous reaction to other medications that they are currently taking.

2. Massage therapy

Touch therapy works off of the belief that the body and mind are interconnected systems. The treatment involves relaxing the patient’s body with a massage to help relax their mind and reduce symptoms of depression.

3. Yoga and meditation

Meditation is a practice that involves getting into an altered state of consciousness where the only thought in one's mind is controlling one's breathing. It helps with relaxation, which in turn, helps with depression.

Yoga falls under the meditation umbrella, and it involves getting into specific body poses while performing relaxation breathing exercises. It helps reduce stress, thus also reducing the effects of depression.

4. Exercise

Exercise helps lower stress, improve sleep quality, and improve mood. It primes the release of feel-good hormones in the brain that help regulate mood. Research done by the Mayo Clinic shows that exercise can help address mild to moderate cases of depression.

5. Music therapy

Music helps relax the mind and has been used as therapy for millennia. It is something that most people have access to, and it can help ward off negative feelings brought up by depression and can uplift a person’s mood.

The type of music that a person listens to is irrelevant. It is simply a matter of what makes them feel good. Music therapy also helps with anxiety, stress, and grief.

6. Acupuncture

This practice comes from old-fashioned Chinese medicine, and it involves inserting needles into points on a patient’s body to restore the correct flow of energy. Research detailed by the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies indicates the practice leads to the release of neurotransmitters in the brain, reduces activity in the limbic areas associated with pain, and changes the biochemistry of the cerebral spinal fluid.