Depression

It's amazing what exercise can do. It's really hard to push yourself to get out and do something but it can really improve your mental state with the bonus of some weight loss.

I agree that the best thing you can do for yourself mentally is get moving physically! Even if you just start a daily walk in your neighborhood or on break or at lunch if you work. I experienced depression with empty nest syndrome when my sons moved out a few years ago. Forcing myself to talk my dogs for walks always seemed to help me. I also got a prescription from my Dr for Lovaza ( used off label for depression) it is prescription strength fish oil. Usually prescribed for cholesterol issues. You can buy it over the counter, I just needed a higher strength as I took 2-4 grams per day which is recommend when taking for depression. Plus, I received B-12 injections. B-12 gave me extra energy, which depression often depletes! Hope this helps! Take it one day and one pound at a time! The sun will be shining before you know! I promise... :flowerforyou:

Anyone out there battling depression and also trying to lose weight? Any tips or suggestions on medications for the former and tips for the latter? I really need help.

I've been dealing with anxiety and recently (the past two years) with depression. Exercising was a little difficult in the beginning of my journey because sometimes I had no motivation and all I wanted to do was lay in bed with the covers over my head. But when I joined MFP and saw how many people out there are supportive and willing to help it got a little easier. I used to take meds but I found that they didn't really work for me. I found that talking to friends and family did the trick. The more I really pushed myself to exercise the better I felt. It still creeps up on me (sometimes more often than others) but I throw in Just Dance and let go for a while.

I'm here for you if you ever need to talk. I've dealt and still going through it everyday. Feel free to add me if you want

Consistant exercise and eating whole foods does wonders for your frame of mind. I recently started on medication because I slipped further into oblivion than I could handle on my own, but before that I was handling it with walks, runs and playing in the sun. Winter is a really hard time for a lot of people. Before looking for medication to treat it, have your DR check your vitamin levels. Vit D and B12 deficiencies cause me to feel more depressed. Make sure you spend some time with just yourself and with people that are good for you. If you can, join an exercise group or a walking group to stay motivated. My family Dr prescribed my depression medication and any Dr that wont is not helping you. Find another one. Counseling is best, but sometimes medication is needed.

It's so hard for me to go into an office and tell someone that I hate life, when I know that I should feel blessed. Because of my reaction to the medication I know that I had an imbalance that needed medical intervention to get me back on track until I feel strong enough to face my days without it.

Feel free to send me a message anytime you need someone to talk to. I know how hard it can be.

Yes, I have experience with this. Send me a FR and we can private message if you want to discuss your situation.

I may be young, but I have a lot of experience with depression and meds. I think your approach to treating your depression should be different depending on the severity of your depression. If it's moderate to mild, try more cardio. It really does work to the same degree that an SSRI would. SSRIs have been found to have little effect in mild to moderate depression.

However, if your depression is severe(a little catatonic and suicidal), try an SSRI. It gets you to the mild-moderate depression range. When your depression is lessened, you can start doing things to help yourself, like the exercise previously mentioned. Some SSRIs make you gain, some don't. I went from being clinically anorexic to overweight in 2 years on Celexa. Lexapro doesn't change my weight at all.

If it still persists, wellbutrin or SNRIs might help more. I'm not a doctor but this is just my experience. Hope you feel better soon.

I have been treated for depression for 18 years, suffered longer than that but was just not treated. I have taken various medications mostly SSRI or SSNRI. Effexor and Cymbalta (they boost serotonin and norepinephrine) were the only ones that ever worked for me. I seemed to become resistant to both. About a year ago I was on the max daily dose of Cymbalta along with a mood stabilizer and the depression was going from bad to worse. I have taken FMLA time off and on over the past year and a half because of depression and anxiety. I have been trying to wean off Cymbalta since August because none of the doctors I have seen will try another medication until I am 100% off of the Cymbalta. Oddly enough I am feeling pretty good these days, much better than a year ago when I was spending a small fortune on medication. Now I pay for a gym membership. I am starting to hope that I can wean off of the antidepressant and then look at reducing the mood stabilizer. I don't know what the future brings but depression is tough. Many times treatment is needed and the medical community can be ignorant about mental health issues (I am a registered nurse and have worked with some clueless docs).
If you want you can friend me. I think the best people to talk to about depression are people who know what you are going through because they have been there.

