Does anybody have advice for overcoming depression?

missomgitsica

If you haven't been on your antidepressant for very long, keep taking it and see how you feel after a month or so. If that still fails, look into trying another medication. I've been on 4 different ones (as well as lithium, I'm bipolar) and the 4th one was the one that finally just worked really well with the lithium and everything. It's worth it in the long run. I'm sorry you're struggling, I know how hard it is. Hang in there.

Synchronicity

I'm on medication, seeing a dr, and reading lots of self help books and even did therapy at one point but nothing cures it. I'm better and I can function well now but I'm still depressed. Does anybody have any tips that worked for you?

Keep doing what you are doing. Find a different therapist, one that fits your personality and that you feel is beneficial (might take a lot of "shopping" to find the right one). Get some exercise. Get some sun. Take time for yourself every day, even if it is just half an hour, to do something that you absolutely enjoy no matter how ridiculous it might be (even if its finger painting). Associate with people even if you don't want to. Look for opportunities to do nice things for others so the warm-fuzzies lift your spirit. And... keep on keeping on.

I wish there was a magic cure. There isn't. But you're not alone. You've got to take one day at a time. They aren't always dark.

HeidiCooksSupper

It's taken years but I have a good set of drugs I take, a lot of things I learned in therapy that I still work with, a SADD light for Fall and Winter, and an understanding that this is a condition like any other medical condition that may be life long but will not kill me unless I let it.

I recommend periodic therapy over the years, working with your physician to find the right mix of drugs, and patience with yourself. If you have clinical depression, you got dealt a lousy deck. But most people have something they must battle against. This is yours. Work on loving yourself and living your life.

dogluvr_2014

I am so sorry for every person here that is suffering. I can't give you any advice but I can certainly pray for you. Stay strong and don't give up. God Bless!!

EmilyTwist1

Sweet,I didn't know birth control worked.

I'd say it helps, rather than "works." For me at least, depression is like a hydra: multiple heads. The birth control just knocked out the "hormonally induced rage explosion, followed by severe self hatred" head.

aliakynes

Have you heard of superbetter? It's a free site like mfp. It was created by a woman who suffered a traumatic head injury and had to spend the better part of a year in bed. She was medically banned from doing most of the things that made life worth living. Anyway, the site incorporates a lot of the research and techniques she used to overcome her depression and recover from her injury.

SuperBetter helps you achieve your health goals — or recover from an illness or injury — by increasing your personal resilience. Resilience means staying curious, optimistic and motivated even in the face of the toughest challenges.

Here's her TedTalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_the_game_that_can_give_you_10_extra_years_of_life

swertyqwerty

Re: the person who said you might have to avoid a person

This is good advice. I have a really dysfunctional family. When I first got depressed to the point where it was debilitating, I stopped talking to my sister for 2 years. She would always order me around and put me down, and after a lifetime of it I had no energy to take it and was too afraid of her to try to ask for a better relationship. She tells me I was paranoid to do that. She doesn't admit to having a problem. My entire family is dysfunctional and that is just one person. Now we're on good terms and she treats me well, just like she would treat anyone else. However the depression is still here. It was hard but getting that space when I was suffering a breakdown really helped.

swertyqwerty

thank u for the link! I just googled superbetter and it's exactly the kind of thing I was hoping was out there

fatcity66

I'm on medication, seeing a dr, and reading lots of self help books and even did therapy at one point but nothing cures it. I'm better and I can function well now but I'm still depressed. Does anybody have any tips that worked for you?

Try another medication. I had to try several before I found what worked the best, and this is common. Also, if you have anxiety too, that changes what you need to be taking. I'm no longer on anything now, but I'm as happy as I was on meds, maybe more. So don't think that it necessarily means you will have to be on them forever. Some people do, but you might just need some help at the moment. I also agree with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, meditation, or yoga. Those things help me when I have have a bout of anxiety. I have problems with obsessive thoughts, that cause anxiety, so distraction is important for me. Find something to work towards. Never stop setting goals and trying to improve yourself.

