Complementary therapies for depression
The latest results from the “Australian Psychological Society Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey” revealed that 26 per cent of Australians suffer from symptoms of moderate to severe depression, the prevalence having, sadly, increased significantly since their inaugural study five years earlier.
Serendipitously, updated clinical guidelines from the “Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry”, which are touted as providing the most up-to-date evidence available internationally for the treatment of mood disorders, included positive recommendations for six complementary therapies.
Specifically, they included:
- Omega-3 fatty acids may alleviate depressive symptoms in milder cases of major depression and bi-polar depression when used alongside prescription medicines.
- N-acetyl cysteine appears to have some symptom reduction efficacy in bipolar depression at a dose of 1.0 g twice daily, and possibly in major depression.
- St John’s Wort demonstrates similar efficacy to SSRIs in mild to moderate-major depression.
- Folate (including 5-methyltetrahydrofolate), S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and zinc may assist with depressive symptoms when used as an adjunct to prescription medications.
Many of you, I am sure, can attest to the assistance also of a high dose vitamin B complex, anti-anxiety herbal blends. And of course Proxan, which combines SAMe with 5-Hydroxytrptophan and d-Phenylalaline precursors to the biosynthesis of serotonin, melatonin, and catecholamines such as
adrenaline and dopamine.
