- Overcome depression alone is difficult, but many people want to help. Do some research on mental health providers in your area. Consult your family doctor, visit a mental health center or ask consult a social worker at your local Health and Family Services office. You may be afraid to seek help from a psychologist, psychiatrist or counselor, but they are there to help you to cope with and overcome your depression. Psychiatrists can diagnose depression and prescribe antidepressants if they are needed. Psychologists and counselors can help you identify the causes of your depression and help you to work through it.
- While it is possible to treat some depression through talk therapy and other means, not all cases of depression respond to these methods. When depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, medications may be needed to help correct these imbalances. Medications such as SSRIs (selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors, such as Prozac and Zoloft, for example) and MAOs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as Marplan and Nardil) help correct these imbalances. A family doctor or a psychiatrist may have to adjust dosages or change prescriptions several times in order to find the medicine and dosage that works best for your depression.
- When you are depressed, it can seem like it takes too much energy to even think about exercise, but physical activity releases opiate-like endorphins, one of the feel-good chemicals in the brain that can help to reduce pain and improve overall outlook. Exercise is a natural way to correct many of the chemical imbalances and deficiencies that can lead to depression. Working out is especially important to overcoming depression if psychiatry and prescription medicines don't appeal to you.
- Herbs such as St. John's Wort or natural remedies such as SAMe can be useful in treating some types of depression. They are believed to assist with the rebalancing of brain chemicals needed to fight depression and achieve better mental clarity. It is important that you see a doctor before taking supplements, however, they can affect other medicines that you might be taking. Let a health care provider advise you on which herbs to take and help you to avoid potential negative side effects and allergies.
