From time to time I allow guest articles on my site — generally covering points of views that I may disagree with or don’t understand. It’s important to me that all sides of mental illness is covered; not just my point of view. This is one of those guest posts by Maggie Hammond. (views and opinions her own)

Popping an antidepressant seems to be the modern way of controlling depression. Sometimes, patients even forego the essential consultation of a certified psychiatrist before resorting to pharmacological solutions. It is understandable why someone would choose to do so, but the side-effects, addictive properties, and short-term effects of depression drugs do not always make them the best solution to mental health issues. The good news is that it is perfectly possible to wage a battle against depression and win without gulping down a single antidepressant. Combine the following drug free treatment methods with some professional therapy to see if it cannot bring down your melancholy.

Routine

If you are truly depressed, then you will have a hard time maintaining a routine and that’s exactly what you need to do to stop it from taking over your life. Make and maintain a simple routine to be in control of your life.

Goals

Set goals. They can be as small as finishing your chores by the end of the week or getting that lawn mower fixed. You will feel good after you complete your goals and that’s a guarantee. Move on to bigger things when you are ready.

Eat Well and Workout Daily

Eat healthily and workout regularly because there’s just no substitute. Eating a balanced diet makes sure that all your body’s actual needs are met, which is proven to bring depression down. Exercising, on the other hand, directly affects your mood by releasing endorphins to lift you out of depression. People who eat healthily and exercise regularly are infinitely better at fighting clinical depression than the ones who don’t.

Sleep

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to get enough sleep on a daily basis. It’s admittedly hard, given the busy lives we all lead nowadays, but getting in that extra hour can do so much for your fight against depression.

Do New Things

Go on an unplanned vacation to a place where you have never been to before or pick up a new hobby; it’s about bringing in some change and if that change can be coupled with a few challenges, even better.

Meditate

By controlling your breathing, you can bring up a relaxed state of mind and body, something that is very effective in getting rid of the accumulated anxiety, stress, sorrow, etc. You can also try yoga, which is similar, but involves a lot more physical action and can count as both physical and mental exercise.

Do Things You Like

Find the things that you like or used to like before depression took over and continue to do them even if you don’t want to at that moment. It could be something as simple as picking up an old hobby, going out with friends or watching movies, but it needs to be something that you either used to enjoy or something that you enjoy right now. Incorporate it into your daily routine.

If you think you are past the simple but effective methods mentioned here and have already crossed over to severe clinical depression territory or if nothing seems to be working, there is still hope. Smart Brain and Health can help with their revolutionary Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy (TMS); a technique that’s non-invasive, almost painless and totally drug free depression treatment.

Combine some of the methods mentioned above with TMS therapy to get the best results possible.