Natural Treatment of Depression: 5 Alternatives to Prozac

Natural antidepressants may be used as additional aids to such methods as psychotherapy, acupuncture or luminotherapy. Repetitive fits of anxiety are blocked by means of materials on hand, in particular antidepressants of natural origin that are quite cheap and available at any pharmacy or even supermarket. As opposed to synthetic medications, such as Prozac for instance, they allow a person to cope with psychological issues naturally.

Is Prozac 100% safe?

Winter time is traditionally a season of depression. A person feels low-spirited, has lack of energy, increased anxiety, sorrow thoughts about meaninglessness of his or her life. Most people in this case purchase Prozac or its analogues and swallow one pill after another even when real signs of depression have passed away. It is noteworthy that depression often affects managers for whom this disease became a sort of professional disorder. Constant stress will inevitably lead to overload of nervous system and even fits of unexplainable fear and depression.

In the 1980s, depression in the U.S. grew to such dismal proportions that pharmaceutical companies started development of remedies treating this plague of the 20^th century. In the late 80-s, the solution was found by the company, Eli Lilly, that created miraculous remedy-antidepressant, Prozac. This medicine relieves all symptoms of depression, keeps spirit alive, and does it biochemically without any necessity to “work on oneself” or consult an expensive psychologist. In subsequent decade, Prozac and its analogues that were not supposed to have any side-effects and became sort of coffee or tea for American people. Every twentieth U.S. citizen was considered to be a “prozacoholic”. The Americans called themselves a “nation of Prozac”. Anyway, in fact the things turned out to be much worse.

The point is that the U.S. citizens taking Prozac have an increasing anxiety causing even lethal outcome. The facts of accidental deaths or suicides filled up the cup and proved that antidepressants were not so safe as they were had been considered to be. The main issue lies in antidepressants’ mechanism of action. Traditionally it is supposed that medications falling into the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, including Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and others, restore the balance of serotonin in organism. Serotonin is acknowledged to be fundamentally important for normal functioning of nervous system in organism.

The shortage in serotonin was believed to cause depression. Nevertheless, in these latter days more and more scientists suppose that in fact no one knows the way Prozac takes impact on human brain. According to British psychiatrist, David Healy, the so-called serotonin theory of Prozac’s action is comparable to the hypothesis that was widely-spread in 19^th century stating that madness is a sequence of masturbation according to its scientific foundation. The restoration of biochemical balance in organism of Prozac was considered to be its most outstanding function. Besides the overall ambiguity of antidepressants’ mechanism of action, it became clear that they blocked the action of another important neurotransmitter, dopamine that may result in akathisia condition. Akathisia is a very serious disorder. It may cause not only suicide, but also homicide. View more information about this disorder: https://www.healthline.com/health/akathisia.

Side-Effects and Withdrawal from Prozac

Digestive system: diarrhea, nausea, vomit, odynophagia, dyspepsia, dysgeusia; in individual cases – idiosyncratic hepatitis.

Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system: spasm, ataxy, Buccoglossal syndrome, myoclonia, shivering, anorexia (up to body mass loss), anxiety accompanied by heartbeats, apprehension, nervosity, agitation, vertigo, weariness (drowsiness, asthenia), impairment of concentration and brainwork, maniacal reaction, sleep impairments (unusual dreams and insomnia); vision impairments (mydriasis, blurring of vision); impairments of involuntary nervous system (dryness in mouth, sweating, vasodilation, chilly sensation), serotonin syndrome (complex of clinical implications of altered mental status and neuromuscular activity in combination with autonomous impairments of nervous system).

Urinary system: urination impairments (including frequent urination), priapism/long-lasting erection, sexual disorders (low libido, detaining or absence of ejaculation, absence of orgasm, impotency).

Endocrine system: antidiuretic hormone parasecreion.

Allergic reactions: rash, itching, urticarial fever, anaphylaxis reactions, vasculitis, reactions resembling signs of serum disease.

Dermatological reactions: pholosensibility, alopecia.

Other: fit of yawning, ecchymoma.

Herbal Remedies with St. John’s Wort

Home remedies are distinguished by high efficiency and insignificant adverse effects in comparison with traditional drugs, especially when it comes to herbal infusions. The leader among therapeutic herbs is St. John’s Wort the health properties of which are still being discovered by scholars all around the world.

Infusion made of dry St. John’s Wort flowers treats a wide range of diseases:

• cardiac;
• hepatic;
• gastric;
• connected with female sex organs.

Recent research studies of this plant have shown a good therapeutic effect for depression treatment, chronic weariness, and neurological disorders.

This variety of useful effect is connected with the unique composition of dry flowers:

• Flavonoids;
• Tocopherols (antioxidants);
• Tanning materials;
• Vitamins (pro-vitamin A, nicotinic acid, rutin, vitamin C).

The main active substances are as follows: azulene, quercetine, vitamin complex, tocopherols, and flavonoids. Due to this composition, this natural antidepressant became quite popular in medicine.

