30 Top Resources for Non-Pharmacological Therapies for Depression

Guest post by Kat Sanders

Depression is not something that we can take lightly; it may start out as a mild form of sadness, but if left untreated or unmanaged, it could turn into a full blown mental disorder that causes more complications than you can handle. Rather than resort to drugs to treat depression (they come with a host of side effects and are sometimes addictive), you could try these top resources for non-pharmacological therapies for depression. A word of warning - these are not meant as professional advice, so consult your doctor before you stop your medication or try something new.

There are various alternative methods of treating depression, and some of them are:

Psychotherapy: this is a method that uses cognitive behavior therapy and other coping strategies to help deal with their problem. A few sites that have good information on psychotherapy are:

• About.Com s Depression and Psychotherapy page


• Psych Central s resources on psychotherapy


• Psychotherapy Resources offers depression help in North Carolina and in general


• Patient.Co.UK has information on psychotherapy and related resources in the United Kingdom


• Psychotherapy.Net links to articles and interviews with qualified therapists who deal with depression on a daily basis.


• Anxiety Insights offers information and news on psychotherapy, depression and related topics.

Light Therapy: is used to help people who suffer from depression because of living in houses where there’s not enough natural light and in places where sunlight is missing for the major part of the year. It involves being bathed in artificial light for at least half an hour each day. Below are a few sites that offer comprehensive information and resources about this therapeutic method.

• Light Therapy Australia contains access to resources on light therapy down under and in general.



• Light Therapy Products lists products that help you cope with and prevent depression that’s induced by a lack of natural light


• Holistic Online s light therapy page contains information on this disorder


• Pscyeducation.Org tells you more about light therapy


• Mayo Clinic’s pages on light therapy and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) offer you more information on these conditions



• Full Spectrum Solutions offers links to products that help prevent SAD and suggestions and ideas for full spectrum lighting

Aerobic Exercise: Cardio workouts that get your heart beating have been proven to be mood enhancers and are thus a great cure for depression. Regular exercise releases endorphins and other feel good chemicals that keep you in good spirits the natural and healthy way. Some sites that offer quality resources on exercising and beating depression are:

• Mental Health UK lets you access resources on health and exercising


• Hub Pages tells you how exercise keeps depression away


• Buzzle.Com features an article on depression, exercise and stress


• Natural Cures for Depression shows you how to beat depression using exercise



• Articles Base has various articles on exercise and depression


• The Uplift Program offers products to help you chase away the blues by exercising

Supplements: From time immemorial, people have been using herbs and other natural substances to treat depression and other mental disorders. A few sites that offer information on supplemental treatment for depression are:

• Helium.Com tells you what you need to know before you use herbal supplements to treat depression


• I Love India offers a list of herbs that help in treating depression


• Native Remedies tell you how various herbs work in helping you cope with depression



• Buzzle.Com provides two great articles on how to treat depression with herbs and why you can depend on them to beat depression away


• Treat Depression Naturally offers you tips on the herbs that work in treating depression


• EHow.Com offers advice on using herbs to help with depression

Foods: Some foods are known to be great mood enhancers because of the chemicals they contain, like chocolate. If you want more information on foods that boost mood and help people who are depressed, check out the below list:

• Natural News offers a list of food groups that help beat depression



• Search Warp tells you why certain foods help enhance your mood and chase away depression


• Ezine Articles offers information about foods that are supposed to keep you upbeat


• Jared Story tells you why food therapy is good for treating depression


• Ayush Veda also tells you why you must eat certain foods to keep your spirits up



• Web MD offers a list of foods that help beat winter depression

By-line:

This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of MRI technologist schools at her blog MRI Tech's Health Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.