Please help. Any advice how to help with depression and anxiety? why do i have it?

I have been on 30 mg anti depressants for 4 years, currently having Cognitive therapy, and still become really down and depressed, any suggestions?Please help. Any advice how to help with depression and anxiety? why do i have it?
There are other areas to explore for dealing with both depression and anxiety, and one of the most effective things you can do for yourself is to research and educate yourself on diet, food allergies, and mental health. And spend some time looking for a doctor who is grounded in the use of nutrition who can help you to determine what your body needs to restore its balance.





Antidepressants address symptoms, not the underlying causes of depression. While they can be helpful in the short run, longterm dependence on them can actually contribute to a worsening of your symptoms. There is another approach to treating mental illnesses that is based on nutrition. Called 'orthomolecular psychiatry', many of the practioners who use this approach report very high cure rates. Cure rates....not simply managing the illness.





Your entire body (including your brain) is dependent on the nutrition you SHOULD be taking in. Problem is that the standard American diet (SAD) is full of processed foods and foods/drinks that are high in sugar and in caffeine. All these food items fall very short of providing adequate nutrition for the body and the brain. Worse, they deplete the body.





Processed foods are full of artificial ingredients that wreck havoc with our nervous system (the brain is part of the nervous system). Many of these ingredients are neurotoxic...meaning they are toxic or poisonous to the nervous system (again, includes the brain).





Foods and drinks high in sugar cause lots of problems as well. Sugar is void of any nutrition, but it burns off many critical nutrients like the B vitamins and magnesium. I've read that more than 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium is a natural tranquilizer...it calms the mind and allows the muscles to relax. [Don't go taking mega doses of magnesium, however, because minerals need to be present in a particular balance and taking a single mineral can throw things off even more than they already are.] B vitamins are critical for a healthy nervous system.





To complicate the whole situation even more is the impact that food allergies or sensitivities can have on your mental health. Many people find their symptoms improve greatly once they identify and eliminate foods that they are sensitive to. The most likely culprits tend to be wheat, dairy, corn, and yeast(s). Everyone is so biochemically different, so each person has to do the work to figure out what is causing/contributing to their health problems. Again, having a doctor who is well versed in nutrition is key.





Try keeping a food journal for a bit. Jot down what you eat and drink during the day, along with how you are feeling at various points throughout the day...before you eat a particular item, then 30 minutes after, two hours after, four hours after. The food you eat doesn't enter your body all at once. Your digestive system has to digest the food (break it down into the smallest molecules) before it can be absorbed and distributed. This can take a bit. Get family and friends involved, if you can. They may observe changes in you that you don't notice.





Make dietary changes as needed, or simply revamp your diet to be more healthful. That means eating whole foods...lots of vegetables and fruits, whole grains (not processed cereals), and protein from healthy sources.





In addition to eating a healthy diet, adding some supplements can help your body restore its balance a bit faster. A good place to start is to take


* a good multi-vitamin/mineral complex to make sure you are getting a balance of all the important nutrients. Take as directed on package.


* a B100, taken once a day, to replenish your body's stores of B vitamins


* a good EFA (essential fatty acid) formula...critical for a healthy nervous system





An additional point specific to managing anxiety is to learn deep breathing techniques. An easy one is to position your arms over your head so that you lift the ribcage and open the lungs. You can do this while standing, sitting or lying down. Now breathe in very deeply and slowly through your nose...to a slow count of eight. Hold the breath for a slow count of four. Then very slowly and evenly exhale to a slow count of eight. Do this focused breathing for several minutes.





If you are a reader, there are many books out there on the subject of nutrition and mental health. A couple of the ones I have read are ';Optimum Nutrition for the Mind'; by Patrick Holford; and ';Depression Cured at Last'; by Dr. Sherry Rogers.Please help. Any advice how to help with depression and anxiety? why do i have it?
I recommend you check out this social networking community called LetsReflect.com. There are people there going through situations similar to yours. They are great for advice and encouragement.





The process of Self Reflection has truly changed my life鈥?here鈥檚 my profile. http://www.letsreflect.com/profile.php?u鈥?/a>





This is a journey鈥?not a quick fix. The trick is staying positive and surrounding yourself with positive people. You are capable of great things! I believe in you. Best of luck.