depression isn't real...

hope i got your attention, but not your anger!

i'm finding it very hard to stick with healthy eating an exercising because of my depression. i lack all sorts of motivation and almost always feel as if i don't deserve it and that i'll never be happy anyway.

my point is, i would LOVE to have motivation from those who have suffered/suffer through depression so that we can pull each other out that big hole.

Oh my gosh - I am so pleased I clicked on this and read your post, When I saw the title come up in my 'recent thread' section my blood started to boil! I HATE it when people say that depression isn't really.. unless of course, you are depressed yourself - then you are allowed! :-)

I have suffered from mild depression in the past and have close family and friends who have too so can relate to how you feel.

You are welcome to add me as a friend

In case your doctor puts you on an antidepressive medication....Welbrutine seems to be the one that doesn't cause weight gain.

Depression, as you know, is real. It's also NOT something that you have to fix on your own just because it's not a physical illness. Some people have the 'willpower' to get themselves out of it on their own. Others of us, though, are not able to do that. And I know in my case it's certainly not for lack of trying. If you need meds and therapy then so what? You need what you need. I am Bipolar 2 so i know quite a bit about depression. I spent many years of my life cycling through depression and hypomania on my own and thinking I was tough and could fix myself. But the cycles kept getting worse until I realized that this wasn't something that I could fix on my own even though it was all in my head.

I needed help and there was no shame in it. I've stated this on these boards before and I'll state it again, thank God for psychiatric medicines. It is 100% accurate to say that without them I would not be here today.

Feel free to add me as a friend if you like.

I completely understand how you feel and I think this is quite typical thinking for a depression sufferer. I am on anti-depressents myself and it took me a long, long time to come around to even entertaining the idea of losing weight even after I'd been on them for a long while.

Now I still have a lot of thoughts about what is it all for?, what will it mean for me? and of course all the feelings of low self esteem etc, that I get anyway.

It's a difficult one and I'm not sure what advice there is other than to acknowledge and challenge these thoughts and if nothing else, eating healthily and getting some exercise can only help with the depression.

One of the main reasons I started improving my health was because of depression; I found it to be one of my greatest motivators. My depression has greatly improved the healthier I get. Self confidence and inner wellbeing has been a great cure. Here's to abolishing it forever!!

Absolutely this!

Ive had and been treated for depression for the last 6 years. As a result of the exercise, good eating and support Ive had here I 'might' be able to stop the meds in the spring \o/
The thing with motivation is finding the strength for that first workout. The second will be easier, the third will be easier still and hell, by the fourth you may find yourself looking forward to it! At the start I dealt with the feelings of being worthless and undeserving, also the fear of not feeling any better when I get to goal. You have to nip those feelings and learn to appreciate who you see in the mirror NOW. Then you will be able to take the steps needed to be who you want to be :flowerforyou:

I am not deppresed. (except about recent political results) I am 100% happy with my life and my amazing family. I have a good job and an OK support system. I have friends and i make enough money to get by. This is me. If you can not say some of these things for whatever reason then try to take whatever steps you have to so that you can say whatever possitive things about your life that you want to say.

Baby steps

I too have all of those things, and in my case from the outside people will never understand why I wake up some mornings and want to kill myself.

Hhmmm, lots of movie stars and rock stars have all these things too but end up committing suicide

I am not deppresed. (except about recent political results) I am 100% happy with my life and my amazing family. I have a good job and an OK support system. I have friends and i make enough money to get by. This is me. If you can not say some of these things for whatever reason then try to take whatever steps you have to so that you can say whatever possitive things about your life that you want to say.

Baby steps

I too have all of those things, and in my case from the outside people will never understand why I wake up some mornings and want to kill myself.

.... Me too

I've had depression since i was 12 years old and its never really got better or worse, and now i also have borderline personality disorder so i know how low you can get. Especially with motivation which i struggle a lot with. I'd recommend getting some help, it doesn't work for everyone but talking to someone can be helpful (i'm one of the unlucky ones who can't take anti-depressants or do talking therapy though as they just don't work). Hope you start feeling better soon hun

Don't give up on the talking therapy. There are so many different kinds of therapists out there (and lots of bad ones, especially on the NHS), sometimes it's just about finding the right one for you. :flowerforyou:

I had a burnout about a year ago; I never really got it medically diagnosed because I was terrified of labeling it/myself but I was having anxiety attacks, uncontrollable bouts of crying, problems concentrating, problems sleeping, constant headaches and suicidal thoughts... All in all, a bad time. The good thing about my experience was that I had a very clear idea what was causing it (work combined with previously existing inferiority complex and constant need to be perfect). Work was the trigger, the actual cause was deep inside myself though, and it took months of therapy to get me sorted. Actually, I had been going to therapy for a couple of months already and the therapist told me that if she dosen't get a breakthrough in the next few sessions she would have to send me to the 2ndline institution for the more serious cases. She had tried almost everything, but while I could intellectually understand what she was trying to get out of me, none of it really "clicked". Well, anecdotally we had a breakthrough the very next session. It still took work to solidify it; months of work.

