depression isn't real...

Pinkigloopyxie

I don't know. I just wake up keep trying every day, just like with dieting. On Saturday I was really motivated to clean and clean about 3/4 of the house. That's actually a large accomplishment because I become so depressed I can't even care to clean. On Sunday I was feeling low again, and I don't feel very well today either. I think for one it's because it gets darker sooner, also, it was raining yesterday and today was overcast. I always feel rather lethargic when the weather is bad.

I need the sun to be happy.....

IGotUrPistola

I lol'd @ the title.

Rho_Ro

There are some easy answers here and depression is not an easy illness. When someone is diagnosed with diabetes if they are told they need insulin injections then they need insulin injections and they teach themselves how to administer them. They wouldn't even consider not taking the prescribed medication. Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and if it's bad enough, the Psychiatrist will prescribe antidepressants and cognitive therapy. And yet we have people here suggesting that we get rid of the antidepressants. I just don't understand the difference, yes one condition is physical and the other mental but that's all.

I have identified that I have had depression for about 37 years. I liken it to a sore back - sometimes you don't know it's there and life is bliss, other times there is a bit of a niggle and then occasionally you have a full out period of absolute pain and discomfort and can hardly walk (I'm talking about my back but it could just as easily be my depression). My stressful job caused my depression symptoms to flare and in the end I left my job. It took about 2 years for me to take my life back. I've been to counselors off and on and I have found 2 of the 3 most beneficial.

A couple of recent symptoms of my depression have been lack of motivation and low energy. My last counselor suggested I make a list of what I was unable to achieve and on the left hand side note the priority I would give each task to be completed. Next he said to look at each task one at a time and think about what it is that is preventing me from doing it and put a number between 1 and 10 beside each one. Then go back and look at the tasks that had a low motivation number. I had two at "2": one of them was that I find it difficult to go out into the kitchen to start preparing tea. I still did this every night but I hated it. Answer: Alan used to come out with me and scrub the spuds or just talk to me or whatever and then the house dynamics changed and that was it, he only comes out once in a blue moon now. Now that I understand it I can cope with it. And I've found that this method works on both the motivation and low energy - they appear to go hand in hand.

Food: icecream can alter my mood. I don't eat it now and I tend to be careful with chocolate and alcohol. I definitely don't drink alcohol if I'm feeling stressed, confused or depressed - it's just not worth it.

Some people have been able to bring themselves to good health by the power of good thoughts, laughter, smiling, different foods. I believe in all of these - I laugh so much and so often that people recognise me just by that sometimes! However this smiling, jovial person is still on antidepressants and lithium to help keep me level. And I'm not throwing them out. I've just pulled myself out of fairly long period of anxiety and I'm HAPPY!!! I've been happy once before and I'm happy again!! Life (at the moment) is great!! :bigsmile:

I hope this helps someone in some way. Don't let depression take over your every thought if you can help it. Just put it down as a chronic illness such as asthma. Sometimes it will flare up and other times it won't. Try to be more relaxed about it and that way it won't win - you will have more control.

MamaMaryC

Hi. I have bipolar disorder with social anxiety. This is usually the time of year that it hits me harderst, depression-wise. I am exercising and eating healthy trying to beat it. Some days I feel it creeping in. But I am determined to beat it. I understand where you are coming from.

NoahandPresleysMom

Hi. I have bipolar disorder with social anxiety. This is usually the time of year that it hits me harderst, depression-wise. I am exercising and eating healthy trying to beat it. Some days I feel it creeping in. But I am determined to beat it. I understand where you are coming from.

thats the same thing i have. My husband is manic depressive, bi polar and suffers from social anxiety

raven0314

I eventually discovered that I had to stop looking for excuses for myself not to do things and just do them, thats how i personally broke the cycle.

The issue is with depression its hard to listen to that from somebody else. I never used to listen to people that'd say 'snap out of it' but in the end thats exactly what I had to do. You just have to discover it on your own and in your own time.

Best of luck to you. A healthy body can help gain a healthy mind so the worst thing you could do right now is quit.

Please be careful when you tell people to just snap out of it. Not everyone is in the same place as you. Sometimes people need a little medication and some therapy to workout what's going inside, this takes time.

raven0314

I'm surprised no one has mentioned meditation as yet. I have had dysthymia (mild form of depression) since childhood that was undiagnosed until I was about 40. Had a major life setback at that time and went into a major clinical depression. It was a huge relief to finally discover what had been bothering me all those years.

I went on meds for a few months that help kick start me again.

I did a lot of reading about it once I found out what was going on. Here is a summary of what was helpful.

