Depression and how you deal with it

[Lunar_Wolf]

I've suffered from depression since my heart surgery in 2004. Sometimes I get bad bouts. I started getting a bad bout during the week and now my Lexapro dosage has gone up followed by a few days of Xanax. I'm moving in September with my gf and I fear I won't be better and then comes guilt and a lot of other horrible feelings. Yesterday I thought about suicide and it made me feel happy(I would never do it because I wouldn't put that pain on anyone).

Do you suffer from depression, how did you feel through it and did your gf/bf/wife/husband help?

 

[Mario_Galaxy]

I've had a couple of bouts. I actually just came out of my most severe I'd say (just about the whole last year feeling like ****.) You probably won't want to hear this, but it's a process, man. There were so many times I thought I was "cured" and then something happened to send me down.

It's important to remember that the mind favors familiarity. If you're used to feeling fearful, miserable, or telling yourself things that only make you feel bad, stop them now. Start exercising (very cliche advice, but it does work. I've been running daily for a few months now and I feel awesome), catch up with a friend you haven't seen a while, and beyond all else realise that you ARE a good person, and SHOULD feel happy about your life. Times will get tough and there will be things that upset you, but how you deal with it (looking at the brightside/knowing it won't feel so bad forever as opposed to saying it's your fault you're depressed or that depression will always be there) is going to determine how easily you can move past it. Hope that helps man.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

I've had a couple of bouts. I actually just came out of my most severe I'd say (just about the whole last year feeling like ****.) You probably won't want to hear this, but it's a process, man. There were so many times I thought I was "cured" and then something happened to send me down.

It's important to remember that the mind favors familiarity. If you're used to feeling fearful, miserable, or telling yourself things that only make you feel bad, stop them now. Start exercising (very cliche advice, but it does work. I've been running daily for a few months now and I feel awesome), catch up with a friend you haven't seen a while, and beyond all else realise that you ARE a good person, and SHOULD feel happy about your life. Times will get tough and there will be things that upset you, but how you deal with it (looking at the brightside/knowing it won't feel so bad forever as opposed to saying it's your fault you're depressed or that depression will always be there) is going to determine how easily you can move past it. Hope that helps man.

Thanks, it does!

I wanted to walk these past two days but it's been raining. My parents took me for a drive for fresh air. I'm trying my best not to sit down and move around to do a small thing or two around the house.

Worst part is waking up. My stomach just feels like ****.

 

[knowsbleed]

LW, sorry to hear that you've been suffering so much. I won't make fun of you as much anymore.

So many people I'm close to suffer from depression. I sometimes want to feel their pain so that I can know exactly how they are feeling. It's the same anytime someone close to me is sick from something else as well... I want to feel what they feel so that there can be a closer understanding of their suffering. I don't want to be insensitive and try to give them advice

Perhaps I'm overthinking this.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

LW, sorry to hear that you've been suffering so much. I won't make fun of you as much anymore.

So many people I'm close to suffer from depression. I sometimes want to feel their pain so that I can know exactly how they are feeling. It's the same anytime someone close to me is sick from something else as well... I want to feel what they feel so that there can be a closer understanding of their suffering. I don't want to be insensitive and try to give them advice

Perhaps I'm overthinking this.

Haha, don't worry about it dude, I dig your sense of humor.

You're a lucky guy not to feel any of this. I prefer to be in psychical pain over mental pain.

 

[Rob Lobo]

Try Pray, and never stop praying. It'll heal the heart & soul gradually.

 

[Bruce Banner]

Sorry you feel that way Lunar. I've been on and off with treatment and medication since the early 00's.

I try to find distractions. Anything I can to take my mind off of stuff (I'm one of those people who self reflects too much). I go to the gym and exercise a lot. Try to enjoy my hobbies. If I'm up to it, I'll start writing.

When it comes to my relationships with others, I was a handful, and I still don't know how to handle that situation.

 

[Matt]

Talking helps, Lunar. My PM box is always open if you ever want to.

