[ALLIELIV]

I try to understand that it is temporary and does not define me. I also allow myself to give in to the emotion and release it.not forever but an adequate amount of time. I learned a long time ago if I just bottle up emotions and pretend they done exist, bad things happen.

So, now I just feel them. I also have a book where I just write everything(like stream of concious) I just write what I feel, I dont try to analyze them or explain them, I just write them and let it all out. THEN I go back and analyze the feelings and figure out what I can do about it, and do it.

[MikeAZ]

Plenty of good posts, just my two cents:

I think it will always be something I have to spend energy to avoid. The trick is spending the energy when I feel OK so I can avoid it, rather than trying to pull myself out of the hole.

For me I do best when I get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well.

I did a trial of a medication a long time ago, but did not feel like the benefit was worth it for me.

[greyangel]

What MikeAZ said.

I think it's important to avoid things you know trigger it (e.g. Drinking alcohol). I didn't realize that I was depressed until I realized that that's why I drank in my 20's. After stopping cold turkey emotions surfaced and I found myself in counseling...a few sessions, eating healthy, new hobbies and exercise and I've never felt better in my life. I'm just greatful I managed to develop the skills to avoid medication. I should add I have a family history of both depression and alcoholism. I'm a hot genetic mess
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- actually it could have been worse...

[eggo]

Finding people that actually have the patience to listen all the way through one of my disorganized ramblings about my thoughts and emotions is tremendously comforting for me. Also exercising my Se helps put the Ni thinking into the background when it just isn't working for me

[Snellman]

I remember, when i was a kid, i probably were an INFP. But some incidents made me overly cynical and depressed. Okay i am not that cynical anymore, but sometimes i still am slightly depressed.

[sagesoph]

I've never been diagnosed, but I'd say I was at least mildly depressed for extended periods for at least 15yrs. For me, it was more not feeling anything, just get up, go to work, come home, feed the kids, go to bed, over and over. I hated the job, exhausted by the kids, no friends, strained relationship with SO, averaged about 4hrs sleep/day, ate crappy. I sleep better and eat better now and the kids are older, all of which have helped, but I've had to make a concerted effort to try to improve my life.

One thing I've really focussed on is trying to feel something, anything. It doesn't have to be a happy feeling, as long as it isn't a horrible feeling. The greater the intensity, the better.

[thelittlenavajo]

I wouldn't ever call myself depressed. But lately I've been handling myself well. Going to the gym, skateboarding on a daily basis, work life improving, social life still a little sh*tty (its a working progress). I haven't felt this good in years.

[Human]

I would say i was in denial of being depressed most of my life

Accepting it was the first big step to getting over it

But on the other hand, you just never know when that shadow will start looming overhead again

[24601]

There's a good line from a Gertrude Stein that springs to mind. That's how I feel all the time: "This is the wrong road." And Gertrude responds, "Right or wrong, this is the road and we are on it."

And a lot of times in my life, I feel this way. I don't know this place. Nothing makes sense. How did this happen? How can I turn round and get back to the way I should be going?

Things didn't turn out for me like I'd hoped. They didn't end up that way for a lot of folks, so I can stop my whining and get in line. I have a good career and good family and friends. That helps. So does exercise and making myself socialize, and not counting work as socializing. I also believe depression is a normal, natural part of life everyone endures. You just have to deal with it as it comes. Medication just made me fat and tired.

[Kadadj]

I'll just post some general tips, and what helped me.
- Drink more water. Seriously, it helps. A LOT of people are chronically dehydrated.
- Exercise. Again: Seriously, do it.
- Socialize, at least a bit, it can help you see things differently.
- Eat healthy, It can really have an effect.
- Try therapy, and if that fails, medication - Both have helped me.
- Try to think more positively. When a negative thought enters your mind, prove it wrong, or ignore it.
- Write down your thoughts, having them on black and white can help you in order to get some finality and a clearer overview of your thoughts.
- Keep your mind busy, and do things that you enjoy.
- Improve yourself, that is important.

Also, remember that the future you envision while depressed, is false and unrealistic. Remember that anything can happen - tomorrow, your life could change in a drastically positive way. Remember than the pursuit of happiness is worth it.
And so forth.

[sagesoph]

I don't want to come across sounding like I'm selling this app, but there's an app that I think would really help with depression. It was developed by someone who experienced depression after a serious concussion. The app sets goals for you to complete each day (very simple ones) and hels you identify what gives you an emotional boost. I heard of it through a TED talk by Jane McGonigal and the talk has a title that is something along the line of increasing your life by 10yrs. anyways, it's a place to start.

[KillyEkFael]

I knew from the beginning why I was depressed. So for me, it always was all about fixing the problem that made me depressed. And that's what I did. It took me only 8 years. (deepness can be a real pain in the ass, but I pay the price gladly).

I was eating well, sleeping well, having social relation and physical activity, but I was depressed.

Now I eat badly, can't sleep well, hang out 1 or 2 times per month, kill myself at work, don't do any sport. But I don't feel depressed despite despite I find my life hard right now.

The world didn't make sense, I was lost, I didn't know what to do.
Now the world make sense to me. I know where I am, where I am going and that's what I do, in a very painful and inefficient way.

I never thought about takings pills. It is against all my nature. I don't even take aspirin when I am sick.
And to see a therapist, well, I don't expect any of them to has been able to solve the deep problem that were holding me back.

[coldheat]

I recognized the source of my problems and I made an effort to eliminate the source of my problems.

