Depression Relief

Bikini_Bound150
Bikini_Bound150 Posts: 461 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong area...

I have suffered with depression for most of my life, but the last few years it has gotten incredibly worse. I am in a good place financially and I have done a lot of things that I am incredibly proud of, but I can't get past the feeling of hopelessness in my life. I feel like I am literally trapped inside of my brain and I am looking out but I can't break through. I don't feel like I'm a part of the world and I have lost a lot of friends because of this. I have become a recluse and I hate it. In high school, I was very popular and had a great social life. Now I ignore phone calls and stay home with my boyfriend and my sister (whom I'm raising). It's taking a toll on my relationship with them too.
I thought that losing weight, becoming more active and eating a healthier diet would help, but it really hasn't. I know I need to tighten up my diet but I've lost 15 lbs and still, all I want to do is eat pizza in bed. I do have my good days, but even then, the sadness and irritability is in the back of my mind. It never, ever goes away.

I'm wondering what you guys have done to find relief for this kind of situation. I want something all natural (like a supplement or something) rather than an awful pill with even worse side-effects. I want to heal my body, not make it worse. Any and all ideas are appreciated. I need help and I haven't found it on my own yet.

Thank you :heart:

Replies

  • Actually_Mike
    Actually_Mike Posts: 61 Member
    Have you tried yoga or meditation? That can be very relaxing, perhaps you just have a lot of underlying stress that you aren't aware of. Take some time to yourself and try relaxing! That's what I did (years back, but I have been much better since) Good luck!
  • biggbruizer
    biggbruizer Posts: 11 Member
    Google Niacin and depression. Niacin is a B vitamin that has been shown to help with depression. Read that 2 handfuls of cashews had the same effect on depression as Prosaic because of the high amount of Niacin .
  • Bikini_Bound150
    Bikini_Bound150 Posts: 461 Member
    I haven't gone to counseling or therapy because I don't have medical insurance.
    I have thought about yoga and will look around for classes.

    Tell me more about niacin.
  • amanda52488
    amanda52488 Posts: 260 Member
    Hey girl,
    Sorry to hear about your struggle : / I dealt with depresseion when I was in middle and highschool and at the beginning of college I finally decided to go on an anti depressant, coupled with therapy for a while. It has helped tremendously... a new life. Along with that, when I am feeling down, I do things that I know will make me happy.... enjoy the sunny days, go to parks, etc.
    I know you werent interested in prescription meds, but thought id share my story!
  • Bikini_Bound150
    Bikini_Bound150 Posts: 461 Member
    What medicine did you take and what were the side affects? Also, how was coming off of the meds?
  • SydneyTash
    SydneyTash Posts: 9 Member
    I have suffered mild depression and anxiety on and off since I was 14. I have taken anti depressants in the past, probably for about 6 months. It helped to get me out of the hole I was in and to start gaining a more positive view of life. I came off them and felt fine again. After having my second baby I started having problems again i tried to bear with it, had some acupuncture which helped a little bit. But i had an unhealthy lifestyle at the time which didnt help. Then at the beginning of this year I tried hypnotherapy and definitely found that to be beneficial - I would highly recommend it. This together with really improving my sleep, diet and exercise has definitely made me feel a lot better. Yoga and meditation also help. Wishing you lots of luck xxx

    Ps I have also found vitamin b and st johns wort vitamins help too. I take a vitamin b daily, plus a vitamin called 'Neurocalm' by a brand called Metagenics. Not sure if it's found outside Australia though. Also if you have an iPhone, there are some tremendous hypnotherapy and meditation apps for depression.
  • Bikini_Bound150
    Bikini_Bound150 Posts: 461 Member
    Lol of corse Apple would have an app that!
    Which medications have you all been on and which would you suggest I stay away from? My ex was on Effexor X-R and it destroyed his life (literally) when he missed one dose or tried to come off of it. Even wheening off. And do you have to take it forever? I don't want to live on pills.
  • leedootson
    leedootson Posts: 38 Member
    hi
    i for years suffered alone put a brave face on it smiled and got on with life thinking im just a bit low pickyourself upand get on with it man you know the good old british stiff upper lip and the male ego of i dont need help
    but i went to the doctors because i seem to keep catching evey bug going and that wasent helpping my mood we had a good chat and said i had deppression based on what i had tolded him
    which i finally admited to as i couldet understand why when i have a loveing wife two great kids i just wanted to cry most of the time so he has put me on a 6 month course of citalopram he also sent me for blood tests to make sure it wasent anything simple then after a few weeks i went back to him and said i felt great which i do
    he then said now was the time to talk about lowering my cholestrol and losing weight which i had tried before but to no availe as i got down and then comfort ate but this time its different as the antidepresent he put me on just seemed to give me more of a positive outlook on life and i havent found it a problem to try the next day i went froma diet of 90% crap to 90% healthy and i feel great i have lost a stone and ahalf since x-mas
    i hope this helps and it seems that depression can have no reason to it other than a chemical imbalance
    regards
    lee
  • el8942
    el8942 Posts: 13 Member
    Hey,
    I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling with depression! It really does find its way into every corner of your life. It's especially hard to try to treat it without access to a doctor you trust. As others have already said, medication is a good option for many people - it can give you that little extra to get you back to functioning. I finally sought medical help after years of trying to deal with depression on my own, but it didn't end up working for me as hoped and I have had to try other things. When I didn't respond to behavioral therapy (which may have had more to do with my therapist than anything), my doctor put me on citalopram. Unfortunately, I developed a heart arrhythmia during the first few days taking it and my doctor said it was not a good idea for me to take that or any other SSRI. Trying to find alternatives to "conventional" medical treatment, which it sounds like you are trying to do, has been hard.

