Depression is a feeling of intense sadness; it may follow a recent loss or other sad event but is out of proportion to that event and persists beyond an appropriate length of time. After anxiety, depression is the most common psychiatric disorder. An estimated 10 percent of the people who see their doctors for what they think is a physical problem are actually experiencing depression. Depression typically begins in the 20s, 30s, or 40s. An episode of depression typically lasts for 6 to 9 months, but in 20 percent of the people, it lasts for 2 years or more. Episodes generally tend to recur several times over a lifetime. Craving for sweet rewards is increased by depression in both animals and humans.  Exercise, proper diet, relaxation techniques, and yoga can help fight depression.

There are several supplements and herbs that can lift depression.
Our favorites are SAME-e, St. John's Wort, and 5-HTP.
5-HTP can start within hours. You can find 5-HTP here.
SAM-e a powerful nutrient that starts working within hours. Find more s-adenosylmethionine research here. SAM-e is very potent and should be used carefully in low dosages since it can cause insomnia or a manic phase.
St. John's wort usually takes a couple of days. For more St. John's wort research.
B vitamins including pantothenic acid have a mild influence on depression
Tryptophan has helped many people with depression symptoms
Fish Oils can help stabalize mood. Eating fish is a good option.
Acetyl-l-carnitine can lift mood and enhance mental activity
CDP-choline has a short mood lift effect.
DMG is short for dimethylglycine.
NADH to be used occasionally, not daily, more nadh info
TMG trimethylglycine a cheap methyl donor similar in some ways tof SAM-e, does not work as well, but it's good
DHEA in low doses in older individuals who are hormone deficient
Pregnenolone in low doses in older individuals who are hormone deficient
Cordyceps mushroom extract
Maca is an herb from the Andes, you can buy Maca here.
Muiria Puama takes two or three days
Rhodiola herb
Schisandra plant

The causes of Depression
The causes of depression aren't fully understood. A number of factors may make a person more likely to experience depression, such as a heredity, side effects of certain medications, an introverted personality, poor self image, and emotionally upsetting events, particularly those involving a loss. Depression may also arise or worsen without any apparent or significant life stress. Having a mother who has experienced depression can double a child's chances of becoming depressed.
   Depression that follows a traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one, is called situational depression. Some people become temporarily depressed in reaction to certain holidays (holiday blues) or meaningful anniversaries, such as the anniversary of a loved one's death. Depression without an apparent precipitating event is called endogenous depression.

Poor health habits as cause for depression
Depression and anxiety are associated with obesity and poor health behaviors like smoking, drinking, and physical inactivity.

Depression in women
Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression, though the reasons aren't entirely clear. Studies show that women tend to respond to adversity by withdrawing into themselves and blaming themselves. In contrast, men tend to deny adversity and throw themselves into activities. Of biologic factors, hormones are the ones most involved. Changes in hormone levels, which can create mood changes shortly before menstruation (premenstrual tension) and after childbirth (postpartum depression), might play some role in women. Similar hormonal changes may occur with the use of oral contraceptives in women who have experienced depression. Abnormal thyroid function, which is fairly common in women, may also be a factor.

Depression and diabetes
Elderly people who have depression are more likely to become diabetic than those who are not. Depression may play a role in causing the most common form of diabetes.

Depression is associated with physical changes in the brain. There is decreased blood flow in the brain's emotional centers, abnormal metabolism, shrinking of certain brain regions, and changes in neurons and dendrites. Therefore, it is unrealistic to tell someone with depression to "just snap out of it." Depression is as much of a physical illness as diabetes and heart disease.

Depression may also occur with, or be caused by, a number of physical diseases or disorders. Physical disorders may cause a depression directly (such as when thyroid disease affects hormone levels, which can induce depression) or indirectly (such as when rheumatoid arthritis causes pain and disability, which can lead to depression). Various prescription drugs, most notably drugs used to treat high blood pressure, can cause depression. A number of psychiatric conditions can predispose a person to depression, including certain anxiety disorders, alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders, schizophrenia, and the early phase of dementia.

Medical Therapy for Depression
The most commonly used pharmaceutical agents to fight depression, the SSRIs such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, and others, are often effective in fighting depression but have a high rate of side effects including headache, loss of sex drive and sensation, nausea, insomnia, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Depression study
Close female friends help women through depression -- Nearly all women say they get depressed, stressed or anxious at some point in their lives, and most turn to their female friends for support during these and other tough times.

