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Depression Treatment

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Depression Treatment: The Natural Way There is a lot of controversy about appropriate treatments for depression. Today antidepressants are among the most prescribed medications in the world. Despite their popularity, research has suggested that antidepressant medications may not be as successful as people had imagined in counteracting depression (Johnson & Kirsch, 2008, p. 1). Extensive research and studies show that natural remedies are better than antidepressants for treating depression because there are fewer side effects, more health benefits and according to most studies, antidepressants are no more effective than placebos. Although there are many natural remedies for treating the symptoms of depression, this paper will focus on St. John’s Wort, omega-3 fatty acids, SAM-e and exercise. These four natural remedies are the most widely used and studied alternatives to treating depression.
Side Effects
According to Dr. Hyla Cass (2007) and a study done in 1998, prescription medication puts more than one million people in the hospital every year. The study also states that prescription medication kills more than one hundred thousand people per year. Doctor Cass (2007) states that there are almost no deaths from herbal use and that the side effects from herbs are usually mild. One report says that for every one million people prescribed antidepressants in a year, 30.1 of them will die from an overdose. Doctor Cass (2007) quotes Norman Farnsworth, Ph.D., (as cited in Cass, 2007) saying that “plants cause less toxic problems than any other known substances and that complications from herbal medicine are rare,” (p. 1-2).

Side Effects of Antidepressants
When using antidepressants, the side effects are, more often than not, much worse than dealing with the sadness that people feel. Many professionals think that this may be the reason that depression is still

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