Depression...

[Rugbypup]

...how do you deal with it?

I'm not bi polar, not a manic depressive and I don't need to see a shrink or take a cocktail of drugs... it's just, sometimes, out of no where I get really hit with the blues.

I feel unbelievably pathetic and so sad for myself that at times it can actually hurt. I just can't shake in off easily any more, but I know it'll only last a day or so. I just feel like utter dog shit in all respects. I happens only every now and again and usually for no good reason.

How do you shake off blue days? :frown1:

What do you do to make yourself smile about things again? :biggrin1:

http://scienceblogs.com/neurotopia/depression_small.jpg

http://cdn-write.demandstudios.com/upload//3000/300/90/7/33397.jpg

 

[beachbum1971]

Everyone gets down now and again. Count your blessings. Exercise more. Get some sunshine. Call a friend. Make yourself go out and see a funny moive or do something you enjoy. Listen to happy music. I have a playlist in my itunes called "happy music".

If it occurs more and more frequently and you can't shake it, then maybe it is chemical. Don't beat yourself up. It may not be something you can contro. So many people suffer from depression but you would never know it because they function. It's not like having a broken leg in a cast where it is obvious. Talk to your doctor if it is a big concern. Don't let pride stand in your way of getting help to be happy. Life is too short for that!

 

[D_Tim McGnaw]

I indulge myself wildly. All the things I've been putting off doing for myself, the things I've been envying and wanted to buy, the people I love I haven't made time for, the movies/plays/exhibitions/books/clubs/restaurants I've been meaning to go to/read/eat at, all of them are on the table when I get blue.

I do this to remind myself that no matter what shit is happening in my life and how bad I feel I'm still a great person who deserves to enjoy their life and not feel guilty or bad or upset or whatever.

 

[25300]

Driving and making music are my escapes. Driving on your own lets you reflect easily because you are alone in the car, but can still view the world around you, and I also think the psychology of the fact that you are in control of the car and can go wherever you please.

Making music I suppose would help a minority, but if im down, making a really good song to be proud of is extremely elating.

 

[nixonrich]

Depression is a temporary state of powerlessness (perceived or real). To get out of depression you need to find and think thoughts that will remind you of your power. On an emotional scale, anger is a step up from depression towards feeling fully recovered since at least in anger you feel a sense of power. After anger there is frustration ....the list goes on. you can reach for a thought or feeling that will give you a feeling of releif regardless of your situation - it could be from a place of severe pain or loss or crisis (it seems things arent this bad for you), but the point is you can reach for a better fdeling thought from wherever you are. In any situation in life you have the power to choose a thought that feels better than where you are - regarldess of the conditions, no exceptions. when you choose a better feeling thought, even if its only 1% better then you are facing the right way to leave the deression behind and with a drop of time (not much) you will feel significantly better. Possibly you are expecting your value, worth etc to come from people and situations around you and when they dont (as often they dont) we feel disempowered and then suddenly (normally) we find ourselves in a state of 'depression' which always feesl really bad. Reach for that 1% better feeling thought, feel and enjoy the relief from feeling a little bit better and you will get out of it much quicker than you may have expected. Its Ok to be depressed sometimes - it can help us to focus on what we really want in life, but its not OK to stay there to long and so YOU have to do a little bit of work, regarldess of the circumstances, and get that better feeling thought. There is awlays a way out and you already have experience of that anyway. You'll be fine real quick.

 

[HazelGod]

http://www.depressionhurts.com

 

[luka82]

...how do you deal with it?

I'm not bi polar, not a manic depressive and I don't need to see a shrink or take a cocktail of drugs... it's just, sometimes, out of no where I get really hit with the blues.

I feel unbelievably pathetic and so sad for myself that at times it can actually hurt. I just can't shake in off easily any more, but I know it'll only last a day or so. I just feel like utter dog shit in all respects. I happens only every now and again and usually for no good reason.

