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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 2/24/2007 5:53:38 AM | | Yes it was a joke for me as well. Had it when I was in 5th-6th grade, all through high school and a little afterwards. One of them talked in such a monotone voice it put me to sleep. Since then I've gone through my Father/Grandma passing the same year I had caught my hand in a machine at my job. Dad passed from Parkinson's Disease, Grandma from a brain annyerism, Mother dated a man with a headstone in his yard, married a jerk/divorced jerk-he keyed her car/put nails & screws into her tires-still harasses her from time to time, went to a funeral in LA for a cousin who was only 23 & just started teaching, now Mom is with someone much better. I have found out that I'm not the only one with anxiety. Have been diagnosed with Asberger Syndrome, mild asthma, ocd/add. I only go to the doc when everything fails, no more sitting in the room waiting for the response "oh well there is nothing wrong, you're normal". So, I'm just taking it with a grain of salt. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 2/24/2007 5:55:08 AM | | Was on paxil after my Father & Grandma passed, then after I was layed off from my job, haven't been on it since(makes me sick). | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 2/24/2007 2:06:00 PM | | I was just diagnosed with Depression and they put me on Celexa. Apparently it's one of the newer drugs, so i was curious as to whether anyone had any info on it, other then the stuff the doctors tell you. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 2/26/2007 3:00:01 AM | Many years ago .. I suffered a huge case of depression .. I couldn't get up out of bed .. I slept all day .. for months ... the only time I got up was to eat or go to the store to buy something to eat .. I was spinning out of control ...
What saved me? EXERCISE. Instead of sleeping all day ... I joined a gym and started to workout .. in the beginning it was almost compulsive .. I was at the gym all day .. EVERYDAY ... then one day .. the fog went away .. I can't tell you exactly when it happened .. it was an awakeneing ..
Suddenly I was walking around as in a cold sweat ... "Hey .. I told myself .. you need to get a job!" I started interviewing that week .. two weeks later I was employed .. that was 14 years ago and I have never looked back ..
For those that want to know .. I'm sure it was the combination of endorphins and eating an improved diet that saved me .. you can't get that from a doctor ... I'm a bit of a compulsive when I set goals for myself ...
IMHO ... going ALL OUT .. without stopping halfway .. was the KEY to my turnaround .. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/18/2007 12:12:21 AM |
What saved me? EXERCISE.
What didn't save me? EXERCISE!
Please don't tell me what worked fo you is some panacea. It isn't. I tried it to the point where I was exercising 7 days a week and other people considered me a "tiger" on the trails. It didn't help one iota. I happy that your endorphin high cut into your depression. But please don't think it'll work for everyone. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/18/2007 2:32:50 AM | | I cope with depression much better, than I used to. I exercise more, I eat better, and I try to stay active throughout the day. When I was drinking, it was the opposite and I would get depressed and then boredom would set in. Then the depression because I'm bored. It was a wild roller coaster with me then. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/18/2007 8:16:55 AM | | I agree ,everyone is different when it comes to depression and how we should cope w/ it! I suffer from depression off and on and what I have found that works for "ME" is to be busy "TRY" to keep a positive outlook on life and not dwell on all the could have, should have's, and what if's. I also notice if I eat healthy and cut out the sugar exspecialy pop it helps as well. Excersise to me is a temporary fix to a deep problem, sure it makes you feel good at the time and it helps your health but in my exsperience it is a temporary high and sooner or later I am back in my funk again. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/18/2007 10:28:51 AM |
I agree ,everyone is different when it comes to depression and how we should cope w/ it! I suffer from depression off and on and what I have found that works for "ME" is to be busy "TRY" to keep a positive outlook on life and not dwell on all the could have, should have's, and what if's.
i think everyone TRIES to do that.
the problem with clinical depression is, it's not a matter of not trying hard enough. it's not caused by having a negative outlook on life - the negative outlook is caused by the depression!
