Research has demonstrated that alternative treatments for depression such as St. John’s Wort, 5-HTP and other herbal supplements may provide relief.
However, complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) should not be the primary method for managing depression; their increasing publication indicates greater research interest in treating it through this alternative therapy approach.
Holistic Therapies
Holistic therapies are approaches that take an integrative approach when treating mental health. They may include yoga, acupuncture, meditation or herbal remedies.
These techniques help address underlying causes rather than treating symptoms, leading to more sustainable and meaningful changes in a patient’s lifestyle. For instance, holistic therapists might encourage dietary modifications for improved nutrition and increased physical activity to decrease stress; or help explore spirituality or find purpose when facing life’s obstacles.
Meditation, breath work, and art therapy are among the many holistic treatments for depression that may help. These activities are an effective way of relieving stress levels, improving sleep quality, and creating inner calmness without resorting to medications with potentially severe side effects.
These practices typically occur in group settings, yet can also be tailored specifically to each individual’s needs. For instance, a therapist might customize mediation sessions according to which type of meditation practice best fits with an individual’s religion or culture; yoga classes and tai chi lessons might help promote physical well-being; they could even encourage patients to form healthier sleep hygiene and nutrition habits.
An integrative approach to mental health care can be especially useful for individuals who have experienced trauma or difficult childhood experiences. Working with a therapist who can assist these individuals in processing past experiences and finding healthy ways of dealing with emotions related to these traumas may prove extremely helpful in making progress towards mental wellbeing.
Holistic approaches can be an excellent way to manage depression and other behavioral health conditions, but selecting a therapist with expertise in specific therapies is key. BetterHelp offers licensed, accredited therapists that are best suited to meeting the unique needs of their patients – so if holistic therapy for depression sounds appealing to you, give us a call now to get connected!
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal therapy (IPT) helps patients recognize how life events, such as family arguments or grief, may contribute to depression. IPT provides strategies and interventions for dealing with relationship problems that could be contributing to symptoms, while this time-limited psychotherapy aims to enhance quality relationships and overall mood, usually alongside antidepressant medication.
An integral component of IPT therapy lies in its therapist’s ability to form a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship through active listening, validation and selective self-disclosure. Furthermore, this therapeutic model was heavily influenced by Harry Stack Sullivan, who emphasized psychopathology was caused by conflict within an individual’s primary social unit; and later by Jerome Frank (advocating for sociocultural definitions of mental health) and John Bowlby who asserted attachment styles were one of many potential factors contributing to depression.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy primarily addresses negative thoughts and feelings while Interpersonal Psychotherapy Therapy (IPT) addresses its source – such as loss or unresolved conflict – of depression. IPT can be especially effective at managing depression caused by painful experiences like grievous loss or unresolved conflicts, as well as helping individuals cope with traumatic events like the death of loved ones. Furthermore, IPT offers techniques to deal with additional challenges like unresolved grief (from losing a job or being diagnosed with serious illness), role transitions (such as job loss), and interpersonal role disputes amongst participants.
Functional medicine is an integrative approach that seeks to treat depression at its source by targeting nutritional and physiological imbalances. Such imbalances include thyroid or vitamin deficiencies that alter body chemistry and lead to depression symptoms; by correcting them, patients can reduce symptoms while simultaneously improving overall mental health.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment designed to teach skills for managing depression and challenging irrational thoughts and core beliefs that contribute to mood disturbances. Multiple research studies demonstrate its efficacy compared to antidepressant drugs in treating symptoms associated with depressive disorders; furthermore, CBT may be useful in helping prevent relapse after discontinuation of medication treatment.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy will enable patients to recognize maladaptive thought patterns and learn to challenge any distorted thoughts safely in an atmosphere conducive to healing. People living with depression may hold dysfunctional beliefs about themselves, their world and future that contribute to negative emotions and behavior – such as all-or-nothing thinking patterns such as catastrophic thinking or blame shifting.
CBT practitioners collaborate with mental health professionals in an open and nonjudgmental relationship to conduct sessions lasting 45 to an hour once or twice weekly in group settings, with each session focused on replacing maladaptive behaviors with healthier ones.
CBT aims to alleviate depressive symptoms and facilitate long-term recovery, and can be combined with interpersonal therapy or psychodynamic therapy in one study to significantly decrease relapse rates among depressed patients (by 29.5%).
Recent Stanford Medicine research on problem-solving cognitive therapy revealed that 32% of participants experienced significant reductions in depressive symptoms – meaning their depressive symptoms decreased by 50% or more – after participating in problem-solving therapy sessions, which is significantly higher than antidepressants’ typical 17% response. Additionally, participants’ fMRI brain scans demonstrated how during problem-solving therapy sessions, specific circuits became active which helped participants solve problems, according to lead author of the study Xue Zhang PhD of postdoctoral scholar in psychiatry Xue Zhang PhD of postdoctoral scholars psychiatry who published her study Sept 4 in Science Translational Medicine.
If you want to try cognitive behavioral therapy, find a therapist in your area who specializes in treating the issue at hand. Ask your primary care provider or trusted friends or family for referrals; search online through local and state psychological associations for recommendations; ideally the therapist you select should be licensed by their state for treating mental illness and listed as an expert for treating your particular condition.
Natural Antidepressants
Some individuals may not benefit from antidepressant medication due to side effects like weight gain, sexual dysfunction or emotional blunting – up to 30% of people do not achieve remission with antidepressants alone. As an alternative, lifestyle modifications and holistic approaches are more suitable treatments with fewer side effects, more healthy habits promoted and greater self-management of symptoms.
Diet, exercise, and sleep hygiene can all help treat depression naturally. Exercise increases endorphin production while aiding sleep; eating foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals is known to support brain health; some supplements like St John’s Wort or S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) have even been proven effective against symptoms; results may differ according to each person’s personal experiences with depression.
Psychotherapy is another recommended therapy for depression. One type, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), has the highest response and remission rates among all forms of psychotherapy for depression. CBT helps people recognize negative thinking patterns that contribute to depression symptoms and modify these accordingly, eventually diminishing depression symptoms over time.
TMS therapy has emerged as a highly effective natural antidepressant, using magnetic pulses to activate specific areas of the brain responsible for mood regulation. This noninvasive, FDA-approved treatment has proven as effective as pharmaceutical antidepressants without risk or side effects; most often used alongside psychotherapy.
Those interested in exploring these natural treatments for depression should speak with a mental health professional first before switching treatments or adding natural remedies into your regimen. Mind Connections’ Telehealth solution also makes accessing care much simpler; for more information please reach out today and schedule a consultation session!
