I have been affected by depression ever since I was very young.  I remember people and family all noticing it, and expressing on-going concern.  Back in those days, the condition was not explored nearly as much as it is now, but was a growing area in the medical field and had at least more to offer than 20 years previous.

I was one of those kids who was forced to see a counselor/therapist when I was in grade school.  You have to understand that this was almost completely unheard of back in these day, the mid-late 70’s.  At certain times during the week in class, I would be quietly sent away to speak with a man or woman privately about various things.  It was embarrassing for me, as I knew the teachers were aware of this, and I was treating just a little differently from the rest of the class because of it.  I even remember them teaming me up with a fellow class mate, who just happened to be an actual friend that I sat near, and was told to work with this specific class mate on specific projects, as a way of providing a therapeutic service to me.  I was never sure if this classmate knew that our pairing was deliberate.  I enjoyed this classmate’s company, so I managed whatever discomfort this gave me by simply participating.  This classmate was very well-liked, popular, and excelled in all areas, socially and academically.

Soon, we all moved on to middle school and we were lumped in with a much larger group of new students, all coming together from their elementary schools.  With the onset of puberty, things tended to get worse, and to make a long story short, I was truant from school often, and used drugs to manage a lot of anxiety and depression.

There are a lot of details I could give about what I went through, but I’d rather not indulge in it at this time.  Sufficie it to say, being “normal,” was foreign to me, college was out, and I simply did everything I could to try to maintain some kind of life that I could manage while feeling constant stress and depression.

The good news is that I had something “in” me…a drive…that had me constantly seeking answers to my problems.

I’ve been fortunate in that that part of me has always been there, ever since, to this day.  When I have a problem, I actively seek a solution, and do not stop until I find it. 

Some problems I’ve had for an entire life that I still have not found the solutions to.

But the rest…a good 90% of them…I *have* found the answers to, thanks to this drive to find them.

I am not depression-free these days.  But I am a LOT better than I was.  Now, the depression is mostly circumstance-related; something specific is bringing me down, and this is a normal reaction that most people have to negative things in their lives.

Other times, it is more organic, where there seems to be no origin.  This was a large part of what I grew up with, and can still affect me from time to time these days, but I can also go very long stretches without having it at all.

I am writing this in October of 2012.  The days are getting shorter, and “SAD,” Seasonal Affective Disorder, has hit me just a bit as it does every year at this time.

Again, it is not nearly as bad as it used to be.  And, it is not year-long, the way it could be during some of my earlier years.

But I get just enough of a hint of it at times, for me to remember how bad it can be.

The good news is, I can manage it very effectively now, and improve it to the point where it only barely affects my quality of life.

THESE ARE THE THINGS I USE:

It is not just about using supplements.  But the fact is, supplements can be of tremendous help.  And most of you reading this know I will not do prescriptions or other drugs.  I have tried both, very unsuccessfully.  At least three antidepressants tried nearly drove me to suicide.  Having dealt with enough suicidal tendencies without SSRI’s or similar…I decided there was no way that was a workable option.

So the below list includes supplements I have used, and the other tactics that have been very helpful, and that you can research yourself:

1. Vitamin D

2. Vitamin B12 (methyl)

3. Small amounts of healthy omega-3 fats, like cod liver oil

4. Elimination of alcohol

5. “Brain Tuner” technology by Sota

6. Affirmation audios or subliminals

7. Association with others

8. “The Power of Now” material by Eckhart Tolle