How do you shake off blue days? :frown1:

What do you do to make yourself smile about things again? :biggrin1:

http://scienceblogs.com/neurotopia/depression_small.jpg

http://cdn-write.demandstudios.com/upload//3000/300/90/7/33397.jpg

hun, i think that the most important thing u have to know is that THERE IS A NEW DAY, and that things will be better tomorrow, or even, maybe, the day after that!!!
But things WILL get better!:wink:

 

[DiscoBoy]

Listening to ABBA, eating chocolate and going out usually cheers me up.

 

[Rugbypup]

As it happens, I've spent a great deal of time in bed and I think I've slept it off.

If that's possible, either way, I certainly don't feel as dark as I did yesterday.

I like the idea of more sleep, lol, but also sunshine, movies, chocolate and I'm afraid to say it (gay moment alert) even ABBA.

I don't think I want to be around people right now though, so I can't go far as I don't have a car, otherwise I think I would have liked to have gone to the beach.

So I think I'll take myself out for a walk later and go and see that new movie, year one.

See how it goes from there.

It's awful to say, but nice to know other get hit with this some days too. Thanks for your post, please, if there is something you like doing to smile again, let us know.

Pup, x.

 

[798686]

Hey pup - a brief walk and some daylight helps me usually. Also, planning in small stuff that i enjoy, so everything's not such a slog (whether it's a nice cup of tea lol, or a film on telly, or whatever). Just to make life worth living.

Found nixonrich's post quite helpful too, to a certain extent. I think depression can be described as a reaction to loss sometimes, or when there's a gap between your expectations (of whatever - yourself, life, things you 'ought' to do) and reality.

Maybe getting realistic/manageable expectations for a while, and planning a few days that are completely manageable where u pamper yerself a bit, would help.

Good luck dude.

PS: I had a list somewhere of small ways to cheers yerself up - ill post it in a day or two if i can find it.

 

[D_Relentless Original]

As it happens, I've spent a great deal of time in bed and I think I've slept it off.

Yes pup i do that too.

If that's possible, either way, I certainly don't feel as dark as I did yesterday.

I like the idea of more sleep, lol, but also sunshine, movies, chocolate and I'm afraid to say it (gay moment alert) even ABBA.

I don't think I want to be around people right now though, so I can't go far as I don't have a car, otherwise I think I would have liked to have gone to the beach.

I hate that feeling too, sometimes i hate being around anybody, you know sometimes i have left a full trolley of shopping in the Market, when the need takes me to go home, sometimes my home drives me nuts, then again its my haven, i tend to sometimes get on a train to nowhere, look at the beautiful countryside, relax and get the next train home again, it kinda works for me.

So I think I'll take myself out for a walk later and go and see that new movie, year one.

Parks, countryside, sometimes i kidnap my moms dog or go to the animal rescue centre and walk a dog that takes my fancy, they are good company, you don't have to chat neither, i signed up to walk dogs when i want to, it really is good therapy and its a worthwhile cause.

See how it goes from there.

It's awful to say, but nice to know other get hit with this some days too. Thanks for your post, please, if there is something you like doing to smile again, let us know.

Pup, x.

Hey pup, sounds awful, but i also eliminated people from my life that bring me down or are high maintenance, you know the people that always need you when in trouble or to sort a prob allthe time, think about if you have people in your life that make you worse.

Hugs to you pal.:smile:

 

[798686]

Tardis - I agree, it does work to sideline ppl that are a huge drain on you - the black hole types who still need more no matter how much you give.

Also, natural stuff (that you mentioned) - like countryside, walks, animals etc seems to be therapeutic too i reckon.

 

[D_Kissimmee Coldsore]

If it really is depression in the clinical sense, then most of the posts in this thread are useless. You can't just will yourself out of clinical depression. You should seek help.

