Any depression sufferers out there?

Hi Ollie,
I'm sorry to hear you are suffering with depression, but on a positive note - I'm hearing a little bit of hope. First of all, I wanted to ask if you have seen a professional or gone to therapy? The only thing I would suggest right now is to move. Even if its a 10 minute walk that you completely dread, make yourself do it!! Then turn that 10 minute walk into 15 when you feel like you are ready. It's really a double-edged sword - one of the best things for depression is exercise, BUT its usually the last thing a person can bring themselves to do while they are in a depressive state. Remember to love yourself first, and know that you deserve to get up, get out and feel good!! You may also want to try hard to stay away from sugar, even if your not ready to turn your whole diet around, make that your baby step. Sugar will only worsen your depression.
Keep is posted!
Lara

Welcome to MFP Ollie!:flowerforyou:

As time permits I'll be back to catch up a bit more.

Hearts

Hi Ollie, I've had depression and anxiety on and off all of my adult life, ranging from mild to severe. I've also been an emotional eater since childhood, so I can definitely relate to using food/over-eating as a coping mechanism.

A few things that help me manage my moods are:
*Food: getting enough to eat (I didn't do very well having too big of a calorie deficit), getting enough fat and carbohydrate in my diet (low carb does not work for my state of mind), getting a good balance of nutrients by eating lots of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meat, oily fish etc. I also supplement with omega 3, vitamin D and 5-htp. Sugar is something to look at. I know that a lot of people say they feel better once they cut it out. I personally couldn't be so extreme, and haven't found the need to be, but I do find that eating too much sugar throughout the day can make me a bit moody, and when I keep it to after dinner, I'm ok. I think because I'm already tired and winding down by that point.

*seeing a good therapist has been invaluable, but I've also done a lot of self-help stuff out of books and from websites. Cognitive behavioural therapy (cbt) has been very helpful, as has dialectical behavioural therapy (dbt) and mindfulness.

*getting enough sleep

*having routine though my days and weeks

*maintaining good relationships with friends and family as a support system

*meditation - didn't really believe it til I tried it, but downloaded some "teach yourself" podcasts and never looked back.

*setting achievable goals. Depending on how severe the depression is, these could range from basic things like getting out of bed, getting dressed, leaving the house, having a 10 minute walk to bigger goals like finishing my degree etc. Obviously, you need to match the level of goal to what you can cope with. I try to have goals each day though because it makes me feel like I've accomplished something, and gives me a feeling of control (I find depression and anxiety can both make me feel out of control)

*seeing my GP regularly when things are at their worst. I tried a lot of different anti-depressants, and none of them really worked for me, (but they do help a lot of people) but even just seeing my doctor and checking in with her every so often really helped.

*exercise. I can't recommend it enough for managing depression. To be honest, I only really noticed a significant effect after a few months of regular exercise, but now I wouldn't be without it. Even just walking helps, but for me the best result has been from vigorous cardio. Strength training has the same effect for others, and strength training is also really good for feeling powerful and in control of things. I can definitely notice a change in my moods if I go too long without exercise.


Now, as for the emotional eating side of things, I'm not going to pretend that it's easy, but it is definitely possible to change things, and it's also possible to lose weight while you're in the process of changing it. Take each day at a time. Just try and meet your calorie goal for each day. If you go over, you go over. Tomorrow's another day. Try not to beat yourself up about it, just focus on making progress.

Reaching for a tub of Ben and Jerry's when you've had a bad day is a habit, one that's probably so ingrained that it almost feels like instinct. You can break that habit though. Before I started on MFP, I couldn't keep chocolate etc in the house, and if I ever bought some, I'd eat all of it, no matter how big the packet. I would be amazed to think that now, I have chocolate, ice cream, lovely homemade bread etc in the house, and I do not feel compelled to eat any more than the small portion that fits into my day. I'm not saying I'm never tempted. I do get cravings, but they pass. I'm in control, not the food. Some people find it helpful to not buy any food that they feel tempted to overeat, especially in the beginning. Eventually though, it's more helpful to learn to incorporate those foods into your diet without needing to overdo it. Counting calories can be a really good tool for learning moderation.

