Fighting Depression

Reepir

To all who have replied. This is all great advice and thank you all for reminding me I am not alone.

I do have a close friend or two I vent, rant and talk to and it has been helping. I am thinking seeking out a professional just due to circumstances though.

You are all amazing!

Theohariti

You should put together music that you like, get some ear buds and go walking. I do this all the time it's low impact, I get to listen to awesome music and I get to day dream about totally awesome stuff while I walk. If you do this every evening you will get in serious exercise, improve your mood, and you will hardly notice. If you don't buy music just use I heart radio.

jezebellle23

Speaking from experience....

if it's affecting your life then it's heading towards needing intervention. Pills are one option - herbals, positivity (fake it until you feel it), therapy etc can be others

If you don't think it's that bad, then maybe look at what else is stopping you being happy, exercising etc. Not saying that this is you, but for me it was only when I honestly owned up to how much I was hiding from the world re how I felt, what I wanted etc that I was able to do anything about it.

Find a happy place. For me it's the beach. Even now, if I have a **** day, I head for the water. even just being sat in the car watching the waves re-centres me.

Depression is a *****, I'm not gonna lie. But it doesn't have to stop you from living x

I couldnt agree more!!! I battle depression. I was on medication for it during two separate times in my life and i had panic attacks and generalized anxiety to boot. The anxiety and depression just fed each other. It was a dark place. I do go to a dark place from time to time every month, sometimes for a weeks straight. I just wake up and dont want to face the day. Nothing in partciular to complain about or avoid....just sadness...depression and overall malaise. In my own experience..... I never regretted a workout when I was in that mood. HARD AS HELL to get to it, but I would just tell myself "YOU NEED THIS FOR YOU. GET OFF YOUR *kitten* AND MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER"! It works every time. Even just taking my ipod and walking down the block....lead into more blocks and better songs and before I know it, Im just a little less down and proud I showed my mood who was boss!

Find a place....a REAL time place... that you enjoy....and just go there. Dont live in your head too much and dont live in a fantasy world. Live in the now. take in a beautiful scene, smell that air...walk at your own speed amongst busy bodies....whatever it is that sets you in the now (but on your own terms). This should help. I hope it does!

PS. I gave up the pills over eating a little different. There is a great book called the good mood diet! Look into it. I was seeing a therapist for binge eating and depression and that book opened my eyes and made me feel empowered by my food choices. Not in a weight loss way (although it helped) but in a "Hey...I am feeding myself a way better form of medication and my skin and hair is looking great too!"

good luck to you!

Buddhasmiracle

Speaking from someone who was diagnosed in the past as having severe depression, if you are not able to get out of bed due to depression then it is definitely serious enough to seek medical help.

Above post from Fitasticme has some good advice as well. True friends will help pull you through.

Its different for everyone but throwing myself full into weight loss and fitness has definitely helped me climb back to being at a better place than I have been probably since my early teens, you just have to stick with it, keep changing and refreshing certain things when you feel yourself lose motivation and keep pushing on.

In my experience, the brutal truth is that pills and therapy can help to some extent, but the only way to really beat the depression is to make a conscious decision that you aren't gonna let it win.

Well said. I would add that one of the best ways to beat the blues is to help others. It's the best way to bring light to your own darkness.

vintagegirl3

I fought going to seek help for my depression for two years because I was sure that I could eventually snap out of it. I am so thankful for my friend who encouraged me to seek help from my doctor. Not all depression needs to be treated with medication and for some people medication is just a temporary need. May I encourage you to talk to someone about what you are going through, you will be glad you did.

harrietlg

I was diagnosed last year after having symptoms of something completely different. I refused medication because of the effects it can have but she told me that if I exercise more and eat cleaner then it'll help... it honestly did, it is probably the lack of motivation getting you down. I go on tumblr at look at weight loss phrases and pictures to help me.

Theohariti

Depression happens when one isn't happy with their current circumstances because they are not where they want to be . You need to set new goals and tackle them as if your life depends on it. Create a new Vision in your mind of how your life is going to be from this moment on and do everything it takes to achieve.

Depression is an illness. It needs to be treated like any other illness. It may mean that it requires medication.

Feeling low may be a result of things not being how you want them to be, but that is different than clinical depression. Telling a depressed person to "think happy thoughts" or just "get out of bed" is as absurd as telling a diabetic to visualise correct insulin levels and expect them to be cured. If your body does not produce what it needs in the right amounts, medical intervention or therapy may be necessary. I'm astounded at how in this day and age depression is still so stigmitised and misunderstood.

I don't have any advice other than seek medical advice to determine if you are experiencing depression (the illness) or a low mood. Then you can determine what might help to go forward. If you need medication, you need medication. (Would you deny yourself high blood pressure bills or antibiotics?)

Good luck.

I had clinical depression at one point in my life. I took Lexapro for acouple months to help me, and I saw a therapist once a week. When I asked her how I could get out of depression she told me that I needed to start setting goals and meeting them. And to ask for help to meet those goal. She told me that setting myself up for success, exercising and improving my diet could all work together to help me get out of depression and off meds.
Let me tell you, medication and therapy help so much, but they don't solve depression. Medication only stabilizes your mood. On it you can't feel too sad or too happy. Therapy is just a way to bring your own thoughts into words. The real work happens when you use these tools to take control of your situation.
So technically you are BOTH right.

