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There are many people who suffer from depression. Some have been taking antidepressants for many years with no relief. They are thinking about some kind of alternative, and want to try something new, and maybe something that is a natural, or homeopathic remedy instead. Before you just stop your medication altogether, there are some important things that you need to know first.
For one thing, you need to really understand your condition. If you are suffering from some other problem as well, like bipolar disorder, a thyroid condition, or suffer from a hormone imbalance, do not stop taking the specific medications for these diseases. While they may contribute to some of the causes of depression, you can not stop taking them, because your symptoms and condition may get worse. For example, if you have a thyroid deficiency, and are taking medication for that, there could be all kinds of complications. These include severe mood swings, weight gain, weight loss, or even life threatening complications.
Now, dealing specifically with the depression itself and weaning yourself off the antidepressant medication only, there are some important things that you need to know about leaving these medications behind. One is that you may have been taking them for a while, and because of this the chemicals have accumulated in your body. It is a smart thing to want to be off of the medication because there are some very bad long term side-effects. Some of these include heart problems, like high blood pressure, higher cholesterol levels, and the risk of a stroke or heart attack. There can also be long term liver or kidney damage associated with taking these medications.
However, you just can not stop your medication cold turkey. They have been building up in your system, and tossing them in the garbage can be detrimental. Many antidepressants used for treating depression are highly addictive. This is why you may feel alright for a short period of time, and then your symptoms come back again, you have built up a tolerance for them. The longer you have taken these drugs, the more they have built up in your system, and now your body relies on them, just like taking 'recreational' drugs. In fact, many of these prescribed medications are worse than heroin and methamphetamine when it comes to withdrawal symptoms.
Now after reading this you may be stressing out, because you may feel guilty about having taken these medications, and now there is nothing your can do to stop. For one thing, do not be too upset about it, because it is not your fault. You may also want to blame your doctor, but in truth, they are not intentionally trying to get you hooked on antidepressants either. Many of the studies related to medications for treating depression are fairly new, and in some cases your doctor may not have known that they would not work for you.
Instead of playing the blame game, or getting upset about it, there are steps you can actively take in order to wean yourself off of these drugs. The first step is to consult with your health care provider and discuss your intentions, and gradually step down from them. While you are doing this, you will also need to start flushing your system of the amounts of toxins that have already built up in your system. The first place to start is by eating foods that are rich in antioxidants, or taking supplements such OPC3, Gingko Biloba, as well as many others.
Just like it took time to build up these antidepressants in your system when you first decided to get help for your depression, it is going to take time to wean yourself off of them. There are many different things you can do for your depression that have nothing to do with prescribed medications. While you are weaning yourself away from them, you should start doing some researching about what you can do and what can you take that is natural, un-harmful to your system, and have no side-effects. There are many different foods that you can eat, as well as herbal supplements, and other homeopathic solutions. There is meditation, Yoga, and deep-breathing exercises. You should be getting out and doing things, make sure you are getting enough sleep and eating better as well.
Weaning yourself off your antidepressants is a process that will take time, and it is time well spent. So you will need to consult the doctor that prescribed them to you and make sure you are weaned off properly.
Get More information about Depression and why you don't need antidepressants by getting your free special "Throwing Out Your Antidepressants Doesn't Have to Be Depressing" report at http://www.thedepressingtruth.com
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