Disclaimer
The supplements I’m taking are based off of recommendations from either my general practitioner or a psychiatrist. I would suggest talking to your doctor (and get blood tests where applicable) before starting any new supplements. I don’t make any money off the links below and I don’t guarantee that what I’m using is the best or the cheapest option.
Overview
If you read my About Me, you know that I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for a long time. With my most recent breakup, I figured it was time to actually get to the bottom of this, so I’ve been seeing a CBT Therapist as well as a psychiatrist. I believe that my problem is two-fold: a chemical imbalance (based on a family history of depression / anxiety) and bad habits. I will follow up with a post about the habitual changes I’ve been making (including mindfulness), but I want to talk specifically about addressing the chemical imbalance here.
The psychiatrist evaluated me for a bunch of conditions and ruled out everything besides anxiety and depression. Based on this, they offered me some options for supplements as well as pharmaceuticals. I’m not against prescription drugs, but I figured I would try the natural route first.
The supplement stack I’ve landed on below (in addition to behavioral changes), has helped me tremendously. I find that I no longer have generalized anxiety, I have much better control over the thoughts flying around in my head (no longer getting into depressed or anxious spirals), I have more energy, and I just feel better. I am still debating on whether or not I need something stronger (prescription), but I’m going to stick with this for another month or two before making a decision. I’ve been very consistent taking all of the supplements (much like you would with a daily prescription) and I think that’s helping my overall stability.
One additional thought is that if you are experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, I would start keeping a log of your moods, sleep, what you eat, what you drink, etc., so you can start to identify patterns in your behavior. This will help as you start to add supplements because you will be able to more quickly identify when a supplement is either helping or making things worse. For example, I recently tried adding Creatine to my daily routine for the performance benefits, and within a few days, I started getting a lot of generalized anxiety and I was extremely irritable. I’ve found anecdotal evidence on forums that supports this, so I’m going to stop taking it and see if that resolves the symptoms. After gaining so much stability, it makes it easy to try one new thing, see the effect, and then decide if I want to continue using it.
Vitamin D3
Product Link (Amazon has this for considerably cheaper here)
Recommended By: General Practitioner
Evaluated Via: Blood test
More information: https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/omega3.pdf
Alternative to supplementation: Diet / Sunlight
Effect: Elevated mood
I did a blood test back when I was 26 and we found that I was low in Vitamin D3. My doctor at the time said that a lot of people are lacking nowadays because we aren’t exposed to the sun as much (for those sitting in a cubicle). She also said that Vitamin D3 acts like a hormone and plays a big supporting role in testosterone levels.
When I was younger I wasn’t very good at staying consistent with my supplements in part because I wasn’t sure if they did anything. After taking Vitamin D3 on and off, I can say there is a strong correlation with Vitamin D3 and a slightly elevated mood. It’s not something where I pop out of bed energetic for the day, but everything feels just a little less dark and cloudy. Between that and the fact that a blood test showed I was low, I am going to keep taking this while also trying to get more exposure to the sun.
Vitamin D3 is measured in IUs typically, and the dosage that you want to take is based on the deficiency you have meaning you shouldn’t start supplementing this without getting your blood drawn.
Omega-3s
Recommended By: Psychiatrist
Evaluated Via: Blood test
More information: https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/omega3.pdf
Alternative to supplementation: Diet
Effect: None that are obvious to me (see below)
Same as Vitamin D3, before this year, I was taking Omega-3s sporadically. Unlike Vitamin D3, I haven’t noticed a huge correlation to my mental health (or my physical health for that matter). In writing this article, I found that there is a blood test for this, which makes me curious as to whether I’m already getting enough Omega-3s through my diet (I am trying the mediterranean diet which I will talk about more later).
The big thing my psychiatrist did mention is there are two types of Omega-3s (EPA and DHA) and that you need to get a product that has at least 2 times as much EPA as DHA. The “More Information” link above provides diet suggestions as well as information on the dosing.
L-Methylfolate
Recommended By: Psychiatrist
Evaluated Via: GeneSight testing (Denver Wellness Associates provides the testing)
More Information: https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/methylfolate.pdf
Alternative to supplementation: For people with MTHFR, None
Effect: More energy
This is something that I just recently learned about from my psychiatrist. There is a gene called MTHFR which handles converting folic acid (found through your diet) into l-methylfolate which helps regulate mood. I have a mutation to this gene that makes it difficult for me to convert folic acid so I need to supplement L-Methylfolate.
