Severe depression(very sad)?

i have a friend Dora. She gets very sad sometimes. I would like to know how can a person overcome severe depression without taking meds?

I used to suffer from severe depression for two yrs, I stayed indoors. I slept for long hrs such as 23 hrs sometimes. I stayed in bed.; constantly watching TV. I spent long hrs crying for no reason. There was an unexplainable ache. I was lonely, miserable and felt sorry for myself. So I understand what your friend, Dora is going thru. Here are practical ways that i employ to combat and get out off the deep hole of depression and live again; among the living.

1) Make a resolution to combat depression.
2) Diversional therapy- Listen to upbeat and happy music.

3) Maintain contact with friends either by phone or physical.

4) Go to the movie theater with friends.
5) Go shopping ow window browsing either alone or with friends.
6) Read a good book. like a mystery to keep you occupied and interested. You 'll finish it to find out the highlights and answers to questions in your mind. .
7) Lessen the hrs of TV watching. Refrain from soap operas- too depressing.
8) Force yourself to get out of bed.
9) Develop and concentrate on a good hobby such as gardening.and computer surfing.

10) Go to this YA and answer a lot of questions.
This is a very interesting pastimeesp when you do research and discover that there other people with the same problem.
11) Pamper yourself to a haircut or do ; manicure and pedicure.
12) Go jogging alone or with friends and neighbors.
13) Go fishing.
14) Go a bar or nighclub and go dancing. Dancing is a very good exercise as well as tension reliever. Ditto with sex.
15) Take a long soothing warm bath so you 'll have a good night's rest.
16) Hum a song to yourself or go sing karaoke. Go bowling. or some physical activity to work out your depression.
17) Be there for her. Give her lots of emotional support. Encourage her to talk and tell you why she is depressed.

Try the following also:

1) Eat the blues away. Miracle foods such as Brazil nuts and avocados are a good soures of selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant mineral that can cause you to feel depressed when levels in your body is low. Kiwifruit is an antioxidant. Kiwi fruits are rich in vitamin C. Not only will it boost your immune system but also your well-being. Two ripe bananas a day will increase body's level of serotonins that brighten up your moods. Chilis, the substance that make chillies hot; capsicum helps the stomach release of feel good endorphins in the brain as well. Have you ever seen an unhappy Mexican?

2) Drink green tea. Green tea contains high levels of bioflavonoid guercetin. bioflavoids are antioxidants that gfight depression as well as protecion against cancerand heart disease. . Take not of the amt of grren tea that is drunk in the Far East where there is a low rate of mental and physical illnesses.

3) Eat turnips.. We live in a high presure day and age and for many people, the end of the year and christmas and New Year in particular can also be very stressful times. eat plenty of green vegetable rich in nutrition to boost your mood. try using turpnips in your cooking. Most vegetables such as swedes, are rich in vit C and antioxidant that has protection to help people who are prone to bouts of depression.

4) Vitamins and Minerals. As well as incorporating the foods already suggested ; you may want to take vit and minerals supplements to support your immune system.
Iron- helps to produce serotonin the brain chemical antidote to feeling low.
Vitamin C- when you're depressed, there is low levels of vit C. and becaue this vitamin is not normally stored in the body, you may need to mamimize your daily intake.
Zinc- this mineral is essential for the production of serotonins.
Selenium- this essential mineral is found to be in low levels in people suffering from depression.
B Vitamins - these support the nervous system and are needed for the producation of serotonins, especially vit B6.

5) Alternative Answers- Known as the sunshine herb, St. John's Wort is the most commonly used herb remedy for mild to moderate depression. those with fair skin are reccommended not to sunbathe while taking St. John's Wort. Kava and Valerian root both act to soothe and calm and promote natural sleep.

6) Get Moving- Exercise is the most effective antidote to depression. but it requires more efforts. it encourages the release of " feel-good" endorphins into the body - boosting your moods and lifting spirits. Try the strength-training routines such as weight lifting and aerobic exercises. such as reaonably feat walking, jogging, aerobics, cycling, swimmingand tennis. Just half an hr of mod exercises 3X a wk or 20 min five times a wk will show the difference.

7) Steer away from: Alcohol- is a depressant that reduces blood sugar levels. Caffeine- as a mood enhancer makes a bad mood feel worse. Instead drink a lot of fruit juices such as orange juice. or water. This will flush out your kidneys of any toxins from your body.

8) Try Aromatherapy- Sprinkle a few drops of essential oils into your bath or a scent burner to calm all around you. Calrym sage, jasmine, rose, rosewood, sandlewood, ylang-ylang, are all known to relieve depression. Take yourself to a local massage center and go for an aromatherapy massage. Your masseuse will ask what you wish to achieve from this massage and use the appropriate scented oils. .

It is possible. Sometimes depression can go away with no treatment. It is unlikely, however. Chances are, if left untreated, depression will get worse.
I would try counseling with a professional. From there let the counselor make the decision if they think she needs medication and if she need to go to a psychiatrist. Hope this helps.
She needs medication. There are alternate ways to relax such as yoga, medication, chamomile tea, lavendar, massages...but all in all, people with depression need medication otherwise sometimes it can worsen. It takes up to 4 weeks to start working so I would suggest her start asap!
i got depressed after a breakup and did not know what to do to get over it but then i realized i was losing weight from depression and it made me happy. i think sometimes you have to find good that comes out of the situation you are in.
Usually a severe ongoing depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. The medications are to correct that imbalance. It is also important that she have counseling along with the medication.
Please urge your friend to get the help that she desperately needs. I wish you well.
What is reason for the depression? If the reason can be found out, and altered, changed, maybe that will start a new trail to a better feeling about the source of depression. Maybe she could write down why she is feeling bad and maybe talk about it to someone. Just "venting" will help.