Depression is a terrible thing. It robs you of your life by turning your mind into a literal torture chamber while your body may be perfectly fine. Some people, in trying to deal with this terrible illness, turn to drugs. But the drugs have terrible side effects which in some way are worse than the depression itself. For those who are tired of these side effects, there are things you can do and take that will help battle this disease without the adverse effects of medication. Please check with your doctor before doing any of these things.

One thing you can do is to take vitamins. Doctors have determined that many cases of depression are caused by imbalances of certain chemicals in the brain. Nutritionists feel that many of these imbalances can be treated by taking vitamins, primarily vitamins in the B vitamin group. B vitamins like B six and B twelve, along with niacin, are supposed to be very good in "calming" the nervous system. While this has not been proven medically as a sure treatment for depression, nutritionists and doctors of alternative medicines do claim that these and other vitamins do help.

Another thing you can do in order to battle depression is to make a schedule for yourself of things to do. One of the biggest problems facing people who suffer from depression is that they have little desire to do anything. This is where you must methodically force yourself to do things. By making a schedule for yourself, what you do is keep yourself busy. One of the worst things for depression is to have an idle mind. By having things to do, you keep your mind active and on other things besides your depression. The more occupied you are, the less time you have to think about your problems. If you don't have a lot you enjoy doing, find things. Find a new hobby. Take a part time job. Clean the house if you have to. Certainly, there are things you can be doing besides sitting around and thinking how bad you feel.

Another thing you can do is exercise. Exercise is good for so many things. Besides helping you physically, exercise also keeps your mind busy, especially if you set up for yourself an exercise routine. If you can swing it, set up an exercise room with a bike, a treadmill and maybe even some weights. The good feeling you will get from getting your body into shape will also carry over to your mental well-being.

Finally, if all of the above fails, go see a therapist. Get help. Talk to somebody. You'll be surprised how good you'll feel just having somebody to talk to. If you're not good with one on one, join a support group. The old saying that misery loves company is very true. Support groups exist for a reason. They work.

There is no actual cure for depression. But by eating well, exercising, keeping busy and if necessary, seeing a professional, it can be treated effectively without having to take dangerous drugs.