Beating depression without prescription drugs is possible sometimes but will take time and you will need a good support structure. A lot will depend on how severe your depression is, how long you have had it and why you are depressed.

YOUR DEPRESSION

If your depression is fairly recent or has started because of something in your lifestyle simple changes may help.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DEPRESSED?

If your depression has been with you for a long time it will be termed as chronic. As such there probably will be no quick fixes. Your depression may have taken months or years to reach a chronic state and as such will take time to treat .

WHY ARE YOU DEPRESSED?

If your depression is linked to a physical illness you will probably need to treat that successfully first. If it is due to hormones such as in gynecological disorders or thyroid conditions these hormones will need to be adjusted to the correct levels in order to help your recovery from depression. If your depression stems from your lifestyle consider changes. The causes could be a failed relationship, a bereavement, a stressful job, alcoholism drug abuse, poor living conditions or one of many such things. Even if these issues have not caused your depression they will probably have been contributory factors.

So having made these initial assessments, either with help from a family member or medical practitioner, what can you do to help yourself?. Prescription drugs sometimes have their place and may be needed but there are alternatives.

Make changes to your lifestyle. If you distance yourself from your problems then you may be able to 'heal' yourself. Take a little gentle exercise. Walking briskly with your dog on a pleasant day can help beat the blues. Try and make the time and effort to do this on a regular basis.

Try to rekindle a pride in your appearance and surroundings. By taking a little care of yourself and doing the daily chores you may start to like yourself again. Housework is a pain but it can be therapeutic to the mind and body.

Improve your diet. Go for plenty of fruit and vegetables and much less alcohol and processed food. The chemicals in this processed food will pull you down even more. So will excessive amounts of sweet food and alcohol, after the initial lift of course. Obviously steer well clear of drugs.

Attend self help groups in your local area . Many of these are free and really useful. Research the Internet for relaxation techniques and exercises. Many

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