Trying to work(out) through depression

I also suffer from depression, as well as anxiety. Last year I put myself in the hospital because I was having suicidal thoughts and making plans. I am also struggling with waking up at a decent time. I have been unemployed for over a year, which means there's really not much to wake up for. My therapist told me something today that really stuck with me... "Progress, not perfection". Every tiny step counts.

Hi. I am also struggling with depression. I seem to be emerging from it and feel a lot better. (It hits me in cycles, as others have said. It's only bad every few years.) I really admire your determination to take care of yourself. It really does get better. I respect your journey through this and hope you realize how great you are doing. I send you love and hugs!

A couple things that work for me: (1) praise. you might not realize it, but you are doing a ton to be good to yourself and pull through this. I have had trouble getting out of bed (or trouble resisting getting back into bed!) It's important to keep your job because your life would suck more if you had to find a new one at this point. Praise yourself for actually getting up and going to work everyday. Lord knows that you really do feel "sick" but aren't ditching your responsibilities at work. This is huge. Getting to work at all is a major accomplishment. Pat yourself on the back--really. At the end of the day I say to myself: success! I made it to work...no one knows how close I came to not doing it! Seriously. If that's all I can do today, it's okay.

(2) Anything that gives your brain a jump-start. For me, going to the movies gives my brain a good jolt. Not sitting in front of a tv movie, but going to the movie theater. For some reason, the big screen the loud sound and the bright images do something to jack me up and I feel invigorated after. I'm not a neurologist, but I'm guessing something chemical happens with the stimulation. The best are action movies, especially positive ones (corny, but superman was great). Another thing that helps me are video games--online ones or arcades or downloaded ones on my computer. The kind where you have to do something quickly. Again, I think it's adrenaline or something that gets jolted. (Maybe a Wii would be good for exercise?)

I hope some of this helps. Please know that others are pulling for you, and you are doing everything right to get through this. You will feel better soon!

fatalis, I am very sorry for your loss and the struggles you are going through now. There are times, even when depression is not involved, when doing what we need to in order to be healthy is just plain hard. Can you afford a gym membership, or find a reasonably priced gym or YMCA so that the outside temperature isn't an issue? Or check out exercise DVDs from the library? Just trying to think of things that will allow you to ease in to exercise that don't have time restrictions. Let us know how thing progress for you.

Sending all kinds of support!

I went through some depression and anxiety a few years back that changed my life. I know how hard it was to care about anything and motivate myself. I finally realized that even though I could care less about working out (or life, for that matter) it was just the chemical reactions in my body making me "feel" like that. I KNEW the workouts would help, so I just went though the motions and put in all the effort I could.

I will tell you, it turned things around for me! I use exercise and meditation to manage things now and while I can sometimes feel myself slipping, I know I can hold on with good health and habits.

Just do it took on a whole new meaning!

All the best!

Hi there! Kudos to you for everything that you are doing!!! Even if you are "just thinking about" exercise. Give yourself a break and hang in there. Have you ever thought of trying, "five minutes for everything"? Just get up and walk for five minutes and before you know it it'll turn into 10. As regards the upcoming 90 degree weather, what about joining a gym? I just noticed 24 hour fitness is running some sort of special. To keep motivated try a different form of exercise each day. Maybe it's mall walking to start, riding a bike another day or going to walk through a park near your house. I can understand what you're going through because I've been battling depression and had a major episode September 2013. My doc added a different med and I immediately gained 10 lbs of the 17 I'd lost since September. Today I was very low, so I can understand you. But hey, it's not about me it's all about you. So, don't give up! Give yourself a pat on the back for every step you take, even if it is just five minutes pretty soon it'll be 10, 20, 30. :flowerforyou: Take care.

Hello,

I can relate to how hard it is to find meaning in ANYTHING apart from your actual crisis issues when you're depressed. Everything seems so trivial and unimportant, you lose desire for most things you once enjoyed.....the actual stressful situations seem to be the only things that matter when you're depressed. Those situations take on a huge role and become our primary focus, or our primary source of avoidance, for some people.

