Depression without medication help.?

263>I suffer from depression.I%26#039;ve had breast cancer, and for a while I was on Cipramil.I weaned myself off with the doctors help as I don%26#039;t want to be on anti-depressants.Is there anyone else out there that%26#039;s had cancer and depression? How do you cope?
Reply:I took control over the things I could. I went through all the anger, depression, and fear that goes with the diagnosis.





Then I began the process of living. If I have a week or a month or a lifetime, I have no intentions of spending it miserable. What%26#039;s the point?





For me I had to stop and take a real look at my life. What makes me happy? What doesn%26#039;t?





Next, I had to get a plan to increase the happy part. I had to start looking at the things I had control over such as job, hobbies, dreams, goals, etc.





I went to cognitive-behavioral therapy briefly and launched my journey to a successful life. I took up yoga, self-hypnosis/progressive relaxation, and got off all the meds. I learned to be kind to myself. I was always good at being kind to others but realized I treated myself like crap and allowed others to do the same. That stopped.


I put myself first for the first time in my entire life and liked it.


I took up some new hobbies, went to school and got a job I love that is flexible so that when I am sick I can still work or can return to work. I love my job and feel good about what I do. I can%26#039;t always work, and had to cut myself some slack about that. Sometimes I work half-time. Sometimes I work full-time and sometimes I don%26#039;t work at all.





I simplified my life and prioritized it. I kept the important things, and dumped the rest. I took control over the things I can and stopped trying to control or change the things I can%26#039;t, including people. I am only responsible for my happiness. No one can make me feel any way I do not want to feel. I stopped trying to fix the world and decided to fix me.





I do more of what I enjoy and replaced the things I can no longer do with other things so I didn%26#039;t feel so depressed. For a long time I focused on all I lost, but it made me feel hopeless. Hope and excitement about life is key. You have to feel productive and you have to have dreams. I took up some things I never would have before and found out a lot about me.





Ino longer take on more than I can and refuse tor beat myself up over it. I am my own one-man cheer leading squad.





I got educated, got informed, made choices, and got good treatment.





I take care of myself now by eating high nutrition foods, getting consistent sleep, eating regularly, and taking real good care of myself. I picked up yoga and learned to control my body better.





I make sure I find joy and have fun. I dropped the people bringing me down. I don%26#039;t tolerate mistreatment from anyone, including myself. I started living. I exercise every day at the level I can.





Those are the basics. I had to make a short-term plan and a plan in case there is a tomorrow. I set priorities and started a journey toward happiness as I define it.





Best of luck to you. Live. Laugh. Love.
Reply:I haven%26#039;t had cancer, but I did experience many years of depression up until I was 25. I tried St John%26#039;s Wort, which is an herbal, and it helped a little. However, I%26#039;m not on it any longer, and I feel great from meditation and yoga. It really helps balance my moods, plus my physical and emotional health.





Good luck; I hope you feel better soon.
Reply:Why wouldn%26#039;t you take medication to feel better? I don%26#039;t get it. I was clinically depressed with anxiety. When I started taking medication, it was like a new lease on life.
Reply:St Johns Wort, a type of Hypericum plant, is taken by many people to help depression - it%26#039;s even prescribed by doctors in Germany and other countries, though I don%26#039;t believe in the US or UK - I think that you%26#039;re in the US.





There%26#039;s some info. here, you have to scroll down a bit, to see the St Johns wort details.


http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depress...





Studies show that depression is most effectively beaten by medication in conjunction with psycotherapy. It has more frequent recurrence, its results are longer lasting etc. than with just one or the other - this is based on published scientific analysis.





If you don%26#039;t want to take any other man-made chemicals, I%26#039;d suggest St Johns Wort, and combine this with counselling or a form of therapy. I%26#039;ve seen it for sale in many health stores, as well as drug stores/supermarket%26#039;s supplements departments.





It%26#039;s worth taking some steps to understand some of the various therapy approaches, and select one that you feel is likely to be suited to you. Counselling tends to be more passive reflection, and listening, whereas other therapies can be more goal directed. I%26#039;d assume that you wouldn%26#039;t want indefinite therapy, so perhaps aim for a briefer form, with some outcomes that you can define, in conjunction with a therapist.





I like the Gestalt therapy approach, which looks at us a whole, hence the %26#039;Gestalt%26#039; label.





Otherwise, physical exercise is a highly effective method to overcome emotional ill health. I%26#039;d speak with your GP first, to ensure that your physical strengh is up to this. This type of regime has helped my aunt and a friend who have both suffered depression following on from brest cancer - one of them has had various cancers. I realise that the breast treatment regime is harsh, as well as the whole impact that this problem has upon us.





I hope these thoughts help. Please feel free to contact me if you%26#039;d like any further help - I live in the UK, but travelling in the US for the remainder of July.





Wishing you the best! Rob
Reply:You might like the programs found in the books %26quot;The Mood Cure%26quot; and/or %26quot;Potatoes Not Prozac%26quot;