It is said that up to 30% of people suffer from both depression and addiction; when this is the case, it can make recovery much harder. Fortunately, there are many natural anti-depressants that can help a person beat not only their depression, but their addiction too; these can all be easily implemented into a person’s daily life and can do wonders. It should be noted, while there is no ‘cure all’ for depression, there is research supporting these natural anti-depressants listed below.
Natural Anti-depressant 7: Laugh
That’s right, have a good laugh. Multiple studies have shown that laughter can fight depression by reducing the hormones that cause stress and anxiety. Laughter may encourage a person to relax and release the stress that often attributes to depression and perhaps addiction. There are all kinds of things that may help create a good laugh; read the comics, watch a comedy, or listen to a comedian crack a funny joke. Maybe these won’t do the trick; if not, try locating a laughter yoga class. These classes can make one laugh for nearly the entire period allowing the person to walk out with a almost permanent smile on their face.
Natural Anti-depressant 8: Eat Fats
Ingest more healthy fats, such as omega- 3’s. Research has shown that fatty fish oil can improve a person’s well being by having a positive effect on the neurotransmitters in the brain. It has been found that people with depression often have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood. Omega-3’s can be found in fish such as salmon, walnuts, flax seeds, and it also comes in tablet form as a supplement.
Natural Anti-depressant 9: Take Supplements
There are numerous supplements that a person can take to beat an addiction and depression. Researchers suggest that milk thistle has been shown to protect the cells of the liver and detoxifies the body. It has been estimated that the liver can be regenerated 4 times faster when taking milk thistle. Vitamin C is another good supplement as well as vitamin B-12, folic acid, and vitamin D3. These can all be found in natural food as well as vitamin supplements.
Natural Anti-depressant 10: Limit Sugar
There have been a few studies done recently indicating that refined sugar craving may be related to addiction as well as depression. Although it may be very difficult to completely eliminate sugar, it would be wise to limit the intake of it. There are many natural sweeteners such as agave, honey, and maple syrup.
Natural Anti-depressant 11: Think Positive
On top of trying the natural anti-depressants above and in Part 1, thinking positive can do absolute wonders. Everything can only go so far, but truly believing that you can beat your depression and addiction can be extremely powerful.
Natural Anti-depressant 12: Be Patient
Thinking positive and using the methods above can and will work, but they will take time. Some days may be worse than others, so try to recognize that small steps must be taken in order to recover. Great rewards take longer to obtain, but with patience, half of the battle is already won. Depression and addiction can be a phase of a person’s life, and with the right attitude and know how, anyone can beat both, recover, and have a happy and healthy life.
Depression and Addiction Can Be Beat!
The road to recovery may be rough and covered in potholes, but there can always be a happy ending. The Cabin Chiang Mai is a drug and alcohol rehab located in Chiang Mai Thailand and can help you to beat an addiction and overcome depression.
If you found this article helpful, please share it with others, especially those suffering from a drug or alcohol depression.
Beat Addiction and Depression with these Natural Anti-Depressants Part 1
