Depression

[kittysbecute]

Regardless of the type of depression, what positive ways do you cope with or overcome it?

 

[alsughasoughaiuyfygh]

.

 

[rockytopva]

Regardless of the type of depression, what positive ways do you cope with or overcome it?

Let us analyze... If E = mc2 then we can divide and conclude that...

Mass (m) = Energy (E/c2)

And there are three varieties...

Natural E/c2 - All mass is basically cooled plasma
Mental E/c2 - Mentally, A mathematical formula, but this has chemical and spiritual properties as well.
Spiritual E/c2 - E (motivation, warmth, love) / c2 (faith, hope, charity, joy)

Comparing the light and the darkness, the opposite of E/c2 would be z (absolute zero)/ c (darkness)...

Natural z/d - Nothing, empty space.
Mental z/d - Again nothing but empty space.
Spiritual z/d - z (laziness, coldness, hatred / d (fear, despair, greed, sorrow)

What we have to figure out...

Natural z/d - Is the depression from a chemical imbalance... Is food a contributor?
Mental z/d - Is the depression a psychological issue - Are we inputting too much negativity?
Spiritual z/d - Is the depression a spiritual issue - Is this something that has rubbed off from our daily input (TV, news, music, our social environment)

 

[cloudyday2]

I have tried to ride a bicycle or an exercise bicycle every day to help with depression for the past 25 years. It worked excellent until the last year or two. Now my body is getting old and it is getting harder to do this every day.

A new solution I have discovered that seems to help is fasting. I feel terrible for a couple of hours in the morning, but then I feel less depressed. I try to exercise and eat in the evening.

An antidepressant that sometimes seems to help me is scopolamine (motion sickness patch). I have tried a few other antidepressants, but they made me feel horrible. Scopolamine is amazing when it works. It only takes 30 minutes, and I feel very hopeful and productive for 12 hours or more. Then the effect starts to decrease. It might be placebo though.

 

[Emli]

Jesus. I've gotten through lots and lots of pain and depression simply by relying on Him and His love.

 

[Saucy]

I fought against depression for many years. I tried medications that made me act out and just made me tired and exhausted. I tried counseling and read books. I just never felt any of it worked. I was able to conquer it by changing the way I thought and with my actions.

I kept thinking the answers were external...that all I needed was A, B, and C and it would go away. I tried to put the burden on others, thinking maybe relationships and friendships would fix me. They didn't. I tried pain meds because they made me feel good for a little while. That didn't work either.

I had to sit down and decide for myself that I'm in charge of my life and I was never meant to seek or find happiness outside of my being. I have everything I need to be happy. I'm in charge of my thoughts and whether or not I believe the lies. I'm in charge of my actions and how I act. I get to choose what I do with my life from here on out.

So, I made a plan. What am I not happy with? What do I wish I could change? How can I think differently? Then, I put it into motion. I stopped thinking of myself as this lowly, unloved figure. Through that, I discovered my worth. By identifying when I knew a panic attack was coming on, I learned how to stop it in its tracks. When I get stressed, I taught myself to walk away, center myself, take deep breaths, and listen to relaxing music.

The biggest thing is telling myself it's okay. Everything is okay. There is nothing going on in my life I can't overcome. I'm fine. The thoughts trying to tell me something is wrong or making me sad are lying. I have a roof over my head, food in my fridge, etc, so all my needs are covered. If I wasn't happy with my living situation, my job situation, etc, I could change it at ANY time I want. I just have to separate myself from the lies and the sadness and not letting it consume me.

So far, it has worked! I haven't been depressed or had a panic attack in a very long time. I've been stressed and stuff here or there, I'm still human, but these changes have completely transformed my life.

 

[timewerx]

If you're depressed, watch some news:

 

[Greg J.]

Regardless of the type of depression, what positive ways do you cope with or overcome it?

I believe the standard recommendation is still both is medication (psychiatrist) and therapy (psychologist).

Spiritually, go to Jesus every day for help. Study and memorize the truth from Scripture, so that you can recognize and fight incorrect thinking. I also find help with fasting, because it's not something I have to self-motivate to do (which is sometimes impossible), but only have to motivate enough to not do something.

Practically speaking, experiencing that you are loved is the only short-term help I know of. It's one of the consequences of having built your life on the rock before the storms come (but it's never too late to start).

Visit the Depression Disorders forum.

 

[smalltowngirl86]

I fought against depression for many years. I tried medications that made me act out and just made me tired and exhausted. I tried counseling and read books. I just never felt any of it worked. I was able to conquer it by changing the way I thought and with my actions.

I kept thinking the answers were external...that all I needed was A, B, and C and it would go away. I tried to put the burden on others, thinking maybe relationships and friendships would fix me. They didn't. I tried pain meds because they made me feel good for a little while. That didn't work either.