Bottomline, those life situations that cause our depression, well those situations eventually ease up....lil by lil....with time. I dont mean to say that in the cliche that "time heals all wounds". What i mean is that things WILL DEFININTELY IMPROVE for you, this time in your life isnt permanent......its temporary.

For me, that kind of logic really really helped me, so often in life. Some situations are permanent, yes....like losing someone......but the pain that we feel wont always feels so unbearably intense. Do you get me me at all?

Now, for some practical thoughts n suggestions: Have you seen a doctor, are you on antidepressants? If not, do you plan on getting on an antidepressant?

Depression itself has different levels of severity.....mild functioning, general depressive disorder, or deeper situational depression, to really heavy major clinical depression. A General practitioner knows what questions to ask you to figure out what level you may have...they can prescribe and treat the depression.......and some GP's may refer you to specialist to figure out an action plan.

Depression facts: Its a chemical imbalance, just like when someone who has Diabetes.....its nothing to feel embarrassed about.
Depression is sooo treatable.
SItuational depression is usually temporary and eases on its own with time, but you dont have to wait for that! Yes, other depressive disorders are much more complicated.....but they are all treatable!

Ways to beat depressions: Western medicine antidepressant Medications, self help daily coping methods, certain holistic supplements can boost seratonin and help with sleep issues, certain dietary changes can boost seratonin, spiritual coping methods, talk therapy, self help books, basic walking outdoors, certain subliminal or self help audio programs............

I know about depression.....yes i speak from my own personal experience and thats why I am sharing this with you.

do you know anything about 5htp? Its a nuritional supplement that has helped me, is currently helping me and millions of other people. I recommend that you do some reading about this, there are many many books, medical articles, medical experts who say that this is good supplement for people dealing with depression, or insomnia or weightloss issues.

I wish you all of the best, please feel free to contact me if you wish!

Elida

I'm glad to hear that you got a lot accomplished and felt a little better. And huge kudos for standing up for yourself and not being a doormat. If he decides he can't deal, yes that would hurt, but in the long run you would be better off.

I like your new profile pic (well I don't know if it is new... but it is different than the one you had up before I think?) Anyway, you look pretty. :flowerforyou:

I haven't had to deal with as many life struggles as you have going on right now, so I understand this isn't easy for you in the least. I used to have a really hard time getting out of bed in the morning, too. Especially in the winter when it was dark outside until I was leaving for work. Here's what I did...

I have two alarm clocks. One is a Phillips light alarm clock that mimics the sunrise by slowly getting brighter and brighter, eventually going off like an alarm. I keep this alarm next to my bed, angled towards my face. This has helped me immensely and is great for people who suffer from the fatigue depression causes, because it taps into your body's evolutionary nature to rise with the sun.

I have another alarm clock across the room from where I sleep that goes off at the same time as my sun lamp's alarm. This alarm turns on NPR, so I wake up to soft talking instead of an aggressive alarm buzzer sound. I don't mind staying in bed an extra minute while I get acclimated to being awake, and I usually become interested in whatever story they are reporting on, which keeps me awake.

Loud, obnoxious buzzers just DON'T do it for me. I'm one of those that walks across the room in a stupor, slams the snooze button a dozen times, and hops right back in bed, usually in a bad mood. These two alarm methods have erased all of that for me, and now I usually wake up to my sunlamp right before the radio comes on. It feels natural and easy and pleasant.

Hope that helps. xo

I have several lamps in my bedroom on a timer so they turn on about 10 minutes before my alarm goes off. I tend to wake up a lot throughout the night thinking I am late or oversleeping, and as long as the lights are still off I know I can safely go back to sleep without checking the clock a dozen times. Then when the alarm goes off, its much easier to get up than in when its still dark in there.

If you drink coffee, get a coffee maker than has a timer and can have the coffee made about 15 minutes before your alarm. The smell will help you wake up a bit and its easy to walk in and grab a cup while still half asleep and not have to think about how to make it.

Good luck!