While many postpartum depression treatments involve medicine (usually pharmaceutical drugs of one kind or another) there are risks involved for nursing mothers in addition to the other risks of side effects posed by prescription drugs.

Several studies have confirmed the belief that there is a non-drug simple way to alleviate postpartum depression in just a few hours:  sleep deprivation.  That’s correct… getting less sleep  Could it really be that simple?

Yes, according to nearly forty years of research and studies involving more than 1,700 patients and resulting in 75 published papers* documenting the results.

While this sounds too good to be true it really works.  If a depressed mother stays up all night, or even the last half of the night, it is likely that by morning the depression will lift.  Its certainly worth trying especially for new mothers hesitant to turn to drugs for help.

If you do try this simple technique please understand that this is far from a ‘magic pill’ form of postpartum depression treatment. There are obviously drawbacks to getting less sleep including including drowsiness during the day, decreased cognitive functioning and memory.

There are other drug-free postpartum depression techniques that can also work wonders including:

1. support groups (in person or online)
2. family and friends
3. eating healthy foods
4. a good cognitive behavior therapy such as the highly rated Cure Postpartum Program

[*]J. Christian Gillin, Monte Buchsbaum, Joseph Wu, Camellia Clark, William Bunney Jr., Sleep deprivation as a model experimental antidepressant treatment: Findings from functional brain imaging, Depression and Anxiety 14 (1), 37-49, 2001

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1) Herbs For Depression – Throughout history, herbs have been used as ancient remedies to treat disease and illness – including depression.  If you prefer to bypass traditional treatment (such as antidepressant drugs) herbs offer an alternative remedy for depression and stress.

The most commonly used herb used for depression treatment is St. John’s Wort.  However there are dozens of other herbs for depression that also work very well.  For a comprehensive list of these depression herbs please visit this page: herbs for depression.

2) Exercise For Depression – Depression often causes feelings of hopelessness that lead to inaction, so the last thing you’ll feel like doing is exercise. But studies suggest that regular, moderate physical activity may lessen depression symptoms as much as some medications can.

Exercise affects the brain in several ways.  Exercise can break the pattern of negative unproductive thoughts and help you get back to your past level of activity.  Motion creates emotion.  Exercise alone and can often prompt an upward cycle of emotion and energy, inspiring you to return to work and connect again with friends and family, ultimately providing motivation for you to stay on course. Such connections are crucial for beating depression.

3) Supplements For Depression – Depression supplements typically consist of a combination of several herbs and vitamins that treat depression.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements for depression so care must be given to locating a safe and effective product.

Just because these supplements are all-natural doesn’t mean that you can’t overmedicate on them because you can.  Special care should be taken if you plan to take depression supplements along with prescription drugs.  Its very important to ask your doctor if its safe to combine any dietary supplement with conventional medical treatments.

A highly recommended natural anxiety remedy is called Panicyl.

4) Depression Diet – Everyone knows that food soothes.  While diet alone will not cure depression, it can certainly boost your mood and provide much needed energy to fuel your motivation.

5) Hypnosis For Depression – Treatment by hypnosis or “Hypnotherapy” teaches you to mentally counter and refute negative, pessimistic thoughts that often fuel your depression.  Using deep breathing combined with imagery and suggestion, the process imprints new coping skills directly into your subconscious.  All of this leads to conditioning yourself mentally to reject negative and depressing thoughts and install new empowering thoughts.

Hypnotherapy can be very effective in treating depression especially when combined with other depression treatments.  If you need guidance on how to find a certified hypnotherapist in your area or self-help programs please click here:  hypnosis for depression.

6) Depression Meditation – The ancient discipline of meditation is increasingly being embraced within traditional medical circles as a powerful healing tool.  It has been shown to be of medical benefit in a number of ways, including lowering blood pressure and stress levels.  The most helpful and gentle form of meditation for your depression is the repetition technique, done silently or aloud, using a word, sound, symbol, mantra, prayer, movement, or breathing pattern.  Any practice that can evoke the relaxation response in you is of benefit as long as it is repetitive.

