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Best NATURAL things for anxiety and depression

I suffer from anxiety and have had a little depression lately... not bad just a bit of the blues.  No doubt from lack of a good night sleep as I have a 9 month old baby and a new puppy!   I tried taking Wellbutrin in July and it did not work for me so I was tapered off it.  I have xanax for any sudden panick attacks but I have not had to take any of them.  I am starting to get those anxious feelings back again and while I do practice deep breathing with great success, I want to start on a vitamin that can help get rid of those symptoms of anxiety/depression.  

What do you suggest?
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Avatar universal
Lack of sleep (lack of RESTFUL sleep) is one main thing yes.  My daughter sleeps thru the night and has been for months its just that  i still wake during the night if I hear her on the monitor and my day starts at 5am and is constant until about 8-9pm so I am working non stop about 16 hours between my day job at the office and then my mom job at home with my daughter, feeding, playing, bathing.. etc.  I do get more anxiety when I am very tired but also get it just randomly without cause sometimes.
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757137 tn?1347196453
But isn't your basic problem lack of sleep? Can you nap when your baby does? I have been in your situation (sleepless baby) and developed all sorts of symptoms. But when you came right down to it, it was lack of sleep.
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Avatar universal
In addition to the excellent advice above...

Lots of vegetables, green leafy foods, fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans, seafood, kelp, etc.

And some testimonials:

"For ten years I was hit by a major depression that nearly killed me. My doctor put me on Prozac and every other anti-depressant in his book. Nothing worked. Until I discovered vitamin B. The last seven years of taking vitamin B supplement have changed my life. The first couple of years I was on *** ***** B-100 Vitamin B-complex. The last few years I have found B-50 to be enough. The B's have wiped out the whole problem of depression. I have not taken an anti-depressant for years and years. I never go to see my doctor anymore. Thank you,..."


Here's an online Amazon review of someone that took magnesium:

"I began taking this product 3 weeks ago for Panic Attacks and Anxiety. After YEARS on various Prescription drugs I recently heard about the effects of Magnesium Taurate on Panic/Anxiety. So far I have cut back to half the dose of Zoloft (which I've taken for the past 4 years) and 75% LESS Clonazepam! Hoping to be prescription Rx free very soon! I'm extremely happy with this product and would suggest it highly."


Also read over my journals for more information.
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Avatar universal
What wonderful advice!  I will go get that book and see what works best for me.  I think it is just a matter of relaxing and not feeling like I have so much to do.  I need a little more help and support from my boyfriend with the baby and I think that will release some of my stress.  I feel like wonder mom who has to do it all!  I was thinking of trying the 5 HTP as a starting point...  I need to see my PCP to get labs drawn to see how my adrenals are.  I have had my thyroid testing and it was fine but they always tell me they look a bit enlarged... I'd like to find a natural doc in my area so that I can get help with what things would benefit me.  The Wellbutrin was given to me for anxiety and I only took it for 4 weeks until I realized it was not working and making me feel worse and MEAN!!  The depression is only stress related as normally I am very happy with life, I have a beautiful daughter and loving boyfriend so whats there to be depressed about LOL!  

It feels good to be able to log on to this site and talk to people about this who actually understand my feelings!!  Thank you for all your help!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had great success with deep breathing exercises I do on my own... I'd love to start a yoga clss though to have some "me" time and just relax.  I really think that is my problem.  I am so stressed with the baby and boyfriend and lack of good rest so it all just piles up and at times I just get that anxiety feeling creeping up on me.  I have learned to breath my way thru them now but its just a yucky feeling to have that anxious feeling and get anxious thoguhts running wild thru your head and just get the feeling like you need to scream and jump out of your own skin!  
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180749 tn?1443595232
The bhramri and anulom pranayam will get rid of the the anxiety symptoms over the longer term. You have to do it everyday. You do not need supplements.Do anulom vilom for 30 minutes, twice a day.
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Avatar universal
This is complicated.  Read a book called Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA, for a fairly good overview of what's available.  Usually, treatment would be a combination of herbs and amino acids to directly tackle anxiety, depression and also support the adrenals; Chinese medicine would add going after the kidneys, which they associate with anxiety.  This would be combined with relaxation exercises, exercise, meditation, and therapy if necessary.  If it's just a temporary stress thing, as you describe the depression, medication wouldn't be called for.  Wellbutrin, by the way, though a good anti-depressant, is also very stimulating, so it isn't usually used when anxiety is a primary problem.  A natural program would be trial and error, just like meds, so don't expect a magic pill.  Such a program might look something like passionflower for the nervous system, kava or valerian for anxiety, maybe some green oats or other systemic nervous system herbs, 5-HTP for depression and anxiety or St. John's Wort just for depression, taurine for GABA, and eleuthero and ashwagandha for balancing the adrenals.  In other words, a program, not just one herb.  Now, you can try one herb, and it might just hit the spot.  Homeopathy also helps some people.  But it isn't as easy as saying, here, take this, it'll help.  Only trial and error will determine if anything helps.  Due to what you say about the new arrival, however, I'd definitely look into supporting the adrenals, and maybe also something like wheatgrass or spirulina, which will help oxygenate the blood, clean out toxins, and add a load of nutrition in a small easy to take package.  Good luck.  
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Avatar universal
If you go to my Journal Entry Titled" Insomnia and stress"  you can read the article
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