Easing Depression Naturally

Chronic illness often comes hand in hand with depression. I know for me the chronic pain was depressing, never getting any relief and not being able to find a doctor who understood what I was going through. The one doctor would not prescribe anything to me for pain until I saw a psychiatrist about my depression. I tried to explain to him that I was depressed because I was in pain all the time! If we take care of the pain, I bet the depression will lessen (and guess what, once I started on a minimal pain med it did!) Since fibromyalgia is chronic, its good to know whats out there that can naturally help us keep positive. Here is some info I've found recently:


Omega-3s & Benefits
Studies have been done and shown that taking Omega-3's (also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids) can help with depression.(http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/06/21/mtl-omega-3-depression.html) They are typically found in vegetables, vegetable oil and fish. The bonus for us is that they can also boost the immune system and help stop pain! But there are some cautions, so check with your doctor before taking any Omega supplements. (Omega 3 overload can lead to excessive bleeding, stroke, causing heart problems for people with a history of heart conditions, glycemic disturbance among diabetics, potentially harmful to those people who have disorders of the blood or those on blood-thinning medication.)

B-Vitamins & Benefits
B-vitamins can also help ease depression (http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2010/06/18/eline/links/20100618elin002.html) AND are good for us fibros in helping increase energy levels! But again check with your doctor before starting any new supplement, as high doses of vitamin B can cause nerve damage.


Please remember to consult your physician before trying anything new. I am not a doctor and no information I provide here should be considered medical advice.The information I share on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.  It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from my research and experience. Links to other sites are provided for ease of research. Information on those sites is the opinion of those who publish the sites and is NOT necessarily that of FibroChick. I offer what I can as help. I believe in educating myself on all my medical issues and being my own advocate, for no one else will do that on my behalf. I recommend we all do the same! I encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.