It's amazing what exercise can do. It's really hard to push yourself to get out and do something but it can really improve your mental state with the bonus of some weight loss.

This. Since I started exercising I am no longer on medication and haven't felt so positive in years, my doctor says I should take them (bipolar) but I really don't need them. If i feel like I'm coming down hard I just work out heaps and it helps. It's nuts, wish I'd done it years ago...

edit; i am no way endorsing coming off medications unless under doctors advice, please be careful. i went off gradually.

Can only co-sign on the great advice already shared in this thread. Exercise, eating less junk, taking meds when necessary, journaling, etc. have all helped me overcome two major depressive episodes and manage it daily when I'm in recovery. The last one, after my father passed unexpectedly, I actually took FMLA time off and did an intensive outpatient program where we began every morning with a H.E.A.L. (healthy eating, active living) check-in.

I'm currently managing with nutrition and exercise only. And my furkid! Taking care of him and tending to his needs gets me up and out even when I'm low.

Go easy on yourself, but do take care of yourself. You're not alone. I'm open to PMs or friend requests if you'd like.

Talk to your doc. ASAP. I'm on Wellbutrin and have great success with it, for me it also acts as an appetite suppression, either that or my depression eating was out of control. It's also great when it comes to general motivation, it's gotten me motivated to apply for school again, get my act together in general, and I'm getting much more accomplished in a day than I could have imagined while depressed. It does give me antsy hands, but I knit so that helps.

Walking the dog is a great start. You might also want to be sure that you don't have any environmental factors. I had a food intolerance that added to my depression, my best friend had a horrible mother that added to hers, when we dealt with our environmental issues that depression was easier to handle.

Also, EVERYONE should see a therapist. I mean, even the most well adjusted people in the world should see one, it's nice to have someone who you can ***** to about people and know that it won't get back to anyone and that they're not judging you.

I'm a depression and anxiety sufferer here. I take beta-blockers for the anxiety and panic attacks and physical symptoms my body produces as a result of panic. I take Citalopram for depression and also the anxiety too. Trying to lose weight and all of it's difficulties can be even harder on people like us who suffer mentally beyond just feeling a bit low at times. When i am knocked, i am REALLY knocked and it is nothing short of a huge, huge battle to get back up again. Factor in the fact that trying to lose weight takes away my most trusted and beloved coping mechanism (food) and i find things more than a little tough sometimes. I know loads of people will say working out helps...hm, sometimes. Very often i can't get myself to the right state of mind mentally to even get up and begin to start sweating and throwing myself all over the place but i get that it's clinically proven to help relieve some of the symptoms of depression and i do believe in it.

You might find, as i have in the past, that changing your lifestyle like this, eating right and working out, really helps. It might take a while for you to feel that way as at first all i ever felt from changing things was anxious, weirdly sad and discouraged at every little thing that went wrong. A less-than-fantastic number on that dreaded scale can send me spiralling downwards for example. That said, as you start to feel physically healthy and strong as a result of your healthy choices the world seems a little lighter. Things seem less dark. The answer to a person's struggles are not in the bottom of that family-size bag of whatever...the temporary relief is, sure...but that's another story.
When YOU start achieving things with weight loss you gain in self-esteem. Absolutely. You feel kind of like, 'wow, i did this all by myself, this is a real accomplishment'...and your new-found belief in your ability to push through difficulty and get positive results lightens the heart and the mood.
Push through the bad ****, i mean i KNOW it's terrible because i face it everyday...and stay away from certain areas of these forums if you're after genuine compassion and support. There are real *kitten* around these parts who spoil it for all the awesome, supportive people. Find a support network of NICE, encouraging people and lean on them for your support and motivation. Ignore the *kitten*, they're hungry, miserable and they know jack about you.
Stay strong, positive and try not to let crap get you down. Don't let your mental health beat you, you can do ANYTHING. =]