I had a 'relationship' with this girl a couple years ago, lasted 4 weeks, she ended it, then told me things like she wished there was some way we could still be together. But didn't want to be with me. And could provide no explaination and said she didn't know herself and had many positive things to say about me. Then she went back to her old boyfriend and talked to me only when I initiated the conversation (all texts or facebook). Then they broke up and she started talking to me a lot again. Get home from school for summer, go to a movie, go camping for 2 days, then won't give me any answer except idk when I ask when she wants to hang out, next thing I know she's back with the old boyfriend. They break up in the fall, she starts talking to me more once again, each time I ask her how she feels about me she goes back and forth, only consistent thing she says is she just isn't sure, hang out a few times in the fall, get home for christmas break and once again she won't committ to hanging out any time. Had recovered slightly by the end of summer but this sent me down again. Over that christmas break last year I decided I couldn't keep making myself vulnerable to her going back and forth, and what actually triggered me to make a change was when she told me she was doing ROTC. Something just clicked in my head and made me think there really is no chance left. So the last thing I said was Happy Birthday in February, then stopped talking to her and didn't hear from her until May when she sends me a text saying she doesn't know if I want to hear from her but she still cares about me and worries about me everyday, etc. That stirred me up for about 15 minutes until I went into the basement, took it out on the punching bag, and got myself together. She's had a boyfriend since January, so add that to the confusion. But she had also told me in the fall when she was first talking to him that one day she'll realize she's wasted her time on people that aren't capable of wanting the same things out of life as her. But I talked to her a little bit then and had sent her a couple facebook messages, nothing in the past 6 weeks. I'm still lonely and haven't had any relationships since then or anything close, and when I get a chemical change in my brain and get down it makes me think about her and miss her, but I just tell myself it is a temporary change and once my chemicals balance out I won't care about her like I think I do at the moment, and eventual I go back to normal. But the loneliness always follows me around. This all would've been easier if she had herself figured out and would just go one way or the other. It's not the end result but the inconsistency that had kept me out of whack for so long.

So long story short, if there is a particular thing that is taking your mind out of balance, figure out the problem and eliminate it.

[krisl]

Antidepression meds, therapy, exercise, probably healthy eating. Having a cat if you have time for one is nice - they're low maintenance and furry.

[eli]

Eating fruits and veggies. It won't cure depression, but it certainly helps make me feel better. Especially a good pile of hot green veggies with melted butter.

Regular exercise (like many have mentioned) paired with visualizations (like breathing out the bad and breathing in the good) also helps.

[Selene]

Has emotional support from social network been mentioned in this thread?

[Thinktress]

1) drugs (ad's)
2) the knowledge that I'd been depressed before and walked out the other side; that things are cyclic. Thus, depression was more difficult when I was younger and did not have that experience.
3) cognitive therapy
4) exercise, and in general "ramping up" the level of activity in as many areas as possible. Sometimes the mind follows the body.

[Yuri]

I try to talk about the problem with someone.
It's an immense challenge since I don't understand feelings very much.
Sometimes it actually helps though.

[SilasGTBronte]

I wish I could go on to elaborate about my past depression, but it will be too long to talk about it. However, I will just highlight some of the most important points that have helped me over the years. The fact that many INTJ's tend to look within is a great tool.

1) Find out truly who you are as a person such as your likes/dislikes, traits, strengths/ weaknesses,etc.
2) Read a lot of material on Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, philosophy, existentialism for information about happiness and the self. Remember to keep an open mind and you do not have to agree with everything. There are other examples of good literature available on the topic.
3) Meditation and good sleep. I would like to include yoga in the near future.
4) Find something you are particularly good at and dedicate your time in developing it, especially if it is to help other people. In essence, find a major, clearly-defined goal in life to pursue. (I plan to become a tutor either this coming semester or the next).
5) Keep in contact with people you truly care about for mutual support. The advantage of an INTJ is that we tend to be more honest and truthful in our relationships, the best kind.

That's all I can share for now.

[Eyedears]

To avoid getting depressed, I don't take certain types of meds, and I get as much exercise as possible (when I was healthy, that meant 90 min./day, 365 days/yr), as well as not eating too much in the way of sweets (candy bars, ice cream, sugar in my tea, etc.).

The one time I got almost catatonically depressed for non-med-induced reasons, it was because I refused to cry about a loss...for about 8 weeks. Once I started to bawl, the depression layers started lifting, one at a time.

[beav58]

I can't say much as I am still in it, but its like the stock market, it gradually gets better, but not without a lot of ups and downs.

Right now, I would say the best things are to keep busy. Doesn't matter what you do, but it helps you to avoid thinking about yourself and your situation. Have a routine but also change it up a bit to keep from feeling monotonous. Get fresh air and use your body. Outside of that, find the patience to wait it out. It will get better, but its a long process.

[SeverusSin]

Haven't.

[Coffeebean]

It's worth noting that my depression was partially caused by my anxiety problems, and both of them have been vanishing in leaps and bounds this past year or so.

I think I just I got sick of it. I got sick of missing opportunities, pushing friends away, seeing worse people enjoying what I couldn't, and feeling like shit all the time. Instead, I got angry and defiant and decided that nothing that I was afraid of or sad about could possibly take as much from me as I'd been denying myself. It lost its teeth.

[peter]

stopped reading the forum for a few months

[admittedheretic]

I haven't. It always comes back, but I remind myself that it likewise always goes away; even brief moments of happiness keep me from suicide.