How do you cope with depression?

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24

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  • sanna26
    sanna26 Posts: 7 Member
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    Cry and cry and cry until i get a migrain n fall asleep ☹
  • tindavione
    tindavione Posts: 6 Member
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    I would have to say that exercise and upbeat music is the best way for me! I was walking everyday over the summer with my dog, and hiking with my son, reaching goals , doing things I have not been able to do in years! Felt freakin awesome...and began to drop the weight! However, now that I am back in school and not able to go hiking for hours like we were, I am finding the depression setting back in , the stress eating creeping up along with the weight and it's getting hard to get out of bed again! Really need to find a way to balance both...just don't know how to ...yet!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    Lately, drinking and food. When I am doing better with it I exercise regularly and eat right, which helps balance me.

  • xkitxkatxkaix
    xkitxkatxkaix Posts: 368 Member
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    Drink, eat, zone into whatever video game I can and tune everyone out.
    Trying very hard to correct this though, after a while it's hard to turn off 'auto-pilot' and the days tend to blur together from these habits.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,841 Member
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    xkitxkatxkaix wrote: »
    Drink, eat, zone into whatever video game I can and tune everyone out.
    Trying very hard to correct this though, after a while it's hard to turn off 'auto-pilot' and the days tend to blur together from these habits.

    I use 'auto-pilot' for dealing with anxiety, in a good way. Sometimes I NEED to shut down my mind and feelings and just go through the motions of what I supposed to do. The act of doing it helps change my attitude and feelings towards doing it for the better. I call it 'floating' thought days.
  • Vikka_V
    Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
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    MarylandRose wrote: »
    Finding a good therapist.

    A few years ago I was really down. Exercise did not help, and in fact it got sort of toxic by the end because I was trying to control my out-of-control feeling life, so I was overexercising and under eating as the one thing I could control. I had favorite gym classes, a good workout routine, nice walks outside, etc, but the underlying drive was bad and none of it did anything to help my mood. Thankfully, the overarching life situation began to resolve and I was able to leave those habits behind as the depression lifted.

    Present day, I find that I'm pretty stable, and since I'm generally doing well, exercise does help me feel better now if I've had a bad day. If I'm driving home from work and I can feel the awful in the my chest, getting in a 20 minute walk or 15 minutes of yoga when I get home helps get me back in balance. Talking things through with a pro has made such a difference and is definitely a large part of why things are good now. Talk therapy is what got me through it; exercise is part of how I stay in mental health maintenance (+ music, things I love, taking intentional joy in life, maintenance visits with therapist, talking to friends, good food, good sleep, making the time to take care of myself).

    I totally identify with this. When I have anxiety or depression and I try to control the things I feel I have control over...untill it too gets out of control.
  • CaptainFantastic00
    CaptainFantastic00 Posts: 4,619 Member
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    hellvee wrote: »
    When I'm stressed I argue with myself in the mirror. I lose every time because glass is stronger than my fist.

    This makes me really sad
  • CaptainFantastic00
    CaptainFantastic00 Posts: 4,619 Member
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    https://youtu.be/S_x4_QrMcm8
  • HealthyAshes88888
    HealthyAshes88888 Posts: 1,248 Member
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    CaptainFantastic00 wrote: »
    I try to be kind and positive to others in hopes that I can help others not feel this way

    Making someone else smile really does help sometimes :)
  • xkitxkatxkaix
    xkitxkatxkaix Posts: 368 Member
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    Timshel_ wrote: »
    xkitxkatxkaix wrote: »
    Drink, eat, zone into whatever video game I can and tune everyone out.
    Trying very hard to correct this though, after a while it's hard to turn off 'auto-pilot' and the days tend to blur together from these habits.

    I use 'auto-pilot' for dealing with anxiety, in a good way. Sometimes I NEED to shut down my mind and feelings and just go through the motions of what I supposed to do. The act of doing it helps change my attitude and feelings towards doing it for the better. I call it 'floating' thought days.

    You bring up a very good point and I do agree with you. The funny thing is what you just said I have said almost the exact same thing to my boyfriend while explaining why I need to shut down for a bit after a hard day. The only reason why I want to try and break that is because I'm starting to feel like I'm just wasting away in a sense and I need/want to try to search for a new shut down mode, so to speak. But this is just my feeling on it, if this is what others with anxiety need; go for it. It's very hard to find an outlet or a way to cope.
    But I do agree, I was diagnosed with GAD when I was a pre-teen and sometimes the only thing that really helps is having a 'floating thought day' (btw-spot on title).
  • pudgy1977
    pudgy1977 Posts: 13,499 Member
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    I try to give myself 30 minutes to cry and pout, and then I force myself to try and make a plan. Finding something that gives me peace, music, walking, whatever really seems to help. Try not to beat yourself up for the way you are feeling, but instead accept it and figure a way around.
  • _pi3_
    _pi3_ Posts: 2,311 Member
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    Alcohol and Netflixx
  • hargiebargie
    hargiebargie Posts: 382 Member
    edited October 2017
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    There's a significant differentiation between people who are diagnosed as living with depression, me, and people who have depressive periods. Important distinction I think In answering the question.
    I have a therapist and try to be actively aware of when I feel a period of depression settling in, then I talk about it with the people around me to let them know Im going through a rough patch and ask that they help keep me above water until I come out of it. I also have to ride my bike daily to make sure my days get off to good starts, try to avoid over-working, and be vocal about my struggles.

    To date I've refused drugs no matter how many times my doctors have tried.
  • iamthemotherofdogs
    iamthemotherofdogs Posts: 562 Member
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    Every day is a bit different as far as coping goes, but I am on medication to help with depression as well as something to help me turn my brain off and rest. I find a routine works best. The better care I take of myself with food and exercise, the better I feel overall. There's no magic formula, for me it's just resolve and stubbornness not to let it drag me down any more than I'm willing to let it. Some days I win, some days I lose-- the key is to keep going and not to beat yourself up over expectations of how you SHOULD be.
  • CaptainFantastic00
    CaptainFantastic00 Posts: 4,619 Member
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    I know this is chit chat but seeing as this posts straight up asks for positive and helpful advice about dealing with depression let's try to focus on positive and helpful coping mechanisms


    (Not because I want to find out how to positively cope or anything)
  • timtam163
    timtam163 Posts: 500 Member
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    hargiebargie wrote: »
    There's a significant differentiation between people who are diagnosed as living with depression, me, and people who have depressive periods. Important distinction I think In answering the question.
    I have a therapist and try to be actively aware of when I feel a period of depression settling in, then I talk about it with the people around me to let them know Im going through a rough patch and ask that they help keep me above water until I come out of it. I also have to ride my bike daily to make sure my days get off to good starts, try to avoid over-working, and be vocal about my struggles.

    To date I've refused drugs no matter how many times my doctors have tried.

    I feel this. Connecting with other people and breaking the isolation is key for me; as is maintaining an active routine. I journal a lot because sometimes these periods can be very revealing. But the biggest thing I've done for myself is get into therapy. We can all develop coping strategies in private, but for many/most types of depression professional help is really crucial.
  • relynne
    relynne Posts: 387 Member
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    I used unhealthy habits for a long time, mainly food and alcohol and I still backslide into those coping skills every once in awhile.

    The main thing that helped me was therapy. I found an awesome therapist that I really connected with and seven years later, I still see her monthly to help keep me on track. Exercise helps some too as does just getting out in the world. I'm fairly introverted and tend to isolate myself, but even just taking a walk and sitting at a coffee shop people watching helps my mood. I don't usually talk to anyone at all, but just feeling that connection to other humans can be enough to mitigate my depressive tendencies.

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