fighting off depression

[Silverluna]

I feel sad....but not too terribly sad....I'm fighting off the depression that looms just above my head like Eeyore's rain clouds....
Any advice?

 

[Spinaroonie]

Search for the little joys... Like drinking a coke.

That helps me when I feel that way.

I also play video games and jack off.

 

[Sillyman]

Spinaroonie puts it most succinctly baby doll.

 

[Silverluna]

*drinks dr pepper and plays Solitare for the 135450877 time......as for jerking off...well I'll just watch others do it...*

I think i am not depressed...but lower than down...?

 

[Spinaroonie]

Then change your scenery, go out

Good god, I'm sounding like what everybody tells me to do

 

[Sandia]

meds.

 

[Laurel]

Take a really brisk 30 minute walk or bike ride. Or run in circles in your backyard. Get your blood moving and your breathing heavy.

Then, take a relaxing bath or shower, whichever you prefer.

Follow this up with a cup/glass of your favorite relaxing beverage - preferably non-alcoholic, as alcohol's a depressant - and lay down with a book, magazine, or TV show you enjoy... or, snuggle with your partner, or call up a good friend.

Put on comfy clothes and think about everything good in your life and in the world.

Know that what you're feeling isn't totally "real", and that you have the power to change your perceptions.

*hugs*

 

[Silverluna]

im medicated...sedated....ect.

i went out....but i was with people....ick...long ass story...

 

[InnocentAngel81]

oh bother

i wish i had my eeyore or i would squeeze him and let him sing to you, i've been feeling miserable for weeks, please smile i know it wont help much, but if you need a friend i'm here

 

[Silverluna]

Take a really brisk 30 minute walk or bike ride. Or run in circles in your backyard. Get your blood moving and your breathing heavy.

Then, take a relaxing bath or shower, whichever you prefer.

Follow this up with a cup/glass of your favorite relaxing beverage - preferably non-alcoholic, as alcohol's a depressant - and lay down with a book, magazine, or TV show you enjoy... or, snuggle with your partner, or call up a good friend.

Put on comfy clothes and think about everything good in your life and in the world.

Know that what you're feeling isn't totally "real", and that you have the power to change your perceptions.

*hugs*

thanks laurel...

 

[deliciously_naughty]

*hugs* sorry you're feeling down sweetie. I know what that's like. Just get some sleep and hopefully everything will be better tommorrow.

 

[sch00lteacher]

If you think you are really depressed, then get help. There isn't a damn thing you can do for your self.

Feeling blue and being depressed are two different things.

One you can cure (Laurel has the right idea), one you can't.

If it lasts more than two weeks, start looking for help.

 

[AusTess]

Think of fluffy puppies and kittens.


If you can stop your thoughts from turning to the slaughter of said puppies and kittens,you should feel a little better.

 

[SleepingWarrior]

If it lasts more than two weeks, start looking for help.

What do you do when it has lasted for 4 years??? It's not like anything is going to help that, all that can be done is soften the depression which isn't the same as curing it. (IMO)

 

[teresafannin]

Find a good therapist, there are a lot of them out there & I think that is an important first step. I am lucky in that my therapist & my physician work together to help me with my depression. I take meds, but a very low dose. I try to watch what I eat and drink, very little alcohol the last 2 years. I exercise regularly & spend time with the people that understand what I go through. My circle of friends is small, but I can be myself with them. I still have really bad episodes, but I have leveled out a lot & the bad times aren't as frequent. I did have a really bad couple of days right before & after my son's birthday. He would have been 20 & birthdays are horrible for me. Good luck to you all.

 

[Jedi_Outcast]

a shrink and mild doses of Zoloft have worked wonders. I stopped both, now the depression has come back. I heven't had much luck getting a new shrink, but I'm going to talk to the doc about zoloft this week. It took my wife a YEAR to tell me I was acting odd <sigh>

depression is a chemical thing, see a doc and get a mild anti-depressant.

 

[takingchances42]

DO something... or try...

*drinks dr pepper and plays Solitare for the 135450877 time......as for jerking off...well I'll just watch others do it...*

I think i am not depressed...but lower than down...?

I think I know what you mean... and with all due respect for the other posters, this is different for all of us, and there is a wide spectrum between feeling "normal" (if there is such a thing) and being clinically depressed...

I would say that the worst thing you could do is stay there playing solitaire by yourself, and playing on the boards. That is the kind of thing that can feed a downward, self-reinforcing, spiral... Pick what you want to do, get out of the house, and DO it. For mild downs, yes, you do have the ability to affect your own chemicals with stimulus, and what you do...

And if you find yourself incapable of getting out and doing something? Then you may actually be depressed, and that is when you should consider the therapist and meds route... For myself, I am going to leave the house now and savor the day...

 

[Coralee]

What do you do when it has lasted for 4 years??? It's not like anything is going to help that, all that can be done is soften the depression which isn't the same as curing it. (IMO)

I totally disagree. I've dealt with depression (and anxiety) for the past 10 years and only this year sought treatment for it. Although I may not be cured of it at this point but it certainly is possible. Everybody feels depressed or blue at some point in their lives, so it's not like you'll always be a happy-go-lucky kind of person everyday of your life.

However, if you are clinically depressed here's my advice: talk to your doctor about it. For me, I've found that medication, diet and exercise have been extremely beneficial. That combined with Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy (helps you understand your thought processes, how it afffects your mood, and shows you methods to alter your perception so you're not always negative). How you view the world obviously affects your mood. If you always think the world is an awful place to be and what's the use, of course your going to feel depressed. Life isn't always great, but by focusing on the positives in your life definitely helps you feel better.

Just my opinion.

 

[binkley]

Any advice?

Try to break up your routine somehow: to take a walk or ride a bike; go eat at a new restaurant with someone you haven't talked to in a while; drop in your alma mater or library or city center and oggle the sights; take a road trip.

Novelty sets off some of the brain chemicals that also fight depression; same for physical activity (but somewhat different chemicals).

 

[Silverluna]

To clear things up...

I do have manic depression...It comes and goes.
I'm a rapid cycler....upset one minute happy the next minute...its not that drastic but enough so im always on a rollar coaster ride of emotions....

Lastnight, I was just feeling what I said...not depressed but kinda down...."lower than down"

I see a shrink....I thank god for his insight into my head....
I'm medicated....I am not ashamed to admit this....

I just I think need to do what you all have said...dig myself out of this hole...and try life from there. I don't expect life to be nothing but roses but I expect life to be pretty damn pleasent once in a while.

I, as all of you do, have problems that do keep me from this goal, and some yes I am sure I bring upon myself....and some I am sure I can fix...some I can't.
I've got to just do what I can....

 

[Never]

I only know what depression feels like when I'm depressed, and when I'm depressed I'm not in the mood to talk about it.
Exercise is good, cleaning the house, keeping your sleeping and eating habits healthy, making sure you don't slip into an uninvolved and useless routine. Stuff like that.