Home Remedies for DEPRESSION & STRESS

Depression And Stress

We all go through periods of depression and stress. Maybe it's because of the weather-you know, a change of season. Or for women, it could be "that time of month." Of course, pressures at the office don't help, nor do tense relationships or problems at home. Then there are additives in foods and side effects from medications that can cause chemical imbalances that may lead to depression and stress.

 

Individuals suffering from different types of mental disorder are sometimes said to be insane, but the term insanity is a legal one, not a medical term. An insane person is one who cannot distinguish right from wrong or assume responsibilities for his own actions. In the case of a psychotic patient the whole personality is involved. And he is completely out of touch with real world around. Not so the neurotic patient. Only a small part of his personality is involved. Psychotic patients often require hospitalization; neurotic patients rarely do, unless they have some additional physical problem.

 

Another distinction between these two major groups is that his friends usually bring the psychotic patient to the doctor, while the neurotic comes of his own. He knows he is sick, and he usually wants help. Most often he is suffering from a nervous depression.

 

Reactive depression : This is a simple depression or sadness, which is usually brought on by some unhappy event, such as losing one’s home or business in a fire, or perhaps by the death of some loved one in the family. When something like this happens most people passed through a few days or weeks of sadness and then try to carry on as best they can. The patient with a reactive depression seems unable to do this. His grief lasts a long time, and he may be so disturbed as to be unable to do his normal work.

Physiotherapy or mind treatment is advice able in all cases of reactive depression. It is most important for the patient to gain an insight into why he is so depressed. This will help to prevent further episodes. If he becomes so severely depressed as to contemplate suicide, he should be given a series of electric shock treatments to help him over his depression.

 

Delayed Grief Reaction . When some loved one dies, it is perfectly natural to weep. Failure to grieve may indicate some personality disturbance that should be corrected. These peculiar feelings are often a sign that all is not well. A normal amount of grief is nature’s way of releasing tensions. Abnormal reactions should be discussed with someone who understands the mechanism of the human mind, so that a more normal response will develop. This may help to avert a complete mental breakdown in future.

 

Attempted suicide. Some people threaten to commit suicide mainly to see how the family will react. They may never actually carry this out, but such threats should always be taken seriously, for they indicate a troubled mind. Also the time may come when they may become depressed enough to carry it out. Remember, the person who never smiles is always depressed. Strangely, the greatest risk is when he appears taking a turn for the better. This may be the moment when he plans to end his life.

 

Some of the important causes of depression are Inheritance, Changes in brain structures or brain function, Pessimistic attitude, Stress (home, work or school), Major diseases (cancer, heart attack etc.), Hormonal disorders, Relationship problems, Financial problems, Menstrual cycle changes, Menopause, Bereavement.

 

The most important symptoms of depression are sadness, loss of energy, lack of interest in the world around and fatigue. A disturbed sleep is the also the cause of the depression. Other symptoms of depression are loss of appetite, giddiness, itching, nausea, agitation, irritability, impotence or frigidity, constipation, aches and pains all over the body, lack of concentration. Severe depression may be characterized by low body temperature, low blood pressure, hot flushes and shivering.

 

The diet of a person suffering from depression should be free from tea, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, colas, all white flour products, sugar, food colorings, chemical additives, white rice, and strong condiments.

Common Causes of Depression

• Inheritance
• Changes in brain structures or brain function
• Pessimistic attitude
• Stress (home, work or school)
• Major diseases ( cancer , heart attack etc.)
• Hormonal disorders
• Relationship problems
• Financial problems
• Menstrual cycle changes
• Menopause
• Bereavement

CAUTION: For cases of deep depression, extreme stress and/or chronic fatigue, we suggest you seek professional assistance to help pinpoint the cause and recommend treatment.

 

Whatever the reason, valid or not, when you're going through a bad time and you reach the point where you say to yourself, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!" -then you're on the road to recovery.

 

Basic Solutions

If you are really ready to help yourself, you might start by cutting down on your sugar intake. Excessive sugar can help cause depression, nervous anxiety and spurts of energy followed by extreme fatigue.

 

Caffeine products (such as coffee, non-herbal tea, cola, chocolate and some medications), cigarettes and alcoholic beverages may also contribute to nervous anxiety, depression and highs and lows of energy. Take them out of your life. They're taking the life out of you.

Natural home remedies

• Lying down, in a dark room, maybe getting a 1/2 hour of sleep,will always make you feel better.
• Add a handful of fresh Rose petals to a cup of boiling water. Add sugar and drink as and when a feeling of depression sets in.
• Boil some seeds of cardamom in water with tea. It will give a very pleasing aroma to the tea.
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• To refresh the mood eat an apple with milk and honey
• Prepare a tea by boiling 1 cup of water. To this add powder of 2 green cardamoms seeds, add sugar and drink this 2 times a day. This is very effective home remedy for depression.
• Prepare another tea by adding a handful of fresh Rose petals to a cup of boiling water. Add sugar and drink when you are feeling depressed.
• The cashew nut also plays an important role in fighting with depression and nervous weakness. It is rich in vitamins of the B group, especially thiamine, and is therefore useful in stimulating the appetite and the nervous system.
• The root of asparagus has been found useful in the treatment of depression. It is very nutritious and is used as a herbal medicine for mental disorders. One or two grams of the powder of the dry root of the plant can be taken once daily.
• About thirty grams lemon balm herb should be placed in half a litre of cold water and allowed to stand for twelve hours. The solution should then be strained and taken in small doses throughout the day.
• A person suffering from depression get rid of it by becoming more active, turning away from himself, and diverting his attention towards other people and things. Diverting his mind in things of pleasure can help him to overcome depression.
• 5HTP is a substance that is extracted from the seedpods of the African plant Griffonia simplicifolia. It produces serotonin in the body and may relieve depression
• Exercise also plays an important role in the treatment of depression. It not only keeps the body physically and mentally fit, but also provides happiness and mental relaxation. It is nature's best tranquillizer. Exercise also tones up the body, provides a feeling of well-being, and reduces the sense of helplessness.
• Licorice tea helps in depression treatment. No more than three cups of tea should be used per day.
• Prepare a mixture by adding 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg powder with 1 tablespoon freshly extracted amla juice. Take 3 times a day.
• 3/4 c. of cooked spinach if taken daily can give sufficient relief from depression.
• Kava (Piper methysticum) is a natural remedy for depression. South Pacific islanders have used this plant for years. It calms the mind and produces a feeling of well-being and contentment. It is a remedy for depression without side effects.
• Tryptophan, an amino acid has been found to relieve depression.
• Keeping the home well lit with lights help to reduce the intensity of depression.
• Relaxing with meditation, massage, light music and laughter helps to great extent.
• Prepare a tea by adding 1/4-teaspoon tulsi and 1/2 teaspoon of sage per cup of hot water; drink twice a day. This is also very effective home remedy for depression.
• Make a tea by adding equal amounts of ashvagandha and brahmi (about 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon each), steep in a cup of water for about 10 minutes, and drink 2 or 3 times a day.

