What to do if You’re Depressed or Anxious

Everyone feels depressed or anxious sometimes.  If something bad has happened in your life, or if you have many obligations to meet in a short amount of time, it’s normal to feel depressed or anxious.  However, depression and anxiety can grow into genuine health problems. Here are some holistic approaches to curbing these problems.


I have struggled with depression and anxiety for several years now.  Recently, I have used a variety of ways of battling these two problems—two of them being vitamins and dietary supplements.  I take a multi-vitamin to assure that I get enough B vitamins. Some studies have shown depressed people to be deficient in Vitamin B12.  Also, Vitamins B6 and B3 can increase serotonin levels in the body, which helps depression and anxiety. In addition, other studies have shown that Vitamin D deficiency is linked to depression and anxiety.  I get Vitamin D with my multivitamin and an additional supplement. Another approach is consuming Omega-3 fatty acids, which help your brain transmit nerve signals more effectively.


While supplements are beneficial, it is also important to get these nutrients through your diet.  Potatoes (with skin), sweet potatoes, bananas, prunes, avocados, beef, and chicken are all good sources of Vitamin B6.  Vitamin B12 can be found in fish, poultry, eggs, yogurt, almonds, and rice milk. Tuna, turkey, green vegetables, and peanuts are good sources of Vitamin B3.  Milk, cheese, tuna, mackerel, and salmon have Vitamin D. Finally, mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil, herring, oysters, sardines, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts are great sources of Omega 3.  


Depression and anxiety are not things that a person should ignore.  They can disrupt a person’s work and social life. They can also make you miss out on many of the better things in life.  Any person who is prone to depression or anxiety may consider a variety of healthy, holistic ways of dealing with it before jumping into medication.