4_Lisa

If it's interfering with your life, then it is time for intervention. Although, the fact that you still find enjoyment in reading comics is a positive. Every time my depression took over I would lay and stare at the ceiling, cause I didn't care to do anything. You need to either see a councilor or a doctor, whichever is your choice. If you go to the doc have them test your hormones, it may be that you have a minor chemical imbalance, or unless there is something happening in your life that is bringing you down. You need to find help.

For those thinking it is nothing more than feeling sorry for yourself.... shove it, there is more to depression than feeling sorry for yourself, and if you've never experienced it you have no right to comment.

MamaCatO

I was feeling the same way before I started on my journey to better health. I found that having something to tend to and take care of everyday helps.I started a small garden, so I have to go outside and water and rake pine needles and pull weeds and dead leaves. I find the fresh air and the results of my work lighten my mood and make me feel better. I also have a stray cat that would starve to death and probably die from heat exposure, if I didn't feed him, give him water and check on him daily. My kids call me the crazy cat lady, but I don't mind, it makes me feel good and keeps me from sinking into depression. Now that I I'm also concentrating on my health and working out, the depression is completely at bay. Between the garden, the cats and my own health, I don't have time to sit in bed and get myself down. Maybe finding a hobby, something you can take pride in, could help you too.

mank32

DON'T STOP EXERCISING
DON'T STOP EXERCISING
DON'T STOP EXERCISING

exercise is the reason that i am today
- NOT depressed
- NOT manic
- NOT self-hating
- NOT suicidal

exercise is the reason that i am today
- healthier
- happier with myself and my choices
- more confident
- better able to cope

exercise doesn't pay my bills, magically turn my exes into nice ppl or make my job any less annoying or anything else like that, but it DOES make all the stressful, negative s*** in my life much, much easier to deal with because it makes me stronger mentally and emotionally as well as physically. my mind is in my better shape now that i (finally) have the necessary and proper foundation of physical health underneath it.

i WAS on a lot of meds (1/2 for depression/mood stability and 1/2 for fibromyalgia/chronic pain), i WASN'T exercising, and i was suffering terribly with both depression and pain. i couldn't sleep right. i was tired all the time. i hated myself. i had no hope. now that i exercise every day (like a maniac) i have little-to-no depression or mood imbalance, very little pain, no self-hatred, and my sleep is like turning a light switch off and on: i wake refreshed for the first time in my life and have plenty of energy to get through the day.

exercise makes everything better. and i can preach from experience on this one because i tortured myself for a decade to the point of trying to end my life rather than exercise. i had to hit rock bottom before i tried it. i was at the end of my rope and didn't gaf about anything. it was a total last-ditch effort, the grasping attempt of a broken spirit (a la idgaf about anything so i might as well do this it's not going to matter anyway). don't be like me. don't give up to the point that you don't care. and keep exercising. please.

:end rant:

edited to add: today i am drug-free.

122ish

U said u don't want any pills thrown in but I don't see in your diary that u take anything. I have to say changing my diet adding vitamins and exercise helped me immensely. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety 14 years ago and was always trying different combos of meds and seeing shrinks I would find some relief with too many side effects. I know diet is not a cure for severe depression but it sure helped me get out of bed and to be social. I was one step from being a shut in. I noticed your diary has a lot of bad choices eating all that stiff does nothing for your mental health. I suggest to start there if u don't want meds and force yourself to exercise and pretty soon u will appreciate how great u feel and want to do it. I don't claim this is a solution for depression but I know first hand it helped me. I went one month eating poorly when my friend died and my other was about to in the hospital and though that affect my state so did all the junk I was consuming. Within a few weeks of getting back on track I felt better. I still feel sadness but it pales in comparison to what I was going through. I really like magnesium if u do want go try a vitamin and I suggest calcium and omegas u might not be getting the nutrients u need with your diet. Try your best not to shut down find support from anyone or online many are suffering too and can give great advice. Best of luck

RonnieLodge

You should put together music that you like, get some ear buds and go walking. I do this all the time it's low impact, I get to listen to awesome music and I get to day dream about totally awesome stuff while I walk. If you do this every evening you will get in serious exercise, improve your mood, and you will hardly notice. If you don't buy music just use I heart radio.

+100!

Do this if at all possible, it is excellent.

trudijoy

Depression happens when one isn't happy with their current circumstances because they are not where they want to be . You need to set new goals and tackle them as if your life depends on it. Create a new Vision in your mind of how your life is going to be from this moment on and do everything it takes to achieve.

This is not true. Depression does not "happen" because somebody is upset "with their current circumstances." Depression is much more than that and telling somebody to simply set new goals and create a vision in their mind is similar to telling a stroke patient to 'just get up and walk and start talking like you did before the stroke.'

yep. My depression was triggered by a series of huge life shocks that i didn't deal with well. I can't set a goal to have my dad not have cancer, or my closest relative apart from my parents not have died suddenly, or a goal to not have been diagnosed with a chronic disorder....

depression is like a river overflowing in heavy rain. You take on too much and eventually it bursts the banks, and returns to normal btu you still have aftermath and debris to deal with. As much as you look at the pictures of the river before, it's going to take time to get back there. Those who say things like 'think happy thoughts' probably have never had true depression