Information on Depression
This page lists a variety of different resources for understanding and managing depression.
You may want to try one of these online tests for depression, they should not replace a careful assessment by a qualified professional, but they can be useful in helping you decide if you need to see a professional.
Depression Online Screening Test OR Goldberg's Depression Test
Nutritional Therapy - a safer alternative?
If you are feeling depressed or even a bit low, you might also want to consider looking at your diet and considering nutritional therapy. This can be a very effective alternative to pharmaceutical drugs and there is a growing body of evidence to show certain nutritional supplements are as effective or even more effective than prescribed anti-depressant medications. Most also have virtually no side effects. You should be careful about combining some nutritional therapies if you are already taking a prescribed anti-depressant or are pregnant, have high blood pressure or are schizophrenic. It may be advisable to see a qualified practitioner.
Many people find their depression lifts if they supplement a some amino acids notably 5htp and tyrosine. 5htp helps the brain make serotonin which lifts low mood and tyrosine helps the brain make dopamine and noradrenaline which help with motivation. There is a single supplement called Positive Outlook which combines both these amino acids plus glutamine (which gets converted to GABA to help with anxiety) and some B vitamins. We have found this to be very helpful in stabilising and lifting low mood. Click here to order Positive Outlook developed by Higher Nature (alternatively, if you are in London, you can buy it from independent health food stores (not Holland & Barrett), like: Fresh & Wild or Planet Organic and Alara Wholefoods)
You might also want to consider taking some Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils as these too have a beneficial effect on mood, plus some recent research has been published into Chromium Picolinate. Chromium has been found helpful for atypical depression where you feel tired a lot and crave carbohydrates and comfort eat.
Another treatment worth considering is Pure EPA. EPA along with DHA make up fish oil. EPA is very effective in treating depression, see Professor Basant Puri's book The Natural Way to Beat Depression: The Groundbreaking Discovery of EPA to Successfully Conquer Depression. Prof Puri is a Consultant Psychiatrist at Hammersmith Hospital and in this accessible self-help book explains how EPA works to treat depression. You can order a high quality EPA via the internet by clicking here.
Follow this link to the Brain Bio Centre for more information and research on Nutritional approaches to depression.
You may also have heard about St John's Wort - which can interact with other medications and isn't suitable for everyone (if you are pregnant or HIV +ve and on combination therapy for example).
Here are some books worth reading
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Queer Blues: the lesbian and gay guide to overcoming depression Chapter 1 Shades of Blue: What Depression Is and Isn't; Chapter 2 Blue Passages: How Society Contributes to Depression for Lesbians and Gays; Chapter 3 Blue Genes: Internal Contribution to Depression; Chapter 4 Blue Portraits: Queer Stories; Chapter 5 Tips for Main Squeezes: How to Cope With a Depressed Partner; Chapter 6 Monitoring the Minotaur: Self-Management and Self-Nurturing; Chapter 7 Queer Psychotherapy: The Talking Cure; Chapter 8 Medication and Other Biological Treatments: Queer Psychiatrists Speak Out; Chapter 9 Befriending the Black Dog: Putting It All Together; Resources for Support and Information. |
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How to Lift Depression [...fast] A practical approach using some of the latest thinking on how to tackle depression. This is a very useful self-help book. Part One is on understanding depression, Part Two, how to lift depression and Part Three is on seeking professional help .
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Lesbian Depression Online Discussion and Support Group