The biggest thing that has helped me to not be become depressed again is meditation. There is a book called "The Mindful Way through Depression" that is a simply amazing tool. BUT be prepared to work at it. Healing in this way does not come easy, but it does last.
http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Way-through-Depression-ebook/dp/B007T9FZRS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352721701&sr=8-2&keywords=mindful+depression

Now I spend at least a few minutes meditating every day.

Other things that I found to be very helpful:
1. Exercise. Like everyone else is saying here.
2. Therapy. Helped me to work out some of the issues around the depression.
3. Massage. This can be very expensive. But it can be so healing if you have the funds.
4. Encouraging people. Depression is a "contagious" disease. If you are around someone who is depressed you are much more likely to get it. Studies prove this. I confided in a close friend who was not depressed and it was very helpful.
5. Yoga. I do some light Hatha Yoga everyday. This is especially helpful for my upper back that gets knotted up easily.

I'm not saying life is perfect now either. I still have down days. But the above things, especially the meditation, has been extremely helpful in not getting back in the downward cycle of "bad" thoughts that brings on a depression.

Feel free to add me as a friend... that goes for anyone here in this thread.

Have a great week everyone.

If you really want to get a message on the cheap go to a Message therapist school. They do it on the cheap because the students need time. They will most likely not mess it up, the school needs the revenue and the need customers when they leave. Give it a try. You may like it.

SA_80_2012

There are some easy answers here and depression is not an easy illness. When someone is diagnosed with diabetes if they are told they need insulin injections then they need insulin injections and they teach themselves how to administer them. They wouldn't even consider not taking the prescribed medication. Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and if it's bad enough, the Psychiatrist will prescribe antidepressants and cognitive therapy. And yet we have people here suggesting that we get rid of the antidepressants. I just don't understand the difference, yes one condition is physical and the other mental but that's all.

I have identified that I have had depression for about 37 years. I liken it to a sore back - sometimes you don't know it's there and life is bliss, other times there is a bit of a niggle and then occasionally you have a full out period of absolute pain and discomfort and can hardly walk (I'm talking about my back but it could just as easily be my depression). My stressful job caused my depression symptoms to flare and in the end I left my job. It took about 2 years for me to take my life back. I've been to counselors off and on and I have found 2 of the 3 most beneficial.

A couple of recent symptoms of my depression have been lack of motivation and low energy. My last counselor suggested I make a list of what I was unable to achieve and on the left hand side note the priority I would give each task to be completed. Next he said to look at each task one at a time and think about what it is that is preventing me from doing it and put a number between 1 and 10 beside each one. Then go back and look at the tasks that had a low motivation number. I had two at "2": one of them was that I find it difficult to go out into the kitchen to start preparing tea. I still did this every night but I hated it. Answer: Alan used to come out with me and scrub the spuds or just talk to me or whatever and then the house dynamics changed and that was it, he only comes out once in a blue moon now. Now that I understand it I can cope with it. And I've found that this method works on both the motivation and low energy - they appear to go hand in hand.

Food: icecream can alter my mood. I don't eat it now and I tend to be careful with chocolate and alcohol. I definitely don't drink alcohol if I'm feeling stressed, confused or depressed - it's just not worth it.

Some people have been able to bring themselves to good health by the power of good thoughts, laughter, smiling, different foods. I believe in all of these - I laugh so much and so often that people recognise me just by that sometimes! However this smiling, jovial person is still on antidepressants and lithium to help keep me level. And I'm not throwing them out. I've just pulled myself out of fairly long period of anxiety and I'm HAPPY!!! I've been happy once before and I'm happy again!! Life (at the moment) is great!! :bigsmile:

I hope this helps someone in some way. Don't let depression take over your every thought if you can help it. Just put it down as a chronic illness such as asthma. Sometimes it will flare up and other times it won't. Try to be more relaxed about it and that way it won't win - you will have more control.

Reading your post was just want I needed.
I will use the analagy of a sore back as a way to describe how my depression flares up.

Currently, dealing with a very dysfunction and broken (and long-distance to boot) relationship has resulted in an extreme flare up of my depression. I find that I'm just barely functioning on most days. And on any given day, I will cry and weep at work for hours at a time.... Not at all professional :-\

Thank you for posting this, I will try not to let the depression beat me, and I won't let the end of a non-conventional relationship rob me of more sunny and happy days.

rosesigil

So your title definitely caught my attention... pissed me off when I read it lol. Anyways, I've been on meds for the past 5 years and it wasn't until this year that I finally found a combination that really worked for me. This is the happiest I've been in years. Although many people argue against medication, I know that I would not be here without it. I was in a very bad place at the beginning of this year and I truly believe my meds is what pulled me from being suicidal. I understand the struggle of finding motivation and even just leaving the house sometimes. You have to find joy in the little things, both in this journey and in life. Feel free to add me if you ever want to talk about your depression

What's the drug combo?