Dysthymia Treatment

Dysthymia is a severe mental health problem that should not be addressed solely with complementary and alternative medicine. There are, nonetheless, numerous natural techniques to treat depression that can help you improve your mood, relieve stress, and manage your symptoms.

The following are some natural approaches to increase your attitude and control dysthymia symptoms:

1. Exercise

Exercising has been shown to boost mood in numerous studies. As per a review of a substantial corpus of literature on exercise and depression:

• Clinical depression symptoms can be alleviated by structured exercise.
• Exercise may make you feel better.
• Benefits can persist three to twelve months after one training program is finished.
• Aerobic activity (walking, running, swimming) and strength or resistance training may have similar benefits (stretching, weight lifting).
• Talk therapy and exercise may be equally useful.

2. Manage your stress in a proactive manner.

Handling your stress in a proactive manner might help you avoid problems before they arise. You would have fewer problems disturbing yourself if you eliminate sources of stress. As per the Mayo Clinic, meditation or practicing relaxation exercises, tai chi, or yoga can help you relax and deal with stress.

You can focus on identifying your own stress and depressive symptoms triggers and avoiding them if at all possible. The following are examples of common triggers:

• An unreasonable workload or a never-ending barrage of emails and deadlines
• monetary constraints
• Major life transitions, such as relocating
• Fears, emotions, and ideas held within
• Inability to control situations

3. Find an activity that you enjoy.

• Say “no” to commitments you don’t want or need, such as extra job projects or other unimportant responsibilities.
• Take a holiday to get away from your routine.
• Meet up with friends and relatives who are supportive.
• Participate in religious observances.
• Slow your heart rate by using breathing exercises.
• Avoid situations that cause you to feel stressed, depressed, or anxious.
• Drinking and using recreational drugs should be avoided.

4. See a therapist.

Dysthymia can be treated with short-term therapy, according to research. There are a variety of methods of talk therapy or psychotherapy that can be beneficial, including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Interpersonal psychotherapy 
• Psychotherapy using the cognitive-behavioral analysis method
• Counseling for problem-solving
• Manualized group therapy
• Couples, family, or group counseling
• Therapies in combination

5. Maintain a social presence.

While it is beneficial to avoid stressful public or social situations, like over-commitment or public speaking to unproductive activities, it is also crucial to be involved in activities with friends, family, and the community. Interacting with others and remaining connected to others can help minimize depression symptoms.

You can get involved or stay active in a variety of ways:

• Volunteer with a cause that is meaningful to you, such as a charity, religious organization, or neighborhood group.
• Participate in social events with your friends and neighbors.
• Concentrate on activities that you enjoy and that make you feel less lonely.
• Spend time strengthening your most important relationships, such as those with your family, spouse, and closest friends.
• Reduce the number of social media networks you utilize to put more emphasis on quality rather than quantity.
• Consume foods that are good for your mental wellness.

Although nutrition alone cannot treat depression or dysthymia, it can help alleviate inflammation, improve mood, and maintain your body healthy so you can cope with stress better. A good diet might also increase your chances of remission from symptoms of depression. The SMILES trial in Australia discovered that a customized version of the Mediterranean diet plan greatly helped more patients achieve depression remission than support networks alone.

Additional research suggests that including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a balanced diet can help to minimize depression symptoms.

6. Take aromatherapy into consideration.

Essential oils have a rich history of being used to treat depression. Even though several oils have been used to treat symptoms, scientific study on the therapy has been limited too far. Modern research suggests that aromatherapy and massage aromatherapy can help with depressive symptoms.

A review of aromatherapy-related depression studies indicated that aromatherapy massage or essential oil inhalation may be effective for certain persons with depression, despite the fact that some of the reviewed studies were of low quality. People who inhaled essential oils like lavender and rose otto reported reduced emotional stress and fewer depression symptoms in some circumstances. Similarly, massage combined with aromatherapy reduced depression symptoms – sometimes much more so than massage alone.

You can inhale the oil straight from the bottle, or put just a few drops on a cotton ball, add it to a diffuser, a few droplets in a bath, or mix it in a body lotion or massage oil and apply it to your skin. If you are generally sensitive to strong smells or have sensitivities to common carrier oils (like almond or coconut oil), proceed with caution or seek alternative treatment.

7. Inquire about herbal products and supplements.

Anyone seeking alternative or complementary therapy for depression, especially herbs and supplements, should speak with their doctor first, according to the Mayo Clinic. This is because supplements like St. John’s wort, which are often used to treat depression, can interfere with other prescriptions like birth control, blood thinners, cancer therapies, antidepressant meds, and more.

Consult a health care expert before starting or stopping any prescription, supplement, or herb to treat your dysthymia symptoms. There is some evidence to support the usage of:

St. John’s wort, omega-3 fatty acid, and SAMe supplements: According to a review of dozens of studies looking at herbs and supplements for depressive symptoms, St. John’s Wort, omega-3 fatty acids, and SAMe (S-adenosyl methionine) all have interesting results backing them up.

Passionflower, L-lysine, kava, magnesium, and L-arginine: According to another study, promising data supports kava, passionflower, magnesium, L-arginine, and L-lysine as potential herbal remedies and supplements for insomnia and anxiety relief.

Zinc: A randomized trial indicated that persons with serious depression who took a daily 25 mg zinc supplementation in conjunction with their antidepressant prescription had better symptoms than those who took a placebo.

Vitamin B12 and Folic acid: Low vitamin B12 and folate levels have been linked to depression in humans, based on one study. Early study suggests that these supplements may be effective in improving depression treatment outcomes, according to the researchers. They recommend testing dosages of 800 mcg of folic acid and 1 mg of vitamin B12 each day.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): Based on known research, the Xiao Yao San formula is the most effective therapy for the treatment of depression, according to a study of several studies on herbal plants used in China. Nevertheless, because this mixture was produced using varying herbal mixtures from trial to study, it may be hard to know exactly which element of the formula is effective for treating depressive symptoms.