[plotthickens]

Seems like a lot of us suffer from Depression. Feel free to post anything -- anecdotes, methods, mantras -- anything and everything you use or have found helpful. My contribution for today is found at
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A thread with a bunch of stuff that might help would be great. More of this, please, and thanks.

[BuShinJu]

That is FUCKING AWESOME!

By the way are you depicted as a shark?

INDESTRUCTIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

[Monte314]

I've been taking antidepressants for my... "situation"... for 10 years. They have been very effective for me, and have toned down my OCD and Tourette's quite a bit.

However, I will still *bite* you if you get too close...

[Acorn]

I've been on citalopram for over a year now, and I am awash in serotonan. I don't know what's worse the apathy or the laziness and complacency. I'm quitting this stuff. I promise to behave.

[KeithP]

-insert useless cliche-

Life is a gift you never asked for. You outraced millions of others to be here. You really need to realize it's not just you, and that despite the awful things that happen in life, you can atone for it all and achieve greatness. If you so choose to do so.

Sounds lame. But really, what the hell do you have to lose? If you place yourself in the world, you're small, but if you put the world around you, walk tall, and with confidence, good things will happen. Stare at the stars, listen for the birdsong, piss off a bee. Smile at strangers, but in a totally non-creepy way.

Life is about who you surround yourself with. They will either drag you down or pull you up, and only you can let that happen.

[Latro]

Originally Posted by KeithP To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

-insert useless cliche- Life is a gift you never asked for. You outraced millions of others to be here. You really need to realize it's not just you, and that despite the awful things that happen in life, you can atone for it all and achieve greatness. If you so choose to do so. Sounds lame. But really, what the hell do you have to lose? If you place yourself in the world, you're small, but if you put the world around you, walk tall, and with confidence, good things will happen. Stare at the stars, listen for the birdsong, piss off a bee. Smile at strangers, but in a totally non-creepy way. Life is about who you surround yourself with. They will either drag you down or pull you up, and only you can let that happen.

The hard part is getting out of the recursive apathy loop which is exaggeratedly demonstrated in the OP's link.

On-topic: I'm not sure if I'm depressed now. I was a few years ago, but I don't really feel like I did then, which was actually disturbingly similar to the OP's link. The only advice I can really give is things you've probably already heard.

First, talk to someone. Don't try to ride it out alone. When you do that, it becomes too easy to rationalize not doing anything, and it subconsciously makes you think your self-hatred is actually justified. Talking to someone helps directly (getting the feelings out, which in severe cases requires you to get them out from quite a ways down inside first) and indirectly (you may get advice or some other sort of help from whomever you talk to).

Second, try and do things. Look for things that are both stimulating and fun. I must stress it being both of those things. Things that aren't stimulating won't get you going enough to *feel* anything, which in my experience is really the goal in getting out of depression; things that aren't fun you won't stick to because they're not fun.


As for stories rather than advice, I think in my junior year of high school I burned myself out with work and isolation. I thought I had friends around, but they were really more acquaintances than anything. I didn't see them outside school. I had friends, I just rarely saw them; by this time my best friend was living half an hour away, I didn't have a car, and most of my other closer friends had drifted apart quite a bit. I was getting to know my other best friend but that hadn't moved along very far. That summer I pretty much sat there and did nothing, literally, almost all the time. I had no idea I was depressed, although I definitely was; I just didn't feel like doing anything. I didn't do my summer homework, and suffice it to say that ruined my time in IB English, as if it weren't already ruined by being IB English.

By that December I was completely falling apart; I don't generally like to share the details of what I mean by that. I did finally talk to my parents (rather, they found me at my low point) and they explained what they'd be willing to do, what they thought I should do about things like college applications (it was getting to be time to send those out and I hadn't started any), and that I should probably seek professional help. That helped, a lot. Within a few days I was feeling a bit better, my grades improved over the next months (they were fine in everything except English, but my second quarter grade in English was an F), etc. I never actually did seek professional help.

[Artio]

My depression is just a memory now. There are several things that helped me to recover, but one huge thing was my '
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diary'.

As any depressed mind, mine was quite blank or in constant agony. I had these random thoughts that were mostly negative judgements and interpretations about myself and things that happened for me. I took a notebook and wrote to the pages on the left whatever my black dogs were barking. There were days when I caught just one word, but sometimes I wrote down twenty negative narratives. I left the pages on the right empty until I found more realistic or even positive aspect.

For instance:
What happened: I broke a glass.
Black dogs bark: "You're clumsy, total failure, you should cut your veins open with those pieces and make the world a bit better place."
Corrected interpretation - my own active opinion: "Accidents happen and that was a minor one. It wasn't even your favorite cup that you broke and how lucky you were for not getting any cuts while cleaning it."

Sometimes it was absurd or funny even:
Black dogs: "Everything is shit, life is shit, I'm tired of this shit."
Me: "Only shit is shit."

It helped me to separate depressions and it's symptoms from my own consciousness - vital.