Good luck. :drinker:

fatcity66

I've suffered depression through most of my life, and it's not a simple fix. I've been off antidepression meds for years (on account of me not having insurance for 11 years), and there have definitely been some low points in my life.

What keeps me going is reminding myself that I do have friends and family who care a lot about me and want me to do well. I've gone from being a loser working a crappy pizza cook job to becoming an English teacher, and a lot of that has to do with that support.

There are days though that I just want to turn off the world. No one knows my pain; no one knows what it's like being as along as I am. I do remind myself that there are people who do know these things, but beyond that, I just keep pushing for the future. If I change myself, maybe it'll cause people to be drawn to me, and I keep making strives to improving myself on a regular basis.

Finally, I'll impart some wisdom that a mentor of mine passed onto me. He told me that he used to experience the same feelings I did. He said it was like getting into a really dark elevator, riding it downwards for miles, then opening it to a room that's entirely pitch black - no sign of light.

He went on to tell me that the best way out is to take stock in what you enjoy. Take some time for yourself - love yourself. For me, I like to take a nice walk around a pond near my house; especially when the sun is setting. It's gorgeous and it just puts me in a better mood. Other times I'll just grab my guitar and just strum/sing my heart out. All you need to do is do something for yourself now and again. It won't alleviate the pain entirely, but maybe it will remind you what's so amazing in this life of yours.

And if you don't have anything like that, go find something! Find what soothes your mind and embrace it.

And yes, you are most definitely not alone. Don't let it consume you; you'll always find the support you need.

THIS. You said what I was trying to, much better than I could have.

swertyqwerty

Right now I'm on Celexa. I've tried citalopram and escitalopram only. I notice that the sharp edge of life feels a little softer and I feel a little less anxious, but I'm still sad and feeling like I'm numb and dead inside. Maybe I should shop around for another medication.

aliakynes

thank u for the link! I just googled superbetter and it's exactly the kind of thing I was hoping was out there

If you watch the TedTalk, she explains the research and science behind the design, pretty powerful stuff.

dakotababy

Ah just a response to the post about taking St.John's Wort and BC - If you plan to take BIrth Control Pills...and be sexually active...St. John's Wort decreases the effectiveness of BC pills by A LOT.

Then you will really have something to be depressed about.

tycho_mx

I have two close friends that have deeply seated depression issues. They don't think they can be "cured", but managed well enough to lead a fulfilling life.

Both are diligent with their medication, and for one group therapy has helped a lot (lots of antisocial issues with him). For the other one, exercise helped a lot. He was an elite level cyclist and maybe because of his depression issues he could really dig very deep and bury himself with effort.

I'd suggest trying lots of things and see what works for you. Education is very important.

kellystacy424

Is it a new thing? I don't even like being outside but I get seasonal depression during the winter. I guess according to my doctor people get it during the summer too.

kellystacy424

I'm sorry I see it's beyond seasonal.

MJ_Watson

Anti-depressants take 2-3 MONTHS. If it hasn't been that long, you're asking too soon. And if the medication doesn't work, another medication might. I went through 3 anti-depressants before I found one that reduced my symptoms. It's a wait, but that's how it works. In the meantime, please consider seeing a different therapist. Aside from the fact that your mileage may vary with any given therapist, there are many different types of therapy. Maybe the one you tried wasn't right for you.

Here are the major four types: http://psychcentral.com/therapy.htm

This would be my advice as well. It took a LOT of different cocktails of meds (I have Bipolar 2.) and a significant amount of time spent shopping around for therapists, but I am now quite stable and feeling better than I have in recent memory. I found that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy worked very well for me, as someone else on here suggested. And yes, exercise does help, but I had to get the right meds to get to a point where I even COULD. I remember going back to my psychiatrist after getting on my current meds and telling her in tears how happy I was because I had been able to get out of bed, clean my apartment, and go to the grocery store to buy food(!!!!). That was how hard it was for me to function at that point.

