# Natural Alternative Therapies for Depression and Anxiety

- Link: https://stayathomemum.com.au/wellbeing/mind-mental-health/natural-alternative-therapies-depression-anxiety/
- Published: 2015-01-13T12:00:24+11:00
- Author: Saskia Brown

## _Negative emotions can suck your energy, ruin your day, week or month, and make it hard to cope with real life._

Depression and�[anxiety](https://stayathomemum.com.au/my-lifestyle/health/anxiety-in-adults/)
�seem to go hand-in-hand for a lot of people. Rather than always�being severe enough
to warrant immediate medication and intense therapy, low grade depression and anxiety
can sometimes�respond well to natural alternatives.

Both�come from chemical imbalances in the brain, often triggered by feeling helpless
or out of control. Changing other chemical balances in your brain can balance out
the out-of-wack ones for the better!

## **Signs you may be suffering from Anxiety**

If you:

 * Avoid crowds, noisy places or going somewhere new
 * Feel short of breath, panicked, sweaty palmed, have a racing heart or dry mouth
 * Are unable to concentrate
 * Have less short-term memory than usual
 * Get weird symptoms that you notice but can’t pinpoint gurgly tummy, loose bowels,
   vague nausea
 * Have the sudden, strong urge to wee and yet when you go, you have the merest 
   of trickles
 * Are over-prepared for every day, hyper-vigilant about normal activities or panicked
   about things you didn’t used to worry about
 * Have difficulty relaxing or falling asleep
 * Wonder whether we’re all actors in a giant Matrix or The Truman Show (feelings
   of detachment or unreality)
 * Have�headaches, muscle tension or a sore jaw from grinding your teeth

Then you may be suffering from anxiety. Anxiety is a normal emotion in our lives,
and sometimes serves a good purpose but if it’s interfering with you enjoying life
and other people enjoying your company, then naming those feelings as ANXIETY is
the first step to dealing with them.

## **Signs you may be suffering from�Depression**

If on the other hand you feel:

 * Out of character taking risks, speaking out of turn, jumping before you look,
   or gambling, drinking or shopping more than usual (in ways that worry you), or
   feel like picking a fight where before, you would be open to resolving a conflict
 * That you deflect any gesture or word that requires interpersonal interactions,
   or can’t believe that anyone likes you, wants to touch you or spend time with
   you
 * Like crying or laughing at inappropriate times, or cry about a tissue ad but 
   ignore the overdue bills
 * Feel like: “I’m not depressed, I just don’t care / sleep a lot / can’t sleep /
   don’t enjoy anything”
 * The need to drink, take drugs (either legal or illicit) or make radical changes
   to your appearance
 * Nothing, stuck in neutral, unmoved by ups or downs, slightly zombie-like or out
   of touch with the day to day
 * Bored with your life

…then you may be depressed.

## Next Page:�Natural Alternatives for Depression and Anxiety

![author avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/beaab5002cb6667a505a36ea1719c987c9b9ec49b183cbd4df7338b99b3292c5?
s=300&d=mm&r=pg)

 Saskia Brown

 Saskia is mama wearing lots of different hats while parenting two small girls. 
She is a midwife, is married to a scientist and lives in the Adelaide Hills in South
Australia. When she's not juggling parenting and working, she likes to do a lot 
of walking, photography and crafting. She enjoys yoga when the childerbeasts are
asleep, writing when the mood strikes, reading a good organisational blog or dreaming
of far off places.

 [See Full Bio](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/saskia-brown/) [  ](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/saskia-brown/)