What are some suggestions to help with depression, off hand I can think of a few.
If you’re in a rut, and nothing seems to work…can’t do art too depressed etc?
I think you can try to do something you love to do and also keep a low stress life,not expecting too much…if these doesn’t work I would ask my psychiatrist for a antidepressant or change in medication
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Nothing’s helped me with depression except medicine.
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same as pob
never going back to unmedicated depression, it wasn’t even that severe, just ‘lack of joy’
Take it all the way to the limit…depression that is.
Stay under the covers in your pj’s for all long as you can, make it a game to not get up except for the bare necessities.
See how long you can stay in one position, your mind in neutral and no conversations, no cell phone, no tv, no nothing.
Just zero.
Nada.
Nothing.
Empty.
Barren.
Void.
Hollow.
At some point, you will find your mind starts up, thinking, wondering, dreaming.
You might get pretty tired of nothing, and at that point, zero gets slowly replaced with something.
Now, if at first, you don’t like what your mind shows you, it’s up to you to change the script, rewrite the scene into something more pleasing.
Let your mind drive you out of the same rut it put you in, full speed, squeal the tires, do donuts around that rut, leave a thick black rubber mark right across that rut and don’t look back.
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positive thinking
I did this recently actually. I had a maximum sleep day because I was sick of sleeping too much so I stayed in bed for about 20 hours. Now I’m waking up at a normal time in the morning
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Some of the SSRI,s have a decent side effects profile. Some natural rymedies I would suggest is dark chocolate 70% cocau. Its high in saturated fat , has caffeine in it , and could effect heart rate if you take too much of it. Most sites suggest a small square of it a day.
Karl , positive thinking can be punitive if in a severe rut. I liken it to a big stick to hit ones self with.
Now that’s not to say positive thinking has no place in treating depression , it has , but only once a person has got their depression under control bio chemically.
For anyone who want to know more about this , there is a wealth of information on this under the following heading ‘the tyranny of positive thinking’
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Talking to someone helps me I don’t need to bring up depression just hearing someone helps
smoke some weed don’t rely on anti depressants pharmaceutical garbage with all the side affects…
radical acceptance of the depression, don’t let the fact that you are depressed get you more depressed. just let it be. radical acceptance.
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A PDF file http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au…
The site this comes from is Australian some good stuff on depression and slowly increasing for Bipolar http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
(The site seems down atm moment but try again soon.)
By Richard O’Connor, PhD
Mental Health Professional Psychologist
Undoing Depression Website
Author of Undoing Depression: What Therapy Doesn’t Teach You and Medication Can’t Give You and Active Treatment of Depression
Get help. Don’t be ashamed of needing medication, and don’t give up until you find something that helps. And see a therapist.
Identify your feelings and moods. Depression is a self-destructive effort to avoid feeling. Accept that emotions are natural and helpful. Learn that mood changes don’t come “out of the blue” — they are always started by an event, a memory, a dream. Use the Mood Journal to identify what starts your mood changes.
Challenge depressed thinking. People with depression remember and blame themselves for bad events, while they forget about and give others credit for good events. Their low expectations mean they often don’t prepare adequately and give up too easily. Worst, they think they are essentially different — damaged somehow — from other people. These are all learned habits of thought that can be unlearned. Pay attention to your assumptions and beliefs.
Let others know. Depressives fear intimacy more than most people. We put on masks for the world, because we believe our true selves to be shameful, unworthy. But this belief is wrong. When we’re with someone we can trust, sharing our thoughts and feelings — even if they seem unimportant — is good for us.
Take care of yourself. Learn to pay attention to messages from your body. Depressives abuse themselves by not eating right, not exercising, and then expecting to work 12 hours straight. They will deny a minor ache or pain until they have an ulcer or a chronic back condition. Take time for moderate exercise, eat healthy but delicious meals, and allow yourself some pleasure in life.
Practice detachment. We spend far too much time and effort trying to control things that aren’t worth the struggle. Many things that worry us are really unimportant; we’ve just gotten over involved and lost our bearings. We may find that we’re trying to change things that we realistically cannot change. Instead of battering your head against a brick wall, learn to walk away.