in my opinion the key to overcoming depression is to consider it (rightfully) a chronic medical condition. as such, you prepare yourself to attack it from every angle you can. you KNOW you don't want to have another major depressive episode (had one this week, not fun) so you do everything in your power to stop it.
exercise is part of it. it improves your overall health, it releases endorphins, and becomes a good supportive means of combating depression, but for many people it will not in and of itself provide sufficient treatment.
a proper diet is central to general health. ensuring you have sufficient amino acids and essential fatty acids to support your central nervous system is essential. if you have trouble getting up in the morning make sure you eat something with a lot of tyrosine (a non-essential amino acid) in the morning, ensuring you have enough dopamine and norepinephrine. and when you're having trouble regulating your sleep at night, eating sufficient tryptophan (an essential amino acid) combined with adequate carbohydrates (moderate GI) will chase tyrosine out of the brain and into the liver - thereby creating a favourable environment for tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier in order to have the building blocks you need for serotonin and melatonin production. reducing excitotoxic foods/chemicals is a must (for example, excess glutamate in the diet), and stabilizing the blood sugar can help curb the carb cravings that go along with improper neurotransmitter levels.
for some people these two things alone will provide a means of dealing with depression. for others, they also need to teach themselves new ways of thinking (cognitive-behavioural therapy), or self-hypnosis, or other non-invasive therapies. and others need antidepressant medications. many need combinations thereof.
the attitude that any of the above are inherently bad, or that they're "the magic key" to solving the problem, really bothers me because as most of you know, everyone IS different. we all have different contributing factors to our health, and need to stop judging others and start providing real help for those in need. there is no one right answer for everyone. hopefully by reading this thread, somebody somewhere will learn something to help them deal with whatever it is they're dealing with. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/19/2007 10:20:55 PM | whitestarmama, as always your information is very good. The only thing that I might quibble with a bit, is that I think that people who suffer from chronic recurring depression might start to get stuck in some negative thought patterns, which not only create a vicious circle and triggers the depressive and anxious feelings, but, I've been reading that these thoughts can even alter the brain chemistry. I think it's very important for those people to be diligent in "reprogramming" themselves to restructure their thought patterns and actively work on challenging thinking that keeps them stuck. This take a lot of discipline and persistence. The David Burns book helps but I wish that there were more therapists that can teach these skills. Unfortunately, the psychiatrists seem to mostly just write a prescription and use hit-and-miss in an attempt to find the right drug****ail. It seems to be up to the consumers to educate themselves about a multi-pronged approach. We can do that when we are feeling well enough, but people who are down in that deep dark hole often just don't have the motiviation and energy to go it.
I believe in everything that's been mentioned - exercise, good diet, supplements, meditation, yoga, and building a support system of positive people.
There is a very good recent thread on here about beating negative thought patterns. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/20/2007 10:01:20 AM | All good suggestions.
Another simple method works sometimes for me is to do one thing at a time. If I can't find movtivation doing anything, I try to set a small and achieveable goal, like get up at 8am tomorrow, find a new way to cook shrimp, or bench press 10 times today.
If I can do a simple thing well, I feel better about myself. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/20/2007 10:22:05 AM | I went through it... Depression is different for everyone...
For me, my own self-esteem problems and insecurities caused me to go into a deep depression. Life changed all of a sudden, I was a young drug dealer, out of shape, fat, had no chance with any decent girl, and didnt want to bother with the type that did want me (coke heads, etc etc)
I had to change my whole life. I quit selling drugs, moved, started working out, met a wonderful girl and my life started to get better. I still battle with short bouts of depression, especially in the winter, and also when im not seeing the desired changes in my body.
In hindsight, I should have tried meds, because it took a long, long time for me to feel like me and discover who I was, it didnt get better right away. But I was young, and decided at the time I was done with drugs, illegal and prescription.
Someone else, as important to me as anyone, used meds to fight depression, and they saved her life, for that I am grateful, and I would be right there with her if she had to go through it again, as she was with me the last time I was down and hurting.
