The symptoms of depression are commonly treated with the use of antidepressants, but these drugs can have serious side effects. To illustrate, it was recently reported that antidepressants increase suicidal thoughts in people under twenty-five. Thus, an increasing number of sufferers are eschewing pharmaceutical treatments and looking for an alternative medicine for depression.

Herbal tonics have been seen as an effective alternative medicine for depression. These tonics, which combine two or more types of herbs, are prepared with an eye towards neutralizing their respective side effects and addressing the specific condition of the patient. Some examples of herbal tonics include Rosemary-Sage Tea (one teaspoon of rosemary and sage in two cups of water; boil, streep for five minutes, strain and take daily) and clove tea, which is used to relieve mild depression (add crushed cloves to peppermint, camomile or sage tea with a dash of ginseng).

Changes in diet to address nutritional deficiencies may also be helpful as an alternative medicine for depression. If you are suffering from depression, avoid excess consumption of caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol and dairy products. Increase the amount of fresh green vegetables, fresh fruit, whole cereals, well-cooked beans and soy protein in your diet. Avoid processed foods, canned foods, foods with artificial coloring and meats. Finally, avoid smoking since the nicotine in cigarettes can have a depressant effect.

There are various types of alternative medicine including herbalism, acupuncture and acupressure, massage therapy, chiropractic medicine and meditation.

Herbalism is an alternative medicine type that utilizes traditional medicinal uses of plants and plant extracts to treat illnesses and maintain good health. Prior to the development of the modern pharmaceutical industry, doctors used certain plants and plant extracts as medicine for thousands of years. Some of these plant extracts are actually Incorporated into modern drugs. Herbalists claim that plants and plant extracts can be better for patients long term because they don’t contain the artificial ingredients that most drugs do.

Patients taking prescription medication in conjunction with herbal treatment should consult with both their primary care physician and their herbalist to make sure the drugs they are taking won’t have dangerous interactions with their herbal therapy.

Acupuncture and acupressure are alternative medicine types that pinpoint certain parts of the body to relieve pain for therapeutic purposes. In acupuncture small needles are inserted into certain areas of the body and manipulated to achieve desired results. Traditionalists maintain that by applying pressure to these parts of the body, a host of ailments may be relieved. Modern scientific research discounts much of acupuncture theory, but concedes that the practice can be useful in treating some ailments such as headaches and muscle soreness. Acupressure operates under the same theory about manipulating pressure points throughout the body to achieve desired results, but practitioners use their hands, elbows or other objects to apply pressure instead of using needles.

Chiropractic medicine is based on the theory that disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine, can affect general health via the nervous system. In general, most chiropractic practitioners use spinal therapy, in which the practitioner uses his or her hands to manipulate the spine and related tissues, to achieve desired results. The traditional medical Establishment is divided about the efficacy of chiropractic medicine, but most agree that it does have some benefits with regard to alleviating back pain.

Massage therapy applies some of the same basic tenet as acupuncture, acupressure and chiropractic medicine. Massage has been proven to have some very positive benefits with regard to alleviating pain and lowering stress-related illnesses. It’s theorized that massage helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn releases endorphins and serotonins, reduces the formation of scar tissue and improves sleep.

Lastly, meditation is an alternative medicine type that has been tentatively proven to have beneficial health outcomes based on its ability to alleviate stress and promote relaxation.

Alternative medicine can serve as a very good supplement to traditional medicine, and in some cases can offer hope where traditional medicine falls short. All alternative medical treatments should be overseen by reputable providers, and you should at least consult with your traditional health care provider when deciding to go this route.