depression

Jacob1020 wrote: »

Sorry to be blunt .. But what are you depressed for!?

What does it matter.

Since you're going to the doctor have them check your vitamin D level. Turns out I was severely deprived. I started taking a supplement & I swear it was like going from night to day! You might want to also ask about Omega vitamins because they help with mood balancing & there's a great naturopathic pill called Sam-e that is made specifically for treating depression. (You can get it at whole foods, for sure). St. John's Wart is good too.
If you are clinically severely depressed your Dr may want to prescribe you medication. Pharmaceuticals can really help with coping & get you back on your feet. Just make sure you seek counseling as well. You want to get to the cause of the problem and fix it with lifestyle changes. Don't just treat the symptoms!
Good luck, I wish you well!

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage wrote: »

Depression manifests itself in many different ways so although it's helpful to talk about it, the way my depression makes me feel may not be the same for you.
That being said, if you think you have depression, you're probably right. Seeing a doctor about it is a wise decision. Please be patient as this will take some time to rectify. If you doctor puts you on medication, you may need to try a few different ones before you find the one that works for you. Be patient.
In the meantime, make sure you are eating well, getting plenty of rest, and exercising. Exercise is the most important thing for me (after meds) for managing my depression.
Best of luck. And be patient.

What she said. It's different for everyone but medication can make a world of difference if you need it. Please don't be afraid of that. Good Luck! I've been there and at times still struggle with it. Just be aware of yourself and don't let it get too bad without telling someone!

I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety but I think I'm out of it completely after years of suffering. I didn't take any meds but did self-help CBT courses. Did all the exercises they gave me every week religiously. Worked miracles for me. But you have to be persistent for a long time. Much like logging food in here diligently for months.

don't listen to.. "what are you depressed about!" "do exercise" "you just need to cheer up" that is NOT the case at all… depression is bad and I've been there… go to the doctor's as soon as possible and make sure you go for counseling also if put on medication.. a counselor is good, just to get out of you what is bothering you, it is all piled up inside you, you need to get it out. Depression is a chemical imbalance in your brain and can be helped with medicine. Go and get help.

If you need lithium, take lithium. If you need Prozac, take Prozac. If you need to change your diet, change your diet. Just don't give up and accept the hell of it.

I felt like I was holding my breath at the bottom of the ocean and couldn't even see the light at the surface anymore. Emotionally, of course. That's the only thing I could ever compare it to. Exercise and healthy diet helped me a lot. So did the over-the-counter supplement 5-HTP. The hardest part was forcing myself to get up and get motivated. Especially with people's lack of understanding, as displayed above--always thinking there has to be a "reason" or an "event" that CAUSED you to become depressed. It is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

I have had it since puberty hit. It has been worse and gotten better my whole life but I've never been 'cured'. I look at it as a condition that needs to be managed, in the same way a person has to manage their diabetes. I've learned:

1) There is nothing to be ashamed about. Asking for help is the best way to get through it.
2) If the doctor prescribes meds, take them. You may not need them your whole life but they will certainly help get you out of the bad place you are in. Sometimes, during depression, a person keeps doing the same thing over and over and remains depressed. I like to say that the medication can help bounce you out of the rut you are in. Depression can be caused by outlying factors (such as a death) but it is also caused by internal factors (chemical imbalance in your brain).
3) Exercise, even just walk. Those feel good hormones really help.
4) Do something for your mind, meditation, yoga, dance, laugh, whatever you enjoy. The mind tends to race with negative thoughts during depression. Find that thing that helps you find the positive (meditation and yoga worked wonders for me).
5) Eat healthy. I found avoiding caffeine, processed foods, fried foods, etc, seems to help me.
6) Find a good support system. I think I wore out the kindness of my friends with all the negativity that comes with depression. A good impartial counselor helped me quite a bit.
7) Sleep. Sleep is hard with those thoughts that don't stop but it is important. The meditation helps me get to sleep too.

