The following is a list of alternative treatments to medication, which are worth a try if you are not happy with taking medication.I have tried most of these and although they can be expensive, they have no side affects that i am aware of, apart from making you short of money !!.Please make sure that the practitioners are fully qualified and where possible check their charges against other practitioners.

The first two may not be regarded as alternative treatments, but in view of the way many people routinely ignore them i think that they are.If you know of any others or want to correct any spelling errors ! please let me know.

NUTRITION :  Examine what and how much you eat and slowly improve on it. Some food additives can have an adverse affect, particulary in children. A supplement of Omega 3 helps with depression.

ENERGETIC EXERCISE :  This has been proven to work in the fight against depression, it not only gets your body fit to fight off colds etc. but creates a feeling of well being. I'm 100% for this but don't go mad and take up Squash.

HYPNOTHERAPY :  Very interesting but expensive. I have tried three courses with different hypnotists, not convinced i was hypnotised but they all said i was, i found no obvious improvement.

ACUPUNTURE :  Another interesting experience, I had several courses of this, it can be a bit uncomfortable in some areas of the body but i found that it can work and would go again.

CHIROPRACTIC :  This is a very aggressive massage treatment and can be painful. I tried this and found it didn't work and wouldn't go again.

OSTEOPATHY :  This is massage and manipulation of the bones and muscles. I had several treatments of this and although it can seem a bit frightening i felt good after and it seemed to work. You must make sure the practitioner is qualified.

HOMEOPATHY : This is treatment by using natural plants and ingredients in tablet form instead of chemicals. I have tried this, i was impressed by the consultation by a qualified GP working privately and the compounds were easily obtainable by post but i found it expensive and could not see any improvement.

REFLEXOLOGY :  This is foot massage using specific parts of the foot depending on what problem you have. I have tried this as well, relaxing and fairly cheap but could not see any benefit.

MASSAGE :  One of the few that i enjoyed, done unaggressively with warm oil and by a pretty person it is very relaxing, untensions the muscles and makes you feel good.

RELIGION :  This is a difficult one.It can give you peace of mind and a purpose to life amongst other things but in my opinion can cause problems if taken too seriously. You should research several religions to see if you agree with their viewpoint. I tried this as well, at one point in desperation i phoned the vicar of the largest church in my neighbourhood to ask if i could visit him and discuss religion as i was suicidal and he said he was too busy. Was not for me.

COUNSELLING :  This is often suggested by a GP and should in my view be taken up. The only problem i found was that the counseller keeps covering the same ground and will not give you any answers to the questions you raise and can even create more questions.

FAITH HEALING : Genuine Faith Healers are hard to find as they do not normally advertise or charge for their help. All i can say is that i have tried it and if you do come across one, give it a try, you have nothing to lose if they don't charge.

LAUGHTER : When was the last time you laughed so much that it hurt ? I bet it was a long time ago, or maybe never. Make the effort to join a social group and try to lighten up, and as the song goes ' always look on the bright side of life '. It really is worth the effort.

AROMATHERAPY : Interesting and not very expensive, its important that you use top quality oils. Only problem i found is that the effect doesn't last long. A good oil for depression is Jasmine or Neroli. See website www.aworldofaromatherapy.com