Excerpt from the doctors’ book of Home remedies no idea who wrote despite having the book
22 ways to beat the Blues
Life (oweeeee!) might be compared to a roller coaster. Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief. Doctor, lawyer, Indian chief. Everyone has ups and downs. Why, even top experts on depression occasionally get bottomed out.
But what these depression experts know from experience is that nearly all cases of depression can be reversed—even the most serious ones. And for the not-so-serious ones (call them the blues, the blahs, or the I-just-don’t-want-to-get-out-of-bed days), some very simple techniques can work wonders.
So if you’re feeling down in the dumps, melancholy, like life is dragging you down and dragging you out, try one of these proven methods for making your spirits soar.
Sit back and enjoy
(or at least tolerate) the tumble. Benjamin Franklin said that nothing is certain in this world but death and taxes. He missed something sadness.
“Realize that feeling a little bad is no big deal,” says William Knaus, Ed.D., a private practice psychologist in Long Meadow, Massachusetts. Psychologist Fred Strassburger, Ph.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine, adds “Understand that the down feelings are temporary—don’t get sadder because you’re sad.”
Do something active
Hanging around the house and moping is sure to make you more depressed. So this home remedy involves getting away from home. It doesn’t matter much what you choose to do, as long as it’s something active, says Jonathan W. Stewart, M.D., a research psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City. Go for a walk, take a bike ride, visit a friend, play a game of chess, read a book, or become a Big Brother. Turning the knob on the television set, however, is not being active.
Search your memory for fun things to do.
The best way to pick an activity is to start by jotting down a list of things you enjoy. The problem, of course, is that nothing looks too enjoyable when you’re down and out. What to do? List activities that you used to enjoy, suggests C. Eugene Walker, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and director of training in pediatric psychology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Then, pick one—and do it!
Talk it out
“It’s always helpful to share your feelings with someone," says Bonnie R. Strickland, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. “Find friends who care about you and tell them what’s on your mind.”
Helping Others through Depression
What’s the best thing to do if someone close to you gets depressed?
“Listen,” says family therapist Robert Jaffe, Ph.D., “more than anything, your friend needs an ear.”
If someone you care about seems depressed and hasn’t said anything about it, go ahead and ask, “Do you feel depressed?” suggests Dr. Jaffe. Follow up with open-ended questions, like “When did you first start feeling this way?” This is a good question, says Dr. Jaffe, because determining when a depression began often helps uncover the incident or incidents that might have sparked it.
Have a good cry.
If talking about your problems leads to tears—let them flow. “Crying is a wonderful release—especially if you know what you’re crying about,” says Robert Jaffe, Ph.D., a marriage and family therapist in Sherman Oaks, California.
Sit down and analyze the situation
“A lot of times, if you can pinpoint the source of your depression, you’ll feel a lot better,” says Dr. Strassburger. “Once you understand the problem, you can begin to figure out what you need to do about it.”
Try and try again—then quit
“As kids and adolescents, we have ideas of what life will bring, and sometimes we hang on to them even when life dictates that these ideas are unrealistic,” says Arnold H. Gessel, M.D., a private practice psychiatrist in Broomall, Pennsylvania. Chasing elusive goals can lead to depression, he says. This is when you simply have to say “I’ve given it my best shot”—and give up
Nutrition
more than anything else—controls your state of mind, claims Priscilla Slagle, M.D., an associate clinical professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA School of Medicine. The most beneficial nutrients for battling depression? Above all, she says, it’s B vitamins and certain amino acids. Here’s her formula.
If you’re feeling down, try 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams of the amino acid L-tyrosine first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach), followed by a B-complex vitamin supplement 30 minutes later, with breakfast, suggests Dr. Slagle.
L-tyrosine converts in the brain to norepinephrine, a chemical that promotes positive moods and gives us motivation and drive, she says. The B-complex vitamins, particularly vitamin B6, allow the body to metabolize amino acids.
“I don’t know anyone with a mild problem who hasn’t responded to this treatment,” says Dr. Slagle. However, you should get your doctor’s approval before starting supplement therapy.
Representatives from both the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association say they haven’t seen enough research to give either a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down to Dr. Slagle’s claims…
Exercise.
