June 13th, 2010 by sushitune

Two of my friends who have been on anti-depressants for years and the fact that they are still on them, makes me speculate that there must be an alternative medicine for depression. There is, but the drugs companies are keeping very quiet about it and they are laughing all the way to the bank.

One fact that did emerge about my friends is that they put on an awful lot of weight and one of them has become so fat that she has had several falls and fractures and has led a miserable life as a result.

Before looking at natural remedies for depression, let me just add that weight gain is not a given. It will vary from individual to individual and then in some cases, there is weight loss. In any case, these SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) interfere with your appetite. Add to that all the other side effects which range from rashes, tremors, giddiness, insomnia, sexual disfunction, urinary tract infections, disturbed dreams and excessive sweating. These are listed for anti-depressants such as Fluoxetine and Tofranil. It is unlikely that one patient could suffer from all of these side effects but one or two of them would convince you that in fixing one complaint, you are messing up your body and mind. With alternative depression medications, the side effects are minimal or non-existent.

It is now calculated that about 54% of patients will seek alternative depression medications and we can see why! Apart from yoga, acupuncture, diet and nutrition and exercise, the herbal remedies such as those that use St. John’s Wort (hypericum extract) have been just as proficient as the standard anti-depressants and have much fewer side effects. This was the conclusion of the Cochrane Report which was published a few months ago.

In looking for a herbal remedy as the ideal alternative treatment for depression  you will want to make sure that the company is a reputable one and has some FDA supervision of its manufacturing facilities and also offers guarantees. Just because it says ‘natural’ on the bottle is no guarantee of the purity of the product and its ingredients. Check out this site for details of a great herbal remedy which is now a national bestseller and is the safest alternative medicine for depression.