depression isn't real...

One thing that can help if for everything you do make a quick note of acheivement and enjoyment for things you manage to do.

So if you got out of bed that day you may feel you acheived a 6, but you didn't enjoy it at all (cold misserable day) so a 2.
then you watched your favorite movie, and maybe you achieved a 3 but enjoyed it lots (9)
made a healthy snack A=9, E=7
had a burger A=4 E=4


try to do that for a few days, then try to look at what gives you high scores, and then you will know if i do X i will feel y.

That helped alot with me.

:flowerforyou:

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.

I know a few people with similar stories.

It amazes me how many people suggest pills straight off. Generally pills mask something, not sort it out, the only times i think pills for depression are useful, are for a very short time when the risk of suicide or physical harm is very real.

I would take anti-depressants if i had post-natal depression because i would have to care for a child but i would NEVER take long term anti-depressants, they are dangerous, addictive and do little to sort out the problem.

I would definitely look at diet and if that isn't helping, move on to something else.

bump for later

1) see your doctor
2) exercise
3) find something to focus on (one time for me it was my work, the last time was getting healthy). Getting healthy worked the best.

Believe me, at my age, I have gone through some heavy experiences to trigger depression. Dr's help is invaluable.

Good luck.

I struggled with depression for a while but once I got over it, I was diagnosed with cyclothymia. At random periods, I'm not in the mood to eat what I should or exercise or really do anything. Being on here has given me that extra push and motivation to get me through those times. I love to give support to other people as well cause I know how tough it can be!!
Feel free to add me!

I was diagnosed with major depression disorder and PTSD about 7 yrs ago. I also suffer from anxiety. I have been taking medication on and off for the past 7 yrs. I will have to take meds for the rest of my life. But the healthier I eat and the more exercise I get the better I feel. Good luck to you.

I am bi-polar (rapid cycling) and was diagnosed when I was 17 years old. I had to be put on a combination of medications to control my emotions and behavior. The medication did stink for me becuase it was a contributing factor to me putting on weight so fast. I often tried to control and "fix" myself without meds, to no avail. I actually ended up hospitalized shortly after having a miscarriage (for the record, this was the second and while it played a big part it was a combination of everything that lead me to this point). I got back on my meds and was doing amazing. Ever since going off my meds because of becoming pregnant again, the pregnancy hormones actually balanced me out. Now after the birth of my son I am doing much better and on a lower dose of medicine just to keep everything in check. I have also been on about 10 different combinations of drugs to find what worked for me.

The point of this is that while dealing with depression/mental illness and not recieving treatment, I did not have any desire to focus on my physical self. I would attempt to be healthier in my manic modes but within the hour I would sink low and not care anymore. Since getting things in check and having many motivators I am finally taking control of my health. When you feel better mentally and you are actually mentally healthy, you can then focus on your physical health. Feel free to add me

Oh, and just a side note, having support, money, and things like that won't neccessarily help you control or overcome things if you are in need of medication. I had the support of my whole family (I didn't realize until I was hospitalized and people fought over visiting me) and I was able to hide things and have a job making money. Don't be afraid of recieving/seeking help.

It took me 9 years to go through menopause and with that came a lot of hormonal fluctuations.......have been on meds for about 8 years. Started on a very mild dose and after 2 years I went off them. Then my dad died, my husband lost his job, my daughter needed surgery, a dear friends daughter was killed in a car crash at 17 years old and I had a nervous breakdown......Had to go back on the meds, only double the dose.

Since I lost 20 lbs and have become more active, I have gone back to the original dose. My husband won't let me stop taking it because I scared him so badly when I went off them the first time....I tend to agree with him :-) In general I'm a very happy active person. My doctor told me that 67% of the population will suffer from clinical depression at some point in their life. I could never understand how a person could think of suicide until I had my breakdown with the anxiety attacks that caused me such extreme physical pain. I am a much more understanding person now! We all need to walk a mile in each others shoes, but I will say that diet and exercise can assist in helping decrease symptoms of many things.