How to Treat Mental Illness Without Medication

As you know, when there is someone with mental illness, they need to be treated. However, talking about treating mental illness, is it possible to treat mental illness without medication? Let’s read the explanation about treating mental illness without medication below.

Treating Mental Illness Especially Depression without Medication

The first thing that you need to know is that using medication that your doctor prescribed for your mental illness is nothing wrong. There are a lot of medications which are present and they have been proved to work and give significant results. However, some people may choose not to use medications to treat their mental illness. If so, they can treat mental illness especially depression without medication as explained below according to an article on Very Well Mind site entitled How to Fight Depression Without Medication by Nancy Schimelpfening which was medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD.

• You can get more sleep.
  It is important for you to note that sleep and mood go hand in hand. To support your emotional well-being, you need to make sure to have ‘good sleep hygiene’. It means that you have to keep consistent bedtimes and wake-up times. Not only that, you also have to set up your bedroom for sound sleep, you have a relaxing bedtime routine which does not involve sitting in front of a screen and so on. Here are several tips to improve the quality of your sleep.
• • You need to give yourself time for relaxing before going to bed. You can do something relaxing and make sure to avoid stressful tasks or thoughts.
  • You have to go to bed at the same time every night. You have to set an alarm so that you can wake up at the same time every morning.
  • You must have a consistent bedtime routine.
  • You must switch off your devices and try to read a book for some minutes.
• You have to decrease caffeine.
  It is important for you to note that tea, coffee, soda, and chocolate contain caffeine. If you consume caffeine in a reasonable amount in the morning, it is okay. However, it is better for you to avoid it after late afternoon so that it will not disturb your sleep. Do you rely on caffeine? If so, you can decrease to consume caffeine gradually.
• You can get more vitamin D.
  Some evidence shows that if you lack of vitamin D, it can play a role in depression. Let’s say that you cannot get enough vitamin D through your diet and lifestyle such as from sun exposure. If so, you are able to consult your doctor and ask whether you should take a supplement. You also need to know that if you lack of certain nutrient, it can cause depression symptoms. If it is difficult to spend your time outdoors getting sunshine, or if the weather is cloudy, getting supplements may help.
• You can try natural remedies.
  There is some research which shows that there are natural antidepressants that can be helpful to reduce symptoms of depression. If you want to treat mild to moderate depression, you can try dietary supplements such as S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e), St. John’s Wort, and 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). It is also explained that omega-3 fatty acids have an impact on depression. In 2015, there was a study which found that taking omega-3 supplements may help reduce symptoms of depression in adults and children. However, researchers are not really sure how or why it can happen. Even though natural remedies can be a good option for treating depression, but it is important for you to always consult with your healthcare provider before you decide to take them. It is because even though they are available and easily obtained without a prescription and even though they are called natural, it does not mean that they are safe. Besides, research about some of these natural antidepressants is still not conclusive and some of the natural antidepressants may cause side effects that you do not want to or drug interactions. Let’s take an example. If you mix St. John’s wort with an SSRI such as Prozac, it will be able to lead to a complication called serotonin syndrome. Not only that, SAM-e can carry a risk for hypomania or mania in bipolar disorder.
• You have to tap your spirituality.
  For a lot of people who deal with depression, religion can be an impactful source of support. So, you have to worship more. For moslem, you do not only do 5 obligatory prayers, but also sunnah prayers. In addition, reading the Quran and dhikr can also make you calm. On the Very Well Mind site, it is explained that meditation can have a lot of beneficial effects like lowering stress levels and helping people to be more aware of their reactions and thoughts.
• You have to get more exercise.
  You can do low-intensity activity for a half-hour every day and it is proven that it can improve mood and quality of life. Research has shown that if regular physical activity is done, it can be effective for preventing and treating depression.
• You have to avoid alcohol.
  It is important for you to note that alcohol is a depressant. If you consume it, it can interfere with your sleep, whereas quality sleep is a key to battling sadness. Alcohol can even make a lot of symptoms of depression much worse and it can decrease inhibitions and potentially lead to risky behaviours and bad decisions.
• You have to eat food which can make you in a good mood.
  The food that you eat will have an effect on how you feel and think. So, you have to make sure to eat a well-balanced diet which is rich in nutrients. You can meet a nutritionist and he or she will analyze your eating habits and find potential nutrient deficiencies that can cause depression. Several foods that can be beneficial when you have depression are fish, nuts, and probiotics like kefir, yogurt, kimchi and kombucha.

Well, those are some treatments without medication that you can get if you have depression. Some other treatments without medication according to the Very Well Mind site are changing your thoughts, getting a handle on stress, adding greenery to your home or office, tending to your social life, trying new things, and having a daily routine.