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My son is experiencing depression and I would like to know if anyone has had success with supplements. He also has IBS and a very touchy stomach. He tried St. John's Wart.....seemed to upset his stomach. Are there specific B vitamins that are helpful.
Hey I'm no expert by any means, but a B-50 complex might do the trick--it combines all the B vitamins into one pill. If taken with food, it should be gentle on the tummy. Extra Vitamin D might be helpful during these days of little sun--Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) can be due to too little Vitamin D.
Seems other mineral shortages such as magnesium (often under-consumed) and potassium can also lead to depression...maybe a good multi can help with this.
I don't believe vitamins or most herbs are useful for much of anything. If he has depression, get him to a doc or trained psychologist to help him get to the root of the issues. Unless he has a true nutritional deficiency, no vitamin's going to help... especially if you're just guessing. A real blood test would show any of that.
Btw.... most real foods are balanced in what the human body needs-- all you have to do is have a good diet. When you start messing with vitamins- you start upsetting the balance in your body which can cause a chain reaction and make things even more out of whack. But if he's going to take vitamins, at least give him take a good (liquid is best I think-- sometimes pills go right through you)- basic multivitamin that is BALANCED in everything you need.
But don't delay-- ask your son what's going on, give him a chance to talk to you. And call the doc!!! (And don't believe your son necessarily needs drugs either.)
Hey I'm no expert by any means, but a B-50 complex might do the trick--it combines all the B vitamins into one pill. If taken with food, it should be gentle on the tummy. Extra Vitamin D might be helpful during these days of little sun--Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) can be due to too little Vitamin D.
Seems other mineral shortages such as magnesium (often under-consumed) and potassium can also lead to depression...maybe a good multi can help with this.
Thanks with the info.....I am a big beliver in suppplements. He does take some vitamins, but I will suggest to him the B-50 complex.
To the second poster, he has seen doctors, many, and no one has really helped that much. But I appreciate your input.
Thanks with the info.....I am a big beliver in suppplements. He does take some vitamins, but I will suggest to him the B-50 complex.
To the second poster, he has seen doctors, many, and no one has really helped that much. But I appreciate your input.
Me, too. I've either cured or alleviated some annoying minor and major health issues by improving my diet or supplementing with herbs or vitamins/minerals.
And exercise helps in lifting moods, too--and improving sleep. The days I miss a work-out, a walk or a bike ride are the nights I have trouble sleeping.
Try as we like, it's very difficult for most of us to eat a truly balanced diet these busy days..and our soils, for the most part, are much more depleted then the farming days of yesterday.
Sure, we can overdo the supplements, but a good natural healing book offers good advice in how to avoid that.
Hope the supplementation helps your son. Depression's a bummer, that's for sure.
My son is experiencing depression and I would like to know if anyone has had success with supplements. He also has IBS and a very touchy stomach. He tried St. John's Wart.....seemed to upset his stomach. Are there specific B vitamins that are helpful.
I read in a BOOK (sorry, no online reference), that more than 20 percent of all mental illness is a result of B vitamin deficiencies.
I would certainly try B-Vitamin complex supplementation. Make sure you get TOP QUALITY vitamins preferably something that is whole-food based, go to a health food store and find someone who is KNOWLEDGEABLE about the products.
I would try the St. Johns' Wort again, but make sure it is taken with food this time, and make sure also that it is a PURE product (no other ingredients except the herb).
Then again to get advice, we'd really need a bit more detail about his depression.... is it situational? Or is life good but he still feels down anyway? Are there some specific issues that are eating away at him? Or is it just hormonal? a chemical imbalance that is genetic... or...??? You also didn't say how old-- young kid? teen? adult? I still think messing with herbs is a waste of time.... and vitamins, unless he has an actual deficiency. If no doctor/psychologist has helped him, then he obviously hasn't found the right one! It definitely needs to be addressed aggressively, because it can turn into something worse. If he's a kid/teen, those are the formative years and if he doesn't get help, it could really affect him FOR LIFE. The longer you think a herb pill is going to cure him, the more time will be wasted in dealing with the real issues. Please don't give up on getting professional help... (intensive talk therapy, and retraining the mind to think in more constructive ways)... is an extremely powerful & effective thing. And much under-rated these days. Even if he has a lifelong chemical imbalance, this could teach him tools to be much more self-aware & empowered, to get a handle on it better. And keep reminding him, YOU are bigger than your depression. (JMO... from much life experience)
I traded out my morning coffee for Emergen-C (which has B vitamins in it) and my energy level throughout the day has improved (which helps my mood). I don't know how much was getting rid of caffeine (I still have a mug of 75% decaf/25% caf mid-morning) and how much was getting some more B Vitamins, but it has been a nice change.
Certainly if he is suffering from depression, anything he can do to make himself physically healthier would be good. If he is a coffee/soda/tea drinker, I'd see if he can cut back. I was a long-time coffee drinker and I weaned off over the course of one week with no major issues. I'm really glad I did.
Also he needs to be getting enough sleep.
Exercise (for me it has to be hard exercise like running) helps my mood and stave off depression.
Were the doctors unwilling to help him by prescribing medication?
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