How do you treat your depression?? Lets Share!!!

I'm on 40mg paxil, weening off slowly.

Also using essential oils for treatment, as well as meditate and yoga. Works like a champ. Also diet (gluten free) and brisk walks are helping as well, I try walking during normal sunlight, to try and get my Vitamin D therapy in, with the days getting shorter and all we all need some sunlight to boost our mood.

I try motivatg myself even when its the hardest thing ever and bananas I hear are good so try to have 2 for breakfast everyday

I medicated it. Now that I'm off the meds (over a year now!) I work out, and complain lol. I don't let things fester, I get it out and get over it. Then I go distract myself, usually with shopping, a drive or a workout.

I hear a handful of walnuts can cure depression!

I find if I exercise regularly it keeps my depression (chronic) under control. Eating or shopping both make it worse cos they give me something else to feel bad about.

Swisse brand MOOD tablets. Plus some St Johns Wort.


IF not for those 2 little tablets every day I would be dead.

Some of these answers show me that many of you have not experienced depression. That is a very good thing. For those that have, however, exercise does help, but there is no shame in getting medication. If you had a heart condition or diabetes, you would take your medication, wouldn't you?

Clinical depression is an illness of the brain - not the mind.

Who are you to hold claim to objective truth in the matter of depression? You don't know any of us, and assuming people who don't get treated with pills don't have depression is offensive. I'm not going to get into my background, but I assure you I had clinical depression - Which I treated through sheer power of Mind, after refusing meds for many years, even while undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. I am not a special snowflake; We all have this power, and you are severely underestimating the power of the human mind.

I know you weren't talking to me, but I saw the post and felt the need to reply. There is nothing wrong with taking meds either, if it works for you, I'm glad it makes you happy. But it's certainly not necessary. I could get into the FDA, about how America and the UK are some of the only places in the world where they are allowed to advertise drugs, but I won't.

Thank you for this answer. That person's response rubbed me the wrong way as well. I have gone the medication route and at this point in my life, there is a reason why taking medication is not an option. I don't always have a hard time managing without medication, but this past week in particular has been pretty tough. I could feel myself slipping away and somehow, though it took clawing and biting, I was able to regain a fairly good mental place, for the time being at least.
I appreciate the thoughtful answers people have posted here. Whether you are only sharing ideas on how to relieve stress or improve a slightly saddened mood or you have methods that have helped you out of deep depression I am thankful for you sharing your experience in the hopes that it might help someone else.

Some of these answers show me that many of you have not experienced depression. That is a very good thing. For those that have, however, exercise does help, but there is no shame in getting medication. If you had a heart condition or diabetes, you would take your medication, wouldn't you?

Clinical depression is an illness of the brain - not the mind.

Who are you to hold claim to objective truth in the matter of depression? You don't know any of us, and assuming people who don't get treated with pills don't have depression is offensive. I'm not going to get into my background, but I assure you I had clinical depression - Which I treated through sheer power of Mind, after refusing meds for many years, even while undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. I am not a special snowflake; We all have this power, and you are severely underestimating the power of the human mind.

I know you weren't talking to me, but I saw the post and felt the need to reply. There is nothing wrong with taking meds either, if it works for you, I'm glad it makes you happy. But it's certainly not necessary. I could get into the FDA, about how America and the UK are some of the only places in the world where they are allowed to advertise drugs, but I won't.

Easy, because clinical depression is an actual, physical, scientific, spongey-gray-bouncy-brain-quantifiable-thing. As in, it affects certain areas of the brain, certain neurotransmitters and neurocepters that fail to fire properly because of actual, physical miswiring in the brain.

Situational depression looks and acts differently in the brain than clinical depression. Quite physically, on an MRA scan, it acts differently. So yes, there IS an objective type of depression out there and THAT is what Contrarian was talking about.

Whatever your story is - if you were able to change it using sheer willpower, than whatever chemicals and transmittors were or were not going wonky at the time were not the result of genetic failure (as clinical depression is.) It was something else entirely.

I was diagnosed with depression by a clinical psychologist. I attempted suicide... many times, and almost succeeded. I cut myself, dressed in black, and hated being a human being. I felt like an alien. I spent 11 months in in-patient rehabilitation. I spent 2 weeks in another in-patient rehabilitation after my mother found my suicide note and they called the ambulance. I was coming off drugs when they took me. I avoided people, because I felt unworthy of love and affection. I've held a shotgun to my head, alone, many times - Loaded with buckshots. This period lasted 6 straight years.

I ask you again - What, WHAT, makes you think you are certified to tell people they don't have clinical depression because they don't use drugs to cure it? Are you more knowledgeable than ALL of the psychologists, sociologists, and physicians I visited throughout that period? I tell you what- I might just be offended if I didn't realize being offended is a useless emotion. My friend, by all accounts, I had objective, clinical, diagnosed depression. My brain wasn't acting right, and now it is! And I didn't use drugs.