I had to sit down and decide for myself that I'm in charge of my life and I was never meant to seek or find happiness outside of my being. I have everything I need to be happy. I'm in charge of my thoughts and whether or not I believe the lies. I'm in charge of my actions and how I act. I get to choose what I do with my life from here on out.

So, I made a plan. What am I not happy with? What do I wish I could change? How can I think differently? Then, I put it into motion. I stopped thinking of myself as this lowly, unloved figure. Through that, I discovered my worth. By identifying when I knew a panic attack was coming on, I learned how to stop it in its tracks. When I get stressed, I taught myself to walk away, center myself, take deep breaths, and listen to relaxing music.

The biggest thing is telling myself it's okay. Everything is okay. There is nothing going on in my life I can't overcome. I'm fine. The thoughts trying to tell me something is wrong or making me sad are lying. I have a roof over my head, food in my fridge, etc, so all my needs are covered. If I wasn't happy with my living situation, my job situation, etc, I could change it at ANY time I want. I just have to separate myself from the lies and the sadness and not letting it consume me.

So far, it has worked! I haven't been depressed or had a panic attack in a very long time. I've been stressed and stuff here or there, I'm still human, but these changes have completely transformed my life.

Thank you for sharing this! I have been struggling with depression for the past few years. I can relate so much to what you said in your second paragraph. I have tried to change my thoughts in the past but would never stick to it, now I want to try harder to change my thoughts. I have also learned when a panic attack is coming and have learned to manage them to a point.

 

[Galatea]

There is absolutely no shame in getting therapy. God gave us intelligent minds to find out ways to help mankind get better (modern medicine, counseling). If you go to church, you can talk to your pastor or pastor's wife. Or, you can go to a therapist.

I will say that after my sister died, one of the things that helped me was singing and listening to hymns.

 

[kittysbecute]

bump

 

[LoveDivine]

It's hard to give advice on how to cope with depression since we may all be dealing with different root causes. What I have found to be a lasting cure ( in my case) is to give up the fight to make my life anything specific and to let go of any preconceived notions I had of what my life should be like ( I can feel sorry about certain sufferings in life and have legitimate sorrows, but I haven't yet been thrown to lions in a Colosseum for my faith. Our problems are all a matter of perspective).

I fought quite hard for a period of a few years, haha. I don't mean that I gave up working hard to reach goals or working on improving the things I could change. I agree with Saucy on that. What I gave up was my sense of entitlement that I deserved certain things or relationships in life and my fantasy of what my life was going to be like. Once I did that and accepted my circumstances, I began to find such joy and contentment in all the little sweet things and blessings in my life. Sometimes we can fret over the big picture and totally miss out on enjoying all the blessings we have on a daily basis. I also made the conscious decision to be grateful and thank God for all the numerous times he's provided for me and blessed me. Once I started to do that I was overcome with sorrow and shame for how long I had been ungrateful and complaining. I have chosen since that time to control my thoughts. Life is hard and full of sufferings and it's okay to feel sad and down at times. We do have the power though to control our thoughts and focus on the right things. The right feelings usually follow after we make the right decisions and focus on the right thoughts.

Maybe I don't have everything I would desire, but this earthly life isn't/ wasn't designed for us to coast through and have everything. Christ said that no man was fit to be his disciple unless he was willing to deny himself and pick up his cross. When you really believe and accept (deep in your soul) that the purpose of this life is to grow close to Christ, be transformed, and reach others, you start to view your sufferings in an entirely new light. I recently heard an incredible sermon that reinforced this. The text was the classic verse in Philippians " To live is Christ and to die is gain." Our life on earth is to prepare us for the " gain" of the next world. That being eternal fellowship with Christ and seeing his face.

I really like this quote by Timothy Keller that I recently came across : " So suffering is at the very heart of the Christian faith. It is not only the way that Christ became like and redeemed us, but it is one of the main ways we become like him and experience his redemption. And that means that our suffering, despite its painfulness, is also filled with purpose and usefulness."

 

[Paulie079]

I struggled with mild depression quite a bit last year and still do at times. These are things that have helped me a lot:

Identify the source - Oftentimes depression is caused by negative emotions that haven't been dealt with, and just acknowledging those in some form or another can help a lot. It can be easy to settle into habits or ways of living that aren't healthy, but we just get used to them and they become our normal and we lose sight of how unhealthy they are. I think addressing the baggage we carry around helps a lot.

Counseling - It helped me a lot with learning things about myself and helping me see things that I didn't even know were there so that I could deal with them.

Voice your feelings - It's really easy to come up with reasons or excuses why you shouldn't tell others how you are feeling, but it is so so important. Having a trusted person or people to talk to makes a big difference.

Strive for physical health - This was a big one for me. I found that eating poorly and poor sleep habits dramatically increased my likelihood to feel depressed.

