How to manage anxiety and depression in 10 easy* steps

[stickygirl]

I see this thread started a while back. Whoever resurrected it thanks I am coming up on the first anniversary of the passing of my wife of over 30 years and the black dog has been nipping at me. I needed to see this.

Sorry to hear that. Of course you won't find answers here, but hopefully you'll find like minds, which is what it's all about

 

[Handley_Page]

How to manage anxiety and depression in 10 easy* steps:

1. GET OUT OF BED
2. BRUSH YOUR TEETH
3. EXERCISE
4. SHOWER
5. CHECK YOUR EMAIL
6. DRINK LESS
7. DO ANY PRODUCTIVE THING
8. ENGAGE WITH ANY HUMAN BEING
9. SEEK OUT FRIENDS
10. NAME ONE THING YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR

I don't know if writing qualifies as #7 but give it a try. Or maybe you can get your neuroses to work for you. How many authors qualify as 'sane'?

Find something you can Touch & identify.
Find something you can Smell & identify
Find something you can See & identify

 

[SimonDoom]

I actually think that during this year, we have been exposed to anxiety more than ever. I mean, let's be objective, staying at home for so much time, not being able to see your family, friends or your girlfriend/boyfriend, that actually affected me a lot. Most of the people have faced either anxiety or depression.

It's been hard on a lot of people. I'm by nature an introvert, and I can tolerate an unusual degree of time alone, but even for me, and for almost all of us, it's healthy to see other people, and that's been difficult to do for a long time. My connections with people that matter to me have frayed somewhat over the last year.

What redzinger said, while not positive, has some truth. If you're depressed, all the good advice in the world may not amount to anything, because the thing about depression is you can't summon the energy to follow the advice. It all sounds like bullshit.

Having experienced some of this myself, however, and having tried various mechanisms to cope with it, I'd say three things.

One, move. Get up. Get outside. No matter how bad you feel, make yourself do something. It makes a difference. I enjoy exercise, so it always lifts my mood. Not everyone enjoys exercise to the same degree I do, but I think most of us benefit from some kind of activity.

Two, connect with another person, and focus on that person rather than on yourself. Rather than thinking about how that person is pleasing or stimulating you, think about what you can do for that person. They may or may not reciprocate, but you will have done something worthwhile. Even the introverts among us need to connect once in a while. Even if it's just a social media connection, if you send a little positive vibe out into the world it may come back to lift you, just a little tiny bit.

Three -- and this might sound weird -- learn not to feel bad about feeling bad. If you feel down, you're human. There's a lot of pressure to be happy or to pretend to be happy. Screw that. There's a scene in the movie Lawrence of Arabia where Lawrence extinguishes a candle with his fingers and doesn't react. Somebody watches him do it, and he tries it himself and feels pain, and he asks Lawrence, "What's the trick?" And Lawrence says, "The trick is not minding that it hurts." It's OK to hurt. Find whatever way you can to cope with that hurt but don't feel any pressure to stop hurting or to pretend that you don't hurt.

 

[oggbashan]

My advice is simple: Talk to somoene.

My middle daughter has recurrent bouts of depression. But as part of my private medical insurance, that I pay for her, she has access to a mental health helpline manned 24/7 by qualified professionals.

She might use it only two or three times a year when she is at her worst but each time it helps. Knowing it is there helps all the time.

 

[Bramblethorn]

It's been hard on a lot of people. I'm by nature an introvert, and I can tolerate an unusual degree of time alone, but even for me, and for almost all of us, it's healthy to see other people, and that's been difficult to do for a long time. My connections with people that matter to me have frayed somewhat over the last year.

What redzinger said, while not positive, has some truth. If you're depressed, all the good advice in the world may not amount to anything, because the thing about depression is you can't summon the energy to follow the advice. It all sounds like bullshit.

Having experienced some of this myself, however, and having tried various mechanisms to cope with it, I'd say three things.

One, move. Get up. Get outside. No matter how bad you feel, make yourself do something. It makes a difference. I enjoy exercise, so it always lifts my mood. Not everyone enjoys exercise to the same degree I do, but I think most of us benefit from some kind of activity.

Two, connect with another person, and focus on that person rather than on yourself. Rather than thinking about how that person is pleasing or stimulating you, think about what you can do for that person. They may or may not reciprocate, but you will have done something worthwhile. Even the introverts among us need to connect once in a while. Even if it's just a social media connection, if you send a little positive vibe out into the world it may come back to lift you, just a little tiny bit.

Three -- and this might sound weird -- learn not to feel bad about feeling bad. If you feel down, you're human. There's a lot of pressure to be happy or to pretend to be happy. Screw that. There's a scene in the movie Lawrence of Arabia where Lawrence extinguishes a candle with his fingers and doesn't react. Somebody watches him do it, and he tries it himself and feels pain, and he asks Lawrence, "What's the trick?" And Lawrence says, "The trick is not minding that it hurts." It's OK to hurt. Find whatever way you can to cope with that hurt but don't feel any pressure to stop hurting or to pretend that you don't hurt.

This is all good and compassionate advice, and hopefully it will benefit somebody who reads the thread, but you're talking to a spammer here. Check the posting history.

 

[Brusterel]

My advice is simple: Talk to somoene.

It’s simple but there’s no denying how effective it is. I remember when I was in a darker place I had the tendency to bottle everything inside of me. Wasn’t until I opened up to a close friend of mine that I started to feel better.

 

[Iderton]

I used to be mentally healthy, with maybe the exception that I’m an introvert by nature, so being around lots of people or being the centre of attention usually causes anxiety and panic attacks. But then one of my close friends committed suicide and I can’t get over it ever since. I don’t know if what I have exactly is depression, I feel like I don’t have the courage to face that if I do. One of the only things that have kept me somewhat functioning besides listening to music and hanging with my parents is this kratom buy capsules that my cousin recommended me. It helps a little with bringing me out of my funk.

 

[Bramblethorn]

It’s simple but there’s no denying how effective it is. I remember when I was in a darker place I had the tendency to bottle everything inside of me. Wasn’t until I opened up to a close friend of mine that I started to feel better.

Save your replies, it's another worthless spammer.

 

[MissMandy86]

I get a lot of anxiety (daily) and what helps me is taking 5 minutes
Breathe deeply and think about everything i have that other people dont and i think about bad things that happened to people but not me

 

[Hypoxia]

I started this thread almost two years ago. It seemed ironically funny then. Much has occurred since. Now we manage anxiety by self-isolating and self-entertaining. That'll work better if I replace some guitar strings. After a hot cup of Irish coffee. Remember: It's hard to be depressed if you survive.

 

[PoisonPen33]

I once read a neo-Western where the main anti-hero said "depression's just anger without enthusiasm." Somedays that's perfectly how I feel, that I'm pissed at myself for something but either don't know why or don't care enough to change whatever it is.

 

[llugguss]

Thank you for sharing. I'm alive!