6 Simple Steps to Treat Your Depression without Drugs. Depression is no laughing matter. It is a very serious ailment affecting nearly 15 million Americans often treated with potent prescription medications. Furthermore, side effects of antidepressants run the gamut from decreased libido, to flat emotions, restlessness, sleep disturbances, even thoughts of suicide. In cases of mild to moderate depression there are natural solutions that may help to restore your mood.
Address the Root Causes of Depression with Dr Jill’s Six Simple Steps to Treat Mood Disorders below …
- Vitamin D: Have your physician check your vitamin D level and supplement at least 2000IU of D3 or 15-20 minutes of sunlight daily. Optimal serum levels of 25(OH) Vitamin D should be 50-80 ng/ml.
- Fish Oil: Supplement omega-3 fatty acids with fish oil or eat wild salmon at least twice weekly. The brain is made up of fats and health ratios of omega 3: omega 6 fatty acids are absolutely essential to happy mood and healthy brain function. I recommend Salmon Oil from Vital Choice – take 3 caps daily.
- Food Allergies: Chronic inflammation from food sensitivities may play a role in causing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Keeping inflammation at bay is critical if you want great sleep and a happy mood! Gluten and other common foods may be causing hidden inflammation. I suggest trying the elimination of gluten, dairy and sugar for a minimum of 30 days to see if this plays a role in your mood. Need help? Here’s some tips to get you started…
- Probiotics: Unbalanced gut microbes can contribute to depression, too. (See my article on Mind-Altering Microbes for more reading) Be sure you are takeing a high potency probiotic, like Klaire Ther-biotic Complete 50 billion cfu’s daily. (You can order direct from Prothera, Inc. using code = 618)
- 5HTP: Aid your body’s natural production of serotonin. A few essential ingredients for production of this “happy neurotransmitter” are 5HTP 100-150mg, vitamin B6 10-25mg, and Magnesium Citramate 250-500mg at bedtime.
- Methyl-folate and B12: Support methylation. Some patients respond well to sublingual methylcobalamin 2500-5000mcg and oral methyl-folate 1-5mg daily. Be sure to avoid processed cereals and breads which contain synthetic folic acid and may make mood worse. If you don’t know if you have a genetic SNP for MTHFR, you can ask your doctor to test you for the mutation or read more about MTHFR here.
You are not destined to feel sad and be on anti-depressant medication for life. GET YOUR MOJO BACK by following my simple steps to support a happy mood and you’ll be on your way to feeling better soon! In addition, I recommend addressing stressors in your life by incorporating daily thoughts of gratitude, forgiveness, service to others and prayer into your daily routine!
Please consult with your doctor before attempting to discontinue any medications on your own.
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I read that Tumeric specifically BCM-95 works as well as prozac for depression and also reduces inflamtion. While searching for a BCM-95 product online I came across conflicting reports about which formula is best absorbed some say Longvida and some say BCM-95. Do you have an opinion?
Hi Charlotte,
Tumeric is a great anti-inflammatory and inflammation underlies many cases of depression so you are absolutely correct! My favorite tried and true formula for best absorption is Thorne Meriva 500, which you can order direct from Thorne Research, using professional code: HCP1004064.
Best,
Dr Jill
You recommend 5htp for depression,but I saw you on the Shaun Croxton video last week saying it makes maters worse?
Hi Simon,
Yes, I do recommend 5HTP or tryptophan as precursors of serotonin, especially in weaning patients off SSRIs. In the Depression Sessions I was speaking about a certain pathway with Kynurenine that is upregulated in a small percentage of individuals. These few patients do not tolerate serotonin precursors but the majority of patients do fine on them.
Warmly
Dr Jill
How do we know if we are one of the people that has a certain pathway with Kynurenine that is upregulated ? A lab test or is there a snp(s) I can check from my Livewello sandbox? I was on Prozac from 1988 – appx 98 and other psychiatric drugs such as Wellbutrin, Elavil, Trazadone, and the antihistamine Atarax for a few years. I’ve been thinking about trying 5-HTP or Tryptophan to improve my health overall based on Trudy’s questionnaires. I’m not depressed and have worked with many pros but appreciate your reply.
