Depression

I experience depression, never been diagnosed or given meds. The best thing that helps me is to help others. It's like whatever passes through you to them heals you more.

I am on the edge of a clinicel depression. Just creeped outside its range a little bit.
The last month I tried clinic, therapist and meds (ok, taking meds since 4 years).
Now I hate clinics and therapists! Thats what I deal with....hate and anger and the powerfull will to get it by my own.

I know, I am strong enough and noone could ever tell me more about myself than I could!

And, what Steve wrote. If you be good to others it heals you. Every time a little bit more. :flowerforyou:

I've climbed out of it.... and back in.... and back out.... :ohwell:
I take meds and exercise helps a lot. I wouldn't mind going back to a therapist to get a "tune up"

Depression is a complicated thing. I don't believe there is one cure-all and you have to care for a number of things to keep it in check -- diet and activity is a good foundation. Keeping busy and having something of a project or hobby to invest energy in helps, too.

I have been through this. In and out of hospital, including the psychiatric unit. Professional counselling does help, and it's free here. However, also, you really have to want to get out of the situation yourself. It takes a degree of self-motivation, and as you wrote this thread, you still have some. Exercise boosts the feel-good endorphins, and definitely works. Although you may not feel like it, socialising, getting out helps also. Meds are a short-term help, and if you have them, use the improved mood to do some of the above. Another feel good factor of exercise is losing exess weight...

Best wishes,

David

My depression hit bad when I was 16 & moved during my HS years. Adjusting to a new town, new people, & not fitting in really screwed me up, emotionally & mentally. I became very depressed & suicidal. Constantly tried to say I was sick to get out of going to school, & eventually just told my mom that I'd rather die than go back to that place.. She helped me see a doctor, who referred me to a therapist. It was scary at first, seeing a stranger, & having to be "open" about my emotions & how I felt. But it helped, quite a lot I do believe. I was put on medication, which I hated, because it caused me to gain 50 pounds. That is what started my issues with weight. I was on the medicine for five or six years, & finally felt stable enough to be off it in 2006. Every since then, I've had ups & downs, & very rare thoughts of suicide, only due to the last three years of medical problems I have had that have caused me a few surgeries, & a lot of physical pain. But I am doing a bit better (still having physical pain day to day), but not down like I used to be. I have my moments, at least once a month, due to my monthly "gift", lol. But it doesn't last.

If you ever need to talk, message me, or add me. I hope you are able to find something to help you cope with this, because I know it's hard, & it's really a struggle to cope with & overcome. It's a day to day struggle sometimes, & it's always hard to know how to handle it.

i have suffered from depression/anxiety most of my life. am 33 now and can remember feeling "off" at 6 years of age (anxiety).

the past year i've lost my mom to cancer, found out my godmother has cancer, lost my pet Boxer to cancer and am looking forward to a foreclosure. i got back in the gym and the one thing i hate CARDIO has saved me! I SWEAR by it! i do 45 miles on the bike each week, 9 miles 5x's a day. it took a couple months to "work" but i no longer have depression like i did. at times a little blue (fleeting feelings) but absolutely nothing like it was.

tried prozac years back but got a case of the "i want to take a take a nap with the car running in the garage syndrome." so gave them up rather quickly.

its worth a shot. google the benefits of cardio/being physical and depression.

get some sunlight each day as well.

good luck!

I think talking to a counsellor - even if you don't think it will help it usually does.
Exercise. Trying to look after yourself.
Setting goals and planning nice things to look forward to.

Meds work for a lot of people - speak to your Dr could be worth a try?

I haven't read through all the answers but I've suffered from depression, mostly due to a hormone imbalence and I found that writing really helped me to be able to express how I was feeling. I wrote poetry mostly but also diaries, journnals and just notes.

I'm now dealing with depression from 'the other side' - my husband is severely depressed. He has tried medication but found that although it stopped how he was feeling, it compeltely stopped him feeling anything. Just numb which didn't help. He's actually going back today to speak with his counsiller for a second set of sessions. He's come on so far frmo last time in being able to admit how he is feeling and seeing for himself that he needs to talk it through with someone/express his thoughts.

I think keeping communication open and being able to talk is the real key.

I wish you the best.

Nykki

I used to take meds, but I found in the long term they didn't help/solve the underlying issue. When I came off them - and I came off them really really slowly - I found that I just went downhill really quickly and was really really sick, not because anything was 'wrong' but because the meds wern't their ie: the meds were just making things worse. I've found that I don't need the meds, I did some counselling (well alot) but I needed to be open to it working and actively helping myself/doing what the counselling suggested. I also found a love of running, it allows my brain to process stuff when I run.

I think everyone is different and you need to try lots of different things to find what works for you.

