People with Depression, how do you stay on track during a low?

2»

Replies

  • eyer0ll
    eyer0ll Posts: 313 Member
    edited May 2017
    Macy9336 wrote: »
    Sara2652 wrote: »
    If you go to bed torn up and wake up every morning pleading that something just ends your life but you can't afford to be hospitalized then I say eat if it numbs you but also get help from were ever you can- places like NAMI. Being fat is better than being that depressed. I'm now 50lb heavier then I was last year but I'm not mad about it I'm just now able to face this part of the damage. And in reality I'm thankful my vice is food and not booze or drugs because those can really cause you damage really fast.


    I cannot smash the "insightful" button on this enough times. We live in a world where many, many people think the worst thing in the world is being fat. It's not. I'd rather be fat than suicidal (I understand they are not mutually exclusive).

    Get professional help if you have the resources; take meds if you need them. Don't attempt to power through bad patches thinking you're a failure if diet and exercise alone don't do it for you. Take a walk if it soothes you. And yes -- eat it if soothes you. Try not to eat until you feel worse about yourself, but just do your best. It's all we can ask from ourselves.
  • TurkeyNJ
    TurkeyNJ Posts: 6 Member
    edited May 2017
    With it being said that everyone deals with it differently, for me it's obligation.
    Like taking a kick boxing class or something once or twice a week. You already paid for it, maybe you met some people so they're expecting you to show up, it's not gonna take that long ect.. You'll probably leave the class feeling better. Work out some frustration, burned off a good amount of calories,got out the house for some time, gained some feeling of accomplishment as well as confidence, maybe talked to someone about randomness that took your mind elsewhere for awhile.
    OR you go home and feel just as depressed.. At the very least whatever you choose to eat might be one less thing to worry about, maybe even with being depressed still and now with the physical workout you'll be too tired to do much of anything.
    Also with my depression, I make sure my doctor knows that my weight bothers me and contributes to my depression so she avoids any medication that has a strong weight gain side effect.
  • WanderingRivers
    WanderingRivers Posts: 612 Member
    Sara2652 wrote: »
    I guess I'd say focus on balancing your mood in healthy ways first. Practice self compassion. If you feel like exercising awesome, if you make it around the block walking thats fantastic just don't feel guilty or beat yourself up if there are days you can't. Exercise does not treat depression but it can be part of a healthy way to work yourself out of a depressive cycle -if you are even to make it out the door.

    I wish I could practice self-compassion but I don't have any at all. Most of what I feel towards myself is self-loathing. Even dieting is a way of punishing myself because I let my weight get out of control.

    A lot of climbing out of my low points is by sheer stupid stubbornness and a cowardice that won't let me take that final step into the unknown. I'm glad it works for others, I am. For me, there just isn't any.

  • boogieavery
    boogieavery Posts: 25 Member
    Thank you whoever created this thread
  • foodhasfeelingstoo
    foodhasfeelingstoo Posts: 13 Member
    I'm working on positive thoughts and positive routines. I set goals that are easy to achieve like a small calorie cut and a light exercise routine while practicing to compliment myself on achieving them without overdoing anything. I tend to work out too much, eat too little, get even more depressed and eventually give it all up. So after 15 years of that i changed one fundamental thing: I'm trying to relax. Not rushing into over-/under exercising/eating by focus and breathing, to learn how to stay calm and trust the (very slow) process. That also means forcing myself a lot to say "I'm ok" or "not too bad" to the mirror.
  • Sara2652
    Sara2652 Posts: 158 Member
    edited May 2017
    [/quote]
    I wish I could practice self-compassion but I don't have any at all. Most of what I feel towards myself is self-loathing. Even dieting is a way of punishing myself because I let my weight get out of control.

    A lot of climbing out of my low points is by sheer stupid stubbornness and a cowardice that won't let me take that final step into the unknown. I'm glad it works for others, I am. For me, there just isn't any.

    [/quote]

    Yeah, self compassion feels really counter intuitive. I'm not about to tell you how to feel. My therapist told be me people who are self compassionate live more content lives then those with high self esteem, it was hard to swallow since both seemed equally out of reach. I put it in the back of my mind but after falling deep in the hole again I checked out the book 'Self Compassion' by Dr. Neff. I could of done with out her anecdotes but the book was insightful.

    Also this silly video by The School of Life, I love them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kfUE41-JFw

  • 1musicgrl
    1musicgrl Posts: 135 Member
    I'm probably not qualified to write as I fall down a lot. But here are some things that help me. I work out with a personal trainer. I have to do that whether I'm depressed or not, and it really ends up helping me to work out as well as talk to him. Also a huge thing for me is doing self care. Have a self care plan that you've made when you were not depressed, and then follow it when you are. Be kind to yourself. I also try to keep the house free of junk food, but have other food on hand that I really like and can eat a lot of, but that is healthy. Remind yourself, that you will feel better eventually, and just get back up when you fall down with the food thing. It's hard. I know how hard it is. I have bipolar so I have the really lows and the really highs and I can emotionally eat on either one. I'd suggest spending some time with someone you love and trust, even if it's just sitting there not talking. Surround yourself with things that comfort you that aren't food. And see a therapist if you can. I don't want to at all sound like I'm telling you what you HAVE to do, or that these will work for you, I'm just saying what helps me. Sometimes even all of those things don't, but sometimes they do. I get you and my heart goes out to you. Hang in there.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Sara2652 wrote: »
    I guess I'd say focus on balancing your mood in healthy ways first. Practice self compassion. If you feel like exercising awesome, if you make it around the block walking thats fantastic just don't feel guilty or beat yourself up if there are days you can't. Exercise does not treat depression but it can be part of a healthy way to work yourself out of a depressive cycle -if you are even to make it out the door.

