How to Fight Depression Without Meds

Depression Symptoms & Challenges

Living with depression is extremely challenging. Depression can feel like a consistently low mood, low energy, low motivation or some combination of all these experiences. Atypical depression is also possible, which involves temporary mood boosts, hypersomnia, and increased appetite. Depression affects approximately 5% of the adult population according to the World Health Organization.¹ Of the 280 million people affected, most people will experience recurrent episodes of depression in their lifetime.²

It is often difficult to know when experiencing depression how long it will last and often it is difficult for people to identify the cause of onset for their depression. Sometimes people become frustrated because they don’t understand why they are feeling low and don’t know how to feel better or prevent depression from happening. Sometimes people can feel shame for feeling depressed if they can’t identify a specific cause, and resist reaching out for support. Regardless, it is always important to trust your feelings and respond compassionately to yourself if you are experiencing symptoms of depression.

Common symptoms of depression include:

• Feeling sad or down
• Having low motivation
• Excessive sleep or diminished ability to sleep (hypersomnia versus insomnia)
• Increased or decreased appetite
• Depressed mood nearly every day
• Feeling “empty”
• Anhedonia (loss of interest in pleasure)
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Irritability
• Feelings of worthlessness

How to Fight Depression

A wealth of research has been conducted to investigate common methods for battling depression because of its prevalence and the fact that symptoms of depression can worsen if left untreated. There are various methods that have been supported by research to treat depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most researched behavioral treatment methods. SSRI’s are one of the most commonly prescribed medications for depression.³ There are other methods for treating depression naturally, such as using supplements like Vitamin D and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).⁴

13 Ways to Fight Depression Without Meds

While medication has been supported by research to help treat depression, it is always ideal to have multiple tools in your “toolbox” for coping with mental health problems. There are many things people can do outside of medication and therapy to improve overall mental health and wellness. Often depression is brought on by a lack of balance in life in one or more areas.

Some ways to fight depression without medication include:

1. Diet & Nutrition

Certain foods can help depression. For example, probiotics and other fermented foods have been found to have a positive impact on anxiety and depression.⁵ Research on foods and diet have supported that nutrition can be an important part of preventing and treating depression.

Some foods known to help relieve depression include:

• Omega 3 fatty-acids
• Leafy vegetables
• Whole grains
• Fermented foods
• Fish
• Yogurt
• Soy products

2. Physical Activity

There are mood-lifting benefits associated with exercise for depression. Research suggests that it is more helpful to focus on the frequency of exercise rather than intensity or duration.⁶ Furthermore, the goal-oriented aspects of exercise appear to be beneficial to boosting mood along with the chemicals in the brain that are released through exercise, such as endorphins.

Regular exercises that can boost mood and combat depression include:

• Walking
• Yoga
• Aerobic exercises
• Jogging
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Intramural sports

3. Sleep Hygiene

Another factor to consider when fighting depression is the importance of quality sleep for mental health and developing good sleep hygiene practices. Sleep hygiene is the process of maintaining consistent and healthy levels of sleep. In the same way someone would brush their teeth regularly, developing healthy sleep habits are essential to maintaining a good mood.

Effective sleep hygiene practices that improve sleep quality include:

• Maintaining regular sleep schedules
• Creating a bedtime routine
• Ensuring a dark and quiet environment
• Eliminating barriers to sound sleep
• Having a comfortable mattress
• Limiting the use of substances that can interfere with quality of sleep (e.g. marijuana or caffeine)

4. Mindfulness & Meditation

There are calming and mood-elevating effects of mindfulness practices and meditation for depression. Research has found that engaging in any mindfulness practice on a regular basis can benefit mood, interpersonal relationships and the relationship and connection one has with themselves.⁷ A good rule of thumb with any mental health practice is to make small, incremental and realistic changes in your routine that are easy to maintain and sustain over time.

Some mindfulness and meditation practices that help depression include:

• Walking meditation: Engaging in walking meditation, walking with intention and being very present in your surroundings, can be helpful in fighting depression.
• Loving-kindness meditation: Loving-kindness meditation, a meditation practice which centers on self-compassion can help with depression.
• Focused meditation: Focused meditation, where someone meditates while focusing on a specific idea, object or sound, can relieve depression symptoms.
• Yoga meditation: Stretching and engaging in yoga poses while meditating is another form of meditation that can help with depression and involves movement.
• Positive affirmations: Finding positive affirmations that apply to you and writing them down in places you frequently see (like the bathroom mirror) can be helpful.
• Guided meditations: You can find many guided meditations on YouTube or Spotify which will help guide you through various meditation practices. Try searching one that applies to your unique experience or exploring guided meditations that call to you.

5. Social Connection & Support

The significance of community, friendships, and support groups in combating depression cannot be understated. Depression is often hallmarked by feelings of isolation, loneliness and a lack of belonging. Having a sense of belonging is one of the most basic of human needs. It is important to be around people and communities where you feel loved and accepted for who you are, and not like you have to pretend to be someone you’re not.

