Depression holding me back

emmagrace008

I want my old self back so much, I miss it like crazy.. But I'm just having a hard time getting motivated.. Lots going on in my life along w trying to overcome the damn depression

huntersmommy332

I've been dealing with the same thing . I spoke to my doctor and she put me on something and I'm slowly feeling like myself and becoming more motivated

jeannepetitnyc

sorry to hear that.
I understand exactly how u feel.It will get better I promise.
Motivation was my biggest issue... I actually prayed about it cause it was seriously overwhelming and a cycle of regret and anger kept me unmotivated.
I did a combination of things to help myself.....positive thinking and motivational quotes (say it until you believe it!), getting on this site, subscribing (Instagram, Facebook, etc) to people who lost weight successfully and are super motivated and encouraging.
If you are here, it's a great sign

Good luck!

WillowThorn

Ow, I've been there. It does get better! I know the very last thing you want to do when you're depressed is exercise...but it really really really helps! It releases endorphins that help improve your mood, help you feel more relaxed, and you get to feel proud of yourself that you did something good for your body.
Additionally, one of the best bits of advice that I've ever gotten was to not wait for motivation. Do things because you know you have to. Set some goals (something that will make you proud of yourself - also helps with depression!), plan out how to achieve them, and then make a contract with yourself that says that each day you will take baby steps towards your goals. Treat it as something really important. *Do Not* beat yourself up if you fail for a day or two or more. We all do that once in a while. But keep trying!

Depression is rough, and can sometimes take a long time to go away, but it does get better. There's absolutely no shame in seeing a doctor if you need to. Just keep trying! Every day just keep trying!

scottacular

Not sure if this is a universal rule, but for me completing a workout at the gym or indeed any sort of exercise session is pretty good for lifting your spirits for a bit. Depression is a nightmare and I don't think it ever goes away really, so managing it with things that make you happy is the best thing to aim for.

melimomTARDIS

just keep swimming, dory. thats what i do. and talk to your doc about an antidepressant.

DaneanP

Studies show that for mild to moderate depression and anxiety, regular exercise works as well or better than medication. I have had mild depression and anxiety since my daughter was born 18 years ago. I've never taken medication. I do notice a HUGE difference in my mood when I am not working out.

I work out to lose weight and look better, for sure. But in all honesty, exercise is a mood stabilizer for me and so on those days when I'd rather just curl up with a good book rather than get my butt working out, I think about that and feel grateful that I figured out how to manage my mood through exercise.

Good luck!

FriarDon

As others have written here, exercising -- getting the body moving indeed helps to lift the depression. It's proven through research that it changes your body chemistry so that you feel better. But of course, the problem with depression is that it tells you to stay in bed, or "I'm not worthy to do anything for myself," or it fools you into believing that you don't have the strength or that it hurts too much to get going.

First things first, I'd recommend seeing a doctor and telling him/her that you are suffering depression -- if you haven't already.

But here are some things that work for me that have helped. If you haven't figured it out, I've dealt with chronic depression most of my life.

If you are a spiritual person, pray. Nothing fancy, simply ask for God's healing and strength and tell him what you'd like to do today. If you're not that spiritual, just "put it out there." Just verbalizing out loud what you want to happen often triggers the brain to make it happen. Saying out loud -- "okay...I'm going to walk up and down the stairs 5 times."

Set a small, realistic goal. If you're hoping to run 5 miles 4 times a week, but you haven't been able to run one mile once, setting a goal of running 5 miles today is not realistic. Think of something simple, small, realistic for today -- Knowing that you can expand your goals later on. And then verbalize it as described above.

And then petend to do it. It sounds silly, but we often self sabotage by triggering our fears when starting to do the things that we've been avoiding doing. so when I'm in a rut, what I do is I begin by saying to myself that I'm not going to do this thing but rather I'm just going to pretend to do it. I ask myself, "If I was going to run one mile, how would I start?

"Well ...first get into comfortable clothes. I can do that." so I'll go ahead and change my clothes.

"Alright, I'm in comfortable clothes so if I were to run one mile, I'd go outside to the end of my driveway and stretch. I'm not going to run, but I can at least go to the end of the driveway and stretch a bit."

I have those kind of conversations with myself along the way. Before you know it, you 'll find yourself doing that workout. Again, this all sounds silly, but I find it works.

Good luck and I'd like to hear how you're doing.

pennyks88

I struggle with depression as well, and I know all too well about those days where you can't make yourself get up and do anything. Depression sucks all of the energy from you. Even if you force yourself to get up and do some jumping jacks or something simple for a few minutes, it does help you feel just a little bit proud of yourself for pushing through it. Feel free to add me on here if you need someone to talk to.

AliB118

I'm currently struggling with this as well. I hate it. The good days are good, but the bad days are really bad. I'm currently having a bad day, so I don't have any advice, but feel free to ad me if you'd like.

lindsayh87

I really struggle with this. I go back and forth soooo much. Its so cliche, but exersize really does make a world of difference. The quickest way for me to get out of the dark place is to focus on my body - its one thing in life I can control. Exersize. Diet. I get a little obsessive over it sometimes but I feel so good when I ammo in control. When I start seeing changes I focus on that rather than what I have left that doesn't look good. I highly reccomend getting a challenging at home work out routine to get motivated. The challenge of, how well will I do today and, what is gonna look betterbin the mirror at the end of this week may just be enough to get you motivated. It worked for me! I started at a pretty low fitness level and jumped into doing insanity and the challenge gets me going every day! Its kind of to the point where my husband knows if I'm not myself I likely didn't work out thatbday and that's why! Good luck!!

bmfatchick

Help me I fight anxiety stress and depression everyday I am on medication and have some days that are good but most are stressful which leads me to overeat I also am struggling with an alcoholic husband who is always blaming me for his drinking when drunk I force myself to workout but with everyday it's getting harder

benjam2421

bmfatchick wrote: »

alcoholic husband who is always blaming me for his drinking

i thought husbands are suppose to support and be helpful? =/

DaneanP

bmfatchick wrote: »

I also am struggling with an alcoholic husband who is always blaming me for his drinking when drunk

Might I suggest you attend a local Al-anon meeting? There you will learn that you are NOT to blame for your husband's choice to drink. You will also learn a whole lot more. You can only control yourself. He is in charge of himself. Period.

Good luck

Lefty1290

I've been dealing with depression since my teens and I'm 24. I was really depressed with no motivation to do anything before I started losing weight. I just reached a point when I said, "Enough is enough" and I just did it. It was hard to get started and change my mindset, but I'm much better for it now. I still struggle and there's issues that I still need to work on, but I'm less anxious and stressed and I'm much more positive and motivated; this was so not the case six months ago.

WitchofWashington

I was diagnosed with Bi-polar type II depression more then 10 years ago now. I've been on medications off and on, currently on, for years. One thing I do recommend is talking to a psychiatrist and psychologist, see if there is some form of treatment plan for you and/or medications. I also recommend meditation and exercise to help as well. I love doing yoga and I think it does wonders for my depression, I also like taking walks, seeing the change in scenery often lifts me up, sun bathing is another one I know helps people. Basically, find some thing you enjoy for exercise and it should help.