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For mild depression, I believe that repetitious motion exercise for 20 minutes helps people feel much better and walking is cheap and requires no special equipment. Studies show it helps all mental illnesses.
I find that when I exercise, it makes my depression and mood worse even with my antidepressants (which I take faithfully along with discussing things with a therapist). Extra exercise, such as swimming, walking, going to the gym etc., over and above my regular daily activities such as, working, cleaning, cooking etc. has a tendency to make me cry, and angry and my thoughts become erratic. My personal study, with myself, I am one of millions and not one who can be lumped into the vast majority of people, because I am unique and not a lump like most everyone else.
I know everyone says "studies show" but all the studies shown are completely one sided, they do not show the percentage of people that had adverse reactions and what those reactions were, beliefs of the people performing the studies etc. these all have a huge impact on the studies. So "studies show" means nothing because the studies are based on force fed information to push a specific view and are not performed to educate and expand our knowledge.
In response to your argument about Depression being a disease:
Depression is a disease of the mind and nothing else. One of the most important steps in rebuilding the mind from thoughts of destruction is confessing the positive. Confessing the positive is not necessarily denying there is a problem. Anyone can claim to be depressed and obtain medication. Why would you want to be bound by the will of drugs. Will power is key in recovery. Holistic solutions to depression are more permanent and less detrimental to the body
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Deb,
I agree with pretty much everything you've said. It also stupifies me why people will try everything natural under the sun, but won't go near antidepressants. The scary thing is that most of these 'natural' cures haven't even been through tests, so there's no way of knowing how they effect people.
As I said, the tendency to choose a natural treatment over antidepressants is to a great extent due to the general resistance to admitting that one has depression, and that it is an actual illness. And that's because of stigma, which, let's be honest, still does exist. So it's a lot easier to say that you're talking St. John's Wort because you're in a funk than you're taking an antidepressant.
At the very least, people who are taking a supplement or herb to treat their depression should make sure there is no contraindication with either prescription or over the counter drugs they're taking, or even another herb or supplement.
Let me clarify that. It's my opinion that the tendency to choose a natural treatment over antidepressants is to a great extent due to the general resistance to admitting that one has depression, and that it is an actual illness. There may be other factors that are at work here.