    I wish I could practice self-compassion but I don't have any at all. Most of what I feel towards myself is self-loathing. Even dieting is a way of punishing myself because I let my weight get out of control.

    A lot of climbing out of my low points is by sheer stupid stubbornness and a cowardice that won't let me take that final step into the unknown. I'm glad it works for others, I am. For me, there just isn't any.

    @KurumiSophia - This and your previous comment concern me as being beyond the scope of this thread. I hope you can see clear to seek whatever help you might need, if you are not already doing so. You deserve more than this.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    I've seen countless threads like this in my time on MFP (2+ years), but I have to say, this one seems particularly insightful & practical. I like the thought about classes/training that we feel obliged to attend, whether we particularly want to or not. I feel like this easily carries over into areas of life outside of fitness. Reminds me of a phrase I heard many years ago- "Act yourself into the right way of thinking."

    I too really feel like exercise has been the main key for keeping things under control, and my simple rule to follow has been, if I don't feel like it (which is the case more often than not), I have to do it for 5 minutes. If I still don't feel up to it, that's fine and I don't have to. But I'd say at least 95% of the time I get the workout in and feel better for it, if only for a short time. It also helps to have a playlist of music you personally find upbuilding & energizing to get you (and keep you) going.

    Thank you for the thread :)
  • fat2fit302015
    fat2fit302015 Posts: 22 Member
    I ask myself how will I feel if I continue eating poorly. What will it do to my health. My lifestyle. My relationships. My future.
  • MySweetLavinia
    MySweetLavinia Posts: 90 Member
    I tell myself, gently but continually, that eating junk never has and never will make me feel any better. I relied on food for years and not once did it make the pain, sadness, or loneliness go away. So the way I stay on track is by reminding myself of the truth: all going off track will do is give me another sense of failure and another reason to berate myself, without any benefit at all.

    I've also found that staying on course in my diet gives me a sense of power and fulfillment. If I feel the rest of my life is miserable or out of control, at least this I can handle. No one can stop me or take it away, it's mine. Healthy eating is in my hands even if nothing else seems to be. This is incredibly empowering!

    I've also cut out all sugar and junk food from my diet because my mood swings are way worse when I consume it. That's also helped keep the lows from being as frequent.
  • gcibsthom
    gcibsthom Posts: 30,111 Member
    I have a couple of tricks...like I increase my time at the gym...working out seems to help when I am in a low point. Also, I keep copies of my "before" pics around the house....I find when I am at a low point, I look at those more often...both things help, but I do find that my calorie intake does increase when I'm down...
  • wcgenius
    wcgenius Posts: 12 Member
    It's very hard - very...but, being consistent, even through a low has meant that they happen less frequently and are no where near as long as they were - and there was a time I thought I'd feel that way forever. I have to echo others - exercising, even when you'd rather just go to bed really does help. Sticking to a healthy diet REALLY does help also. For me 'I am what I eat' - on a low I crave food, any and all of it in all forms but, particularly fatty, salty carbs. Problem is...those fatty, salty carbs make me feel tired and sluggish (and a little toxic). I get a brief moment of 'nicely numb' after eating but, it compounds the low and then I get in a cycle - feel low, eat and feel respite for a moment, feel lower, eat and feel brief respite, get lower, eat...

    Not giving in to that is what helps me bounce back just that little bit quicker. At the end of the day I'll stand in the shower (mini victory in itself), and think 'I'm feeling low, desperate, sad and hopeless. I'm screaming inside but, I've lost my voice. All I've wanted to do is curl up in a ball, tighter and smaller and tighter until I vanish but, I worked out - amazing! I ate well - how did that happen...brilliant! I won the day.'

    Those little victories on the shittiest of *kitten* days seems to be making everything, slowly, less *kitten* :smile:


  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    Find exercise you enjoy. For me, it's just walking on the treadmill watching TV shows. I'll watch the TV shows anyway and I feel more accomplished if I burn calories at the same time. And a walk outside when it's nice out is always a mood lifter.

    For the food, I just try to focus on making tasty meals no matter what... a 300 calorie meal can be as satisfying and tasty as a 1200 calorie meal, you just have to figure out what you actually like and take time to look for recipes.

    In the end, I'm telling myself that eating chocolate or ice cream because I'm feeling depressed is just going to make me feel worse because I'll feel guilty on top of it...
  • Mccloud74
    Mccloud74 Posts: 789 Member
    edited June 2017
    I put myself back in control with a sharp reminder that the one thing I have complete control over is what I choose to eat!
    Also that what I am doing to my body by overeating / eating crap is creating the exact reason I feel depressed in the first place, being overweight.
    It mostly works, but I do have the occasional day when I just think sod it!. There's loads of motivational videos on You Tube which put me back in check.
    In a nutshell, I give myself a bloody good talking to :smile:
    And also hitting the gym is a good pick me up :smile: