Hi -
I'm also someone with a history of depression and anxiety.
I'm happy to report that things have improved incredibly for me since LCing, and it's all been without prescription meds. The only time I start feeling funky again is when I'm PMSing.
I used to take Zoloft and Buspar, and both made me gain alot of weight. It may not for everyone, but that was my experience.
And I too am always on a quest for more serotonin!
The main strategies I've used that have worked for me are:
- Eating more foods that are natural sources of serotonin, or serotonin precursors. The most commonly known source is turkey which, like other foods that improve serotonini, contain tryptophan.....tryptophan is one of the "ingredients" that you body needs to create serotonin for use in your brain. The pathway is...tukey contains tryptophan, which converts into 5-htp, which then turns into serotonin. Some people also purchase 5-htp supplements at health food stores to "bypass" the first few steps. For many people, 5-htp works better than St. John's Wort....but for me, it had the same effect as Melatonin...it gave me really vivid dreams.
- Taking Fish Oil supplements and DLPA. The Fish Oil helps regulate mood, and DLPA is DL-phenylalanine, which is an amino acid that helps with depression and "emotional sensitivity". You can take fish oil with anti-depressents, but you can't take DLPA.
- lastly, I HIGHLY recommend either of Julia Ross' nutrition books, The Diet Cure, or The Mood Cure. It's an amazing book that really changed my view on the role of amino acids and vitamins on controlling my depression and anxiety. I learned everything I know from those books. Both books contain the exactly same information - the only difference is that The Diet Cure has some additional chapters that discuss nutritional deficiencies from yo-yo dieting. Julia Ross explains things in a very clear, easy-to-follow manner with plenty of scientific and research references to support the theories. She's also very, very Atkins friendly.
This is just stuff that worked for me...it may or may not work for you. But I hope it helps!!
Anshim