Need some help dealing with depression

thanks, babe🙂

Yoga 👍
Yoga showering
Nothing but upbeat tunes
Keeping a journal to clear my head... there is more to it than that...
And don't you dare give up on your dreams... keep dreaming... even when they feel completely out of reach.
Good luck, and hang in there.

Sandra Walker82 said:Yoga showering👍
Just listening to upbeat music...
Keeping a journal to get everything out... there's more to it than that...

And don't you dare give up on your dreams... keep dreaming... even when they feel completely out of reach.
Good luck, and hang in there.

And perhaps most importantly, prayer—it heals the soul.👋

so what if you aren't religious?

journaling thoughts? hmm... reading all this dark stuff makes me realize just how much I've lost it...

You don't need to be religious to pray.

You have ambitions, desires, things you strive for and long for.
That is your prayer.

That’s how I explain it.

🙂 👋

yeah, suppose that works
but who are you even supposed to pray to then?
or were you more thinking about just talking to yourself?
you clear out your inbox yet?

Lawrence Garcia93 said:But what if you aren't religious?

Journaling your thoughts? Hmm. Reading through all that gloom... honestly, it makes me feel like I’ve completely lost my mind.

Well, that is precisely the point.
You begin to see yourself through a different lens—not necessarily through the eyes of others, but through your own. You observe your reactions, how you experience affect, even when your actual thoughts don't align with your impulses. You see what triggers your anger and, more importantly, *why* it happens. It allows you to pinpoint where you stumbled and how to navigate things better next time. You won't stumble upon every answer immediately, certainly not, but at the very least, you'll be capable of asking the right questions.

Inbox cleared.

I've never been one for journaling. Perhaps it might be interesting to start
recording my thoughts.
And then what?
Once they're down on paper—do you read them immediately? Or...?
😕

look, I’m at that point where trying to actually map out this ink in my head
is just gonna make the whole thing look even more terrifying
probably gonna sit on it for a month or two...

silvermason16 said:cleared out my inbox

I’ve never been much of a journal writer. Though, I suppose it might be interesting to actually start
documenting one's thoughts.
But what follows?
Once you commit them to paper—do you just sit there and read them back immediately? Or...?
😕

Well, I suspect the impact is more profound after some time has passed. I'm not entirely certain—it feels like a bit of trial and error.😁

Maybe give journaling a shot...

I was just reading some news snippet on my phone about how keeping a journal might actually tank your mood... though honestly, who knows if those studies are even right.

Listen... don't spend all your energy writing about life, just go out and live it. Try to fill every single moment with something engaging. You should give Pilates a shot—it’s hard to zone out when you're working that hard. Or maybe an aerobics class; it's basically just hanging out and getting a workout in with some upbeat music. Give it a try.
Find a way to do something for others, too—people who are struggling, like kids in foster care or the elderly out in nursing homes...
It’ll make you feel a whole lot better.

The New York Times just released a new book through their medical publishing division.
Does anyone have any insight on this? I’m a firm believer that low-impact activities like swimming really help... or even just revisiting some old-school tunes. Maybe some Chubby Checker or another classic legend to get you moving.

Beyond my own heart and all the love I hold dear, there’s a deeper devotion—a love for this country of mine... just like those classic folk songs sing about bitter grass and old, stinging wounds... people, we need less smoke and more fresh air, less talk and more action.

hmm... I think I might have a slightly shorter way of looking at this... because honestly, everything you guys have mentioned so far... it’s all still a bit unproven, isn't it? I mean, what people say doesn't always hold water... because when you eat certain things, they don't necessarily go where you think they're supposed to go. Our human brain... hmm... it's a much bigger mystery than we like to admit. Like, do you have something that actually makes you happy? I mean, something that makes you feel absolutely, incredibly joyful when you're doing it? That's usually what pulls you out of a funk. And just taking a daily walk helps too. As for antidepressants... well, those can actually mess with your synaptic connections over time, which might end up making things even harder in the long run. Chocolate helps, though—and it's not really about blood sugar, I guess. It's more about that chemical reaction in the brain when you eat it, and that release of oxygen... the more oxygen flowing in your brain, the more active it is, and you just feel better. Coffee... man, coffee isn't always the answer, but maybe one cup with a good amount of sugar... you know, a sweet one... just one should be enough to carry you through the day if you aren't doing anything too mentally taxing. And finally... intimacy. Real, physical connection, especially sex... eh, if anything is going to help, that's it, particularly for women. That would be my take. Of course, this is all totally subjective and scientifically unproven on my part—I'm sure others have proven it better than me—and it really just depends on the individual. You just have to find whatever it is that gets you back on your feet.

The nonsense you guys are posting is unreal... seriously, you aren't going to cure depression just by hiking up a mountain, crying over some indie movie, or cutting back on sugar! Helloooo?

Look, Kikaa, listen: depression usually stems from how a person perceives the world—basically, whether you’re obsessing over the negatives or the positives, and the way you justify or rationalize everything happening to you.
Here is a simple, maybe even cliché, example: take a woman in her 30s who happens to be carrying about 20 extra pounds. She could look at herself and think: "God, I am such a fat pig. All my friends have perfect bodies while I just gorge myself and can't stop. I'm such a loser; I'm in my thirties and I still haven't figured out how to stay fit."
That exact same woman could also think: "Okay, yeah, I've gained 20 pounds, but it's because I've been overindulging over the last few months. Besides, I don't need to look like those mindless supermodels in magazines who live on nothing but lettuce. I'm a normal person and I want to enjoy my food." From there, she actually gets to decide if she wants to go on a diet or not.
That first mindset is pure destruction; it nukes your self-esteem and triggers this whole downward spiral of negative self-talk. The best part is that you actually *can* rewire how you think and learn to make it positive and constructive.
Now, keep in mind, this isn't easy, and depression is a legitimate illness. It’s a process that takes weeks or even months of actual work. But once that change happens, it sticks. That’s why I’m suggesting you look into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with a psychologist. Don't just jump straight to antidepressants unless they are absolutely necessary (your therapist will tell you if they are).
And hang out with your friends. A problem shared is a problem halved.

