Is it possible to cure depression without drugs?

[Final_frontier]

I was reading this book "The Depression Cure" by Stephen S. Illardi. He lists 6 steps to cure depression permanently. Is it even possible or another cruel joke?

 

[miseryh8scompany]

Exercise does a hell of a lot more for me than antidepressants ever did. With only positive side effects

 

[snuffcore]

In my opinion there is no such thing as curing depression. From what I've seen in others that are so much older that me, it appears to be chronic. Some people claim to be cured while they have a few good months/year, just to eventually relapse.
Meds or whatever other route you take will only help you cope I guess.

 

[AnxietyAttack44]

No

 

[SuicidalSymphonies]

I suppose it's up in the air whether that would positively affect you. Everybody is different.

I had my time of exercise, hiking, camping, hanging out with friends, eating healthy food.. Etc; and I am still depressed and suicidal on a regular basis. I'm also heavily medicated. If I wasn't on my meds, I wouldn't have even found this site, or be commenting here because I'd be dead.

So, honestly.. In my opinion it's very hard to crack down on depression as every person is diverse in that sense.

 

[FriendofDeath]

I don't know the answer. I'm going to assume we are talking about chronic depression. I believe there are those who can find relief without medication, maybe even feel they are cured. Perhaps cured isn't the right word - how about controlled? That seems more like it. This author's system might work for you. Though many of us have the same diseases, we react very differently to medications and therapies. I don't think we know enough about the brain yet to fully cure depression. Yet.

 

[rhiino]

I don't think you can cure depression. It is permanent and you can only try to live with the effects of it and fight the symptoms.

 

[AlreadyGone]

It depends on the cause of your depression. Some people are depressed because their life is not going the way they want it to. When things change for them, they are no longer depressed. Everyone is different.

 

[JustovertheBS]

There is no cure for this hell.

 

[suicidalstrawbabie]

With depression it's simple, our neurotransmitters simply don't work. It's a disease just like any other, it's just shit because our brains are extremely fragile and shaped by experiences and trauma on top of not producing serotonin. Exercise can help, positive surroundings can help, but it can only make it more manageable, those things can't make your brain work again when it literally doesn't work properly.

 

[4eyebiped]

I say for some it is possible, as I know people who have overcome depression. No, I am not going to blow smoke up your ass and tell you everyone can get better. One must understand this is a very complex topic. We are so different from each other, on so many levels. You have biology, diet, environmental influences, life experiences, life goals, personal loss, and so on. The possible reasons why someone is depressed is too numerous to list. Depression also comes in varying degrees of severity and we each handle these varying levels in different ways. When it comes to depression, we can relate to each other's pain but we have to realize we are at the same time completely different in our pain.

I would say, whatever is in that book, give it a try. Try whatever you can in attempts to improve your life. What might work for one person has no guarantee to work for another so you have to try whatever technique yourself. All I know is that not trying almost always guarantee a non-improving result. I realize that a lot of us, me included, lack the motivation and energy to try and I realize that there is a lot of fear in getting ones hope up and then "failing". There is no shame in "failing" because you get to say you tried. It takes a lot of strength to try and not all of us have that strength. I admit I am in the stubborn category, when it comes to improving one's situation, but I take ownership of that fact.

 

[JustLosingMyself]

Some can. Depends what the cause is.
Daily Exercise
Mindfulness
Good diet
No alcohol or psychotropic drugs
Distractions (keeping busy) / hobbies
Connections

Are things that help and can be as effective as psychiatric drugs.

These can cure a situational depression. They will help manage a clinical depression

 

[Deleted member 17949]

It has certainly been done. Everyone is different frustratingly so it's hard to know what cam and can't be done for you.