How to Treat Depression Without Medication?

There is no doubt that the rapid and enormous technological development and the increasing responsibilities of life due to the great change in the way of life have caused many psychological and physical stresses for the human, and the nervous system had the lion's share of the side effects of human civilization.

What the human brain likes to express most about these pressures is anxiety. Anxiety is the master of psychiatric illness, and if this anxiety persists and is not treated perfectly, it will turn into depression, and this depression may constitute an obstacle to our continuation in life. In order not to reach this stage, it may be useful for you to read this article, as it contains a lot of rich information and golden advice, and one of which can change your life upside down.

How does sport generally treat depression?

Many new studies and research have emerged that emphasize the importance of exercising in fighting depression and reducing the negative symptoms it contains, as well as in increasing the patient's benefit from the antidepressants it takes.

New research says that exercise helps spread new signals between the neurons in the brain in a certain way that restores the neurochemical balance that led to the imbalance between the neurotransmitters responsible for human feelings such as sadness, joy, anger, and others.

How can challenging sports contribute to treating depression?

Recent studies have also shown the importance of challenging sports because of their great impact in strengthening the patient's self-confidence, and this confidence that depression strikes. These competitions also help develop problem-solving skills, self-reliance, and solutions, which helps it face the difficulties and problems of life. This is the core of the treatment of depression.

The role of games and competitions in helping a depressed patient:

Competitive games and competitions have another very important benefit; It is a benefit that the patient may not be able to obtain through medicine, and it is the method to accept loss. That is, when a person loses in one of these challenges, they must train themselves that loss is a part of the life course. However, this does not mean getting used to loss, but rather, it means that we fall, suffer, and cry. This is a legitimate right for us, and it is the right of ourselves to us, and most importantly, we stand up   strongly after the fall and dust the road from our clothes, and then we wipe our tears with our jacket and try again.

The role of knitting and embroidery in the treatment of depression:

A large study was conducted that included thousands of volunteers who suffer from symptoms of depression. They were subjected to a training course that includes knitting and embroidery skills, and then supervisors asked them to practice these skills at home while handing over samples as proof of their continued work. Researchers found that the symptoms of anxiety that usually accompany depression have been greatly reduced, and the psychological pain associated with depression disorder has become lighter, and some of them confirmed their complete disappearance.

The role of new experiences in treating a depressed patient:

Depression is characterized by lack of will, lack of desire, and lack of interest. It is feeling the absence of any motivation, and there is no reason to explore new things. Therefore, psychiatrists advise that the patient draws up a list of things that they may want to try. They work to apply it one by one, such as traveling to a distant city to meet some friends, buying new clothes, or walking with friends to the top of a mountain.

The patient may find it difficult to perform these tasks. They have to force themselves to do so, but in most cases this is limited to the beginning, after which the patient finds themselves immersed in these activities, and it may be very useful to use a friend to help them follow up.

Over time and by the repetition of new experiences, the patient will generate motivation, incentives, or something that may not be able to know what it is, motivating them to continue or interest them in performing more new experiences.

Psychiatrists agree that these experiments may not be easy, so they recommend that patients do at least one trial a week, which cracks the patient's wall of boredom and gives them some of what they are missing.

The routine of life you hate saves you from the hell of depression:

Life routines may be something that most people hate or rather have a bad reputation for boredom and tedium, and it may be difficult for a depressed patient to commit to performing a specific daily routine or work on a schedule. However, most recent research and studies indicate that following a routine life system can have many benefits for mental and psychological health.

The explanation for this, according to the researchers, is the importance of routine in the patient's sense of a normal life. The external stability imposed by routine may be reflected in the internal psychological state, and it is regulated in one way or another. Therefore, doctors are advised to stick to the daily routine in the event of feeling depressed, stressed, or anxious.

On the other hand, the absence of a daily routine enhances the human feeling of instability, which leads to distraction and lack of ability to focus, which increases anxiety and tension. All of this will of course lead to exhaustion, fatigue, and headaches, and will exacerbate the state of depression already present in the patient.

This can all be avoided by following a daily routine or setting a schedule for what you want to do.

Listening to music improves the depressed person's energy and mood:

Music's influence cannot be doubted in low mood; It is magically able to stimulate and activate the brain and provide energy to the body; therefore, psychiatry recommends that depressed people listen to music when they feel frustrated or lack energy.

On the other hand, there are many studies that confirm that a large percentage of depressed patients resort to hearing sad songs, which leads them to drag feelings of pain and sadness and restore memory to bad or painful scenes, which makes the patient drown in the sea of depression more and more, so the psychologist advises their patients to listen to optimistic songs in order to raise their mood and motivate them to engage in the midst of life again.

Simple practical exercises that help you get rid of the stress that accompanies depression:

There is no doubt that stress is an important cause of depression and an aggravating factor for all its symptoms. Recent studies have found a high percentage of cortisol hormone in depressed patients, a hormone that rises in cases of psychological or physical stress. Therefore, psychiatry has developed several methods to overcome this stress, namely:

1. Deep breathing:

Recent studies have found that breathing deeply and slowly for several minutes a day with a focus on the body, breathing movements, and depth helps to deal with the fears or worries that all of us may face in our lives.

2. Exercising:

All psychiatric schools around the world emphasize the importance of exercise in eliminating stress, anxiety, and depression and protecting mental and physical health in general.

3. Reading books:

Reading regulates brain oscillations in another way, makes the brain rest from negative fears, and reduces overthinking by focusing on story or novel events.

4. Writing:

Even if you don't have a talent for writing, you can write down the beautiful things that you love or those memories that bring happiness to your heart. You can also put a table and a chair in the garden and bring a notebook and try to write poetry. Who knows, you may be a poet and you don't know.

How can green lift you out of the abyss of depression?

Psychiatry advises adding some natural plants to the salon's interior or to the office table. Psychological studies have found a positive impact on mental and psychological health, and this is due to the open air that these plants provide, which reflects positively on the mood of the depressed patient.

Recent studies have shown that adding internal plants to the work environment may have many beneficial effects. The most important of which are:

• Green plants play a major role in improving the work environment. Research has found that offices with greener plants have better productivity, psychological comfort, higher employee concentration, and increased employee satisfaction rate.
• Research found that students who spent most of their time at home during the COVID-19 quarantine had better mental health because their homes had lots of green plants and were less likely to get depressed and anxious.

In conclusion:

Everything in this article does not mean that depression does not need medicine. There are cases of depression that can only improve with the presence of medicines, and this is determined by the psychologist, who is only able to assess the situation and prescribe the appropriate medicine, so it is necessary to spread medical and psychological awareness and break the fear of psychotherapy and encourage people to seek help from the psychiatrist when needed.