Numerous studies show that exercise can help overcome the blues. If you already exercise regularly and are in good physical shape but poor mental shape, consider “going for total exhaustion,” suggests Dr. Gessel. “It’s a good way to discharge your tensions.”
Pick up a box of crayons.
A great way to express your feelings is by writing them down, or better yet, by drawing them, says Ellen McGrath, Ph.D., chairwoman of the American Psychological Association’s National Task Force on Women and Depression and clinical associate professor at New York University. If you sit down immediately after something upsets you and start to draw, you might be surprised at the insight you’ll gain into your emotions, she says. Use lots of color. A choice of red could suggest anger; black, sadness; and gray, anxiety.
Adjust the facts, ma’am.
“Sometimes when you start to gauge your assumptions against reality, you may find things aren’t as you think they are,” says Dr. Knaus. For instance, if you suspect your lover may be cheating on you (a good reason to be depressed)—go ahead and ask. You may be wrong.
MEDICAL ALERT
When It’s Time to Seek Help
If you’re feeling down and out and the feeling persists—even though you’ve tried all you know to beat it—it may be time to see a mental health professional.
Experts at the National Institute for Mental Health suggest that anyone who experiences four or more of the following symptoms for more than two weeks should seek help.
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings
- Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
•-Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness - Loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary activities, including sex
- Sleep disturbances (including insomnia, early-morning waking, and/or oversleeping)
•-Eating disturbances (changes in appetite and/or weight loss or gain)
•-Decreased energy, fatigue, and/or a feeling of being “slowed down”
•-Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts - Restlessness and/or irritability
Difficulty in concentrating, remembering, and/or making decisions
Find something really boring to do.
What you may need to snap you out of the blues is simply something to distract you, to shift your attention away from your woes. To do this, “pick something dreadfully boring to do and do it,” suggests Dr. Knaus. For instance? Clean your bathroom tiles with a toothbrush. Or study the same leaf, again and again and again.
Slow down.
Life in the twentieth century can be mighty hectic at times. If you suspect that over scheduling is at the root of your depression, then you may simply need to relax, says Dr. Strickland. “Give yourself more time for things like warm baths or massages.”
Avoid making major decisions. “You can’t really trust your judgment when you’re depressed,” says Robert S. Brown, Sr., M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He advises that major life decisions should be put off till you’re feeling better, lest you make the wrong decisions, which, of course, can only drag you down further.
Treat others with respect
Being depressed, you may be inclined to be snippy with other people, says Dr. Knaus. Don’t do it, he warns, for others may be snippy right back—the last thing you need when you’re down.
Stay out of department stores.
Just as snapping at other people can have a boomerang effect on your depression, so can shopping binges, says Dr. Knaus. That is, while they can be loads of fun, they can come back to haunt you when the bills come in.
Close the refrigerator.
Eating binges also have a boomerang effect, warns Dr. Knaus. While a binge might make you feel good at the moment, it can add depressing inches to your waistline. Get out of the house, if you have to, to fight the urge to eat.
I hope it helps
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Identifying my feelings and moods is key for me. I have to stop a couple of times a day and sit quietly and figure out what I’m feeling. I have a list of feelings to help if I’m at a loss for describing it. Then I try to figure out if there is any reason for me to be feeling that way. Like a particular thought or if something happened.
Nothing really helped me until I took some new meds (olanzapine) along with my dose of amisulpride. Now I seem to be getting back on my feet. But distraction does help as well, even for a short period of time. Get close to nature - take a walk on the beach or in a park or garden or stargaze or look at a mountain or the clouds. I find it helps to soothe the soul. Pray (if you believe in God). Write in a journal. Write a poem or paint a picture. Have a cup of coffee or tea. Read a book. Get enough sleep. Do housework. Bake some cookies or a cake for yourself and family. Invite some friends over for tea or coffee and a chat. Get a pet dog or cat or bird or fish or whatever else fancies you. I found the above things helped me a lot.
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…a friend…and beer…
Also good music, a good movie
eating out at a nice restaurant and getting out there also helps
but most of all a good friend. Even if they’re just an online thing it is better than being alone.
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Hmmm well when I was depressed not too much helped, because it was a chemical thing…I guess socialization was distracting. Surround yourself with friends or family, if you can.
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