What is a natural alternative to treating depression? Any natural way to treat d!

Exercise is a natural antidepressant. It releases endorphins that make you feel good. An herbal remedy though is St John's Wort. You can get it at any herb shop. Talk to your doc first, though.

Try the 'depression diet' :

Depression diet don’ts:

Avoid or reduce alcohol, sugar, and caffeine (including soft drinks)
Avoid fast food and other ‘junk meals’ low in nutrients
Avoid or reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners

Depression diet do’s:

Balance each meal with adequate protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates
Eat lean sources of protein such as fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, and seeds
Try to mix in at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day
Choose ‘fresh’ food over processed or frozen foods

Sounds too simple right? But I've used it and it helps alot.

http://www.safedepressiontreatment.com/9…

You may "simply" be vitamin D deficient. Try taking 5,000iu a day of vitamin D3. You can find out for sure by having a 25(OH)D blood test. More info. at Mercola.com and Natural News. Mercola also has a tutorial on how to do EFT (emotional freedom technique) which can elminate anxiety (heck it works for post traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder!)
You can also go holistic and see a professional Homeopath. Works every time but costs more than supplements and a free tutorial.

Hobbies, physical activity, joining a club or organization, volunteering, getting a pet, going to church...

These are all things that can help. Mostly its about being with others or helping people less fortunate.

Exercise, St. Johns Wart, Fish Oil and counseling!!

There are many different options for natural ways to treat depression. I think it's wonderful that you are considering trying a natural way. In my experience medications normally make things worse. They are suppose to treat a problem, but for me always create new problems from the side effects. One of the first things I would recommend is trying chiropractic. Sometimes subluxations in the upper neck can cause problems such as depression or anxiety. I would get checked out by a good chiropractor first, and see what they say. They can also recommend other natural things for you to do. You could try to change your diet. Try eating foods with vitamin b, omega 3, and folic acids. You could eat foods like salmon, tuna, trout, peas, dried beans, oranges, broccoli, spinach, and whole-wheat products. I would reduce your intake of sweet foods, and limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you have. I would also drink lots of water. You could also try some supplements such as St. John's wort, vitamin b6, and magnesium. I would try to exercise more, since you release endorphins when you exercise. You could also try some relaxing things such as yoga, mediation, massage, and aromatherapy. Getting enough sleep is very important in treating depression or any other type of disorder, so I would try to get between 7-8 hours of sleep a night. There have also been some people who have tried hypnosis, and been successful. I would be very careful going that route though, and do a lot of research and meeting with the person before I tried that. You could also try some form of psychotherapy to try to figure out why it is that you are experiencing the things you are. You wouldn't have to be on medication, just spend some time with the therapist, and try to talk through the things you are experiencing. Good luck!

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/conditio…
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/healthco…
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/al…