Reddit mentions of The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs

I have fibromyalgia, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. I found treatments that help me, after much experimentation. I also married an introvert so when I'm not feeling like "myself" I don't have to worry that he's disappointed that I'm not up for talking or hanging out. I push myself through my worst days when I'm feeling what I call my "Eeyore moments" where it's like "I'm just the worst. I should just jump off a building" every time I say something embarrassing. Lovely anxiety and depression mixed together!

Medication (supplements-Omega 3s, magnesium, chlorella, small dose of an anti-depressant, Mirena IUD-honestly this helps with my terrible periods and helps with the fibromyalgia, cannabis-sleep tonic, pain relief gel, CBD for anxiety), exercise, healthy diet, counseling (in the past, I don't find I need it now because I am really good at talking about my feelings with people and good at self-care).

I found these books super helpful and implemented quite a few of the things in them while also supplementing with medication:

The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded)

Along with anti-depressants I would like you to get this book. I think anti-depressants combined with this method are a very effective strategy. I also think you should think about seeking out a counselor in addition to your GP.

Yeah, exercise is a good thing to strive for.

I think supplements might be helpful for you. Omega 3s and vitamin D are usually at lower levels for most people, and they important for regulating mood.

The Depression Cure is a good book that has a lot of recommendations that have been proven to alleviate symptoms of depression.

all the best.

My fav: depression cure https://smile.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without-ebook/dp/B0097DHV94/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=depression+cure&qid=1558801344&s=gateway&sr=8-3

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see also a "mental exercise" for depression https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/comments/bsjo1c/nice_blog_post_on_a_mental_exercise_to_help_with/

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And this one is popular as well: Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy

There are some more books on amazon as well, search for depression, some highly rated.

Good luck and best wishes!

Sorry but this isn't something to agree or disagree with. It's measurable science. It's literally how the brain works. Exercise does so much for strengthening your brain chemistry. If you thought it made it worse for you, that's a psychological effect and you probably weren't doing it right, or enough. Check out the book savemejubus0 posted, or another one called "The Depression Cure" if you want to know more about how exercise affects the brain positively. If you raise your heart-rate for 30 mins (to the point of being out of breath), 3 times a week, you will notice an improvement in your mental health.

I'm being downvoted because most people who suffer from depression and anxiety don't like to accept any responsibility for their condition and like to think it's just some 'disease' they're unlucky enough to have been stricken with, and the only solution is to take some medication to solve the problem. While some people are more susceptible to it, it can be mitigated and controlled with the right lifestyle habits; most importantly, exercise. And this isn't a psychological effect, like "wow I feel great because I got off my ass and went to the gym today, and i'm improving myself"....there are actual physiological effects going on when your heart rate goes up and you break a sweat.

Everyone always gets defensive about their method of healing, but if you can let go of that for a second and open your mind to the possibility that perhaps your lifestyle habits are part of the problem, you can do a lot of healing from improving your habits, mainly reducing stress and exercising frequently. The Depression Cure has a lot of insightful information about bad habits people have that cause inflammation and other negative effects in the brain that lead to depression and anxiety. There are well-documented studies that verify these claims....but you often won't hear much about them because there's a lot of money being made by pharmaceutical companies, and it's a lot easier for doctors to prescribe medication.