You will get through this and feel better. Good luck to you!

I didn't know there was anything "wrong" with me for years because I was acting like my mom. Nobody mentioned anything about depression until my then bf made me talk to my dad when I left university because I wasn't able to deal with: an overly controlling, mentally abusive bf; a newborn baby, a full load of university courses, hold down a job, and keep the apartment tidy at the same time. Mom suggested I had postpartum depression. When I started looking into it, and talking with the few doctors/counselors who could be bothered, I was diagnosed with clinical depression mostly due to me having all the symptoms of PPD before being pregnant and giving birth.

I'm not the person to ask for advice. I don't take meds or go to therapy. Those didn't help me, so I self-medicate with food, usually chocolate, and gaming which actually helps.

Jacob1020 wrote: »

Sorry to be blunt again, But I belive you should be happy! I don't care what others here want to tell you at OP. I don't believe in sugar coating my words either, But alot of us in life will go through things just know there is sunshine on the other side and you will make it regardless of what anyone's says or does.

Depression is a medical issue, not situational. This type of stigma is exactly why people are losing their lives to depression when it could be treated the same way other medicals conditions are treated - medical intervention.
Perhaps Robin Williams should have just "been happy" and he would have been okay.

While I agree that these boards are meant for discussion, your comments could actually be harmful.

Jacob1020 wrote: »

Sorry to be blunt again, But I belive you should be happy! I don't care what others here want to tell you at OP. I don't believe in sugar coating my words either, But alot of us in life will go through things just know there is sunshine on the other side and you will make it regardless of what anyone's says or does.

This only works if you're depressed because of a situation, not clinical depression. Being depressed because something bad happened is normal. That is a normal cycle everyone goes through with loss or bad things happening. Clinical depression is a physical issue with the brain itself, and telling someone to 'be happy' doesn't work. A person with clinical depression can't just 'be happy', they lack the ability to balance their emotions. Medication is also not a 'happy pill' and it doesn't make everything sunshine and puppies all the time. What medication should be doing is helping you control your moods yourself and rebalance yourself when things go wrong.

For me, my depression ended up with me withdrawing from everyone into complete apathy, combined with days on end of what I call the fail cycle. You know, that little voice in your head telling you that you suck and you can't do anything right? Yeah, when it would start, I couldn't shut it up and having that run through your head for several days really wears you down! I would do things that I liked that would normally make me happy in an effort to shake it, but it never worked. Being on meds helped me to shut that voice up when it starts, as well as helping me deal with social anxiety. Not that it fixed the social anxiety, but now it takes longer for it to hit me.

Jacob1020 wrote: »

Sorry to be blunt again, But I belive you should be happy! I don't care what others here want to tell you at OP. I don't believe in sugar coating my words either, But alot of us in life will go through things just know there is sunshine on the other side and you will make it regardless of what anyone's says or does.

@Panda_brat Please completely ignore the above poster. They are clearly completely ignorant about this medical condition. Don't let people like them make you feel guilty for how you feel. Being in a depression is not your personal characteristic, it is not who you are, you did not choose to be like that and it is not your fault. It is a condition which can be treated successfully. You can get better if you get medicamental or therapeutic treatment (or both).

My brother takes Thorazine, which not only changed his life, may have saved his life. I'm not anti-medication. For depression, however, I think lifestyle changes should be attempted before medication. All anti-depressants have side effects. For example, when I took Prozac, I suddenly started having anxiety attacks, so my psychiatrist added Trazodone, which made me feel hungover every morning. When I took Zoloft, I was unable to orgasm, which is something to be really depressed about

A review of studies stretching back to 1981 concluded that regular exercise can improve mood in people with mild to moderate depression. It also may play a supporting role in treating severe depression.

Also, anyone out there been in medication that causes weight gain and bloating... I'm not eating any differently but my tummy is so bloated it's uncomfortable!