Natural treatments and anti depressants

Hi

I'm a 49 year old female who has suffered with depression for the last 5/6 years and have taken Auroix (2 years) Citalopram (5 days - severe reaction - Akathisia) and Zoloft for about 4 years.  Lately, I have become dissatisfied with how I feel on Zoloft.  If I take a 50mg dose I feel too hyped up.  If I take half this then the depression still seems under control but I generally lack enthusiasm or motivation. I have also put on 10kgs, mostly on the torso so not a very healthy place to store body fat.  This health risk along with not being able to get clothes that fit has been motivation for me to join Weight Watchers.  The first step in my new resolution to look for other methods to help me deal with depression.

I am very interested in using some natural treatments also and wonder who out there has had experience or successes with naturael treatments.

Also, at my age, I would like to take hormonal changes into consideration when contemplating natural treatments.

I will definitely be consulting with a homeopathic professional along with visits to a GP, I have heard of St John's Wort but not 5htp.

I have just finished reading Help for Depression and Anxiety by Dr Sandra Cabot which was very interesting and gave me a lot to think about. I don't want to become an advertisement for her but I would really recommend reading this book as a lot of the information really makes sense.

In her book, Dr Cabot talks about a holistic approach to emotional distress and imbalance which addresses the following issues:

counselling from a good doctor, psych or a professional counsellor

nutritional deficiencies and the need for supplements

poor diet and lifestyle

relaxation techniques

support groups

hormonal causes of emotional distress and mental fatigue

genetic factors causing inherited depression and anxiety

the need for specific prescribed medication tailor made for the individual

I was hoping I may get responses/comments from anyone who may already have explored this avenue and what their experiences were rather than advice about what to take in the way of natural treatments. 

I actually found this forum while searching for GP's interested in a holistic approach.  My GP of about 20years has just retired and I am looking for a new one.

Wanting to go the natural route is a good thing. Pharmeceuticals are very hard for some people to tolerate. Please consult a Dr. before you take anything.  I had some bad experiences mixing herbs with prescription drugs.  Any ethical nutritionalist will tell you that you can get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs if you eat correctly and all the additional supplements do little more than produce expensive urine.  Diet and exercise will always help and I am sure there are natural remedies that do help some people just please exercise caution.  Making sure the purety and the quality of what you are taking is most important.  Recently I have become a little leary of the herbal push, sometimes so little testing has been conducted on humans that you really do not know how your body will react.  I put off going on prescription meds because I wanted natural help with my issues.  I was never able to achieve that and did finally go on the meds my Dr. recommended.  Good luck, do your research and consult a Dr. and I hope you find something that agrees with you and helps you.  I do not mean to sound negative, forgive me if I came across that way, not my intent.  We all need to be well informed about what we put in our bodies.  A very wise old woman told me one time "You either spend your money at the grocery store or at the Dr.'s office."  Eat well, feel well.

Gem