From suicidal to loving life, it is possible.

I can relate to most of the posters on here. I have struggled with some sort of anxiety/depression since I was 5 years old. I am now 34, and I finally feel like I have beat it. I have been in and out of therapy since age 5 and on every medication under the sun. A lot of it is trial and error. I have finally found a medication that works wonderfully, so that coupled with lots and lots of motivation to change things/become happier and healthier has made the difference. Medication is not for everyone though, and as I said, it can be a very frustrating and disheartening process trying to find the one that works for you.

When it comes down to it, you just have to get sick enough of living like you are. You have to take responsibility for yourself and do whatever it takes to get better, no matter how hard it may be. Getting control of my weight has been the biggest thing for me (my depression and food issues are best friends). When I began to feel more comfortable in my own skin, things just began to fall into place. Not to say any of it was easy, and it has taken me 30 years to get here, but if you keep fighting and don't give up, you will get where you want to be.

For those that suffer from clinical depression, what have you done to deal with it? Medication that has helped you? Therapy? I've been depressed most of my adult life, but now I've gone through a breakup, plundered so much money on shameful things, and I'm just feeling really low right now; and I want to know that there's some way to climb out of it.

Even those that haven't climbed out of it, chime in. I'm just hoping to find someone who can actually relate.

Either you deal with it by yourself hoping it won't kill you (both mentally and phisically) or you ask for help, which is the best option although I know it's not easy. It might just mean talking to a friend and ask for an advice. I've learnt that some of us have to deal with it and there's probably no way to make all the pain disappear, but we should still find a way to at least cope with it and be able to go on with our lives.

I agree that you should try to be happy, therefore do things that happy people do. But ignoring it is not going to help at all. In fact ignoring something or supressing a feeling or memory is the main cause of psychosis. Probably not a good idea.

Do your best to avoid meds. I've been on both Prozac and zoloft in the past and all they did was numb me and cause me to gain weight. Exercise, eating right and seeking out friends to talk to are your best defense. Some days are really tough but you'll get through them. I suffer from severe pms. While some find humor in pms it's not funny. I have days where I think everyone hates me and I have no desire to go on. But I have to tell myself it will pass. Each day say something positive to yourself, try something new,keep yourself busy. ( hugs)

I was diagnosed with depression and social anxiety a few years ago and it has affected my life far more than I would have liked. I was in therapy and on medication for about a year and things improved greatly, but my insurance stopped covering me and I had to cut the meds cold turkey and try to find a way to live without them. It's been a little over a year since I stopped taking my pills or going to see my therapist and I'm still hanging on. Some days I really want to just disappear. It's almost more like a desperate need than a desire at times. My room falls into disarray, I sit in the same spot for days on end, and there are nights when it's almost as if I've fallen into a catatonic state--I can't move and my eyes can't focus on anything and there's just a buzzing noise in my head because I'm trying to block out how sad I'm feeling.

Despite all of this, though, the thing that keeps me going is fighting it. I have to fight every day with my disorders. If I don't want to move, I make myself wiggle my fingers, and then my arm, and then I'm pushing myself up and loosening my body to make myself get out of bed. I battle the symptoms one piece at a time. It's difficult, more so on some days than on others, and on some days I just can't fight and cry in bed for a few hours. That's okay, too. Sometimes I have to know when to be gentle with myself and when to push myself. I always try, though. The day I stop is the day I let depression win and I don't really want to disappear, no matter how badly it feels like I do when I'm at my lowest point.

There is always light, so try your best. Seek help if you need it. Do whatever you have to do, just don't let depression win.

Not on medication since I hate the way it kills my libido. I give myself wallow time. I go to those dark, painful thoughts and I sit with the feelings and analyze them no matter how much it hurts. After a certain time though I've been forcing myself out of that and trying to find gratitude for something. Even if it's the compliment I got on my shirt today...anything positive I can grab onto. Prayer for me helps and giving it to a higher power, but I realize that this may not be other's choice.

For me it's a lot more difficult to hold onto the positive. Negative and self loathing thoughts are much more comfortable. My old friend/enemy.

If you can put yourself into that mindset, and I realize this is not always possible especially when you are deep into depression and self destruction, you have to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. The minute you have one negative thought think of anything positive it can be something rudimentary like, "oh the sky is so blue today or wow, look how pretty that dandelion looks growing in the asphalt." Then try to stop the spinning thoughts focus on that sky or whatever until its quiet. That's what works for me.

I hope you can get a good management of your depression so that you can move forward with your goals and accomplish big things. Another thought, there is nothing shameful to feel if one is seeking help and treatment for a mental disorder. If you had a broken leg you would get it fixed. If you have a broken mind you get it fixed.