Also, I didn't say I changed it using sheer willpower, I changed it by investigating my conscious (and unconscious) self. My mind. I meditated, I did yoga, I pushed myself to sheer physical exhaustion doing martial arts, I put myself in uncomfortable situations, and I changed my eating habits.

I was diagnosed with depression by a clinical psychologist. I attempted suicide... many times, and almost succeeded. I cut myself, dressed in black, and hated being a human being. I felt like an alien. I spent 11 months in in-patient rehabilitation. I spent 2 weeks in another in-patient rehabilitation after my mother found my suicide note and they called the ambulance. I was coming off drugs when they took me. I avoided people, because I felt unworthy of love and affection. I've held a shotgun to my head, alone, many times - Loaded with buckshots. This period lasted 6 straight years.

I ask you again - What, WHAT, makes you think you are certified to tell people they don't have clinical depression because they don't use drugs to cure it? Are you more knowledgeable than ALL of the psychologists, sociologists, and physicians I visited throughout that period? I tell you what- I might just be offended if I didn't realize being offended is a useless emotion. My friend, by all accounts, I had objective, clinical, diagnosed depression. My brain wasn't acting right, and now it is! And I didn't use drugs.

Also, I didn't say I changed it using sheer willpower, I changed it by investigating my conscious self. My mind. I meditated, I did yoga, I pushed myself to sheer physical exhaustion doing martial arts, I put myself in uncomfortable situations, and I changed my eating habits.

"Investigating my conscience self, my mind". That sort of sounds like you used sheer willpower. So tell me how that's not willpower?

Simply because one is NOT on drugs doesn't mean you're not depressed. But IF your depression can be chased away with a bath, a walk in the park, a good book - that's not clinical depression. Or at certainly least, if that's ALL it takes to chase away the blues.

Depression is more than a sad affect for a few days or even few months at a time. It persists when there are no outer circumstances that would justify it and it persists when all other normal avenues of changing your emotions have failed. This is why people seek therapy - because nothing they are doing is working.

You may be knowledgeable. And so am I. If you have researched your condition, you would already know what I've said above.

Why did you not know that?

Researched my condition? I lived with it for 6 straight years. This is not a few days or a few months. It really sounds like you are completely disregarding my personal experiences as false for no reason other than my experiences differ from yours. Hey, if I didn't experience it, it must not be true! Said every *kitten* and bigot, ever.

Talking about whether it's willpower or not is a logical fallacy, it's called a straw man argument, so I won't address it. Bad form.

I think I'm done with this conversation though. I wish you all the best.

this thread reminds me of one of the biggest issues with depression: most people who have suffered feel very alone and like noone understands them.

Hopefully lots of people sharing like this can only be of use.

Researched my condition? I lived with it for 6 straight years. This is not a few days or a few months. It really sounds like you are completely disregarding my personal experiences as false for no reason other than my experiences differ from yours. Hey, if I didn't experience it, it must not be true! Said every *kitten* and bigot, ever.

Talking about whether it's willpower or not is a logical fallacy, it's called a straw man argument, so I won't address it. Bad form.

I think I'm done with this conversation though. I wish you all the best.

And I've lived with my condition for 32 years. I think we might be even on that scale. Just a touch, I daresay.

I have in no way disregarded your experience - only those who exclaim a bath makes them not depressed. I don't recall you saying anything like that. You took a statement that someone else said (that I agreed with), ran with it as if they were calling you out personally (they weren't) and then further acted as if I were calling you out.

I disagree with your definition of depression. Science likely would as well.

But in no instance did I disrespect your experience. If you'd like to find your way out of this conversation, please do so. You have a life to attend to, as do I.

No problem. I realize the subjective nature of reality (Remember the theory of relativity?) so I won't tell you you're wrong. I'm not offended, although I do feel as though you have alluded to, even if not outright said, that I do NOT have clinical depression many times, and I definitely see that as disrespectful considering what I've been through. I also consider it illogical, and hard-headed considering it was diagnosed by a clinical psychologist. I spilled my heart - For no reason other than I love people infinitely, and I want to help them if they need help. So it doesn't really matter to me if you disagree. In fact, disagreement is one of those wonderful things that makes us human, and being human is a beautiful thing.

I wasn't kidding when I said I wished you the best. Be well, and prosper.

No problem. I realize the subjective nature of reality (Remember the theory of relativity?) so I won't tell you you're wrong. I'm not offended, although I do feel as though you have alluded to, even if not outright said, that I do NOT have clinical depression many times, and I definitely see that as disrespectful considering what I've been through. I also consider it illogical, and hard-headed considering it was diagnosed by a clinical psychologist. I spilled my heart - For no reason other than I love people infinitely, and I want to help them if they need help. So it doesn't really matter to me if you disagree. In fact, disagreement is one of those wonderful things that makes us human, and being human is a beautiful thing.

