Depression, dieting and exercising

Welcome! There's actually a depression group on the website if you want targeted support. :flowerforyou:

The good news is that a healthy diet and physical activity are helpful in reducing the symptoms of depression.

I'm right there with you. I think you just get to a point where you decide what you want most. Go slow, mark your progress. Can't offer much more than that but getting into a support group could very well be very beneficial

Perseverance gets me through my depressive episodes. I have decided to treat them like seizures. i expect them to end. I insist that they end. I take my meds, do my exercise, and try to avoid eating crappy processed foods.

I visualize the depression as a battle where some whacked out terrorist neurons are pigging out on my serotonin and dopamine so that they can force me down into a valley of depression. I imagine myself as a warrior, fighting for myself and my family. I pray. I ignore the depression as much as possible, because I know that to ruminate, to wallow in it, is to feed it.

I think that if you are in a good place and therapy is helping, that's awesome. Personally, I found that therapy made me feel worse because it somehow made me feel justified in my depression. I am convinced that my depression has a primarily neuro-biochemical etiology, so I feel it is best treated with things that change my neurochemistry. What I have found to be most helpful are medication, exercise, volunteering, caring for my family, plenty of sleep, and sunshine. ANd the Serenity Prayer just to keep everything in perspective.

I agree with the poster who said you have to forgive yourself. It's true. Forgive yourself, forgive others. The only way out of the pit is to lighten your burden so you can climb out.

My most important tip is - reduce your course load to the minimum you can have without compromising your financial arrangement/full-time status. AND if you have courses scheduled that are likely to be difficult for you, swap them with subjects you enjoy or are easy.

Keep your academic advisor in the loop so everything's documented as it happens. If things feel really overwhelming, do not delay in communicating with your advisor or professors. The worst is to hide your head in the sand, disengage from the process, and pay for it later (speaking from experience) by having to retake classes or drop them after the fact. More than likely your uni has processes that will help you and minimize any effects on your record, as long as everything's on paper.

Above can affect you long-term. It's all good, just let people know if stuff gets hard to handle, and you won't be penalized for it. Also, it means you will have access to different kinds of help, including study skills, and essay writing. I found essays tough to manage, myself.
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Life: Talk to friends and family. Keep reaching out. Get outside and in the sun, often. If children or animals are in your environment, hang out with them sometimes.

Make your living space pleasant and comfortable. Have cozy things - pillows, blankets, wall coverings - in colours you like. Get a couple of lamps with warm light.

No matter what, spend ten-fifteen minutes every day tidying your space. Even if you don't feel like it, go through the motions. The motions will help your mood. I'm not a neat freak or anything, but an ordered room helps order the mind.

Rely on a schedule where will fails you. Same thing with exercise as for room cleaning: no matter what, you must get 30 minutes of something every day, even if it's just a walk.

Shower every day, and eat on time.

Music has helped me a lot, both playing and listening to it. Sad stuff helps get the sads out (but, too long on this isn't always good), and upbeat stuff gets me moving.

I totally understand where you are coming from! I have been seeing a Psychologist for over a year now and a Psychiatrist for about eight months. What worked for me is making the decision to get help and take things one step at a time. Therapy definitely helps, but I needed meds too. Working out and eating healthy helps a great deal too. For me, exercise is great, but it does not much as far as my depression goes. I know a lot of people will tell you that exercise alone will help and that isn't always the case. Just know that you aren't alone and take the steps that you need to take to be healthy. You can add me if you ever want to chat about it!

Hi, I have clinical depression too, so I know what it's like. I take meds for it which helps greatly. What helps me is celebrating small victories like weight loss. I like the ticker that has the weight I lost. I feel encouraged by that. Also celebrate by getting yourself a new wardrobe. I plan to as I lose more weight. During the worst of my depression, others would tell me to exercise and eat right and now, I realize they are/were right. I am doing those things now.

Lighten your load if you need to. I find that eliminating stress helps, too. You are doing a lot by getting out of bed, exercising, logging in your meals, and showering. Those things are a lot for someone who is suffering depression. I know, I have been there.

I know you said you only wanted 10 or fewer to write, but I wanted to add my support as a fellow depression sufferer myself. I certainly do not want to add to your stress. I just want to be of support to you.

I find that journaling helps me and I like online journaling. There, I can write privately w/o fear that anyone will snoop.

http://www.my-diary.org/