Beyond that, generic though it may sound (though it may be hard to sound more generic after what I just said about talking helping), you find the person or people who make your life worth living and take happiness in them and their presence. Beyond that, live in the moment. Don't think about what is behind you or in front of you. I find that is when I start dwelling. Just focus on the here and now. Try to take enjoyment out of everything you do and every moment.

It can be rough, but head high, stay strong.

 

[Paladin-Hoss]

Beyond that, generic though it may sound (though it may be hard to sound more generic after what I just said about talking helping), you find the person or people who make your life worth living and take happiness in them and their presence. Beyond that, live in the moment. Don't think about what is behind you or in front of you. I find that is when I start dwelling. Just focus on the here and now. Try to take enjoyment out of everything you do and every moment.

This is a very good advice. I've had problems with depression too, and this is pretty much what i always try to tell myself whenever it gets bad.

 

[Schlosser85]

The worst thing to do when depressed is to sit in your room and dwell on your depression.

Which unfortunately, is the easiest thing to do, at least for me, because of how listlessly tired and unmotivated to do anything it makes you feel.

Going for a walk does make me feel better, but it's too hot to do that lately.

 

[Hobgoblin]

What is your Lexapro dosage? I take it too and I'm at 30 mg.

Personally, snarky sarcasm helps me out.

 

[Schlosser85]

I like me some snarky sarcasm too.

If I really wanted to, I could steal some of my roommate's anti-depressants...

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

I tend to get depressed around my birthday and Christmas. Strange enough it's not about either event. I don't get depressed about Christmas, but late December, I get it, but it's not about it. Anyway, to cope with it, I just think of people who have it worse, and I think that it could be worse. That usually cheers me up to some degree. I might talk to a friend too, not about it, but just talking to someone about anything helps a little.

I'm sorry to hear about your depression OP.

 

[Gotham Knight]

It's funny as I came into this forum to make a thread entitled "I hate my life."

Thanks for saving me the time Lunar. But as a bit of advice to you, I'd recommend working out/eating healthy. Also are you positive your anti-depressant pills couldn't be contributing to you negatively?

 

[TheBat812]

I'm always surprised when I hear about people suffering from depression taking Xanax, because in my experience, it just makes you want to sit and do nothing, giving a depressed person nothing but time to reflect and spin themselves downwards. Like others have suggested, getting your mind to not focus on these thoughts is the key - get active hobbies, whether it be sports or music, but something that will keep your full attention. Try going to the gym if you don't already, which will naturally help self-confidence/anxiety. If you've never done it, get a personal trainer at least to start. Imo, you have to do things that will keep your mind stimulated, and like Gotham suggested, your medications might actually be contributing negatively (especially Xanax, in my non-professional opinion).

 

[Nevaratoiel]

Talking helps, Lunar.

The best advice.

Anti-depressives (pills) are a huge no-no. My brother took those and it made him numb, not feeling anything. And then you stop and it's like you've been missing years of your life and you feel like you're dropped just like that in the middle of a busy street, which can suck all the energy out of you.

As Matt said. Talking helps, it really does. First-hand experience here.

 

[braincrusher]

Fishing

 

[bullets]

I'll start doing something productive and that helps most of the time.

 

[Matt]

The best advice.

Anti-depressives (pills) are a huge no-no. My brother took those and it made him numb, not feeling anything. And then you stop and it's like you've been missing years of your life and you feel like you're dropped just like that in the middle of a busy street, which can suck all the energy out of you.

As Matt said. Talking helps, it really does. First-hand experience here.

Agreed. There have been times when I have been really down and I still wouldn't take anti-depressants. I don't like psychological pharmaceuticals. They change who you are. They change your brain chemistry. Something about that just doesn't sit right with me.