And whenever there were days when I couldn't even hold a pen, I forced myself to do three things:
#1 Rest enough but not excessively. If I couldn't sleep, I didn't blame myself for it. Sometimes it happens.
#2 Eat. Something good and nutritious if possible, but if not, then I at least did my best to concentrate on every bite I took.
#3 Take care of my personal hygiene. It's hard to feel good about yourself if you stink, and also those simple tasks kept me anchored to reality.

[WhirlsTwirls]

Depression was a huge problem for me when I was a teenager, to the point where I was unable to function normally. I didn't know how to seek help, and I definitely didn't want to at the time. I'll spare the details, but I'm glad to say that it's something that gradually got better as I got older, and it's been years since I've taken any antidepressants (which is not to say that they are bad or that you shouldn't take them; I'm definitely not advocating anti-psychiatry).

I'll say that it does still happen that I run into bumps now and then, especially in the dark and cold months of the year. Here are some things that help me cope:

1) Regular exercise. I'm not into sport, but I love basic weight-lifting (mostly compound exercises) and running. I've been slacking lately, but I intend to start doing this again.

2) Getting shit done. Yes, even trivial tasks can feel painful, but there's an award also. It feels good to put work into things and accomplish them. It raises your self-esteem, and it gives you a feeling of being in control. Whether it's housecleaning or something related to a project, it's good for you.

The worst thing you can do is procrastinate; not only will you miss the reward of doing, but you will possibly also feel guilty for not doing anything and beat yourself up over it. Don't let that happen.

3) Maintaining a schedule. I strive to get up at 5:30 in the morning. That way I have ample time to prepare myself for the day and throw in some guitar practice. A great way to start the day!

4) Socialize. As an introvert, this is easy to forget. Regularly spending some time in good company is a great boost.

[Reddkatz]

I am at the point where I do believe I need anti-depressants, but alas no insurance. I'm trying to look into some state programs to help with this. It's slowly fading, but I still have that feeling of worthlessness sometimes.

[Purgatid]

I've got dysthymia, a condition that makes it really easy to slip into depressions. This post is not about the condition. This post is about what I have done to compensate for it. First off - I have refused drugs. I've not only been offered tralala-pills, I've been told that I won't make it without them. My reasoning for this is that "impossible" is a painting painted by those who says there is no brush. I am of the opinion that unless something is forbidden by the laws of physics, then nothing may prevent me from doing it. To be honest, I am not perfectly convinced about the laws of physics hindering me either.

What I did instead of popping pills was to consider the nature of misery. Misery stems from the individuals perception of an event or a situation. Without perception, there is no effect from the event. I then argued (with myself) that events in themselves cannot have an emotional effect prior to reaching the one perceiving them. In short - the event gains its value upon me becoming aware of it. The universe in itself is (as far as I know) void of conciousness. There's no Gods, no spirits, no magical unicorns deciding if an event is good or bad. It becomes good or bad once the individual brands it.

Now, there's a lot of things influencing the individuals decision to brand something good or bad. Family, socity, culture, religion, personal experiences, ethics. But in the end - the decision is always the individuals. It cannot be the universe - because it's uncaring. It cannot be a God - because they're not me. So, what I did next was to throw away all influences other than my own. Society is not me, so it is discarded, family are other individuals, so their assesment is not relevant either. In the end, all that remained was me. Not me in regards to society or family, but just me. I then thought that if something negative happens to me, I will feel bad. If I fail to attain something I want, I feel bad. I then thought - I am the one who decides if it is indeed negative, or not. The event has no prior value before it enters my mind. It gains the value after it's entered. If I am the one who decides if the event is positive, or negative, then there's no reason for me to choose the event to be negative, thus making me feel bad. To put this into practice. I disregarded all events that I previously viewed as negative, and chose to look at them once more, but decide before I looked at them that they are positive. Not that I choose that they are positive, but that their positive value is inherited in the nature of the event in itself. It took some months for this indoctrination to take off, but once it did...

I can honestly say that I am the happiest person I know. I get upset sometimes, or sad. But in general, my life is awesome - everything that happens to me is excellent. Every event is something empowering, or something I gain from. The last year has with no exception been one of the greatest years of my life - and I forsee the next year to be even more awesome. I don't know exactly why this works - but it does, and that is all that matters to me. Now, I have had people tell me that it's just self-deception. That I'm fooling myself. How awesome is that if it's true? I am able to warp the experience of the world, by sheer will? E-e-e-excellent.

In the end, it doesn't really matter why things make me happy.
It's only relevant that it does.

[Artio]

I didn't take any drugs though I was diagnosed with severe depression. I'm not saying it's the best option for everyone, and I had a chance to concentrate on getting better. But if you have doubts about any drugs, there are many other tools available. There are also risks if one decides not to take antidepressants even if having serious symptoms, so some sort of professional safety-net is necessary, I believe.

[Reddkatz]

Well I think prescriptions would be a good option for me as well since the other non-prescription things don't really help out so well right now. I can see it as a temporary thing, since my depression was brought on by a lot of crap happening at once.

[Thinktress]

eh. I've had depression off and on my entire life. Usually not a big deal anymore. Normally I'm on some type of ad. These work well for me and I don't have any issues typically. When I'm under a lot of stress, I'll tend to become a little depressed.