    The one thing I have found that consistently helps? Exercise. It sounds like you are already exercising, so you are already off to a good start! I would try kicking it up a bit - either go up in intensity (for example, switch from walking to alternating walking and jogging), or increase your time a little. I found that intensity works better for me. Exercise hasn't been what I would call a "cure," but it gets me back to functional. Also, some people have seasonal depression (SAD), so if you exercise outside, you can get exposure to sunlight to treat that as well. Massages are also helpful when I know stress is making my depression worse, but that gets expensive so I can't afford it all the time.

    As for supplements, just do your research before trying any. Beware of St. Johns Wort if you are taking any other medications, because it can prevent your body from absorbing the other medications properly. However if you aren't taking other meds, many studies have found it can help reduce depression. I have heard other people have had luck with some vitamins, but I haven't so far. If I find anything else, I will post about it!
  • sophielynette
    sophielynette Posts: 2 Member
    You said you can't afford counseling but have you tried a support group? They're usually local, peer run chapters of a larger organization -- try looking into NAMI.

    Medications help some people, but generally medication + therapy is considered the best treatment. What words or doesn't work really is an individual thing. (I've tried zoloft, depakote, geodon, citalopram, lamictal-- been doing well on Lithium for the present). Whether or not you have to stay on medication for the rest of your life depends on what kind of depression you have. If you haven't already, talk to your doctor about whether some underlying medical condition could be causing your depression.

    Best of luck to you.
  • ayurdas3112
    ayurdas3112 Posts: 3 Member
    Psychologists use expressive arts therapy in many settings to help people explore difficult issues in their lives.

    Art, music, and dance are forms of creative expression that can help you process and cope with emotional issues, including depression. Expressive therapy goes beyond traditional talk therapy. It focuses on creative outlets as a means of expression. This therapy can be especially helpful for people who find it difficult to talk about their thoughts and emotions.

    Expressive therapy can include various forms of artistic expression. This can include:

    art

    music

    dance

    drama

    writing and storytelling

    In expressive therapy, the therapist encourages you to use these arts to communicate about emotions and life events. These are often subjects that you may find difficult to put into words.
  • Skyler103
    Skyler103 Posts: 121 Member
    I'm sorry, but if your depression is caused by an imbalance, you'll need to come to terms with the fact that you'll have to take it for the rest of your life. This is a problem people have with mental illness. They take the pills and feel better, then stop taking them thinking they're cured. It doesn't work that way. You need to find a sliding scale clinic so you can see a Dr.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    While I can talk about depression anytime, heads up that this thread was started 9 years ago and hopefully the OP has since found a solution.
  • Skyler103
    Skyler103 Posts: 121 Member
    Ugh! I didn't notice that! Lots of zombie threads here lately
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 631 Member
    Hi. I haven’t read the other replies, sorry if this is repetitive.

    I’m sorry to hear you’re having a hard time. I also have depression. I do t think quite as severe as yours sounds. I had a major episode a few years ago and was hospitalized for 9 days. What helped me:

    - talking - therapy - letting others know how I’m feeling.

    - vitamin B12 supplement.

    - exercise - I prefer daily with a combination of cardio and resistance. I call this my happy time. I feel so much better after I exercise.

    - daily walk after dinner. Fresh air does wonders.

    - eating ‘right’. I know that is very broad. I do my best yo follow Canada’s updated food guide. Gone are the 4 food groups. They now advocate: half vegetables, some fruit, a quarter whole grains, a quarter protein including plant based proteins, healthy fats. Generally speaking, it is what you’ll read about in these discussion groups. I say ‘do my best’ because I have a sweet tooth and love dessert, ice cream, cookies etc. So, I eat those too. I do my best to keep those as special treats and am mindful of portion sizes. So, when years ago is open a package of cookies and eat half of them. Now I’ll eat 2 or 3.

