I have been on antidepressants for a few years for moderate depression. The fact I have to rely on antidepressants and therapy is a great source of anxiety and self-doubt. Is there a reliable way to relieve depression symptoms without drugs and therapy -- for instance, with St. John's wort, exercising, support groups, etc.?

Susan

You mention that your reliance on antidepressants and therapy causes you anxiety and self-doubt. Please discuss these feelings and any related concerns with your therapist. There's no shame in being depressed or having any type of mental illness or emotional problem, or in taking medication for such problems. But an important goal of any psychotherapy is to help people learn how to handle issues on their own and with their own support network. I hope your therapist can help you explore ways to achieve that goal.

That said, the herb St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) has indeed been found effective in treating depression. In fact, I understand that in Germany, St. John's wort comprises more than 50 percent of the antidepressant market, while Prozac accounts for only two percent.

However, St. John's wort is really a kind of drug (albeit a naturally occurring one that's been safely used in folk medicine for thousands of years). So I don't know if it would address your desire to relieve depression without drugs or therapy. If you do decide to try it, please consult with your physician and a medical herbalist or someone familiar with the way St. John's wort can interact with other antidepressants and medications. We need to be careful about mixing herbal and pharmaceutical medicines. Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean that it can't harm you if you take a large enough dose or if it reacts to another substance in your body.

As for the other things you mentioned: Regular exercise is a great means of improving mood as well as physical health. I'd recommend engaging in exercise you enjoy whether or not you continue using prescription medication and therapy. Social support, especially in the form of friends and family with whom you can have fun, is also an essential ingredient for emotional well-being. You may have been referring to community support groups focusing on depression or other problems, and those can be helpful as well. But I wouldn't underestimate the power of play and just plain fun in alleviating depression.

Holistic approaches to health may also relieve depression. Such approaches might include acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda (the Hindu approach to medicine popularized by Dr. Deepak Chopra), homeopathy, and naturopathy. Holistic health practitioners would probably consider your depression a manifestation of some root condition(s) or problems that need to be addressed so that your body's natural healing process can be strengthened and encouraged.