You need to figure out whats best for you and work with it. Dont count out meds/therapy/councilling. Everyone needs a professional, unbiased opinion sometimes, there is no shame in needing help. I wish I had got some instead of suffering on my own and willing myself to feel better. It worked, but it was a long, hard road.
And I wouldnt give up my past experience for the world, it made me who I am today, and for once I can say, I dont think that person I have become is so bad. Im happy, I have a wonderful gf, goals and plans, and a much better outlook on life. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/20/2007 10:57:19 AM | You need all of the components mentioned in this thread to successfully negotiate the difficulties of treatment and to move beyond it to a point that you no longer need drug intervention and are out of danger of regressing once you encounter the next stressful 'speed bump' in life.
Healthy diet IS paramount, along with exercise, solid and healthy sleep hygiene and perhaps judicious use of health support supplements. Even the mildest cases will need these elements. Social support is necessary, because depressed patients 'cope' by withdrawing from active social interaction; its an interesting paradox: the more you are isolated, the less serotonin and dopamine are released and also synthesized, and the worse the effects of social isolation. The preference for fat- and sugar-laden comfort foods, the use of nicotine and alcohol or soft recreational drugs (cannabis) and a sedentary lifestyle devoid of fresh air, exercise and sunlight - all of these further deplete the liver of serotonin and dopamine. When dopamine 'mimics' are used (drugs and alcohol), aggression and social anxiety can accompany depression symptoms, and so worsen social isolation by pushing away concerned friends and family.
Therapeutic help, either from self help programs or from guided therapy or counseling that addresses and replaces the causative events and circular negative thought patterns typical in depression with healthy thoughts, coping patterns and a desire to maintain the newly acquired habits that forestall the tendency towards depression recurrence. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/20/2007 7:18:09 PM | | EEEK .. I wasn't advocating that "my way" of dealing with depression was a panacea .. nor was I advocating that exercise was the ONLY way to relieve the symptoms .. my story is how I dealt with the problem of depression .. for me .. exercise was the key .. obviously there are many causes and treatments for depression .. luckily .. exercise worked for me .. so I'm telling the World about it! | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/21/2007 2:50:40 AM | | Again (lots some of the other responses) exercise is a great way to relieve depression. I love jogging/running and to me this is an excellent way for me to release endorphins in my body and be happy all day long. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/22/2007 2:06:37 PM | Depression, anxiety attacks and stuff like that, you have to be really careful off. Those suckers could be really nasty on a person and I know from experiance and have had some attacks this week, and you have to be mindful and aware of these before they have a chance on overtaking you. You have to be tough with these things and don't let them keep you hostage, DO NOT give them any ground, as soon as those thoughts or feelings rise up, it's best to immediately shove them off and find it from within yourself to overcome these suckers.
Having good people to associate with helps alot for sure and it is advisable to be around people that give you encouragement through either how they act or how they respond to a certain situation or what they say and their attitudes through difficult trials. It's also good to make yourself accountable to others and be willing and determined to get better and to let others know this. Thats what I do. I am doing that now also, by my post, I am making myself accountable through what I say and how I get better. It brings alot more motivation. But you have to be true to yourself and be accountable to yourself and that is also critical. It takes being mindful and fully awake and alert (eomtionally, mentally, spiritually and physically) and it is about YOU having authority over your feelings and thoughts and so forth.
Also I don't know if you are a person of faith, but having faith in God and also KNOWING that He is there to protect and guide you is a GREAT help and motivation.
I wish you the best of luck and just KNOW that things will get better.
Also as the lady above me said.....some exercise and a good diet are also very important and just taking regular 20-40 minute walks is a good way to get your mind more clear. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/22/2007 2:43:06 PM |
Also I don't know if you are a person of faith, but having faith in God and also KNOWING that He is there to protect and guide you is a GREAT help and motivation.
