Best Natural Antidepressants

Unfortunately, depression is a multi-factorial issue. While conventional medicine focuses only on neurotransmitters, naturopathic and holistic medicines are at an advantage to treat the many factors that contribute to depression: 

• sleep and lifestyle issues
• lack of exercise
• poor diet choices and poor digestion
• inflammation in the body and the brain
• hormonal imbalances
• stress and spiritual issues
• nutrient and healthy oil deficiencies
• environmental toxicity

Case Study: Lenore

For example, one very depressed and anxious 48-year-old patient we will call “Lenore” came to our office after she had tried five different antidepressants over a three-year period. After listening carefully to her story and asking for some testing, we learned her thyroid was working sub-optimally, her vitamin D, B12 and iron was low, and her early life experiences produced negative thought patterns that did not allow her have a more positive outlook.

To help, we gave her some essential fatty acids, vitamin D, B12 and iron, as well as thyroid support. We worked on her digestion in order to allow better nutrient absorption. We also prescribed 100mg of 5-HTP twice a day (more on this later), recommended acupuncture, and she also started to work on her negative thought patterns. Her depression lifted in about one month after starting treatment, and she no longer needed medication. For Lenore, no one recommendation might have worked, but all of them together did the job.

A naturopathic physician, or other well-trained holistically minded doctor, will work with all these factors to truly create an individualized solution to the menace that is depression.