7) Light Therapy For Depression – “What’s light therapy?” you ask. Light therapy (also called phototherapy) consists of exposure to daylight or to specific wavelengths of light using lasers, light-emitting diodes, fluorescent lamps, dichroic lamps or very bright, full-spectrum light, for a prescribed amount of time and, in some cases, at a specific time of day. Bright light to the eyes treats psychiatric disorders such as depression.

A meta-analysis of bright light therapy commissioned by the American Psychiatric Association found it to be more effective than placebo—usually, dim light—for both seasonal affective disorder and for nonseasonal depression, with effect sizes similar to those for conventional antidepressants.

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What Is Depression?

Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad. But these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days.

When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her.

Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who experience it need treatment to get better. Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the vast majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Intensive research into the illness has resulted in the development of medications, psychotherapies, and other methods to treat people with this disabling disorder.

There are several forms of depressive disorders. The most common are major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder.

Major depressive disorder, also called major depression, is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy once–pleasurable activities. Major depression is disabling and prevents a person from functioning normally. An episode of major depression may occur only once in a person’s lifetime, but more often, it recurs throughout a person’s life.

Dysthymic disorder, also called dysthymia, is characterized by long–term (two years or longer) but less severe symptoms that may not disable a person but can prevent one from functioning normally or feeling well. People with dysthymia may also experience one or more episodes of major depression during their lifetimes.

Some forms of depressive disorder exhibit slightly different characteristics than those described above, or they may develop under unique circumstances. However, not all scientists agree on how to characterize and define these forms of depression. They include:

Psychotic depression, which occurs when a severe depressive illness is accompanied by some form of psychosis, such as a break with reality, hallucinations, and delusions.

Postpartum depression, which is diagnosed if a new mother develops a major depressive episode within one month after delivery. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women experience postpartum depression after giving birth.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is characterized by the onset of a depressive illness during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight. The depression generally lifts during spring and summer. SAD may be effectively treated with light therapy, but nearly half of those with SAD do not respond to light therapy alone. Antidepressant medication and psychotherapy can reduce SAD symptoms, either alone or in combination with light therapy.

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, is not as common as major depression or dysthymia. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood changes-from extreme highs (e.g., mania) to extreme lows (e.g., depression).

People with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms. The severity, frequency and duration of symptoms will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness.

Symptoms include:

Depression often co–exists with other illnesses. Such illnesses may precede the depression, cause it, and/or be a consequence of it. It is likely that the mechanics behind the intersection of depression and other illnesses differ for every person and situation. Regardless, these other co–occurring illnesses need to be diagnosed and treated.

Anxiety disorders, such as post–traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive–compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder, often accompany depression.3,4 People experiencing PTSD are especially prone to having co-occurring depression. PTSD is a debilitating condition that can result after a person experiences a terrifying event or ordeal, such as a violent assault, a natural disaster, an accident, terrorism or military combat.

People with PTSD often re–live the traumatic event in flashbacks, memories or nightmares. Other symptoms include irritability, anger outbursts, intense guilt, and avoidance of thinking or talking about the traumatic ordeal. In a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)–funded study, researchers found that more than 40 percent of people with PTSD also had depression at one-month and four-month intervals after the traumatic event.

Alcohol and other substance abuse or dependence may also co–occur with depression. In fact, research has indicated that the co–existence of mood disorders and substance abuse is pervasive among the U.S. population.

Depression also often co–exists with other serious medical illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, hiv/aids, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Studies have shown that people who have depression in addition to another serious medical illness tend to have more severe symptoms of both depression and the medical illness, more difficulty adapting to their medical condition, and more medical costs than those who do not have co–existing depression. Research has yielded increasing evidence that treating the depression can also help improve the outcome of treating the co–occurring illness.

There is no single known cause of depression. Rather, it likely results from a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors.