So, if you're going to therapy and it's not working, don't give up! Try a different therapist, or maybe an activity to relaease your mind from worries. Maybe painting or (wood)carving or something. Sports works too, especially high-intensity sports like boxing. Just something that your body can do while you let your thoughts go. Actually physical activity can be the best way of tricking your brain because normally the good old brainy would tell you that everything is horrible and dark and unpleasant; even the things you KNOW you like and that SHOULD trigger the happy feeling, except it doesn't because the enjoyment of activities is all in our heads and if your brain decides to not cooperate then that's the end of it. However, physical activity actually creates and releases the happy-hormones in your body, whether your brain wants it or not (that's how it's possible to get addicted to working out. But that's a whole 'nother can of worms) and so that can dive you a much-needed respite from the darkness. Now, from personal experience, the hardest part is actually getting up and doing the activity. What helped me though was thinking that I was tricking my brain, I was actually physically doing something to mess with it the way it was messing with me.

All the best wishes to the OP and everyone else going through a rough time!

Edited to add: also, it's MUCH easier to sleep when you're physically exhausted! which in turn makes you less tired during the day. Noth that excercise can cure your depression, mind, but it can help with some of the symptoms thereby giving you a little relief so you can focus on fixing the actual disease.

I suffer from depression I'm now on medication and feeling in control of my life. I'm slowly getting my life back. But...... Still don't know what causes my depression. I try not to dwell on that now.
Wishing everyone who suffers with this happiness.

I've suffered through bad postpartum depression three times, as well as having bouts of depression at other points of my life. It is hard to get over! I'm only now really coming out of it and making myself a priority and trying to make everything around me positive again.

I have found that when I eat better and avoid sugar I feel better mentally.

I feel the same way. I've been dealing with this for the past few months. Combination of things really: lack of support from spouse, no family etc. I was on meds too but they weren't working. Struggling every day to find the motivation to even get out of bed let alone workout. Feel free to add me.

I was diagnosed with depression about four years ago.
Anyone feel free to add me =]

Have you thought that something you are eating might be contributing to your depression? I stopped eating gluten a couple of months ago and the biggest sign of positivity for me, was that the aching feel of anxiety in the middle of my chest had gone. I can breath in and out now without it being there taunting me.

I actually ate a bit of gluten this week and i crashed yesterday, felt terrible about myself etc.

I would recommend you think about removing a few foods from your diet (in turn, not all at once) to see if you are a bit intolerant to anything that might be causing your depression. I know i was x

This is good advice. I have a brief story that supports it.

My husband was depressed for many years. He has some serious health issues, and we chalked it up to that. Several months ago his acupuncture doctor told him to quit drinking beer because of the gluten and switch to saki highballs. He did. He felt so much better that we've started eliminating gluten from his diet. The longer he goes gluten free, the better he feels. Food allergies and/or intolerance can affect your entire body function and quality of life. It would be worth your time to look at food allergies and/or intolerance. It could be that your diet includes something that causes the depression.

Many people have depression totally unrelated to stressors. It's an illness, one that I have struggled with off and on for most of my life. I have a great life and have the whole time, and nothing stresses me out for the most part EXCEPT depression and eating disorders.

Me, too.

Seeing a therapist, meditation, positive affirmations, research, journaling, yoga, lots of exercise, and quality time doing something that I enjoy...these are the things I am doing right now to manage depression.. And it's a challenge because I am a SAHM taking care of two little boys in diapers, my husband works a lot, and our family is far away. I don't get too many breaks from the kids. But every week I add something else, and slowly I do feel like I am managing it better.

There isn't really a "cure," but you can learn how to live with it, get a handle on it, and not let it rule your existence. Feel free to add me, I will do what I can to be supportive! Best of luck. :flowerforyou:

I’m so sorry to hear that! For me, exercising and eating right was my combat to depression. I was depressed because of my weight; however, walling in your sorrows will not help you drop pounds (unless you’re not eating!! I kid, don’t do that!)

Get out there and get active. Tell yourself every day that you do deserve it and don’t take no for an answer. Outside influences can motivate, but only yourself can make you stay on track. Only you can make your feet more to pound the pavement and get moving. Be your best cheerleader & believe that whatever you set your mind to doing is possible!

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR NEGETIVITY!!!