I first started taking this in December, and at first I wasn’t quite sure if I would continue. It very quickly increased my energy and reduced my brain fog, but I think my body read this as anxiety so for the first 4 or 5 days I was more anxious than normal. This same thing has happened to me on anti-depressants, so I decided to stick to it this time and I’ve found that my body is tolerating it well and I generally have more energy / feel more positive each day. If you are struggling with anxiety and depression, I highly suggest you get GeneSight testing done to see if supplementing L-Methylfolate makes sense.
Probiotics
Recommended By: Psychiatrist
Evaluated Via: None
More Information: https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/probiotics.pdf
Alternative to supplementation: Diet
Effect: Possibly better overall mood
This was a suggestion from my Psychiatrist because there is a lot of data to back up the link between gut health and your mental health. Probiotics are typically bacteria that you can find in yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and a few other sources. Your gut is filled with this type of bacteria that helps aid in digestion (hence why antibiotics are problematic because they destroy good and bad bacteria). I am trying to follow the mediterranean diet which advocates for these foods, but I was recently on two doses of antibiotics within 2 week so I was interested in replenishing my good bacteria as quickly as possible.
I started taking these probiotics 2 weeks after the L-Methylfolate so it’s hard for me to differentiate between the two, but what I can say is between them, my depression feels like it is almost eliminated. I obviously still get sad at times, but no longer is it the hopeless kind of sad where I am stuck in a funk and I don’t feel any motivation in life.
Lavender
Recommended By: Psychiatrist
Evaluated Via: None
More Information: https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lavender.pdf
Alternative to supplementation: None
Effect: Reduced anxiety, better sleep
My Psychiatrist introduced me to Lavender and it’s been a game changer for me. I started taking this alongside the probiotics and, while it hasn’t eliminated my anxiety, it has helped tremendously.
I believe here are two types of anxiety: general and acute. General anxiety for me is constant worrying about what I’m doing with my life, what people around me think of me, am I doing enough, etc. Acute anxiety is anxiety that tells you that something is wrong and you need to take action. Lavender has helped eliminate the general anxiety for me so when I do get anxiety (of the acute variety), I can use my EFT skills (more on this later) to understand what off for me and address it.
I have also noticed that my sleep has been much better to the point that I have stopped taking sleep aids (CBD, NyQuil, Zzzyquil, etc) and can generally sleep through the night.
Magnesium Glycinate
Recommended By: Internet
Evaluated Via: Nutritionist reviewing your diet
More Information: https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lavender.pdf
Alternative to supplementation: Diet
Effect: Calmer
Magnesium Glycinate has been touted for reducing anxiety and better sleep on TikTok and Instagram, but I’m not sure I’ve seen either of those benefits. I started taking this regularly in October or November and I was still having difficulty sleeping up until I started taking the Lavender. I wonder if this is another case where I am getting enough magnesium through my diet (lots of spinach and almonds). The one benefit I think I have seen is that I am generally more calm (and there are a lot of calm supplements that use magnesium as the main ingredient). That being said, it’s relatively cheap, I am sleeping now, and I have a decent supply left so I may wait until I run out to test if removing this has any other effects I didn’t notice.
If you are in the market for Magnesium, you need to make sure you are buying glycinate as it’s the easiest for your body to digest. More information can be found here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnesium-types#9.-Magnesium-glycinate
B-Complex #12
Recommended By: General Practitioner
Evaluated Via: Blood test
More information: https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/omega3.pdf
Alternative to supplementation: Diet
Effect: More energy, elevated mood
In the past, I’ve gone to my doctor to get immune boost shots that also include B12. It took me awhile to realize that every time I got one of these shots, my mood would elevate significantly and I would have a ton of energy. I immediately turned to Google (as one does) and found that a B12 deficiency can lead to fatigue, depression, and other mood related problems. I’ve started supplementing it daily and I’ve noticed I don’t get huge spikes in energy and my mood like I do from getting it injected, but I generally have more energy and don’t get sad nearly as much.
I’m going to continue to assess whether other supplements or medications make sense for me, but this has at least allowed me to find some stability in life. I’m not a doctor (I just play one on tv), but I’m more than happy to be a sounding board if you need to talk about your mental or physical health with someone that is passionate about these topics.
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