How do you fight depression?

[mdmc]

I'm feeling real bad right now and would like some ideas on how to battle depression. Anyone?

[mopinko]

1. i take a nap

which is just what i am going to do now. at my lowest i am always tired. i just shut my mouth then and get some sleep. i always feel better when i get up.

[mdmc]

2. I like it..

Not internets tonight .. just read a bit from "On the Road" (I'm always re-reading my favorites. I read bukowski, kerouac, or salinger over and over. At the same period of time I also have at least two others- something funny (Sedaris or Douglas Adams or Woody Allen), and a cartoon book (doonesbury, peanuts, bloom county, simpsons, dilbert, r.crumb, zap comix, baby blues, for better or for worse) all the time along with the current book of choice (which I don't currently have at this time - perhaps Living Faith by Jimmy Carter.

nappies!

[david13]

3. I work at it. Sometimes it takes days. I usually can't sleep, I can't

sleep in the daytime. So a nap never works for me.
My problem is that my mind starts working.
Humor is good. If I can get into some humor, Garfield, Family Guy, South Park, etc. Some clips are available on the web. Like Wendy's audition song for the boy band, from South Park.
A humorous scene like that will get me all happy again.
Plan something. Just pack up and take a trip of some type, if only to the store, or an eatery, or even Starbucks for espresso.
I always talk to people when I do go out. Usually that helps.
Also, reading, but it must be reading that interests me and is not depressing reading, such as motorcycle travel. That is always fun, and they always make it home safe.
And debating with myself. Ask myself why I am looking at the negative, pick out the positive and just emphasize it, go with it, believe it.
Buy a lottery ticket, think of winning. If I win $5 it can make me happy.
Enjoy that happiness. Delight in it.
But all in all, it ain't easy.
dc

[mdmc]

12. thanks for the reply

I love reading and humor, and rely on them a great deal.

I've been feeling sick lately and I find it very hard to fight depression when ill.

[Odin2005]

4. Antidepressants, psychotherapy, meditation.

That's what I do, anyway.

[Cetacea]

25. Good luck with that.

[Odin2005]

26. Thank you!

:hi:

[EFerrari]

5. I'm not fighting much right now. It's been two and a half years

since this thing sat on my head and I just try to do the basic things every day that need to get done. Walking still helps a little even though it's a battle to get out. The air and just hearing and seeing neighborhood life seems to help relocate me a little.

Good stories help, too. The story of Anything But This. lol :)

[Forkboy]

6. I wish I had an answer to give.

I've never found a way. I just ride it out and hope it doesn't win.

Hope you can find a way soon. :hug:

[sakabatou]

7. Music or anything else that will "distract" me

[Louisiana1976]

15. Same here....

[elleng]

8. Chemicals

[hunter]

9. I don't fight depression. It won, it beat the shit out of me, it tossed me out in the garbage.

First of all I take my obscenely expensive meds, live with the *^%%$%$#$% side effects, and somehow manage to coexist with the depression much better than I do without meds or frequent counseling.

Now that I'm not fighting depression I suspect I could go on with my life even without the meds. It wouldn't be pretty, I'd be impossible to live with and I'd probably turn into one of those strange fastidious guys who seems to live in the Library always reading or taking naps whenever he's not away nursing a single super-sized coffee for hours and hours at a fast food place... But at least I wouldn't be a bloody mess from fighting something so damned innate in me.

[david13]

10. Hunter, you are down, but you are not out. Not fighting it I think is

part of the secret. Acceptance and love. We must accept who we are and the world for what it is. And we must love ourselves, faults and all. Then start looking for and relating to the things and people we love.
dc

[UndertheOcean]

11. You don't , you just surrender , there is no other option

it is what it is , and there might be peace and hell in that.

Music , Poetry , help .

[redqueen]

13. It depends.

Most often I argue with myself. My depression seems to come with self-hating thoughts, so I try to argue logically with those thoughts as much as I can. Sometimes it works.

Other times I will just let myself feel hopelessly sad, while reminding myself that it is going to pass. Many times I just end up crying myself to sleep when I feel that way. It sucks because I will start in with the self-hatred, but again - I just try to remind myself that it will pass.

I used to get stuck in depressive phases for weeks or months at a time. Lately it's less severe, and less lasting, but it is frequent. I have to hope I'm making some kind of progress though.

Good luck. :hug:

[david13]

14. We all have to work with self hatred, as that is part of the problem

for all of us.
We have to learn to be our own best friend. We have the greatest incentive to treat ourselves the best, better than anyone else does, as usually, the world doesn't treat us too well.
So, what we have to do is put together all our faults, all our problems, all our shortcomings, and then forgive ourselves.
Look in the mirror and say, sure you have made mistakes, sure you have done some dumb things, sure the world has not treated you right, but I'm going to be your best friend, your best advocate, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt in any and all cases. And then start on that road.
Write down all the faults, errors, mistakes, etc., on a piece of paper, then burn it. Forgive yourself. Put it all in the past.
We all love Barack Obama, and think the best of him, etc. That guy takes care of himself. We need to be the same with ourselves.
This acceptance and love, this all forgiving nature, we need to start with ourselves, and apply it to us.
Acceptance and love is the key. And it must start with us, with ourselves, we need to accept and love ourselves.
The great Hindu truth is that the world is not fair. We will not be treated fair. And we must accept that. As a given, not as something we think is right, but just that it will happen.
And then love ourselves, first and foremost, then we can move on to others.
Only when we are strong and taking care of ourselves, like Barack Obama, can we then move on and help others.
dc

