Well, here 's a list of some alternatives to normal medicine that may help and have little to no side effects. St. John 's Wort- St. John 's Wort is one of the most popular over the counter alternative anti-depression medicines. However, you have to make sure (much like a drug addict) that you have the 'pure ' stuff. According to amoryn.com, you have to make sure that your St. John 's Wort contains at least three to five percent of an ingredient that is called hyperforin. If it has at least that amount, it will be effective in treating your depression and has been found to work as well as Paxil and Prozac but with fewer side effects. Some of the side effects for St. John 's Wort, according to answers.com, include anxiety, rash, sensitivity to sunlight, and forgetfulness. As good as St. John 's Wort may sound, please consult your psychologist or psychiatrist to make sure that this herb will not interact with any other medicines that you may be taking. SAM-e- SAM-e (often pronounced 'Sammy ' or 'Sam E ') has been prescribed in Europe for depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and even liver problems for quite a while. It has only been released in the United States since …show more content…
In a telephone call on the radio talk show Coast to Coast someone called in to say that she had been on anti-depressants for 20 years. What was so fascinating about this is that she sounded depressed. After 20 years of being treated for depression, this patient sounded depressed. That is highly unfortunate. Her ordeal began when her husband who had been bed-ridden for 10 years killed himself. The caller had been his caretaker all that time. After her husband 's death she was unhappy, of course and sought treatment. From a psychology standpoint there isn 't anything that needed treatment. The thought of putting this particular patient on medication seems wrong from the beginning. When your husband commits suicide, unless you really hated your husband and wanted to be rid of him, you would be unhappy. This does not warrant medical treatment. Similarly, when you lose your whole reason for being, which is to take care of a bed-ridden husband, you may be a little sad. It is part of life. Psychiatrists are the ones who are medical doctors and prescribe medication such as Prozac. Recently some people in the psychology profession have expressed an interest in being able to prescribe medication. There needs to be a balance here so that psychology remains focused on behavior and counseling. Without that everyone is in danger of being drugged. What the abovementioned patient needed was help coping with her new situation