Natural Depression Solution

hey guys been battling depression on and off since my stroke a few years back

Ive been on meds thy at i wasnt too happy with and am honestly looking for natural ways/supplements that help battle depression. Im very apprehensive trying certain things because of certain things increasing blood flow (brainstem AVM). i prefer to not do more meds but im having a very hard time. Please any advice is good. I see a shrink as well, but still wanted to see if anything worked for anyone in particular.

So sorry you are going through depression. Have you considered talking to a Community Counselor? I know you mentioned you see a shrink (by the term I assume a Psychologist or a Psychiatrist) but maybe a counselor could help you differently? (Counselors are trained to treat depression, etc). Anyway, regardless, when I get down I dont take any meds because I am also apprehensive about them, but maybe ask your shrink or your doctor specializing in AVM whether you should take any and if it would be safe for you? What I find helps me is socializing (like I am doing now in www.avmsurvivors.com) and staying entertained and busy. Keep us updated! And stay positive!

Vitamin D also helps. I know a lot of us have a hard time being in the sun because it thins the blood, or increases half life of our meds, so I take a pill.

Scott,

I went through a similar period after my AVM hospitalization a few years ago so I TOTALLY hear you. I was also unhappy with the idea of taking ANOTHER med to deal with the depression so I went with self-implemented, behavioral methods and it seemed to work for me. You don't mention what other (if any) consequences of your stroke you are still experiencing but if you can manage it I recommend: 1) Exercise; it's generally known to curb depression and it worked for me as well. This doesn't have to mean anything major, just enough to break a sweat on a regular basis. 2) Light exposure; a lot of research indicates that just getting out in to the sun regularly (or using a light therapy lamp) helps combat depression. That also seemed to help me. Most important 3) Get out and do things! Whatever you used to do before your incident, do it! This might mean just going to work, grocery shopping, or seeing friends. Helps ALOT. If you have driving restrictions, this can be difficult but find ways to do it anyway, if you can. Also, 4) music. Whatever floats your boat, just preferably something cheerful.

I also felt much better after I discontinued Keppra (anti-seizure meds) but of course that's between you and your doctor. Obviously, I am not your doctor so take all of this with a grain of salt. Just know that these (drug free) strategies worked for SOMEBODY. I did also see a counselor a couple of times. Sometimes it just helps to tell your story and have someone say "Wow! I'm sorry that happened to you!"

Hope you feel better soon!

Man, I am so sorry for you. My AVM ruptured 10 years ago and the treatment that they gave me has not worked at all. It is deep down in there and has taken up home and I think the only way I’ll ever get it out is to blow it up, like a beaver dam. I get period times where I get depressed, and am on meds to keep it at bay, but sometimes they don’t work. I just try my best to try and stay happy. Very difficult when your head feels like it’s going to explode, implode or being ripped apart on a daily basis. But I do have a wife and two great kids. My son is married, going on almost 2 years now and are expecting in January. If that isn’t depressing enough (knowing that I am old enough to have grandkids), my baby girl is getting married in December of this year. That’s depressing because I have to fork out so much money and as of today, I have $11.00 in the bank, and that is going to have to last until my wife gets paid, NEXT friday. But I look at things in a positive way. We are going to have to eat a lot of leftovers, that will get the fridge cleaned out, everybody will have to stay home after work and school, no running up and down the road, so family time will be spent together. Well, close together, my daughter stays locked up in her room most of the time, but she is home. Her hubby to be is on the Navy and stationed in Hawaii. She is still in school, got lucky and got a spot in the course she wanted and has a year left to go. That means, after they get married, he has to go back to Hawaii and she is going to have to stay here to finish up her clinicals. He is going to be out to sea for about 5-6 months when he gets back, so she would be over there by herself, knowing no one, so it won’t be that bad. Of course I told her, this won’t be the last time he has to go out, and I am not splurging for airfare every time he is gone, so when she gets there she better hurry up and get to know some people that she will be able to hang out with while he is away. I try to keep busy as well. Can’t afford most of the things she wants for her wedding, so I am making some of the things that I can, wood signs, platters out of some sort of tree. Tried some in pine with a chain saw, but I was in the bottom of a ditch trying to saw this pine tree into one inch diagonal plates and it was tough keeping them all the same thickness. But this weekend, we are supposed to go to her cousins house. Her aunt has a tree that she wants hopped down and they have a band saw so that way, maybe I’ll be able to get them all close to the size she wants, and it will be a lot easier than trying to do it in the bottom of a ditch with just a chainsaw. Oh and to top that off, because of this stupid thing in my head, or because of the treatment they tried, left me having to walk with crutches, and trying to saw with one had while holding onto a crutch with the other, didn’t help all that much. I can stand for a little while without one, but not long because I can’t keep my balance. Anyways, I also help coach the local high school softball team. My part is the going around and telling each player what they should be doing and how. Don’t get to hit or throw, but get to encourage and cheer and I keep the book. I also keep the clock for the volleyball games. I used to do basketball as well, but my reflexes have slowed a lot, so I had to give that up. That sucked, because I got in every game for free and had the best seat in the gym. Oh well, I don’t have anybody in my immediate family playing anyway, but I do have some of my softball girls that play, and is tell each and everyone that plays on the team. Now that you are on the team, you automatically become part of my family, and if will treat you as such. I give them my cell number and let them know that they can call me any time, day or night, and it will be there for whatever they need. I have told every one that ever played on any of the teams, baseball and softball. I often get phone calls at all hours from some of the kids. I recently got a call from a baseball player I helped coach 9 years ago, call me at 3 in the morning because he was having problems with his now ex-girlfriend. I usually just listen to what they have to say, letting them get their frustrations or sadness out then try to maybe give advise or just tell them what I would do, but say that that is just my opinion, that doesn’t mean that that is what they should do. Often times I just listen and try to comfort as much as you can on the phone. He lives in Virginia and I in N.C. So I couldn’t just hop in my car and run over to see him, but he did come home a couple of days later and stopped by the house and we could talk a little more about it. He was one of the Tough kids in high school, popular, athletic, decent looking, looks just like Scotty McCreary, anyway, I was the enforcer when I helped coach baseball and set rules about behavior on and off the field. He struck out one time and came back to the dugout and threw his helmet. I said that’s 4 laps, then he threw his bat, I said that’s 8, he said I don’t give a damn,16. Then he set down and everything was ok. I kept telling him during the week, you have to run those 16 laps before the next game or you will not be able to play. The morning if the next game he called me at 6:00 and said I’m going to start running my laps. I said you can run all you want but if I don’t see them, they don’t count. So I got up and went to the ball park and he ran his 16 laps. He said he thanks me now because I didn’t back down and give in like the coach would have and it made him realize that I was serious and wasn’t backing down. I told him, this is what life is going to be like, you have to follow the rules or you won’t make it far. He joined the Air Force after school and learned that they don’t play or back down either. What I’m trying to say is, get out, stay busy, take your mind off whatever is bothering you and focus on something else. It may not get rid of your depression but you will have a lot of other things, hopefully positive, to keep your mind busy and not idle. Good Luck and if you need to call me, msg me and I will give you my # and we can chat. I’m a good listener.