I wasn't kidding when I said I wished you the best. Be well, and prosper.

Thank you. It is a subject we both feel very passionately about. This is a good thing. Thank you.

Different types of depression cannot be easily dismissed as irrelevant, nor how each person reacts to their mental distress...Because not matter what it is just that.."mental distress" be it your diagnosed with clinical or you are able to push through it on your own. You can't compare any two people when it comes to depression. How someone is feeling if its situational or clinical, or how severe another thinks theirs is compared to another is just plain silly.

I did have to go on medication for a short time with just situational depression because no matter how you cut it...anything causing depression long term or not, is causing brain damage. The brain is not processing things correctly so it is sick and will remain sick until it can receive treatment, again be it long term or not.

Just like clinical when I was stuck in a sitational depression I only continued to sink lower and lower...live like that without any resolve to the issues for any length of time your going to break mentally, maybe even premenantly.

I agree with this to a point.

But when you are looking at potential treatment plans, the type and duration of depression IS important. Will you try CBT therapy? How about medication? Sun lamp treatments? Talk therapy? Electroconvulsive therapy? (Electroshock) What stressors need to be looked at? Does the patient need a new job? How about inpatient treatment? Outpatient?

If one did not differentiate between depressions at all - then everyone would be getting hooked up to electrodes and getting shocked. (Or else NO ONE would, and for some people, ECT is literally lifesaving.) Thankfully, doctors DO differentiate, and thus treatments can be adapted to what will actually help the patient.

I do take meds.....Effexor, to be exact.

But I freely admit that getting out and taking a long walk does WONDERS for my disposition. Getting myself out can be tough but once I AM out, I just want to keep on going. I am lucky to have lots of places to walk and shops to walk to. I take my mp3 player with me and I don't even realize how the time is passing. And this time of year is just perfect for long walks. Yesterday, I went looking for pinecones for holiday wreaths and found all different kinds. And the foliage is just beautiful to see.

Bipolar II here. I don't take meds for mine, though it does get pretty vicious at time.

As weird as it sounds, I actually have a list of things I enjoy or find beautiful or that make me laugh. An actual physical list. With something like 80-90 things on it. These are things that I know I enjoy on a sensual or spiritual level, so even when I bottom out, the rational part of my brain goes, "No, there are beautiful and enjoyable things in the world and they're still there for you to appreciate and enjoy."

The other way I deal with it is by writing down what I think might be causing the depression at the time. And as I pour it out on the page, going on and on about it, I let myself cry or get angry or whatever. Then I put it aside and go take a nap, with the idea of, "Okay, now that my brain's gotten that out of the way, I'm going to get the real rest I need to heal."

Shortly after that, things start looking up, and soon I'm off and running again.

It mystifies the crap out of my husband, let me tell you, but he can count on one hand the number of times he's ever seen my depression last longer than a day and a half.

I LOVE your method of a list of things that make you happy! I think I am going to try that. I mentally go through the things I am thankful for already, but not the things I enjoy or think are beautiful. I think an actual written list is a wonderful idea.

i do mine on my phone. that way i can read through a list of positives whenever i want.

Different types of depression cannot be easily dismissed as irrelevant, nor how each person reacts to their mental distress...Because not matter what it is just that.."mental distress" be it your diagnosed with clinical or you are able to push through it on your own. You can't compare any two people when it comes to depression. How someone is feeling if its situational or clinical, or how severe another thinks theirs is compared to another is just plain silly.

I did have to go on medication for a short time with just situational depression because no matter how you cut it...anything causing depression long term or not, is causing brain damage. The brain is not processing things correctly so it is sick and will remain sick until it can receive treatment, again be it long term or not.

Just like clinical when I was stuck in a sitational depression I only continued to sink lower and lower...live like that without any resolve to the issues for any length of time your going to break mentally, maybe even premenantly.

My depression was situational. Situational simply means caused by the situation, and therefore less likely to recur if the situation has changed or the patient is better equipped to deal with it. Nothing in it states lesser, or lower levels. It's not a competition...more power to people like you who have it in perspective

No its definately not a competition, even though ours was caused by situations (a 3year old one lol..that I wish to never repeat :P ) it was hell and I felt extremely pit of despair, I didn't see a way out for a long time and that made me become reckless and lash out. Again can't compare to another, but it was worst than hell.

I hear that. Mine included being diagnosed with a chronic illness i'll be medicated for for life, losing my nana, my dad getting diagnosed with cancer twice, losing friendships, finally meeting a great guy only to have him end up moving to the states quite soon in the piece, a couple of relationship dramas including an ex who ended up in jail. . . blah blah blah. My doctor swears that anyone would have ended up in my shoes in my situation. Just because depression is caused or triggered by something you can put your finger on doesn't make it any easier.