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Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

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Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

#421

Post by shermantanktop »

ghusto wrote: post #161
isoprophlex wrote: post #43

Because it's common to hate on antidepressants, I've always personally had a bias against them. For the past 15-20 years, november thru february are basically a writeoff due for me due to seasonal affective disorder. Cold showers, exercise, no alcohol, strict sleeping rituals. Vitamin d. I can still sleep 11 hours and feel like reheated cat shit. Enter citalopram. "It will take up to six weeks to dial in" they said.…

The hate on antidepressants is not because they're not effective, but rather that they're abused by psychiatrists. Ideally, a professional will prescribe them as a necessary helper to becoming (more) mentally healthy whilst tackling the root cause. Most of the time however, it's more of a "here, take these indefinitely". It's like if we took sleeping pills every time we had trouble sleeping. Having said that, I just…

> I just realised I have the impression that's exactly what people do in the USA?

How would you have formed that impression? Whatever media and culture you’re consuming, or how you are interpreting it, is leading you to incorrect conclusions. You should examine that.

We all live in a cultural bubble but any time you find yourself thinking that millions of people somewhere else do something crazy, you should probably talk to someone from there.

Sleeping meds might be prescribed at a higher rate in the US, that wouldn’t surprise me due to the specific incentives in our health care system. But that’s a far cry from your impression.

Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

#422

Post by LordDragonfang »

ghusto wrote: post #161
isoprophlex wrote: post #43

Because it's common to hate on antidepressants, I've always personally had a bias against them. For the past 15-20 years, november thru february are basically a writeoff due for me due to seasonal affective disorder. Cold showers, exercise, no alcohol, strict sleeping rituals. Vitamin d. I can still sleep 11 hours and feel like reheated cat shit. Enter citalopram. "It will take up to six weeks to dial in" they said.…

The hate on antidepressants is not because they're not effective, but rather that they're abused by psychiatrists. Ideally, a professional will prescribe them as a necessary helper to becoming (more) mentally healthy whilst tackling the root cause. Most of the time however, it's more of a "here, take these indefinitely". It's like if we took sleeping pills every time we had trouble sleeping. Having said that, I just…

It's not like sleeping pills at all actually. Sleeping pills have a huge dependence and tolerance factor. Antidepressants, generally, do not. Once you find one that works, they keep working effectively forever.

It's actually like statins. Ideally, a doctor will recommend diet changes in addition to the pills. However, relying on lifestyle interventions almost never is effective, And the more we learn about it, the more we realize that cholesterol is mostly genetic based rather than diet based anyway. So the most effective thing they can do is say "here, take these indefinitely". And thank God they do because it saves thousands of lives annually.

For many people with depression, a neurochemical imbalance is the root cause. Just like with statins, addressing it means taking some pills.

Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

#423

Post by francisofascii »

humanfromearth9 wrote: post #307

The first thing I would do in case of depression is to make sure that the patient's energy levels are good and that mitochondria and other energy-related biochem phenomena work as expected. I know first-hand that low energy-levels and lacking energy production mechanically lead to depression. Also, look at how people (children also) experience the world and their relationships and their stresses when they are tired (…

It's interesting that one way to improve mitochondrial dysfunction is getting sunlight, the same way you get Vitamin D.

Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

#425

Post by chasd00 »

isoprophlex wrote: post #43

Because it's common to hate on antidepressants, I've always personally had a bias against them. For the past 15-20 years, november thru february are basically a writeoff due for me due to seasonal affective disorder. Cold showers, exercise, no alcohol, strict sleeping rituals. Vitamin d. I can still sleep 11 hours and feel like reheated cat shit. Enter citalopram. "It will take up to six weeks to dial in" they said.…

I had a similar experience except instead of antidepressants it was when i started taking Adderall as an adult. A sense of peace and serenity in my mind that I had never felt before, it was almost overwhelming.

Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

#426

Post by larrywright »

darvid wrote: post #353
michaelsshaw wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's like if we took sleeping pills every time we had trouble sleeping. Having said that, I just realised I have the impression that's exactly what people do in the USA? I'm not sure if it is common but I've definitely taken my fair share of my dog's trazodone.

after being prescribed Mirtazapine, then Trazadone I realized I don't think I've had restful sleep as long as I can remember. I need a sleep study done probably but until that the quality of life from taking something that has virtually no negative side effects for me is insane. meanwhile people are like "just take magnesium or melatonin lol"

Nobody should take this as medical advice, but from my own experience, nothing has made a bigger difference in my sleep quality than supplementing with magnesium glycinate. I didn't even start taking it for that purpose - I was taking it for something else and quickly noticed that it made the quality of my sleep significantly better. The only side effect from it is that sometimes I have strange dreams (not nightmares or anything, just odd).

Everyone should check with their doctor, but it's an inexpensive supplement and the effects (if any) show up pretty quickly, so IMO it's worth a shot.

Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

#427

Post by monero-xmr »

dghlsakjg wrote: post #411
isoprophlex wrote: post #43

Because it's common to hate on antidepressants, I've always personally had a bias against them. For the past 15-20 years, november thru february are basically a writeoff due for me due to seasonal affective disorder. Cold showers, exercise, no alcohol, strict sleeping rituals. Vitamin d. I can still sleep 11 hours and feel like reheated cat shit. Enter citalopram. "It will take up to six weeks to dial in" they said.…

As someone that falls on the side of “depression is real and antidepressants can help” it is very clear that there are people in this thread that need to hold their tongues because they know not of what they speak. (Not you OP) There are some forms of depression that you cannot think or act your way out of. If you haven’t experienced that, I promise that you do not understand what it is like. You cannot really unders…

Lexapro saved my life

Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

#429

Post by QuantumGood »

isoprophlex wrote: post #43

Because it's common to hate on antidepressants, I've always personally had a bias against them. For the past 15-20 years, november thru february are basically a writeoff due for me due to seasonal affective disorder. Cold showers, exercise, no alcohol, strict sleeping rituals. Vitamin d. I can still sleep 11 hours and feel like reheated cat shit. Enter citalopram. "It will take up to six weeks to dial in" they said.…

What dosage of Citalopram? 40 mg/day?

(Roughly equivalent to Lexapro 15mg/day; Saffron 30 mg/day if Crocin+Safranal properly standardized)

Re: Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants

#430

Post by trilogic »

16bitvoid wrote: post #405
kanbankaren wrote: post #376

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I feel completely empty and find no joy in things. Maybe the idea that we should find joy and feel full is wrong? We are on a random planet circling a random star in an unfathomable Universe. STOP looking for meaning and you are liberated. The quest for meaning by itself might be exhausting and makes you feel depressed.

Who said I'm looking for meaning? I'm not. It's not as liberating as you might think. A joyless existence is either suffering or nothingness. A life without meaning, either internal or external, is one where nothing is meaningful with no motivation thus one of crippling catatonia til death. All I can say is just that it doesn't feel good and if you can't feel good about anything, your calculus of your life inevitably…

There is only one cure/hack for Nihilism or similar...

Go somewhere where you need to work physically you az off to afford daily food. You will be so exhausted eventually that: 1 you will not have any energy left for thoughts. 2 If you have any energy left, you will give it to angriness which will lead to other circumstances which are none related to find the meaning of life.

Ignorance may lead to happiness and friends :)

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