My Remedies

And what did work for me ?

Below is a link to a list of Natural Remedies for Depression which I compiled through internet search. This was my first acknowledgement of my ‘possible’ condition.

Natural Remedies for Depression

As great as these remedies seem – they also can just get stuffed ! When all I want to do is curl up in a ball and crawl under my thick blanket from the moment my day starts, you don’t have to tell me, that going for a walk would be a good idea. Eat healthy. I am keeping myself barely alive. This is the time a have broken my personal daily peanut butter sandwich record over and over. These recommendations are all with good intention and will be do-able for everyone differently in varying degrees.

And here are the activities I actually did.

Journaling

You don’t have to start a Blog, yet writing down what you go through and how you feel, what comes up … helps immensely. I can let go of it once it is on paper and don’t have to carry it around with me all the time. Make it a special book for yourself and take your time-out when writing.

Walking

I have a dog, which needs its exercise daily. So I thought ‘Great, this way I get outside’. Unfortunately there’s a catch with the name Obligation. Everything I had to do was like another weight dragging me down. What got me out of the house was a friend knocking at my door to pick me up for his / our walk. No commitment to talk or anything else.

Healthy Food

Go with the basic food groups : Proteins – Carbohydrates – Fresh Foods
I also used a family cooking trick for bettering my nourishment issue. When cooking – cook lots. Cooking more than needed gives you nicely prepared portions for the next day or frozen over a longer period.
Ensure to have the main food groups at least regularly. The most important group for me is Fresh or Living Food. Nothing beats sprouts – having added a handful of crunchy shoots to my egg and toast gives me the feeling of doing something good for my body.

Activity

Moving your body is vital. A friend of mine runs a project called Movement Medicine. It is about 2 hours of free flowing minimally guided dance. I called it Journey Dance as I was going on a journey whenever I let go and become free for a little while at least.
Grab every opportunity when you do feel like something physical. Mow the lawn, split some wood … everything away from the couch.

People

Choosing whom I hang out with happened fairly intuitively. I would leave the house and seek the friends I am drawn to, led by gut feeling.

Physical Contact

Cuddling is always nice. Yet, it makes a huge difference to being held when down and absolutely fragile. Allowing one to be in the space of Vulnerability supported by someone loving.
The highest rating goes to Spooning. Whenever I had the courage to ask for it I felt like being inside a rescue ring.

Special Substances

Turmeric – I started having a spoonful of ground Turmeric daily when I was fighting a persisting inflammation on top of Depression. Kept taking it as antidote to the coffee I drink, as it assists the body getting rid of the caffeine. Golden Milk became my evening comfort drink.
L-Tyrosine – Does the same trick like chemical antidepressants, just on a natural basis. Downside is its effect is to cap the peaks – in both directions. Meaning emotional lows can be prevented and unfortunately highs are also cut. Which left me with the mediocre grey-zone. I stopped using it after a few weeks, as I would rather have the low with the outlook of a high than only tunnel vision.
St Johns Wort
Everywhere and everyone knows, St Johns Wort is the anti-depressant herb. You may have to be patient, as for some it is a slow acting medicine and you could have depleted your resources that much that they need to recharge before great effect is noticeable.
Capsules or tincture recommended as the tea is not strong enough. I still stuck with the tea for a while and made it my feel-good-drink. Found out to avoid it in the evening as it keeps me up and good sleep is vital.
Vitamin C
Best support for the body, whatever it is.
I chose and recommend to get a nice plant based (berries etc.) substance – you are worth it.
Sunlight, Gratitude, Laughing
Not always available or easy and I recommend to get them when ever you can.