Research indicates that depressive illnesses are disorders of the brain. Brain-imaging technologies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have shown that the brains of people who have depression look different than those of people without depression. The parts of the brain responsible for regulating mood, thinking, sleep, appetite and behavior appear to function abnormally. In addition, important neurotransmitters–chemicals that brain cells use to communicate–appear to be out of balance. But these images do not reveal why the depression has occurred.

Some types of depression tend to run in families, suggesting a genetic link. However, depression can occur in people without family histories of depression as well.9 Genetics research indicates that risk for depression results from the influence of multiple genes acting together with environmental or other factors.

In addition, trauma, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or any stressful situation may trigger a depressive episode. Subsequent depressive episodes may occur with or without an obvious trigger.

Depression is more common among women than among men. Biological, life cycle, hormonal and psychosocial factors unique to women may be linked to women’s higher depression rate. Researchers have shown that hormones directly affect brain chemistry that controls emotions and mood.

For example, women are particularly vulnerable to depression after giving birth, when hormonal and physical changes, along with the new responsibility of caring for a newborn, can be overwhelming. Many new mothers experience a brief episode of the “baby blues,” but some will develop postpartum depression, a much more serious condition that requires active treatment and emotional support for the new mother. Some studies suggest that women who experience postpartum depression often have had prior depressive episodes.

Some women may also be susceptible to a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), sometimes called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a condition resulting from the hormonal changes that typically occur around ovulation and before menstruation begins. During the transition into menopause, some women experience an increased risk for depression. Scientists are exploring how the cyclical rise and fall of estrogen and other hormones may affect the brain chemistry that is associated with depressive illness.

Finally, many women face the additional stresses of work and home responsibilities, caring for children and aging parents, abuse, poverty, and relationship strains. It remains unclear why some women faced with enormous challenges develop depression, while others with similar challenges do not.

Men often experience depression differently than women and may have different ways of coping with the symptoms. Men are more likely to acknowledge having fatigue, irritability, loss of interest in once–pleasurable activities, and sleep disturbances, whereas women are more likely to admit to feelings of sadness, worthlessness and/or excessive guilt.

Men are more likely than women to turn to alcohol or drugs when they are depressed, or become frustrated, discouraged, irritable, angry and sometimes abusive. Some men throw themselves into their work to avoid talking about their depression with family or friends, or engage in reckless, risky behavior. And even though more women attempt suicide, many more men die by suicide in the United States.

Depression is not a normal part of aging, and studies show that most seniors feel satisfied with their lives, despite increased physical ailments. However, when older adults do have depression, it may be overlooked because seniors may show different, less obvious symptoms, and may be less inclined to experience or acknowledge feelings of sadness or grief.

In addition, older adults may have more medical conditions such as heart disease, stroke or cancer, which may cause depressive symptoms, or they may be taking medications with side effects that contribute to depression. Some older adults may experience what some doctors call vascular depression, also called arteriosclerotic depression or subcortical ischemic depression. Vascular depression may result when blood vessels become less flexible and harden over time, becoming constricted. Such hardening of vessels prevents normal blood flow to the body’s organs, including the brain. Those with vascular depression may have, or be at risk for, a co–existing cardiovascular illness or stroke.

The majority of older adults with depression improve when they receive treatment with an antidepressant, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Research has shown that medication alone and combination treatment are both effective in reducing the rate of depressive recurrences in older adults. Psychotherapy alone also can be effective in prolonging periods free of depression, especially for older adults with minor depression, and it is particularly useful for those who are unable or unwilling to take antidepressant medication.

Scientists and doctors have begun to take seriously the risk of depression in children. Research has shown that childhood depression often persists, recurs and continues into adulthood, especially if it goes untreated. The presence of childhood depression also tends to be a predictor of more severe illnesses in adulthood.

