Your mental health is crucial to your overall health. Although medical research is still discovering the secrets of the human brain and its related illnesses, many conditions have proved difficult to treat without pharmaceutical drugs. This is evident in the case of one of the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses—Depression—and the general lack of natural antidepressant drug alternatives that are recommended by doctors.

Debunking the myth – Antidepressant Alternatives DO exist!

Contrary to popular belief, antidepressants are not the only treatment available to individuals suffering from depression. This comes as a relief to many considering the harmful side effects of antidepressants:

• Brain damage
• Insomnia or unrestful sleep
• Lack of emotions or 'emotional flatness'
• Restlessness
• Sexual side effects
• Suicidal thoughts

These can be some rather costly side effects if an antidepressant does not entirely cure your depression, requiring additional medication. Or if your depression quickly returns when you stop taking an antidepressant. The truth is depression can actually be a symptom of an underlying condition that antidepressants of themselves often fail to treat. Enter antidepressant alternatives!

Antidepressant Alternatives treat the source of Depression

With an extensive supply of nerve cells, the gut is often referred to as the 'second brain' by medical professionals. Accordingly, several conditions that influence gut health ultimately affect brain health. And vice versa, brain or mental health conditions may very well be indicators of disruptions in gut health. Research shows that depression is one of those mental health conditions and can actually be a symptom of any of the following:

• Inflammation
• Anemia
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Gluten sensitivity
• Lyme disease
• Thyroid imbalance

Fortunately, this discovery has led to the highly successful use of natural antidepressant alternatives such as:

• vitamin supplementation
• anti-inflammatory herbs
• balancing gut flora
• identifying and eliminating food sensitivities
• eating a cleaner diet and
• getting quality sleep

For some individuals, these antidepressant alternatives cure depression entirely without the use of medications, whereas other individuals may require both traditional and alternative treatment. Either way, the first step you should take is to ‘Ask a Naturopath’ to evaluate your mental and gut health and then recommend the best antidepressant alternative(s) for you. N.B. If you have been prescribed medication for depression by your doctor, on no account should you stop taking it or alter the dose without their approval.