So we either have "walk it off" or "get religion." If I weren't so depressed, I'd be really pissed off. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/22/2007 3:22:01 PM | Well, a part of me does think that depression is a sane reaction to living in a world that's sometimes insane. 
That said (and I've suffered from it periodically and in great depth) one can live with it , and come through it, with a bit of effort.
1) Focus on doing one small thing, and accomplishing it. Reward yourself for doing it. Then go forward and do another. Sometimes depressed people see a wall of things in front of them, instead of simply a bunch of little things.
2) A few people have said it sounds silly, but something as simple as going out for a long walk will help. The change in scenery, fresh air, and the work out will all help.
3) In the global scheme of things, realize that (however bad your life is) you are still living an incredible life compared to the majority of people on the planet. That's something we often forget. We compare our lives to those in "our world", and forget that things can be so much worse in a lot of other places.
4) Stay away from alcohol, if depressed. It can only make things far worse, in the long run.
5) In a strange sense, you also have to embrace depression and not run from it. I think it's normal, and quite inevitable, for humans to be depressed - especially in the world we live in. It only becomes problematic if it occurs to the point where it lasts an excessively long period of time, and/or unusually severe depth.
6) Diet does play an important role. Garbage in, garbage out.
7) Taking a natural supplement like St. John's Wort can help.
8) I'm far less a believer in taking medications for depression, and I would only agree to that as a last resort for an exceptionally severe case of it. I see it as treating the symptom , and ignoring the root causes. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/22/2007 4:35:41 PM |
1) Focus on doing one small thing, and accomplishing it. Reward yourself for doing it. Then go forward and do another. Sometimes depressed people see a wall of things in front of them, instead of simply a bunch of little things.
2) A few people have said it sounds silly, but something as simple as going out for a long walk will help. The change in scenery, fresh air, and the work out will all help.
3) In the global scheme of things, realize that (however bad your life is) you are still living an incredible life compared to the majority of people on the planet. That's something we often forget. We compare our lives to those in "our world", and forget that things can be so much worse in a lot of other places.
4) Stay away from alcohol, if depressed. It can only make things far worse, in the long run.
5) In a strange sense, you also have to embrace depression and not run from it. I think it's normal, and quite inevitable, for humans to be depressed - especially in the world we live in. It only becomes problematic if it occurs to the point where it lasts an excessively long period of time, and/or unusually severe depth.
6) Diet does play an important role. Garbage in, garbage out.
7) Taking a natural supplement like St. John's Wort can help.
8) I'm far less a believer in taking medications for depression, and I would only agree to that as a last resort for an exceptionally severe case of it. I see it as treating the symptom , and ignoring the root causes.
You're the man Montreal guy, Kudos to you Never ceases to amaze me what you say on here. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/22/2007 5:57:12 PM |
8) I'm far less a believer in taking medications for depression, and I would only agree to that as a last resort for an exceptionally severe case of it. I see it as treating the symptom , and ignoring the root causes.
I just started taking meds since 2 1/2 weeks - also will seek councelling in order to get to the roots of my problems.
All I can say is that this Depression is pure hell. Seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/22/2007 6:44:39 PM | Well, if the depression is severe - treatment is critical. I've already had one friend kill themselves while in it's death spiral, two years ago this Easter Monday.
The horrific thing, the frustrating thing, about that death was how exceptional an individual he was. When he died, the church in the Netherlands was packed with people that loved and appreciated him.
This is a guy that looked a bit like Charlie Sheen, was a body builder, and had a good job. He was deeply spiritual, highly intelligent, and funny as hell. His web page had a bouncing picture of his bare butt bouncing over it, (and when referring people to it, he'd always neglect to mention that part) . 
The people at his funeral ? Metal workers, bikers, students, teachers.....a broad cross section of humanity. He's touched all of them, in one way or another.
He just couldn't see himself for the gem he was.
If your depressed (mildly) think simply of these things :
If you have a job, a roof over your head, food on your table, live in a peaceful country, and have a few good friends - you have already won the lottery compared to most people that are living, or have ever lived, on this planet during the course of it's history.