 

[Matt]

I think another big thing is realizing that we're never alone in this world. It may be easy to feel that way, especially when depression is involved. But, look at your thread Lunar. You basically sent out an E-SOS and people responded. People who are genuinely concerned and want to help. And I bet you have people like that off of the computer as well. When it comes down to it, we all have people in this world who would do anything for us, who genuinely love us and care about our well being. Depression can make it easy to overlook that, but you shouldn't. Makes me smile when I get hit...so try thinking about that next time you're down.

 

[Cunning Stunts]

I was diagnosed right around two years ago with Major Depressive Disorder, and shortly after ADHD (which my parents knew about but never had me treated for), which is largely why I stopped posting here. My doctor told me that, given all that came out in therapy sessions, I had been dealing with both since childhood, and that the ADHD can make the depression worse. It got really bad shortly before my parents forced me into therapy.

I was diagnosed with an anti-depressant (can't think of the name of it, off the top of my head) and adderall (for the ADHD) a little while later. The anti-depressant largely did what has been stated here in this thread: it made me numb and flatlined, which bothered me. I didn't hate anything or feel depressed, but I wasn't happy and having fun either. However, the adderall did help greatly with both, and while I'm not sure if it's intended to help with depression, it did in fact help, and for a reason:

It motivated me to do stuff. I got up early, went to bed at a decent time, and I was very active throughout the day and didn't want to sit around wasting time. That's how I had been all throughout high school and the earlier years of college, as I was on a few sports teams and did a number extra-curricular activities. That kept me busy and it kept my mind active- I never really had time to be depressed (my docs also said activity will help combat depression biologically as well). I also found a new college that supported the degree I've wanted all along, and it got me working on one of my dream jobs (which I'm working toward), and that helped boost things a lot, especially when I began seeing results.

With that in mind: Put simply, do stuff. Be active, do stuff that you're interested in, go out with friends, don't let yourself say no. And as Matt said, talk to friends and have someone there when you're feeling down. Hell, even if no one's within the reach of a phone call at the time, you've got a whole forum full of fellow super geeks here, right? And, as hard as it'll sound when you're having your downswings, as Matt said as well, remind yourself that you're never alone. Not like, "Suck it up, others are more depressed than me," but more akin to, "Others with my problems have great lives and get through the days just fine, I can too."

Go out and do something! Accomplishing stuff will be a huge boost, even if it's just something like learning to draw better than you could before.

 

[<(o_o)>]

I suffer from Manic Depression/Bipolar Disorder. I've been on tons of medications over the past 17 to 18 years that just make me feel even worse. I've lost friends because of this disorder, they just thought I was crazy either way & had no sympathy or compassion for what I was going through.

 

[Mandalore464]

Edit : Deleted

 

[Zatanna]

Dealing with depression will always be tough, and I haven't and still don't always deal with it in the best way. Sometimes I shut myself away from the world, and sometimes I try to talk to my mom. She is truly my best friend. I've never really been able to discuss these issues with my friends. It's hard talking about it with somebody who hasn't lived with you and dealt with the pain right along side you, and it's hard talking about to people who haven't experienced it themselves.

I'm on Lexapro, but the symptoms of my OCD will never be completely absent, and depression is something that I've always had to deal with on top of the OCD, but that's pretty normal for anyone with the disorder. I've dealt with the disorder since I was a small child and I was diagnosed around 13 when the symptoms and depression took a drastic turn for the worse. I've been through about 3 medications since then. First it was Zoloft, then it was Cymbalta, which actually took me to the point of contemplating suicide. Then I was switched to Lexapro, and it's worked out fine for me. But as I said, the symptoms will never completely go away. It's always there.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

What is your Lexapro dosage? I take it too and I'm at 30 mg.

Personally, snarky sarcasm helps me out.

I'm on 25mg.

How do you find your dosage?

Thanks for your advice everyone.

I went for a walk and a drive today. I find it very hard to concentrate of things because I have titinuis and eye floaters. They never bothered me, but now they are, there driving me insane. I found the walk helped, but I feel guilt, hopeless and even when I'm doing things to help. I know depression won't go within a few days, but my anxiety is freaking me out.