I mean, I think talking to someone—like, actual therapy—might help you out. But don't expect a quick fix; there aren't any instant solutions for this kind of stuff. Good luck, I guess.👋

George Taylor94 said:Oh my god, you guys are talking such nonsense... like, running up a mountain, crying at movies, and cutting back on sugar isn't going to cure depression. Hellooo?

So, I guess according to you, depression is strictly just some psychological thing that has zero connection to how your body reacts when its physiological needs aren't being met? I mean, maybe that could be true... but in my opinion, if someone has been stuck like that for 30 years, with that exact same worldview for three decades... they aren't just going to change overnight. Like, there's no chance. A different perspective won't fix them if they can't change their core mindset... because, well, you can't really fuck with that on a purely psychological level. I mean, therapy and talking it out is probably the best way for everyone... because honestly, a person can't heal another person any better than they can heal themselves. Even if they manage to crawl out of the hole, something is always going to come along, throw them off balance, and drag them right back to where they started. Just looking at your super basic example here... let me add something to that. Say she develops a constructive way of thinking and finally escapes the depression... and now she’s all happy, but she gained 10 pounds, feels unattractive, and starts hating herself. And that's what trips her up again... and she slips right back into old habits. Or, okay, say she goes on a diet, loses the weight, and she's all happy because she's thin, but then something happens that knocks her right back down. If you don't have the character, there's just no help. If you lack the backbone to tell yourself, "Screw it, I'm staying home today," or "I'm going out to have fun," or "I'm gonna go for a run to lose these 10 pounds because this diet is total crap but I don't want to get fat," or "I need to quit smoking"... man, if you don't have that kind of mindset, no psychotherapist in the world is going to save you. We could blah blah blah about it forever, but the fact remains that depression hits every individual differently, acts differently, and it's easily one of the most common issues in the world today (around 80%)...🙏

analogwolf4 said:So, according to you, depression is strictly a psychological issue and has nothing to do with what happens physically when the body is lacking certain things?
DEPRESSION ISN'T JUST SOME PSYCHOLOGICAL FLUFF (THAT'S WHY PEOPLE TAKE SSRIs—BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY IMPACT BRAIN PHYSIOLOGY). BUT RUNNING UP A HILL OR CRYING YOUR EYES OUT ISN'T GOING TO FIX THE ROOT ISSUE. IT CAN HELP, BUT IT DOESN'T SOLVE IT, YOU KNOW...?

That might actually be true... but from your perspective (or at least mine), if someone has been stuck like that for 30 years and has viewed the world that way for 30 years... they aren't going to change... there's no chance... like, no different worldview is going to fix them... because that's just who they are, and you can't do anything about it... purely on a psychological level... meaning therapy and talking is probably the best shot anyone has... a person can't heal another person any better than they can heal themselves... because even if they do manage to climb out of the hole, something will always come along to knock them off balance and drag them right back to where they started.
EXACTLY, THAT'S THE POINT. A GOOD COUNSELOR AND SOLID THERAPY WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO COPE WITH PROBLEMS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. A PSYCHOLOGIST DOESN'T "CURE" YOU, FOR GOD'S SAKE, THEY ASSIST YOU.

...regarding your incredibly basic example... let me add something... say she developed a constructive way of thinking and managed to pull herself out of depression... and now she’s all happy, gained 10 pounds, looks unappealing, and feels unattractive... and that starts messing with her head again... and she starts sliding back into old habits... or say she went on a diet, lost the weight, and is happy because she's thin, but then something happens that knocks her back to square one... if you don't have the character, there's no help... if you lack the backbone to tell yourself, "Screw it, I'm going outside today, I'm going to enjoy myself, I'm going for a run to lose those 10 pounds because this diet is a nightmare and I want results," or "I'm going to quit smoking"...
I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO RESPOND TO THIS BECAUSE IT'S THE KIND OF QUESTION THAT SPIRALS INTO A DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER OBESE PEOPLE SHOULD LOSE WEIGHT OR NOT.

The reality is that depression manifests and is treated differently in every single individual, and it's one of the most common illnesses in the world (80%)...🙏

DEPRESSION ISN'T EVEN THE MOST PREVALENT ILLNESS GLOBALLY (THAT TITLE GOES TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE), AND IT CERTAINLY ISN'T REPRESENTING 80% OF THE POPULATION. THAT WOULD MEAN 8 out of every 10 people need to be on antidepressants!!! PLEASE, DO A LITTLE RESEARCH, READ SOME ACTUAL LITERATURE, AND GO SPREAD THESE RUMORS ON A DIFFERENT THREAD. MAYBE OVER AT THE MAYO CLINIC FORUMS OR SOMETHING.

Maybe try brushing up on some basic communication skills before jumping headfirst into a debate. It would also go a long way if you actually brought some relevant data to the table.

And above all else, please stop SHOUTING at people.🙄