As you said, eating does not fill the emotional void inside. The chemical response to overeating can temporarily make it feel like you do, but it's so fleeting. You know this logically. It helps to find other ways to cope with the feelings that you're trying to cover up with food. Both learning to live with the feelings (and knowing you can handle it), and finding other ways of alleviating them. Find other distractions. Just as one example, I know that if I'm feeling particularly stressed/anxious/down and can't stop thinking about food to the point where I know I'm vulnerable to compulsively overeating, I will either go out for a walk, or have a bath. Both of those things calm me down and usually the cravings disappear.

I'm not a binge eater as such, but I found the book "Overcoming Binge Eating" by Christopher Fairburn really interesting and helpful. One thing I took from that is that one of the major causes of binge eating is dieting, both for physical and psychological reasons. That is one reason why it's a good idea not to cut calories too low, and not to be too restrictive with the types of foods you're eating. Make small changes that you know you can live with long-term and aren't going to make you want to "fall off the wagon" as soon as you hit a bad point. And if you do slip up, be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself and move on. Don't aim for perfection, but just being consistent over time.

Yup, me too. Meds don't help when it comes to weight. I will sit around all day if allowed. What I can manage is a slow, plunking walk around the neighborhood. I usually feel better about it afterwards, but getting out in the first place is like pulling teeth. Just try a walk. Not a speed walk, just one foot in front of the other. Check out what's going on in the neighbors yards, that takes my mind other places besides on how yuckie I feel.

And, of course, stay in touch with a doctor if you are feeling this bad. I've been in this boat for most of my life. I think that's why it's they call it "suffering" from depression.

Depression and anxiety here too. Mine was so bad at one point that in a six month time frame I switched majors in school, transferred departments at work, and went from living alone to moving back in with my parents. About once or twice a month I'll reach a point where everything gets to me and I shut down, snap, and don't want to deal with anything. This is also a reason why I knew I needed to begin working out and eating better. I'm a psychology major, so I know the benefits of exercise on the brain.

I suffered from major depression for years. I got a prescription for an antidepressant from my family NP which helped me cope but didn't do much to alleviate the depression. I finally got fed up with it all and scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist, and he's the best thing to ever happen to me. He increased my dose quite a bit, and I was finally able to pick myself up and out of my funk.

Before and along with the dose increase, the following things helped me immensely:

1) Keeping a regular sleep schedule. Go to sleep early at the same time every night!
2) Vigorous morning exercise always improves my mood for the rest of the day.
3) Lots of sunlight. If you can't do that for some reason, maybe invest in a mood lamp that mimics sunlight.
4) Avoiding eating simple carbs by themselves. The mood crash afterward is not worth the temporary mood increase.
5) Maintaining or making new friendships. Your social network is very important for your mental well-being.
6) Avoid too much alone time. Get out and do things to keep your mind engaged.

My psychiatrist also recommends high doses of fish oil for major depression. I did that for awhile but got tired of so many pills. Now I just avoid vegetable oils and cook only with olive oil or ghee.

I've read a LOT of self help books over the years. I would recommend that if therapy isn't your thing. I tried therapy a couple times, but it felt silly and like a waste of my money. My psychiatrist was pleasantly surprised at how I improved without it.

Here as well.

My first bout was in High school...gained a tonne of weight then lost it.
Again in College after I had my son...this one lasted about 5 years...lost the weight..gained it back
Again about 10 years ago...lost the weight...gained it back

I have yo yo'd for 20 years....

The one thing that got me this time cause it tried to take hold was the exercise...it makes me feel better...I wont say the weight loss hasn't but to be frank the exercise does. I sleep better, I don't "hurt" anywhere (hips, knees etc), the exercise helps me sleep better as well...

I am not going to say it's a total cure, I am lucky enough that I don't need meds and it can be controlled with positive thoughts (fake it till I make it), exercise and recognizing when it hits, why it hits and I know what I need to do.

I don't eliminate foods or anything just everything in moderation, I know my limits and don't go over them.

You are not alone in this Journey...there are lots of us here...

Good luck.