Alternative therapies for depression: A list of the best options for dealing with depressive symptoms
- 2018
"Part of the healing is in the will to heal."
- Seneca
We have all gone through dark moments in our life. And although sometimes it seems that this state is here to stay, the truth is that there are many alternative therapies for depression that can give us a hand to find our way to the light again.
So in this article we will list some of them to be more armed with options. I have tried to leave everything that has to do with drugs and homeopathy out of the list, since much is already known about them, to the point of scratching the limit between the conventional and the alternative.
Here we go.
Phytotherapy
Within alternative therapies for depression, the use of medicinal herbs is also an ancestral practice in many cultures.
Phytotherapy is the discipline used to prevent and combat various symptoms and diseases with herbs and natural products. And today they can be very effective in relieving depressive symptoms .
One of the best known herbs for treating depression is the hypericum, better known as St. John's wort for its flowering on June 24. Hypericin promotes the production of serotonin, which lifts the mood. It is a very efficient remedy against anxiety and insomnia . In addition, it has healing and anti-inflammatory. It is undoubtedly a great ally to fight depression.
Other allies in this fight that can help us are the Eleutherococcus or Siberian ginseng, and the Guarana .
Zootherapy
Again nature is imposed as one of the best alternative therapies for depression . This time, contact with animals is the treatment. This therapy is widely used to also treat people with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and chronic or degenerative diseases, although anyone can participate in it because the animals' ability to lift the mood .
Through this therapy, what is done is to establish an affective bond of the person towards the animal, carrying out the evolution of the therapeutic process. It should be clarified that the animals used in this therapy depend on the center to which it is used .
The most used animals for this type of therapy are dogs and horses, although cats, dolphins and even some reptiles and rodents, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, have joined this list.
Phototherapy
In some cases, the root of depression is found in factors that are not purely sentimental or emotional, but external. This is the case of Seasonal Affective Disorder .
This is a specific type of depression that is related to changing seasons, and appears every year in the same season. Usually, it usually occurs in autumn and winter, in periods where the days are shorter and the temperatures are lower, although it can also occur in reverse.
In this case, one of the most effective alternative therapies for depression is Phototherapy or Light Therapy . This consists of the use of Light Boxes, which are devices that emulate natural light outside, which researchers believe has an influence on the chemical processes of our brain . These lamps are designed to be safe and effective, and generally produce an exposure to 10, 000 lux light while emitting the least possible amount of UV rays.
It should be clarified that the use of these lamps is not approved or regulated by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. Knowing that, is another alternative that can be chosen in those cases.
Aromatherapy
Scents are also a powerful tool when it comes to improving our mood . That is why we have aromatherapy within alternative therapies for depression. This is based on the use of oils that are obtained by steam distillation processes or by cold pressing of leaves, roots, flowers or branches of certain plants.
While there are many ways to use these essential oils, the most popular uses include massages, burners and bath water .
In the case of depression, the most relevant allies are:
- Lavender, which is one of the most renowned plants in this type of therapy. Its relaxing properties help you against insomnia, and it has that aroma that also favors the meditative states that lead you towards emotional balance.
- El Naranjo, fundamental to work on mood swings and loneliness.
- Bergamot, used to work the feeling of sadness and apathy.
- The Geranium, which balances and favors the connection between body and mind.
- Sage, which influences our nervous system and helps us regain vigor and our energy.
- Finally we will mention again the Hipérico, whose treatment often replaces the use of drugs. This is a natural antidepressant.
Massage therapy
Depression is closely related to stress and fatigue . That is why in our list of alternative therapies for depression appears massage therapy. This involves the application of therapeutic massages to reduce the impact of stress on our body. Working on our muscles also reduces physical blockages and releases the tensions accumulated by the repetitive action of stress.
By carefully pressing the areas where tension most commonly accumulates, great advances in our mood can also be achieved. Because essential oils are also used the properties of these add to the treatment.
Massages help reduce cortisol levels, which is a hormone that is produced in response to stress stimuli. In that way, one of the main physiological causes of depression is counteracted.
The areas of the body that are most likely to accumulate stress are the neck, back and shoulders.
Reiki and Yoga
When talking about alternative therapies for depression, you cannot leave these two wonders off the list.
Yoga is a popular oriental discipline with which the balance between mind and body is sought through postures and breathing exercises. It is extremely useful for unlocking the energies that are locked in our body. It is an activity that lifts the spirit, helps us with problems of reluctance, insomnia, fatigue and even self-esteem. Although we are going to talk about energy, Reiki as therapy is the most powerful ally.
Reiki is a Japanese word ( Rei- cosmic, ki- energy) whose meaning has to do with the primordial energy that comes from the Universe, God, the Tao or whatever you want to call it. Amrita Devi, a great Reiki teacher, describes it as a healing system that works by transmitting that energy . The therapist, through the chakras located in the hands (must be completely unlocked), can apply energy to the other person or be a living being. In this way blockages, pains, fatigue are treated, stress is neutralized and through regular practice, we can establish a better relationship with ourselves and our environment.
Beyond the alternative therapies for depression
I want to close this article through the special mention of some fundamental elements.
In overcoming a bad state we can resort to all alternative therapies for depression that exist, but it is also important that we become aware and begin to take care of a number of issues that are important to our physical balance and mental
Mainly, sleep is a fundamental factor in all physical and chemical processes of our body. It is the moment in which the brain performs its cleaning of waste and the body replenishes the wear caused during the day.
Please take care of your sleep hours.
Secondly, food is also essential for the proper functioning of our person. Through digestion we assimilate the different requirements that we have as a living organism to then carry out all kinds of activity. To feed is not to take anything to the mouth, because the food must also be conscious .
Take care of your diet.
Third, there is physical exercise . Performing activities that involve movement keeps our gears oiled s. Any muscle that is not used begins a process of atrophy, because the body no longer considers it necessary. Over time, this aging process that is already natural, can accelerate to the point of reducing your quality of life by a large percentage.
Take care of your body.
Keep in mind that the behavioral part of our brain also needs regular activity. And where it best develops is in all behaviors that are repeated through a certain structure. Therefore, establishing a routine for your daily life is also part of the list and occupies the fourth place. It doesn't have to be totally strict, but you can, thanks to that, make your day a much more productive moment.
Closing the list, motivation will also help you get up every day with a purpose. That is why the fifth and last place is occupied by your goals. Set your long-term goals . The different things you want to achieve in a reasonable time. Do not demand impossible things, go slowly. To the extent that you are achieving small victories you can go to more ambitious goals.
This little system is practically infallible. Everything looks dark and endless when you go through a depression. But there is a lighted place at the end of the tunnel . I can assure you because I have been there.
" Whenever it rained, it stopped, " says the saying, but also " to God begging, and to the mallet giving ."
So get to work.
AUTHOR: Lucas, editor of the great family of HermandadBlanca.org
SOURCES:
- https://www.diariofemenino.com/articulos/psicologia/depresion/terapias-alternativas-para-superar-la-depresion/
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