How do you effectively manage your depression & anxiety?

I like to listen to audiobooks (breaks and lunch). It helps me relax during my work day.

A lot of therapy, specifically a lot of therapy with a therapist who I have good chemistry with and who uses a modality that works for me. There are countless different ways of doing therapy out there which is a good thing because not every way will work for every person. A large chunk of the therapy that I've had over the years hasn't been useful to me at all (and in some cases it was detrimental), that said my current therapist (who I've been seeing for 6+ years) is a really good fit for me.

Medication is a no go (and not for lack of trying), exercise doesn't do anything to better my mental health, mindfulness is a non-starter with regards to my depression and anxiety, etc.

My depression isn't so much "better" so much as I can do things now. I still have quite a lot of suicidal ideation, hopelessness, and so on. The difference is that I can get stuff done, go to school, and hang out with friends, as opposed to not being able to get out of bed.

I have had Major Depressive Disorder since I was a kid; 44 now. I now use a low dose of medication, and am fortunate to be one of those for whom exercise helps tremendously. I found a program that I enjoy (lifting) several years ago, and was able to decrease my dose of meds shortly after.

Two additional things that do help me are: working with animals, which I'm fortunate to do in my morning job. And getting some sunshine. We added a pool a few years ago and being outside, even under a shade, has a noticeable effect on my general mood.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. It took me a long time to find what works for me. Keep trying things, talking to therapists, asking questions. I hope it gets better for you.

My cat helps, and horses. But other than that, I have found ways to keep my mind off things, or find more positive behaviors to engage in while my mind is still racing or sad depending on the day but few things significantly help. I am currently looking into getting a therapy dog.

Best of luck and lots of hugs.

@Salemss1 puzzles, reading, cooking, napping, coloring. I do usually get distracted several times by my thoughts, but it is a lot different than hours with a racing mind. Walking outside has worked wonders for me. While I still battle with my mind on most walks, I can also see wildlife, there are other people around, I see a lot of dogs (smile), can listen to music, and putting a lot of energy into just being present and enjoying my surroundings seems to have made a big difference for me. I have also found a lot of podcasts I like to listen to while walking because its like I'm having a conversation with someone and keeps me focused on whatever the topic of the day is.

Of course there are nights I sit on my balcony with a glass of wine and just cry. But with my current therapist I am learning how to view this as therapeutic and a release of sadness, anger, emotion, etc and in turn hope it surfaces less often as nightmares, paranoia, etc. We'll see how that goes

@Salemss1 I will also mention I made a huge lifestyle change last year. I quit my job. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and I haven't looked back since.

sammidelvecchio wrote: »

@Salemss1 I will also mention I made a huge lifestyle change last year. I quit my job. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and I haven't looked back since.

Good for you! Changing jobs was by far the best thing I have done for my mental health.

I have suffered from anxiety and depression for many years. Since I started eating healthy and exercising it has drastically improved, especially running and yoga. Of course my dog and cat also play a positive part in my mental health.

Okay, I'm going to vaguely mention products in the course of this response. I am not trying to sell these products to you. I just literally cannot tell this story without mentioning them. I relate to your story enough that I can neither not respond nor can I leave out a part of my own recovery. Ugh, please no one report me since I don't know how else to do this, and I like it here.

I had really crippling depression and anxiety, into early this year. I was picking holes into my own skin, obsessively. I couldn't sleep. My thoughts were dark. My mother-in-law passed away, and the only way I could travel with my husband -- my face full of scabs -- was with prescription drugs, and I still couldn't attend family events.

I own a business, and couldn't function there. I wept in my medical provider's office. My husband believed I wouldn't be around much longer, and I believed that too. I mean, if it all ends in death, and the world is getting worse, what's the point? You can see I would have been fun at parties of anyone could have forced me to attend a party.

I kept thinking if I knew a way to rise out of this mess -- where people would tell me to stop picking at myself when I didn't realize I was -- I would, but I couldn't figure it out.

Antidepressants kicked in enough to get me out of bed. And one of my employees mentioned products she was taking. Gut health, blood sugar regulation... Those helped. I continue to take them.

I'm not saying they fixed everything, but they got me to a place where I could function, and make better choices for myself. They were my path, I'm not saying they have to be yours, or that my reasons why are yours. What I am suggesting is that some of your issue could be gut health related, and that at least looking at dietary changes involving prebiotics, probiotics, and trying to limit sugar might get you to a place where your symptoms reduce enough so that you can keep making positive changes. I say dietary because your path could be through the produce aisle. There is no version of this where you don't have to put in effort, and no version of this where you can only succeed by mimicking me.

I drink an ocean of water every day, I go to ridiculous lengths to get a good night sleep, I set healthy boundaries with people, and I sometimes go on ahead and put myself first. I take my dogs for tons of walks, which always makes me happier, and yet we don't always to the things that make us happier, do we?

I am in a much different place now, a place I doubted only a short while ago I would reach. I have trouble imagining how my thoughts got so dark, and yet I am careful to not go back there. People are freaked out, including diners at my restaurant, at the changes in me. My anxiety, while not gone, is reduced into what is probably a normal range. I still have prescription anxiety meds I haven't touched in months. My antidepressant is at a low dose. I gave away my, um, brownies. I effortlessly make small talk. Sometimes I realize I'm smiling.

A friend of ours asked my husband what it was like getting his wife back, and he cried. Sure he would love me sharing that! The nurse practitioner I see is floored.

I guess the most important thing to take away from this is to cling to the idea what it can get better, even if you don't quite know how yet. If you keep taking care of yourself, it's harder for the darkness to get a hold of you, because every positive step down fairly consistently is a rebuke of the thoughts that want to pull you down.