Antidepressants: 5 effective alternatives.

Hi dear steemians...

A large study from Oxford University recently published shows that antidepressants are more effective than placebo (thankfully!). But these drugs are not trivial and have many side effects. What are the possible alternatives?

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This extensive meta-analysis published in The Lancet included 522 studies corresponding to 116,000 participants and 21 antidepressants often prescribed. 409 studies were funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Overall, antidepressants were more effective than placebo, although some were less effective than others.

Andrea Cipriani, author of this study, conceded in a statement from Oxford University that "antidepressants can be an effective tool for treating advanced depression, but that does not necessarily mean that antidepressants should always be the first treatment. recommended. Medications should always be considered alongside other options, such as psychological therapies. " So what are the other possible solutions?

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is usually indicated alongside medication. In 2015, one study compared the efficacy of antidepressants with that of behavioral and cognitive therapies (CBTs) and concluded that the benefits were similar. Psychotherapy can take different forms and rely on complementary therapies: animal therapy, art therapy ...

Sport

Physical exercise is a well-known antidepressant. Many studies have focused on the effect of exercise on depression. For example, in 2013, researchers at the University of Toronto reviewed 30 studies on the subject; 25 of them showed that regular physical activity decreased the risk of depression. Exercise seems beneficial in both prevention and treatment of depression.

Mindfulness

In a two-year British study, 424 depressed patients who took antidepressants were divided into two groups: one group continued treatment while the other gradually decreased treatment to discontinue to practice mindfulness meditation.

The results show that similar results were obtained in both groups: in both cases, there was an improvement in quality of life and symptoms.

Light

Light therapy is another option to see life on the bright side. Indeed, sunlight acts on serotonin, a regulator of mood, it also promotes the production of vitamin D. In 2011, a study of 80,000 menopausal women showed that those who lacked vitamin D had more risk of depression. Vitamin D can also be provided by diet or dietary supplements.

Food and dietary supplements

Our mood is also played on our plate ("Let your food be your medicine"). A study to be presented in April 2018 at the American Academy of Neurology conference shows that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains (DASH diet) reduces the risk of depression.

Studies have also shown that people who eat more fish suffer less from depression; this could be due to omega-3s that influence serotonin and therefore mood. Finally, in 2017, a study showed that a supplementation with 500 mg of magnesium per day, in depressive patients suffering from magnesium deficiency, improved their symptoms.

WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER

Antidepressants are effective but associated with side effects.
Psychotherapy is generally recommended in combination with treatment.
The sport, the sun and an adapted food favor the good mood.

**Source: **
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379713004510
http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h6019
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62222-4/abstract
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21865327
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/aaon-dst022118.php

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