Search for ways forward - This sounds a little cryptic, but basically what I mean is that when you are in a depressed state, you tend to feel like life really isn't worth living, all you want to do is lay in bed and sleep, you don't want to be around anyone, etc. And the future seems just as depressing. This isn't easy to do by any means, but work on establishing dreams and goals for yourself to move toward. Try to find something to get excited about. This has helped me tremendously. It took me a long time to find something to get excited about, but I kept searching for that and eventually was able to.

Medication - Depending on the severity of the depression, medication could be an option to consider. I have had multiple people tell me that it made a really significant difference for them, and there is no shame in it whatsoever.

Be mindful - Remember that it's okay to feel depressed. It's okay. You aren't unenjoyable and you aren't worthless as much as you feel like you are. You are struggling with something that is in many cases basically an illness. It requires treatment just like the flu. Be patient with yourself and strive to be kind to yourself. There is a light at the end of the tunnel even if it's not visible.

Gratitude - I am editing this to add in this one. I am echoing YankeeGirl because it is such an important one. Gratitude actually triggers a release of both dopamine and serotonin and really does make a huge difference.

 

[leothelioness]

It's hard to give advice on how to cope with depression since we may all be dealing with different root causes. What I have found to be a lasting cure ( in my case) is to give up the fight to make my life anything specific and to let go of any preconceived notions I had of what my life should be like ( I can feel sorry about certain sufferings in life and have legitimate sorrows, but I haven't yet been thrown to lions in a Colosseum for my faith. Our problems are all a matter of perspective).

I fought quite hard for a period of a few years, haha. I don't mean that I gave up working hard to reach goals or working on improving the things I could change. I agree with Saucy on that. What I gave up was my sense of entitlement that I deserved certain things or relationships in life and my fantasy of what my life was going to be like. Once I did that and accepted my circumstances, I began to find such joy and contentment in all the little sweet things and blessings in my life. Sometimes we can fret over the big picture and totally miss out on enjoying all the blessings we have on a daily basis. I also made the conscious decision to be grateful and thank God for all the numerous times he's provided for me and blessed me. Once I started to do that I was overcome with sorrow and shame for how long I had been ungrateful and complaining. I have chosen since that time to control my thoughts. Life is hard and full of sufferings and it's okay to feel sad and down at times. We do have the power though to control our thoughts and focus on the right things. The right feelings usually follow after we make the right decisions and focus on the right thoughts.

Maybe I don't have everything I would desire, but this earthly life isn't/ wasn't designed for us to coast through and have everything. Christ said that no man was fit to be his disciple unless he was willing to deny himself and pick up his cross. When you really believe and accept (deep in your soul) that the purpose of this life is to grow close to Christ, be transformed, and reach others, you start to view your sufferings in an entirely new light. I recently heard an incredible sermon that reinforced this. The text was the classic verse in Philippians " To live is Christ and to die is gain." Our life on earth is to prepare us for the " gain" of the next world. That being eternal fellowship with Christ and seeing his face.

I really like this quote by Timothy Keller that I recently came across : " So suffering is at the very heart of the Christian faith. It is not only the way that Christ became like and redeemed us, but it is one of the main ways we become like him and experience his redemption. And that means that our suffering, despite its painfulness, is also filled with purpose and usefulness."

Amen. Our sufferings can also be for the purpose of helping others as Christ Himself showed us. I always love to keep in mind the Scripture that says, "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." That is so encouraging.

Also, I believe that we must caution ourselves and others to be accepting of our circumstances but not be resigned to them as there is a big difference. Resignation is the absence of hope, but acceptance is the presence of faith at work through trust in God for His will in our lives.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Good word, Paulie. Thanks for sharing!

 

[redblue22]

(hug) Think on those who love you. Know we love you too.

 

[MehGuy]

I try to be more empathetic.

 

[ReesePiece23]

For me personally, I began to realise that depression exists in the past. Anxiety exists in the future. The key for me was to get present and in tune with TODAY. And to rid myself of anything that was no longer serving me by decluttering my lifestyle. (Think about how good it feels to declutter the house.)

If it's not relevant today, get rid of it. Hanging on to old memories and living through them is like buying a VHS tape. You can't even get a VHS player anymore, so why would you buy a tape? We're all over here on Netflix maaaaan! So get with the times. (I don't have Netflix, but you see my point.)

As for the ghost of Christians future, anxiety. Well, the future doesn't even exist yet. So get back to the present time and watch Netflix and order a Domino's Duuude! (I'm trying as hard as I can to sound American, and I'm failing.)

This is a gross oversimplification BUT, a solid starting point. IMO.

 

[kittysbecute]

One of the positive things I've done lately is I find 1 verse to focus on throughout my day. Sometimes I share it with a few friends incase it can be encouraging to them as well.
It's such a simple thing that doesn't require as much motivation or energy as other things.
Exercise and spending time with friends and family is good too. Combined is great.
Going to the beach with a friend or going on a walk helps too.

 

[redblue22]

more drugs.


edit:

Since so many think the absolute worst of me, let me clarify. I mean pharmaceuticals and medication.