Somehow, someway, YOU MUST change, improve, or correct your brain chemistry before you will feel good again.

• All of the methods below CAN do that.
  
• It's just a matter of what treatment is practical & tolerable for you.
  
• Learn about the pros and cons of your treatment of choice.
  • Choose one you can stick with.
  • Give the treatment a chance to work.

• Very successful for many !!
  I have known people lucky enough to have an antidepressant work quick, easy, first time, and long term with no other help or side affects.
• Not successful for everyone
• Lots to choose from
• Research is ongoing to produce new and better drugs with less side affects
• See links below or see my bookstore sections:
  • Prozac & Alternatives or
  • Medical / Antidepressants

• Can really get you through
• Probably best used with antidepressants
• For some people, can work as well as antidepressants

• Results similar to psychotherapy.
• Probably most effective in mild to moderate types of depression

• If a blood test shows you have low thyroid, estrogens, DHEA or other hormones, replacing them can really help.

• Therapeutic use of nutritional supplements has great and fantastic potential but is not fully developed yet and is in the realm of self-help.
• You will often see one particular new supplement, like SAMe, being marketed as the answer.
• Keep in mind that nutritional supplements work together with other supplements.
• We must not keep looking to a one pill miracle cure – but add a few more pills and you’ve got something.

• The downside is that doctor appointments, supplements, and blood tests are expensive & usually not covered by insurance.
• Can be used to improve the performance of antidepressants but ask your doctor first!!
  • There are some dangerous combinations of antidepressants and amino acids, herbs, or even foods.
  • Trouble is, your regular medical doctor may discourage you with incorrect & uneducated advice.
  • Why ? Because most doctors have no interest, education, training, or experience with clinical & therapeutic uses of nutritional supplements.
  • They will give you the infuriating, "exercise & eat right" cliche' !
  • And not only will they "not help you", they will often display a "fear of the unknown" and be against you.
  • Thus, you may be on your own.

• You may be able to find a nutritionally oriented doctor in your area through ACAM.org but there is still no guarantee of their knowledge or experience using supplements.
• Regardless of the difficulty, it is best to find a doctor - hopefully one you can work with.
• You may also want to read & learn what to take for yourself from the many books written for using nutritional supplements to treat depression, many written by doctors.

• Read & Educate Yourself about vitamins
• Be careful & responsible.
• Why ? Although supplements are far safer compared to drugs
  • Supplements are powerful
  • Supplements are unnaturally natural.
  • Many are man-made versions of chemicals found inside us.
  • They are therapeutic tools and could possibly cause harm if carelessly used.
  • You should know why you are taking each nutrient.
  • If you don't know why you are taking a nutrient, you will probably stop taking it thus lose the benefits.

• But... aren't you taking vitamins anyway ?
• Get some books and learn what to take.

This - Vitamins, Minerals, & Amino Acids are exactly what I have been using to save my life every day since 1990.

It's the only thing that makes sense for me.

And there have been some really great books written in the past few years, written by doctors, which will make it easier for you now than it was for me back then.

Please be sure to visit my Suicidal Brain Repair Shop !!

DepressionLife.com is the site of my new "Self-Help Treatment Manual" where I will share with you what I take and how you can start right away.

• For mild to moderate depressions, doctors are recommending St. John's Wort
• I have also heard that Ginkgo and Kava Kava may have potential.

• I am personally completely against shock treatments.
• I know there are people it has helped.
• But it has also HURT a lot of people.
• Time & technology has improved its application, but the risk for memory loss to me is much too great.
• A reputable TV show, did a program
  • It showed a woman who lost 10 years of her memory from having ECT.
  • And it didn't even help her.
  • She was devastated. She could not remember her own children !!
• The same program showed another girl who had ECT and was depressed again very soon.
• To me the success rate is not good enough to take the risk of losing the memory of my life & family.

• I am sure there are some things in these areas which may ease the way a bit, but I would not rely on them exclusively !

• Religions can have great support structures to help you through.
• Ask for help from fellow church members and/or your pastor / priest / clergyman.
• There are many Christian-based Depression & Suicide Hotlines on the internet.
• It's my experience that most Christianity-based religions hold the belief that suicide is the one unforgivable act because you can't ask for forgiveness afterwards.
• I was in a religion for 8 longsuffering years. My belief structure was so strong that it kept me from killing myself many times over for which I am now very grateful.
• Remember - It's great to pray, but get chemical help anyway !!