Expert advice
Q What are the best ways to manage depression other than medication ?
A There are lots of ways to manage symptoms of depression – it ’ s about finding out which works for you .
Your doctor might suggest that talking treatments such as CBT could be helpful . This involves talking to a therapist to help you understand your thoughts and behaviour better . Lifestyle changes might also help to lift your mood – for example , regular exercise can be more effective at treating mild to moderate depression than taking antidepressants .
Other alternative treatments include complementary therapies , mindfulness , arts therapies and ecotherapy . All of these suggestions can work alongside medication , or as an alternative .
There are also some herbal alternatives to antidepressants , such as St John ’ s wort .
Although these can be beneficial for managing your symptoms , they can interact with many common medications with serious side effects . So it ’ s really important that you talk to your doctor or pharmacist about what ’ s safe for you to take .
To find out more information about managing the symptoms of depression , visit mind . org . uk or speak to your GP .
16 Mind Magazine