    - an SSRI — I’m on Zoloft. I know you said you didn’t want meds. But hear me out. I’m still the same person. An SSRI is selective serotonin re-up-take inhibitor. Our brain creates serotonin, then reabsorbs it. The SSRI slows down the rate as which the serotonin is reabsorbs. This allows the serotonin to stay in the brain longer. It does not create any serotonin. The side effects are minimal. In fact, for me, I don’t have any of the side effects. Over the last few years I’ve weened off three times and each time within 3 months of being off, went back on. I look at it this way:
    - If I was diabetic and needed insulin, I’d take insulin
    - When I have an infection I take antibiotics
    - My eyes are getting weaker, so I wear glasses
    - My brain doesn’t hold onto its serotonin long enough, so I take an SSRI.
    —> to me, all of these scenarios are the same…. I.e., if my body needs something that medical science can provide, then why would I not utilize it to make my life better?

    I wish you all the best.

  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,286 Member
    OP has not visited the forum since 2015.

    Discussing depression is good - but directly replies specifically to OP is probably going to go unread by her.
  • ayurdas3112
    ayurdas3112 Posts: 3 Member
    edited July 2021
    ayurdas3112 wrote: »
    Psychologists use expressive arts therapy in many settings to help people explore difficult issues in their lives.

    Art, music, and dance are forms of creative expression that can help you process and cope with emotional issues, including depression. Expressive therapy goes beyond traditional talk therapy. It focuses on creative outlets as a means of expression. This therapy can be especially helpful for people who find it difficult to talk about their thoughts and emotions.

    Expressive therapy can include various forms of artistic expression. This can include:

    art

    music

    dance

    drama

    writing and storytelling

    In expressive therapy, the therapist encourages you to use these arts to communicate about emotions and life events. These are often subjects that you may find difficult to put into words.
    learn more:https://healthline.com/health/depression/expressive-therapy#Overview1

  • ayurdas3112
    ayurdas3112 Posts: 3 Member
    Psychologists use expressive arts therapy in many settings to help people explore difficult issues in their lives.

    Art, music, and dance are forms of creative expression that can help you process and cope with emotional issues, including depression. Expressive therapy goes beyond traditional talk therapy. It focuses on creative outlets as a means of expression. This therapy can be especially helpful for people who find it difficult to talk about their thoughts and emotions.

    Expressive therapy can include various forms of artistic expression. This can include:

    art

    music

    dance

    drama

    writing and storytelling

    In expressive therapy, the therapist encourages you to use these arts to communicate about emotions and life events. These are often subjects that you may find difficult to put into words.
    learn more:https://healthline.com/health/depression/expressive-therapy#Overview1
  • jbanta07
    jbanta07 Posts: 15 Member
    I cut out caffeine and as much added sugars as I could. It has helped quiet the unwelcome noises in my head. When I start to think that this hasn't had much of an impact on my life, I'll drink a soda or have a coffee, and suddenly I'm back to obsessive or obnoxiously repetitive thinking. You know when you get a song stuck in your head? It's like that, but I rerun conversations or events over and over again. Caffeine is a drug with a lot of perks, but in the end, doesn't play nice with my brain. It just took a few miserable weeks of withdrawal before I no longer felt dependent on it.

    Also, getting outside every day, early in the morning, has really helped me. Even when I really, really don't want to do it, I just put my feet into my sneakers and go for a walk anyway. I just force myself, even when there is no motivation. I always feel better when I get back compared to when I left and that feeling usually carries through the rest of the day.

    That all said, I'll be looking into therapy regardless. Despite all the improvements, I still sometimes feel hopeless and I am tired of it dragging me down and holding me back.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 921 Member
    1st thing --- I'd seek opportunities to speak with a professional. While I understand the reluctance to want to take prescription medication -- sometimes that is what your brain needs. But speaking with a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist would be a good start --- start with making an appt with your regular doctor (maybe take advantage of the opportunity to do a virtual visit for that if it's hard for you to get up and get out).

    2nd thing - since you're here on MFP...get moving. Even if it's just a short walk. Get some sun on your skin and some steps in -- those things, when done consistently will make you feel better. Physical activity and vitamin D have good data to support that they are effective against symptoms of depression/anxiety.

    I personally feel much better when I'm running consistently than when I'm not, both physically and mentally.

    I hope you know that you are not alone in the way you are feeling...many people have gone through times like that and come out on the other side. It's hard, but you gotta stick with it and keep going.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    Don’t confuse moderate, temporary low moods with clinical depression.

    If you have been struggling for months, please get professional help.

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