6. Spend Time in Nature

It is important to consider exploring the therapeutic effects of spending time in nature. There is a wealth of empirical evidence supporting the benefits of nature on mental health.⁸

Immersing yourself in nature offers therapeutic benefits like:

• Sunlight increases serotonin (the body’s feel-good hormone)
• Maintaining focus on the present moment
• Engaging many of the senses
• Providing fresh air and oxygen
• Generally involves exercise
• Can increase one’s sense of connection and belonging to the earth

7. Limiting Alcohol & Drugs

It is important to remember the depressive effects of excessive alcohol or drug use and the benefits of moderation or abstinence when using substances. Being mindful of substance use and aware of the impact substance use can have on mood is a large part of maintaining and sustaining mental health.

8. Art & Creative Outlets

There are cathartic and therapeutic effects of engaging in creative pursuits like painting, writing, music, and dance. Engaging creatively often allows us to be more engaged in the present moment and can offer a healthy distraction from difficult emotions and experiences or a powerful outlet for self expression.

9. Hypnosis

Some research supports the use of hypnosis for depression for specific symptoms of depression such as rumination, difficulty with organization and motivation.⁹ It is important to do research and find practitioners of hypnosis you feel comfortable with prior to engaging in this practice.

10. Therapy Apps

You may also consider therapy apps for depression. Apps such as Youper can help people reduce depression by supporting and encouraging the use of healthy coping strategies. Apps may be helpful for people who are struggling to leave their house due to the severity of depression symptoms, for example, or are not ready to use other more involved coping mechanisms for depression that require motivation and energy.

11. Rest

Often depression can result from burnout or feeling overextended and tired. We live in a society that often expects a lot from us in terms of time spent working to compensation. The phrase, “rest as radical resistance,” is important to remember not only as a way to maintain a sense of power in often disempowering situations, but to remember that rest is a very important part of maintaining mental health, despite what our society might convey around an individual’s level of productivity equating to their sense of self-worth. Make sure to schedule downtime during the day and work on cutting back on commitments where you can.

12. Values Clarification

Sometimes depression can result from a lack of living life in alignment with underlying values and needs. Taking intentional time to engage in values clarification on your own or with a therapist can help bring things back into alignment. For example, someone who really loves to spend time alone might be overextending themselves socially in the hopes of gaining social approval from friends, which might lead to feelings of depression.

13. Setting Boundaries

Oftentimes, depression can result from a lack of healthy boundaries and feeling chronically overextended and overwhelmed at work and in relationships with others. Learning healthy strategies for setting boundaries can be a helpful way to increase personal empowerment and decrease feelings of depression and helplessness.

Treatment Options for Depression

If symptoms persist when utilizing other methods for coping with depression, it is important to consider the possibility that it may be time to seek professional depression treatment options.

Treatment options for depression include:

Therapy for Depression

In terms of behavioral treatment, depression therapy is a useful method. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, has also been thoroughly researched as an efficacious behavioral treatment for depression. Ultimately, most therapy research has found that the therapeutic relationship is the number one factor that predicts successful outcomes in behavioral therapy, regardless of the modality.

Common types of therapy used for depression include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for depression is well researched as an effective method for treating depression. CBT focuses on thoughts and behaviors that maintain and exacerbate depression.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT has been found to be a helpful behavioral treatment for depression, focusing on accepting things outside one’s control. 
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT for depression can help individuals target emotion regulation strategies that might help reduce depression and intensity of emotional reactivity.
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): If trauma is a part of what is maintaining depression, EMDR for depression might be helpful to consider.
• TMS: Research indicates that transcranial magnetic stimulation might be helpful for treating depression. TMS for depression involves applying magnetic pulses in the brain to stimulate nerve cell brain activity.

Depression Medication

Research indicates that depression medication is sometimes recommended as part of the treatment plan for treating and preventing relapses into depression.¹⁰ If you aren’t getting relief from other treatment and coping strategies, your mental health provider or doctor may recommend medication.

Common medications prescribed for depression include:

• Antidepressants: Medications which target the level of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain such as SSRIs, SNRIs, and tricyclic antidepressants,may be helpful.
• Psilocybin therapy: Recently, psilocybin therapy has become more popularized as a method for treating depression. Use of psilocybin combined with behavioral therapy has been found to be helpful. Research has found that psilocybin helps increase brain network integration.¹¹
• Wellbutrin: Wellbutrin is used for depression as well as seasonal depression according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.¹²
• Ketamine therapy: Recent research has found that Ketamine therapy can be an effective and rapid treatment for depression.¹³

When to See a Therapist for Depression

If depression is persisting, and symptoms are intensifying or causing problems in a person’s life, it might be time to consider seeing a therapist for depression. One might also consider group therapy for depression. Group and individual therapy work for depression, and outcomes often depend on the individual in terms of what might be more helpful. A person struggling with isolation and lack of connection, for example, may benefit greatly from being part of group therapy, or doing both group and individual therapy simultaneously. You can use an online therapist directory to find a therapist, or consider using an online-therapy platform.