In my experience, overcoming (or managing) depression is about fighting for yourself and continuing to try to find what works for you, even when it seems impossibly hard and like you'll never find the answer. You have to believe you will. And if you ever need anyone to talk to, feel free to shoot me a message.

mtruitt01

I'd try various antidepressants, and after two -three months I'd be crying--taking anti-depressants and still depressed. Group therapy, much to my surprise, was an enormous help. I guess because I realized how common my problems were, and I didn't feel like such a freak. There are lots of self-help groups out there.
I also was fortunate enough to be in college and could go to their counselor once a week and cry about my lousy childhood, and all my feelings and experiences and responses to them.

I had given up on pills helping me, but tried one more time. New shrink, young Chinese woman, prescribed one she said was the most expensive, therefore often wasn't prescribed.
After two months I kept waiting for the emotional resilience to end, but it kept on and I had the happiest year I'd had in years. I don't feel like I'm on anything (only with one did I feel that way and I stopped immediately).
For me, it gives me emotional resilience, things don't bother me as much, although I still have all my feelings.
Still, every year I wean myself off them for a month or so to see if I can go on without them, but the last two times I tried it was a relief to start taking them again. My ideal would be pill-free, but life is so much better, and I am a better person in all my social interactions, when I take my low-dose antidepressant.
Some other things that are important:
Saying no
Dropping toxic people from my life
Not checking work email all the time
Have a life outside of work
Make sure I hang out with my daughter and grandson once a week
Make time for walks and yoga
Sometimes telling myself "I can solve this"
Getting out amongst them and being part of something larger than myself.
turn off the news--it's always bad
what am I thinking about? Can I guide my thoughts into a different direction?
soak in hot water, candles
make sure I get enough sleep -very important!!

949BeachMom

after taking anti depressants i became suicidal which was not like me . i believe the medication made my depression worse. so i got a medical marijuana card and smoked one hit in the morning and one hit before dinner and trust me the high lasted that long. i live in southern california so its legal here for medicinal purposes . but now that im a mom if im feeling blue i get ready n get outside n go for a walk .

onecatleadstoanother

For me, it's been a long road. I started with anxiety, which was horrible. Depression (Moderate to Severe) came shortly after. If I didn't have a mortgage to pay, I wouldn't have gone outside. I worried obsessively, shopped obsessively, cried all the time, and felt utterly hopeless - which was the worst feeling in the world. I tried one anti-depressant, didn't work so increase the dosage, still nothing, higher dosage, after the third increase I developed seratonin syndrome and was taken off all my meds. I was too afraid to start anything new for a full year - which was a horrible year. I found a new anti-depressant that is working. It took a couple months but I'm feeling better most of the time, I still have my days. Today happens to be one of them. Aside from the medication, I found yoga and it has truly changed my life. Having something that I enjoy to look forward to, that calms me down and helps me in my weight loss goals has changed my mood. Previously I'd sleep / stay inside all weekend, now I'm finding more and more things that I want to try. I went to counselling and it helped to have someone tell me that my feelings were justified, but for me the meditative like state I get into in savasana in yoga and these new pills have me looking forward to life - most days. There are always people that will talk to you about their depression. Every day I feel bad I tell myself over and over again "I will not be afraid, this is not forever"

May_Rose

I just read a study on the positive effects of botox on depression. They found that people who had botox to freeze thier forehead frown lines (wrinkles between the eyebrows) saw an 80% reduction in depression symptoms. That's just off the top of my head, so maybe google it to find out more. Seems like it'd be worth a try.

Also, excercise of any kind for any duration over 15 minutes or so. Seriously, it pretty much saved my life. I occasionally have symptoms still, mainly anxiety and some negative thoughts, but I'm nearly 95% normal now.

Veil5577

I don't know if this will help you but it helped me a little:

http://imgur.com/gallery/5oybmTK