Preface and Personal Disclaimer:

No, I won't be demonizing the pharmaceutical industry.  No, I am not a dupe of the antidepressant manufacturers.  No, I won't be telling someone that they are wrong to choose prescription antidepressants nor will I tell someone they are wrong for taking no medications at all.  No, I am not on your "side" to denounce antidepressants just because I choose to use supplements to help me with my depression.

I think that what sometimes happens on health sites is that an individual is pegged for believing certain things based upon the choices they currently make.  Right now I am choosing to take SAM-e to treat my depression.  Although this is considered to be a more "natural" treatment this does not mean that I do not recognize and value how prescription antidepressants are helping many sufferers of depression to survive. 

I am not anti-meds.  My teen-age son is taking Prozac and I have witnessed firsthand how this particular medication has changed his life for the better.  I have friends who probably would not be here today if it were not for their taking an antidepressant.  I had also worked in the field of mental health for many years and I saw how medications can work for some individuals in order to overcome obstacles that they could not have otherwise.

I am making this point because whether we are treating a mood disorder or a physical illness, these types of all or nothing arguments come up frequently when we discuss health care.  I have made my choices regarding the treatment of my depression.   But this does not mean that I will ever repudiate another's choice just to validate my own.

As a writer here I strongly wish to maintain a sense of integrity and fairness.  Depression is a very complex thing.  There are no right or wrong answers.  There are just a multitude of choices.  I will try to give you information so that you can make your own choices regarding your treatment.  Remember that this is your life and you call the shots.  Don't let anyone tell you differently.

And now back to your regularly scheduled program...

There are many choices regarding natural supplements to help treat depression.  The choices can seem overwhelming.  You might hear about some natural remedies to treat depression from friends or from health forums on the internet.  You might also read scientific studies where the efficacy of certain supplements has been tested.  You may also be besieged with advertising where a natural product is being touted as the newest cure for depression as well as other ailments.  A person can get lost in this mess.  Wouldn't it just be easier for someone to tell you what to take?  In some cases yes.  But I feel that as a consumer of your mental health care and treatment, it is a good practice to do your own research of possible treatments.