Most of those people would trade ten thousand of their "best" days for just one of your worst ones. To them, you are a God.
Just being able to jump on your computer, and talk to people all over the world, is a miracle they can't even imagine.
In a capitalistic and materialistic society, where people are rushed around and given ideals that are essentially empty - it's no wonder people sometimes get a bit down.
It all starts and ends with you, and your perception of both yourself and the world. It's not about money (once you have the basics), possessions (ditto) , or anything material in nature. None of those will ever make you a happy person, at least for very long.
Whatever happened to you in the past is over. Now is now. Life is what you decide to make of it, and you can be who you want to be - but first you have to realize who that person is, and decide if you want to make the needed changes to become that person.
Depression cuts across all lines, and is part of the human condition. It's normal, if it's a transitory thing in nature. Life isn't always a happy shining place , every single day. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/22/2007 6:55:39 PM | depression really isn't about expecting life to be a happy shining place. i appreciate what you're trying to say, but that really undermines the point i've always tried to make about depression. it's not about falling short of expectations, or about whether you're a "success" (usually that means financially), or good looking, or whatever. it is not a matter of feeling a bit down, i assure you. depression can express itself in many ways. for me, it wasn't feeling "down", it was feeling physical pain.. emotionally overwhelmed.. absolute exhaustion, and unable to think straight. i literally could not do my work because i was unable to program my machine properly some days, it just didn't make sense to me. i was in a fog, i was in pain, and because of that, i was also angry. i never felt "a bit down". i felt like my brain just wasn't working anymore.
sometimes depression is medical. and for those of us who live with depression on a daily basis - yes positive thinking certainly helps. but that's not the root cause of it. the root cause is much deeper than that.
i've had clinical depression for 25 years. i haven't been unhappy for 25 years - i'm actually a fairly happy person overall! but i do have the medical condition that requires treatment every day. i take great pains to make sure i am only taking the minimum required medication to do the job, and i periodically reassess it. i do whatever i can to support my health in non-pharmaceutical ways as well. and i'm happy with my life in general, i think i'm a great person, and i consider myself a success in many ways (besides, i'm cute!) but none of that has anything to do with the fact that i have the medical condition called clinical depression. i'm also very blessed in life. i have an incredible group of family and friends to help me stay healthy, and i have a safe place to live and the ability to get out and walk every day. that too has nothing to do with depression.
i hope you don't take offense to my saying so, but it bothers me when people oversimplify depression to mean feeling a bit down or occasional deep sadness. it's so much more than that. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/24/2007 3:12:37 PM | I think it may be fair and maybe ok for me to add that it may also be good if you are on any meds to stick to what the doctor prescribed.
I also have these similar on and off depression related issues and have been since 10 and a half years ago when my father died, and I know what it's like to be going through this stuff.
I have been and stil have on Prozac , as that is what they doctor prescribed for me and i notice that taking it every day for 4 to 5 months, it does help. It calms my mind, helps me be calmer and less nervous, I feel alittle more at peace with myself and I know it helps other people also.
But it's a long process to getting totally free from depression. | |
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| Ways to cope with Depression.
Posted: 3/30/2007 7:20:44 AM |
sometimes depression is medical. and for those of us who live with depression on a daily basis - yes positive thinking certainly helps. but that's not the root cause of it. the root cause is much deeper than that.
The "root cause". . . . This is - according to my Psychiatrist - something which has to be addressed. This can be done only by Psychiotherapy and no Antidepressant pills
in the world can take care of those issues some of us have.
He told me yesterday that I should get off those pills and , even though they might have helped me for a short while, they are only a temporary band aid.
So - after taking those nasty pills for a little more than 3 weeks I decided to get off them slowly. . . .
In my case the depression I suffer is deeply rooted and apparently has to do with my childhood.
Basically no love from my parents when I was a kid and having had no "role model" .
Thats at least what the Psychiatrist told me. | |
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