There is no shame in needing a little prescription help when combating depression. This said, I have noticed more and more clients want to try the non-RX way to battle depression before they have to get a prescription. Below are the 3 ways I have found that help battle depression without having to have a doctor sign-off on a prescription. This said, if you feel like you are in need of RX help, please ask for it. There is no shame in asking and not all options work for all the people all of the time.

#1 alternative to RX-  Get moving. Exercise can relieve depression, possibly by altering the mood-regulating brain chemicals norepinephrine and serotonin. Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking on a treadmill, is best, but any degree of exercise is better than none.

#2 alternative to RX – More light. During the short, dark days of winter, some people are prone to a type of depression called seasonal affective disorder. One way to ease symptoms may be light therapy, in which you sit near a brightly lit box that mimics outdoor light. The therapy generally starts with daily sessions of about 15 minutes and increases to up to two hours daily. The timing depends upon the severity of symptoms. Basically, start going out in the daylight or ask your doctor about actual light therapy.

#3 alternative to RX – Your thoughts. If you know how often you are thinking negative, you can focus on thinking positive thoughts on a more regular basis. Start a diary simply to track your moods, thoughts and the words you use. Yes, therapy focused on teaching people about positive thinking has been shown to relieve depression,so start tracking the bad words, the negative thoughts and then you can focus more on using positive words and thoughts, which may help with the depression.

Depression is serious.  If you try these things and feel they don’t help, seek alternative treatment or an RX. You need support and clinical supervision is always an option depending on how severe the depression becomes.