Depression emails
Q. This past year I decided to go to a naturopath for treatment of depression and anxiety that I've had trouble with for most of my life. I had been going to counselling and taking prescription medications for depression for a long time but found the drugs caused either really uncomfortable side effects or a kind of emotional numbness. Exercise and diet changes, especially cutting out any refined sugars and overly processed food has definitely helped some, but a lot of the symptoms are still there. The doctor I went to see for depression recently prescribed Fish oil (2 grams daily), SAMe (200mg daily), Tyrosine (1000mg daily), 5htp (200mg daily), acidophilous (1 capsule daily), a multivitamin ( once daily),
Canchelaqua (10 drops daily), and Bach Mustard flower ( 4 drops daily). I was also supposed to take 1 gram of L-theanine a day. It seemed like way too much stuff and then pretty high doses of some of them too, which it sounds like, after reading on your website, was the case with the 5htp especially. I know you can't give any dosage recommendations for depression or anything, but I'm wondering if you have any advice or insight?
   A. We suggest you mention to your naturopath to read some of the information on the natural supplements for depression discussed on the website. Perhaps your naturopath may not be fully aware that sometimes lower dosages work well, too. We wish you optimal healing, sometimes it takes trial and error to find the right supplements in the right dosages and combinations.

Q. This past year I decided to see a naturopath for treatment of depression and anxiety. It's been a lifelong problem and I've already tried some different antidepressants, Effexor being the most recent and longest. I wanted to try something different as the pharmaceuticals tended to either cause a lot of uncomfortable side effects, or as with Effexor a kind of emotional numbness. The naturopath I recently went to see recommended Fish oil, SAMe, Theanine, L-Tyrosine, 5htp, Mustard flower, a multivitamin and acidophilus for every day! It seemed like a lot, and as I'm reading on your website, I'm seeing my suspicions are justifiable, especially with the amounts of 5htp (200mg daily), Tyrosine (1000 mg daily), SAMe (200mg daily). I haven't been taking anything lately because it just seemed kind of crazy to take all of that. Exercise and diet are definitely helping some, but I'm still having a lot of trouble with mood, difficulty concentrating, making decisions, staying focused, and poor sleep. I know you can't really make any recommendations about what to take or dosages, but I'm wondering if you can offer any advice or insight.
   A. One recommendation is to try each supplement by itself for a period of time to see how it works by itself for depression before mixing it with another one. Only through trial and error will you find the best supplement or the best combination. Ask you doctor to read some of the cautions on high dose use of supplements.

Q. I consulted with my GP and he prescribed Zoloft for my depression. The dosage was increased from 50mg /day to 250mg /day by doubling at roughly one month intervals (i.e., 50, 100, 200). At the highest dosage I finally discerned a therapeutic effect; in fact, I felt like a sack of cement had been lifted from my chest. Nothing, however, until the highest dosage was reached. At approximately the same time I read a book which raised concerns with me about Zoloft and other SRI drugs used for depression. I researched on the internet and decided to switch to a regimen of amino acids instead: glucosamine and phenylalanine. When my prescription for Zoloft ran out I simply declined to refill it; I experienced none of the withdrawal symptoms which I later came to realize were common with SSRIs. More importantly, I lost none of the perceived depression therapeutic effect, and I believe continued to experience improvement. I also began taking 5-htp and melatonin. I take one capsule of 5-htp (50 mg L-5-Hydroxytryptophan and 10 mg. B6) and one 650 mg. capsule of inositol in the morning and evening. I take 1 mg of melatonin if I want to ensure an optimum evening of sleep; I have not noticed any effect from a lower dose. I took SAM-e for a period of time, then stopped to evaluate; I may go back to it in order to address some anxiety issues (more accurately, short temper) but that's just me. I applaud your efforts to educate on the natural and wholistic approaches to addressing the effects of depression. I tell people to set aside their preconceptions and think of it as depression of normal neurotransmitter levels; that stress depletes neurotransmitters just as heat and exertion deplete hydration levels. No amount of "will power" or "strong character" will rehydrate you when you've been walking through the desert for 10 hours.

Q. I was under suspected depression treatment for the last 18 years. All the while I knew I didnt have any mental problems. I was always mentally stable and oriented. I tried many Ayurvedic treatments but all in vain. I was taking prescription tablets for depression. It put me to sleep for long hours but nothing else. 5HTP is really a miracle tablet for my depression.

Q. Several nutrients and herbs that have an influence on depression. How would one know which one to use?
   A. Treating depression is difficult, whether through drugs or supplements. Each person is unique in terms of the causes for the depression and their response to medicines or supplements. However, I can make some generalizations that you can discuss with your doctor. If the depression is associated with low energy and motivation, then SAM-e could be helpful since this nutrient can perk someone up pretty quickly. However, high doses can cause overstimulation and mania. If the depression is associated with restlessness, anxiety and rapid, incessant thoughts, 5-HTP is a good option since it converts into serotonin which has a calming effect. Somewhere between these two effects is St. John's wort which is not as stimulating as SAM-e, but not as calming as 5-HTP. And it's quite likely that as the depression progresses, some people who at first benefited from one supplement may find it is no longer helpful and another supplement is more appropriate. I think part of the reason for the failure of depression treatment lies in the fact that patients or doctors don't adjust the dose or medicine to reflect the biochemical, life circumstance or lifestyle changes that are going on within or outside the individual as the weeks and months go on. Another nutrient that influences mood is tryptophan, which is similar to 5-HTP.

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