Hi Lisa,
This can be tested on urinary organic acids thorough a functional MD
warmly
Dr Jill
This is useful information. I think I will do the OAT. I wonder if I have a serotonin issue because in my last adrenal test I had overly high melatonin levels. My practitioner did not address this but when I looked into it, I read it could be to do with MAO not disposing of serotonin so it builds up- apparently it’s connected to melatonin. Does this sound right to you?
Yes, MAO SNPs can definitely affect mood
Such helpful info Dr. Carnahan, thank you! I looked online @ protherainc and am not finding the 50 billion cfu’s, only shows the 25 billion cfu’s. I find this so frustrating and wonder if I missed something about how to gain access to the 50 billion. I used the code you provided, (TY BTW) so not sure what to do differently. Do you recommend I just double the dose to equal the 50 billion? I’d like to try this probiotic. I do notice it has inulin; isn’t that a prebiotic? I read somewhere; it is recommended to stay away from probiotics when experiencing gut issues…
Thank you again for making this info available.
I thoroughly appreciated your session with Sean on The Depression Sessions!
So phenomenal what you’ve overcome and accomplished!
Kind regards…
Hi C Lyons,
Recommend Prothera Klaire Detox Support 50billion cfu’s per cap You can use code 618 to order.
Let me know if this doesn’t answer your question!
warmly
Dr Jill
meant to say “…stay away from *prebiotics”
I am not finding the 50billion on the site, only finding the 25billion cfu’s, (I didn’t clarify that before). Thanks for the code too!
Recommend Prothera Klaire Detox Support 50billion cfu’s (https://www.protherainc.com/prod/proddetail.asp?ID=V770-06) it has no prebiotics! 😉
Perfect, thank you Dr. Carnahan!
As a current dog owner, I’m prbbloay biased, but I absolutely think owning a dog has been one of the healthiest choices I’ve ever made. They are a source of constant companionship and give SO much back to you in terms of unconditional love, companionship and even entertainment. It’s really important to do your homework, though, and figure out what breed would fit in best with your lifestyle. Would dealing with shedding and fur on the carpet freak you out? Don’t get a Golden Retriever you’ll end up with fur in your food no matter how much you vaccuum. I know this from experience as that’s the breed I own. Though I wouldn’t trade him for the world he’s an absolute sweetheart. Do you want a puppy or an adult dog. A puppy is a TON of work, though that’s the route I’ve gone both times. At this point in time, I would adopt a little bit older dog to avoid the puppy stage.Once you find the perfect dog for you I absolutely believe dog ownership is a wonderful de-stresser. They ask for so little, but give back so much. Just petting a dog is a great way to unwind and forget the stress of the day. If your down or depressed, just looking at their happy faces and wagging tail can lift your spirits.There is a good bit of responsibility to having a dog. You have to spend time with them and to some degree put them first when making plans. But in my opinion it’s worth it for the pleasure they can bring to your life.A dog can be a great stabilizing force in your life. Just be VERY sure to research and get the right breed for you. There’ll be an adjustment period while you get to know each other, but most dogs live to please you, so if you take the time to train your dog and spend lots of time with him, he’ll learn quickly what you like and don’t like.Good luck with your decision!
I would really recommend Mensahmedical.com and Walshinstitute.org for information using nutrients as helps for mental illness. There are some inexpensive and simple tests to determine which of the 5 biotypes of depression a person has. Once you know which types, you can supplement to balance those nutrients.
Neurotransmitters are made of key nutrients such as zinc and b6. If a person has pyrrole disorder they are low in zinc/b6. Fish oil is inflammatory for those individuals. People with low whole blood histamine are already high in serotonin and raising those levels with 5htp can cause violent behavior towards themselves or others.
It’s the brightest spot in mental health since the dark ages.