[teraczy]

This is the route I attempt to take, once I can get myself up:

"The cure for everything is saltwater: sweat, tears, or the sea." -Isak Dinesen

Always works. It's nice to run sweating through a blizzard. I think if I make myself feel more pain on the outside it will numb the inside, or realize what I feel is only manifested in my psyche. Sounds strange but I don't believe in medication.

[Dinah]

Several years ago, I think I suffered through quite a severe period of depression as a young teenager. Only in retrospect has the sharpness of it become apparent to me.

After spending my childhood in small, secluded church-schools that never had any students in my age group, I became further isolated when my mother just completely pulled me out of school and left me home alone all day. I'm an only child, and she was a single parent, so I had no one to keep me company. My mother never even bothered to buy me books; she just told me to read the Bible. Because I was labeled "gifted" the lack of a conventional curriculum "wouldn't be a problem". Paranoid about my being "influenced", she'd disconnect the cable box and internet modem every morning before she left for work, so I didn't have any connections to the outside. I just slept...all day, for more than two years, and was rarely given opportunities to leave the house. She made me feel eternally guilty for requesting items like toothpaste. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy.

I wouldn't call the period I went through "traumatic" in a traditional sense; it was, however, a time during which I literally had no social interaction, something which I now know is absolutely integral to one's mental health, no matter how introverted. Such deprivation affects you profoundly. After I threw a fit to attend public school and start a life as a relatively normal kid, I definitely had problems adjusting to basic things. I can't even articulate the intensity of the anxiety I experienced...

Recently, my mother was diagnosed with a wide array of mental disabilities. This confirmation by professionals prompted me to reflect on the events of my childhood that struck me as "wrong" only intuitively at the time.

Very personal stuff, but I'm happy to say that I think that time has made me a stronger individual. I think I'm more empathetic because of it, for example; I'm very perceptive and thoughtful in the sense that I'll do small things for people whom I think are suffering from a bad day or something silently, because I don't want anyone else to ever feel like I did. Now that I'm in college, most of that anxiety has waned--and, thankfully, I have friends now, and I go out frequently.

[Dru]

misery does love company.

[MONADANOM]

Is depression as endemic to INTJs as OCD seems to be?

[True Rune]

I'm not depressed now, though I have my downer days (which are normal, I think.) I have been, but the reasons why were always something external. I tended to hide myself away during those times.

[Acorn]

Okay. To continue. I mentioned previously that I am doing away with my antidepressant medication. This isn't to say that it didn't do its job. I've had depression problems over the years, but learned to manage them pretty well. For some reason about a year and a half ago I found myself in a well and couldn't work out of it that time. It had something to do with extended overcast weather, lack of light, and a project that I had decided to abandon. It left a dark hole, an energy well. Sometimes you need help getting out of a hole, and antidepressants often do the job. I don't see them as a premanent solution in my own situation. They allowed me to get back on track with a new project that I really find interesting. This is the key for me, to get my mind working on something complicated, engrossing, flow-producing. I decided to teach myself computer animation. Find a new beginning, get help if you need it, but let go as soon as you can make it on your own. Make sense?

[Hawkx]

I feel depressed and worthless...

[Seablue]

I'm pretty sure I'm not depressed now. I've been depressed several times in my life and it doesn't feel the same way. I'm still functioning. Functioning quite well actually. Social life, serious enough about my studies, etc.

On another end, it's the first time of my life that I feel like I'm going crazy. I was seriously considering the other day to just walk in an hospital and tell them I need to be locked away, because I have no idea what I'm going to do when suddenly I won't be able to function anymore.

And the worst part is, I know this won't go away through sheer force of will or with a little help from friends, the way I got better before. This, I don't know what it is, PTSD perhaps, no idea, but it's been getting worse with time, despite the fact that I have made my life a lot better than I thought it could ever become a few years back. That's the worst part. So much efforts, efforts that did pay, in a lot of ways... And this that had just been getting worse for more than six years.

I know I should go see a psychiatrist, but I'm worried that they won't have time to see me until several weeks, and I'm worried that it will just make me feel worse. I've had bad experiences with their kind before.

Sorry that this isn't very helpful in a thread about "dealing with depression" as opposite to "complaining about depression".

[plotthickens]

Actually this is a thread to help pick people up. Encouraging, you know? Please post things that you have found helpful.

This one helps me:
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[Polymath20]

I switched to a strictly classical music diet and I noticed a dramatic improvement in mood, impulse control, and stability. It's great to arrive to/from work and just feel relaxed. Things don't stick with me as long either, like it's easier to let things go.

Yes, this is a very subjective experience, but worth a shot, no?

[WhirlsTwirls]

Related: This one helps me:
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I love Carl Sagan.

[masterpeach]

Seeing my new ophthalmologist helped me get out of my spiral of mental doom. I've never met a friendlier and more competent person than him. For whatever reason, he's got this "all will be fine I am there for you" charisma. Now I've got a crush on him, but my pinkeye and complications that came with its treatment are over ("unfortunately").

My roommate (EE PhD) is another source of fun. He listens to and understands my ramblings and weird ideas.

Aminas (a natural food supplement) helps me as well. I am glad I've found it on the web.