A child with depression may pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, cling to a parent, or worry that a parent may die. Older children may sulk, get into trouble at school, be negative and irritable, and feel misunderstood. Because these signs may be viewed as normal mood swings typical of children as they move through developmental stages, it may be difficult to accurately diagnose a young person with depression.

Before puberty, boys and girls are equally likely to develop depressive disorders. By age 15, however, girls are twice as likely as boys to have experienced a major depressive episode.

Depression in adolescence comes at a time of great personal change–when boys and girls are forming an identity distinct from their parents, grappling with gender issues and emerging sexuality, and making decisions for the first time in their lives. Depression in adolescence frequently co–occurs with other disorders such as anxiety, disruptive behavior, eating disorders or substance abuse. It can also lead to increased risk for suicide.

An NIMH–funded clinical trial of 439 adolescents with major depression found that a combination of medication and psychotherapy was the most effective treatment option.25 Other NIMH–funded researchers are developing and testing ways to prevent suicide in children and adolescents, including early diagnosis and treatment, and a better understanding of suicidal thinking.

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Herbs have been used to treat depression for centuries – long before the pharmaceutical drug industry was born.

I have listed the most prevalent herbs for depression below.

If you know of any depression herbs that I’m missing that are not listed here please let me know and I’ll be happy to validate and include them.

Depression Herbs Listed Alphabetically:

Ashwaganda: Ashwaganda has been used in India for thousands of years in ayurvedic (ancient) medicine as a depression and anxiety remedy. University and medical researchers have been studying Ashwaganda since at least the early 1960s.

Chemical analysis shows that Ashwaganda contains compounds thought to have anti-stress properties. Ashwaganda works by suppressing dopamine receptors in the brain. It helps the body adapt to stress by both calming and rebuilding the nervous system.

Further, it helps stimulate respiratory function and smooth muscle relaxations. Ashwaganda also has immune supportive properties and helps support the thyroid gland.

Balm: A member of the mint family, this herb also is known as Melissa. Use the leaves and tops when they are fresh and: green rather than dried. A balm tea will stimulate your brain, relieving that apathetic, lethargic feeling.

Basil: Many people believe that fresh basil leaves added to salads can help lift depression.

Borage: Borage is a natural and effective antidepressant. It is also rich in potassium. Juice from borage leaves and blossoms exerts a specific stimulating effect on the glandular system, which helps to overcome the “blue” feeling. Use the leaves and seeds to alleviate sadness, pensiveness, and melancholy.

Suggested as a remedy for melancholy, it stimulates, energizes and renews a zest for life. The young leaves can also be used to make a refreshing salad.

Damiana: This herb stimulates the nervous system and helps to improve the mood.

Folic Acid: Folic acid is an important member of the B Vitamin family and is required along with the others when the body is dealing with anxiety and panic. Research suggests that folic acid may help relieve depression, which is often associated with anxiety and panic.

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA): GABA was discovered in 1950, is the most important and widespread inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Excitation in the brain must be balanced with inhibition. Too much excitation can lead to depression, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, insomnia, and even seizures. GABA is able to induce relaxation and suppress depression and anxiety.

Ginger: In addition to its uplifting flavor, there are other good reasons to take ginger along with any other antidepressant herbs that you are taking. Ginger has a long folk history of use for treating anxiety and depression.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba): Ginkgo is found to be useful in relieving depression, especially in the elderly who suffer reduced blood flow to the brain, according to results form clinical trials.

Ginkgo biloba improves cerebral circulation, improving memory and often benefiting depression. Ginkgo can be taken along with other herbs and nutrients to bolster one’s overall mood.

5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5 HTP): 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan is another naturally occurring amino acid and precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin and an intermediate in tryptophan metabolism.

Serotonin is a key brain chemical that helps establish feelings of calm and well-being. Extensive research has linked serotonin imbalance with depression and anxiety disorders, and proven tryptophan supplementation to be an effective remedy for symptoms associated with these disorders.

Recommended Source For Quality Raw Herbs Cheap – Click on image below:

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