posted March 03, 2008 06:44 AM         

The nearest to what I was looking for I found online. I've cut and pasted the self-help and alternative therapies part. "Set small goals" and "write down your feelings" are my personal favourites, as hands up, I get visits from the old Black Dog every now and again myself. As mine is bereavement induced, I can't see how a pill is going to change anything.

http://www.reachout.com.au/print_article.asp?ti=1909

Eating Well and Being Active

Even though you might not feel like it, exercising and eating well can help when you are feeling down. Biological factors, as well as social factors, influence how you will feel, react and think about things and yourself. Exercise helps stimulate hormones, such as endorphins, which help you feel better about yourself and your life. If you haven't done a lot of exercise before, it might be a good idea to start doing something small a couple of times each week. For example, a 15 minute walk or 2 or 3 laps of a pool.

Get Out into Nature

Evidence shows that when you have some sort of contact with nature (such as pets, plants, gardens or parks) your mood improves and you feel less stressed. Even just going for a walk in the park or at the beach may help.

Write Down Your Feelings

Writing down your feelings, or keeping a journal, can be a great way of understanding your emotions and a specific situation. It can also help you think about alternative solutions to problems. Become a Reach Out! member and you will get your own privtate and secure journal that exists on Reach Out!

Taking Time Out to Relax

It is a good idea to try and take a bit of each day to do something you enjoy. When you are feeling down it may be hard to be social or motivate yourself to do things. It may help to make a list of all the things you enjoy doing and then plan to do something from this list each day.

Talking to Someone

Although it may seem hard, sharing how you feel and hanging out with with someone you trust can help you get through the hard times, see alternative ways of solving or thinking about a problem, and help to make you a happier person in general. If you are having difficulty speaking about what you're going through, you might start with sentences such as 'Right now, I'm feeling...', 'I think it started when...', 'I've been feeling this for...', 'My sleep has been...', 'Lately school/work/uni has been...'.

Support Groups

As well as family and friends, support groups can be a place to share experiences and inspiration with others going through similar times. Contact your local community health centre for details of support groups in your area. Alternatively, there are many different support groups online, such as depressionet (www.depressionet.com.au).

Ring a Crisis Line

If you feel are having difficulty talking to people you know, phone a crisis line. (the article gives examples of numbers in Australian numbers).

Set Small Goals

Sometimes people set goals which are almost unachievable and then feel even worse when they cannot reach them. Try to set goals that are achievable for you, even if it's on a day by day, or hour by hour, basis. And remember to reward yourself too.

Reducing Stress

It may be a good idea to try and reduce the level of stress you are feeling. You may like to check out the fact sheet on stress for some ideas on how to manage stress.

Go Easy on Drugs and Alcohol

Try not to use drugs or alcohol in the hope of feeling better. The feeling is usually temporary and the after effects often make the problem worse.

St. John's Wort

St John's Wort is a popular herbal remedy for depression. It is a flower with many chemical compounds, some of which are believed to help depression by preventing nerve cells in the brain from reabsorbing the chemical messenger serotonin. Studies have shown that St. John's Wort is an effective antidepressant in cases of people with mild, non-melancholic depression, but not effective for people with melancholic (biological) depression. However, it does have side-effects, including a possibility of effecting reproductive functioning and interacting with certain medications.

posted March 03, 2008 06:51 AM         

The mind, body and soul should be treated as One if you ask me.

Another thing that can help are flower remedies.

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"It's just a ride & we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings & money, a choice, right now, between fear & love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off, the eyes of love instead see all of us as one".....