Strong impact on nervous system is provided by complex action of substances that separately or in another combination are not therapeutically effective:

• Azulene is a popular pigment in cosmetology and antioxidant due to anti-inflammatory and regenerating features;
• Quercetine is flavonoid that is able to penetrate into endings of nervous tissues, can take impact on regulation of receptors decreasing adrenaline rush that provides soothing and analgesic action;
• Rutin is vitamin that is good for reinforcement of vascular walls;
• Nicotinic acid is essential for activity of nervous and cardiac system;
• Hypericin is red pigment that is located in flowers of St. John’s Wort and has antidepressant psychotropic impact on organism.

Alcoholic, oil and water tinctures of St. John’s Wort were applied many centuries ago for nervous disorders, insomnia, anxiety and depression. Today, pharmacies offer a large variety of medicinal products based on this herb in the form of pills, injection, drops, powder and tea. Increase of St. John’s Wort-based pills amount is not occasional.

Interest in plant-based preparations in psychotherapy is connected with the following factors:

• Increase in number of depressive conditions across the population;
• High therapeutic effect due to application of medications based on this herb;
• Low price on herbal anti-depressants;
• Small percent of side-effects in comparison with synthetic medications.

St. John’s Wort for depression and insomnia may be prepared domiciliary by using the following recipes:

• Tea for insomnia. Valerian herb should be mixed with St. John’s Wort flowers and mint at the ratio 1:1:1 (5g each), poured with 300ml of boiling-hot water, and infused for 10 minutes. The infusion is to be taken before going to bed during 2 weeks.
• Herbal infusion. Chamomile and St. John’s Wort flowers should be mixed at the ratio 1:1, poured with 500ml of water, cooked on a slow fire, stewed for 10 minutes after boiling. The infusion is to be taken 50ml 30 minutes prior to meal for not longer than 1 week.
• Oil tincture. 10g of St. John’s Wort flowers are poured with 100ml of olive oil and infused in dark cool place for 40 days. Then the oil extract is taken perorally 1 tea spoon before meal during 2 weeks.
• Oil-alcoholic tincture. Fresh herb or flowers of St. John’s Wort (500g) are poured with 0,5L of wine and 1L of oil (almond, olive), infused for 3 days and then stewed on vapour bath. The acquired oil is infused for several weeks, filtered and taken by 1 tea spoon fasted during a month.

How Does L-tryptophan Work?

Serotonin is one of the crucial hormones regulating mood. Failure in production (or digestion) of this hormone provokes depressions development; whereas principle of functioning of many medications (belonging to the category of antidepressants) lies in regulation and normalization of serotonin exchange mechanisms. Serotonin synthesis is tightly connected with sleep hormone synthesis, melatonin. In fact, organism produces melatonin exactly because of serotonin. That is why depression provokes sleep disorders, and sleep disorders in turn – depression. Food source of these two hormones is amino acid, tryptophan.

Tryptophan is a structural component of many food proteins. The norm of its consumption is around 3,5mg per each kilogram of body weight per day; in other words, to support health, a person weighing 70kg must normally get around 250mg of tryptophan with food. The list of products rich in tryptophan is as follows: fish, meat, soy, lentil and other leguminous crops, various kinds of nuts, cottage cheese, cheese and other milk products, oat and buckwheat. Nevertheless, according to research studies, there is not direct connection between tryptophan in food and serotonin level in brain.

Just a small part of tryptophan derived from food is able to turn into serotonin. The cause is either sophisticated digestion chain or barrier between blood system and cerebrum. The exception is administration of pure L-tryptophan in pills – it gets digested much better.  In fact, organism of some people converts tryptophan into serotonin better than the one of the others. Moreover, the substances providing “artificial happiness” (such as alcohol, nicotine, or narcotics) are able to damage serotonin production and its synthesis from tryptophan in food.

Dealing with Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

The whole system of endocrinology is an important regulatory network of organism. Its glands actively participate in metabolic processes of the whole body supporting homeostasis – capacity of organism to maintain its own dynamic balance. First of all, impairment of stability in functionality of endocrine system manifests itself with metabolic processes. Body reaction is expressed in overweight. Change of body mass may be so abrupt that a person becomes barely recognizable within a month. This condition is harmful not only with obesity, but also with problems of many organs functioning and skin condition. There are endocrine diseases that cause weight loss. A person rapidly starts losing body weight while eating as usual and doing nothing to grow lean. Diagnosing of the disease taking obesity as a symptom may be conducted by determination of the area of fatty tissue accumulation.

Classification:

• regularly spaced distribution of fat deposit – type 2 diabetes mellitus;
• accumulation in abdominal area in case of traditional size of limbs – hypercorticoidism or pathologic processes in pituitary-hypothalamus system;
• sudden weight loss – type 1 diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis.

Central nervous system also reflects some diseases of endocrine system with its condition.