 

[chicagosam]

A friend of mine was feeling depressed and I gave him a recording of Avenue Q. He laughed his ass off and was a new man the next time I saw him.
Hang in there, Pup, this funk too shall pass.

YouTube - The Internet is for porn avenue Q original - Video

 

[EagleCowboy]

Sunlight has been proven to work wonders.
Also, singing your favorite up-beat tunes will elevate your mood as well as keeping you awake while you drive. (Really belt out those tunes--but stay away from Depeche Mode music!!)

Those 2 things help me tremendously!!

 

[nixonrich]

I have been dealing with depression professionally for many years - words like 'clinical' are labels that very rarely help. Talking to a counsellor may be usefull certainly but magnifying a problem by focusing on it does not produce the results it seems to promise. Prescribed medication very very rarely offers any help - they alter the chemical balance of certain brain functions so that the effects of depression are felt less - this is not lifting the drepression - its a quick way to paper over cracks and it just seems better from the outside. What you describe is not depression that would be classified 'clinical'. All the advice on this thread is potentially usefull if it makes you feel a bit better. Depression of any kind (with any label slapped on it) is always and only a temporary state of powerlessness (disempowerment), anything that gets your feeling powerful again is the right thing, you could even decide that depsite the way you feel you will enjoy experimenting and trying to find out what thoughts and feeling and actions you have easy access to that will make you feel better and set you in the right direction to lifting the 'depressed' feeling.

 

[BIGBULL29]

I avoid uptight people who are ready to bite my head off for no reason.

STAY AWAY FROM TOXIC PEOPLE - THEY ARE ALL AROUND US

 

[798686]

If it really is depression in the clinical sense, then most of the posts in this thread are useless. You can't just will yourself out of clinical depression. You should seek help.

I agree in the sense that medication can help if you've got clinical depression - I went on Prozac when I'd suffered a prolonged bout of severe depression, and it really helped. Just opened the door a bit so I could move forward and make changes that would help in the future.

I do, however, think some of the ideas on the thread would be useful anyway. You're right that you can't 'will' yourself out of deep, clinical depression - but putting a few manageable things in place, such as getting a regular (even if small) amount of sunlight definitely helps. Also planning in regular treats that you can face, break up the monotony and help to reinforce that life can be enjoyable. It all depends how severe the depression though, and what can be faced at the time.

 

[luka82]

And sometimes people like Joll can really help u when u are down, and there is always someone nice and funny that can put back a smile on your face in LPSG chat room

 

[798686]

Found that ideas article for fun stuff to make you feel better.
You're meant to give yourself at least one treat a day (and never mind whether you think you deserve it or not, just do it anyway).

Doesn't matter how small the thing is (the easier the better if you're down) - but small pleasures make life easier and more enjoyable.

Food: Choccy biccy, favourite meal, can of beer, cup of tea.

Activities: Watching DVD/TV, planning outing, enjoying a hobby, doing a puzzle, gardening, seeing friends, restaurant.

Relaxations: Listening to music, having a long bath, calling a friend, reading a book or mag, looking at the stars, smelling a flower (maybe not for everyone, lol)...

Treats: Seeing a movie, getting up late (maybe not ideal with depression), buying a new cd or piece of clothing, getting urself a box of chocs/bunch of flowers, etc.

Time: 10 mins on your own, a mid-morning break, proper lunch hour, time to think, a weekend break, a holiday.

Exercise: Joining a gym, taking an exercise class, going for a swim, taking a short walk for some daylight n fresh air, walking the dog.

Self-talk: "I'm doing fine", "I'm really pleased with...", "well done", "I can make it", "I deserve a break"...

Setting limits: Number of chores, bedtime, a time to stop work, demands made by others...

Other People: Chatting on phone w/a mate, going out for a meal or a coffee, popping round to a friends house - or going to see a show/sports event...


It might be hard to do at first, if you're not used to doing it. Can also be used as rewards to motivate you to do things you dont want to, lol.