Dietary Remedies

• Have a pizza with lots of oregano. If you don't have the oregano, forget the pizza. In fact, forget the pizza and just have the oregano. Oregano may ease that depressed, heavyhearted feeling.
• If you have a juicer, whip up half a glass of watercress and half a glass of spinach. Throw in some carrots to make the juice sweeter. Then, bottoms up and spirits up.
• Eat two ripe bananas a day to chase the blues away. Bananas contain the chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine, which are believed to help prevent depression.

Other Mood Lifters

• While running a warm bath, prepare a cup of chamomile tea. Add the used tea bag to the bath, along with a new one. If you use loose chamomile, wrap the herb in cheesecloth before putting it in the tub to avoid messy cleanup. Once the bath is ready, take a pen and paper along with your cup of tea and relax in the tub. Make a list of a dozen wishes as you sip your tea. Be careful.. the things you wish for may come true.
• To lighten a heavy heart, drink saffron tea and/or thyme tea that has been sweetened with honey. (Incidentally, "thyme" was originally called "wild time" because it was thought to be an aphrodisiac.).
• Sniffing citrus essential oils every hour you're awake may help you get out of a funk. You can buy lemon or orange oil at a health food store. Do not take the essential oils internally. If you have a citrus fruit in your kitchen, you can use a cardboard cutter to carefully make slits the peel and squeeze it so that the volatile seeps out. Then take a whiff hourly.
• Cheer yourself up by wearing rose colors-pinks and scarlets. The orange family of colors are also picker-uppers.
• Making love can help people overcome feelings of depression-unless, of course, they have no one to make love to and thats they're depressed.
• If you're mildly depressed, simply change your physiology and your emotions will follow suit. In other words, do the physical things you do when you're happy-and you'll feel happy. Smile! Laugh! Jump up and down! Sing! Dance! Get dressed up!

If you're not willing to go along with this suggestion, then you're not willing to let go of your depression. There's nothing wrong with staying in a funk for a brief period. . .as long as. you understand that it is your choice.

Dietary Stress Relievers

• Juices seem to be calming to the nerves. Throughout the day, sip apple, pineapple, prune, grape or cherry juice. Make Sure the juice has no added sugar or preservatives and drink it at room temperature, not chilled
• Chop a large onion into very small tidbits and add a tablespoon of honey. Eat half the mixture with lunch and the other half with dinner. Onions contain prostaglandin, which is reported to have a stress-relieving effect.

A Berry Good Idea

• If strawberries are in season, eat a few as a dessert after each meal (without the cream and sugar). You may feel a difference (you won't be as edgy), and you may see a difference (they'll make your teeth whiter).
• Acupressure away the pressure of the day by getting a firm grip on your ankle. Using your thumb and third finger, place one just below the inside of the anklebone, and the other finger on the indentation directly below your outer anklebone. Keep steady pressure on the spot as you count down from 100 to one, slowly (taking between one and two minutes in all).
• Peppermint tea has a wonderful way of relaxing the system and relieving moodiness. Drink it warm and strong.

Seeing Green...and Blue

• If you are on edge, high-strung and, generally speaking, a nervous wreck, surround yourself with calming colors. Green has a harmonizing effect, since it's the color of nature. Earth colors should make you feel better. Wear quiet blues and gentle grays. Color helps more than we realize.
• Sage tea can help relieve the jitters. Steep a sage tea bag or 1 teaspoon of sage in 1 cup of warm water for five minutes. Strain and drink three cups a day.

Bonus: Sage tea also helps sharpen one's memory and brain power.

• There's a reason why Epsom salt, an ancient natural healer, is still popular-it works! Pour 2 cups of Epsom salt into a warm-water bath. Set aside a half-hour for pure relaxation in the tub-no interruptions-just 30 minutes of stress-free fantasizing.

Phtheasy for You to Say

• According to European folklore, celery helps you forget your troubles from a broken heart and soothes your nerves at the same time. It's probably the phthalide in celery, which is known to have sedative properties.

Nervous Tics

• From time to time I get a tic around my eye. I feel like I'm winking at everyone. The tic-off switch that works like magic for me is vitamin B6-200 mg.

CAUTION: Do not take more than 300 mg of B6 a day. Higher doses can be toxic.

A nervous tic may also be your body's way of telling you that you need more calcium or magnesium-or both. A good supplement can help you get the 1,500 mg of calcium and 750 mg of magnesium you need daily.