[redqueen]

16. You make it sound so easy. (nt)

[david13]

17. It is easy, if you make it easy. It is difficult if you make it difficult.

You set the parameters. You set the rules for your life.
We are not in the Twilight Zone, where they control the horizontal, they control the vertical. We do.
Try it. What have you got to loose?
It won't work all the time, it won't work 100%, but it's like an old jalopy car, it will run if you get it running.
dc

[redqueen]

18. You assume a lot.

Try it? What, you think I haven't been trying it for years?

Are you trained in psychology, psychiatry, or even counseling?

That overly simplistic, dismissive 'it's only difficult if you make it difficult' crap is offensive.

[david13]

19. You assume more. You assume you will get trained psycholory,

psychiatry, or counseling here? Where does it say that anywhere in this group?
What's offensive is that you think I owe you something.
dc

[redqueen]

20. No, I don't assume that. I assume anyone dishing out dismissive nonsense must think they know what

they're talking about.

I don't think you owe me anything, just telling you how fucking offensive your dismissive comments are is not claiming that you owe me shit... it's an attempt to educate you.

But thanks for the insight into your character. I'm done with you.

[mopinko]

21. david, i think that although you are in a rough patch in your life,

you don't really have much insight into what it is like to have clinical depression. or other mental illness for that matter. it is the twilight zone. you don't control the vertical or the horizontal. those things operate out of a whole different set of controls that are not there on the front of your tv. that would be why these things are so hard to deal with, see?
and all the old jalopies that i have owned in my life, which is pretty many, all had their days when i turned the key, and they didn't run. and they all developed problems that could not be fixed at all, or were just too overwhelming to deal with.

anybody with a star can come in here and post. but it is a forum where some humility and compassion are required if you want to be accepted and welcome. i humbly suggest that you take a couple of steps backwards here.

[david13]

22. I don't happen to think calling me, my ideas, my life, or anything

else about me 'crap' is me doing anything. It is someone else.
It is also very offensive.
It is also offensive when someone tries to be helpful, in their way, not in your way, and it is thrown up in their face.
If you don't like my post, fine and dandy. And if it doesn't help you, the same.
But where does that justify telling me you know what you're talking about, and I don't, and that other language.
It seems to me that someone should take a step back before they throw things up to others, who set out to help.
Would it be nice if this humility and compassion were shown to me? Or is that only a one way street?
I think there is someone who should have been done with me BEFORE they posted. Not after, but then it all wouldn't sound so self-righteous, would it.
I thought this was supposed to be a group to help and support each other, not judge and condemn others.
PS While your analysis of me may be correct, or may be based on some specific in depth knowledge, how is it meant to help me? Is it meant to help you?
One thing overlooked here, is that my post may have benefit to me. If there is any side benefit to anyone else here is something I do not control any more than anyone else posting here can control in their posts.
It is only offered in a spirit, and not a spirit of thinking someone will snap back with 'shut up'.
dc

[MrMickeysMom]

23. Well, here goes...

First, I don't lurk in this group too much, but have it among the listed. It's because my clinical depression was 20 years ago. I addressed it then by finding BY THE GRACE OF GOD a good psych counselor and got the right meds, then weaned off them because of my increase in exercise and dietary things that seemed to boost my nor epinephrine in the old brain. I was taking DL phenylalanine (sp?) for a while.

I can't give a "really definitive" answer on how to keep out of trouble, but I've learned the early signs of general lack of concentration, anxiety seemed to bring out the depression. My routine now sort of goes like...

Work out with my old tapes on aerobics and weight lifting. I think free weights, every other day is good, but at least twice a week is good enough. I do a lot of walking and trying to stay in touch (community, anyway you can, neighbors need help, too).

Here's one... speak with the elderly... talk about some people who've "seen it", well, they have. Some are seeking a friendship, they have such experience with life. Many lived through a depression, and see things so differently with our present day mess.

If your sleep is lacking (such as obstructive sleep apnea, or other sleep disorders), that's something that has to be treated, sleep is SO important. Again, it takes insurance.

Eat low to the food chain (cheap) but healthy. Lots of anti-oxidants and that means fruits and vegetables. Stay away from alcohol, and drink water and make herbal teas.

Seek pleasure (fill this part in yourself) and be sure you find something to laugh at.

DU can be funny, if you don't take people too seriously here. I used to abuse myself in the 9/11 group until I was stalked by some asshole there. Now, I put him on ignore and drop in whenever I need to.

My best to you all. You are DU.

[mdmc]

24. thank you for your reply

peace and low stress..

diet and exercise are great ways to deal. I wish I could make more of them in my life.

..knowing is half the battle...