Hi Scott - Immediately after my initial brain surgery and coma, I was transferred to a physical-rehab hospital where I was inpatient for a few months and where I was on an anti-depressant through my peg tube, unknowingly.

Even though I wasn’t aware of it, my parents and then-boyfriend were good with it. I’m not big on pharmaceutical drugs, but I really think that was the best thing for me at the time.

I’m not completely closed to pharmaceutical drugs, but I’m hesitant to use them because of possible addiction, awful side-effects, etc.

Where I was once unable to do physical activity, I’m able to do so now, and I do yoga and meditation almost every morning. Doing yoga and meditation seem to help as preventative “medicine”.

However, if there is something different happening that can cause extra “stress” for me, I’ll use a kava-kava root spray and/or passionflower tea.

Everyone’s different; they might not work for you, but they help me. Either way, you want to check with your doctor and/or pharmacist for possible drug interactions, etc.

I'm a big proponent of yoga also. I would like to try meditation but I cannot, for the life of me, turn my brain off. Also, music has always been a big part of my life so I listen to music all the time. I exercise every day, even if it's just taking my dog for a walk. Oh, and dogs! My dog has helped me so much. I was on Zoloft for a time. It helped but it also caused me to gain 30lbs. Now THAT is depressing! I don't want to do any more drugs either. Good luck Scott!

Any day above the dirt is a good day! I woke up today so I’m happy. :slight_smile: life is good! Pray. The power of prayer brought me back after my Death Of Body experience. I was clinically dead after my first brain aneurysm ruptured. Obviously my incredible team of doctors at Mt. Sinai hospital in Miami Beach brought me back into this world or I would not be sitting here typing this. I went to Heaven for a little while and I was able to prove it to my mom by telling her things I had no way of knowing. My dad went to Heaven in 1968 after his brain aneurysm ruptured. Did you notice that I did not say NDE like most people do? DOB. Death Of Body or Date Of Birth now mean the same to me. So pray. Heaven IS for real! My therapy is my time with my Heavenly Father and its done miracles in my life! How many people out there have survived nine brain surgeries out there like I did? Probably not a lot. Never give up and count your blessings every day. God will answer and help you if you ask. I believe.
-Monica

Scott David Harris why don't you try the alternative supplements. I use one for Panic Attacks that has helped me sleep at least. There might be other vitamins, herbs or supplement that could help you. Here is the website I go to religiously for help. www.earthclinic.com/ It really does help good luck to you and many blessings.
P.S. I use to look up jokes to make me laugh. I did fell much better when I did that.

Peace,
Justice (Mary)

Trish, I totally agree with you. Yoga is a great way to feel better,I recommend taking a beginner class if you’ve never done it, meditation would be great if I could quite my mind, and then when I read about the dog, I knew I had to respond. Not sure of you already have pets Scott, but they do help with depression!!!
also if you want to get involved with an alternative sport, most places have roller derby now, and the leagues are always looking for non skating volunteers as well as skaters. It definitely gets my mind off depression when I’m doing it!
I know it’s hard to think about doing anything when you’re depressed, but any of these things would be less risky than more meds!

One thing to keep in mind...if you are thinkig of trying a supplement of any kind, please be sure to check with your doctor. You want to make sure it is safe for you.