The list of manifestations connected with nerves is as follows:

• Sudden and cardinal mood swings up to hysterical fits;
• Increased drowsiness night and day;
• Restraint activity;
• Weak brainwork;
• Lack of dynamism;
• Flashes of enhanced aggressiveness, irritability.

In case the problems affect peripheral nervous system, the symptoms may be manifested by pains in extremities and sensibility disorder of skin covering on arms and legs – paresthesia (get to know more). Cramps in lower leg muscles are common for such condition. Mineral turnover gets damaged not least of all showing the imbalance with sharp thirst along with frequent urination surge. Also, there is a secondary symptomatology of the diseases of endocrine system.

In accordance with the type of the gland impaired with the disorder there are the following conditions:

• painful feelings in abdominal area;
• diarrhea and constipation;
• absence or excessive appetite;
• nausea during food intake or while odor sense perception;
• dry heaving after meals.

Impairment of sexual function occurs in both men and women. The character of functioning failure of reproductive system depends on the severity level of gland’s disorder.

So, how to deal with these conditions? Sound diet with correct dietary regimen is one of the crucial ways of endocrine system diseases prophylaxis. In case there is a genetic predisposition, specialists recommend taking herbal infusions belonging to home remedies. Minimal physical activities and remedial gymnastics are also quite relevant to support body tonus. All these measures are aimed at decrease of pathology development and prevention from possible relapses after therapy.

Impairment of stable function of internal secretion gland is treated in accordance with the type of disorder and particular gland it affects. Medicinal products, diets and other methods of conservative therapy are relevant for initial development of diseases, since the character of disorders is diverse and is expressed by different consequences for organism. In case of risk for occurrence of malignant tumors, surgery is likely to be recommended. Definitive therapy is designed mainly for getting rid of pathology source. In case of any symptoms occurrence, immediate medical attendance is required.

The Importance of Amino Acids

It is well-known that long-term stress exhausts the supplies of amino acids necessary for organism: tryptophan, tyrosine, cysteine, and especially methionine. The presence of these amino acids in strictly particular proportions is required for coordinated performance of main functions of organism.

Human organism contains around 20 various amino acids from which proteins get synthesized. Resulting from selective mixture of amino acids, different types of proteins are produced. Acquired proteins differ according to sizes and shape; they are like three-dimensional structures that constantly curve and spin. During such movements and rotation, they turn with various facets that attract their chemically predisposed partners. Alliance and interaction of both partners cause the desired reaction. Total sum of these desired reactions is a source of life on Earth.

The food we eat gives us not only energy essential for functioning, but also main amino acids as a material for proteins production. In more liquid solutions, proteins and enzymes get a bigger freedom of movement and rotation that enhance efficiency of their search for chemical partners and interaction with them. Thus, dehydration may be a cause of slowing down of these natural reactions and loss of particular senses. Human organism can produce 12 from 20 amino acids, but it needs to import the rest 8 of them in the system in order to acquire capacity to produce the whole range of essential protein and neurotransmitters. These imported substances are called essential and nonreplaceable amino acids.

Organism cannot function properly without them. Essential amino acids include isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, and 2-amino-3-methylbutanoic acid. Since tyrosine gets synthesized from phenylalanine, and cysteine – from methionine, tyrosine and cysteine may be considered nonreplaceable amino acids. Reduction of production rate of arginine and histidin existing at young and elderly age allows adding them on the group of essential amino acids. As a result, there are 12 nonreplaceable amino acids that are to be imported by organism at different stages of its development in case it wants to guarantee its normal functioning.

Magnetic Healing

Chinese healers used magnets for depression throughout the last two millennia, as well as Tibetan monks relieve depression by means of magnets. It is likely that antidepressants will gradually withdraw from common usage in the near future. Impulse magnetotherapy relieves depression symptoms in every third patient. Depression is observed in every fourth person on Earth during a certain period of his or her life. But up to now, specialists do not share opinion about the way this severe psychological disorder is to be treated.

Nowadays, a group of researchers from Californian University test the new equipment, NeuroStar TMS Therapy sending magnet impulses through patient’s cerebrum. It causes slight electric alterations in brain that activate cells and promote depression treatment. The results of tests on 300 patients with severe depression showed that 58 per cent of them achieved positive reaction and 37 per cent experienced the stage of remission. Hence, impulse magnetotherapy may be one of potential methods of depression therapy. Opposed to medicinal products, this method doesn’t have any characteristic side-effects.

Improvements in patients’ health condition allow medical experts to state that non-medication magnetic therapy relieves depression symptoms and returns normal condition of patients allowing them to go back to work, family and habitual social circle. All participants of the experiment filled out a special questionnaire before and after the treatment. Magnetic fields created by this equipment are comparable to the power of those that are created by MRI scanner. They stimulate neuron activity and decrease oppression of depression. Depression therapy with traditional antidepressants generally may cause such side-effects as vomit, blushes, low libido, etc.

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