Depression. What helped you?
sweetpeanut
Posts: 4,805 Forum Member
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Depression and all that can go with it.
Did conventional treatment help you or make you worse?
Did you find your own way after Drs and therapist failed you (if they indeed did?)
I dont mean self medicating in a harmful way, that a lot of us have done but did you read or stumble across your our cure?
How did you get yourself out that black hole?
I did it by diet ( always in ketosis) and amazed myself on how much my mental health improved, also my physical health improved beyond anything I could imagine.
I lost over 7 stone in one year (most of that put on due to the meds I was on )
What helped you the most, if anything. Was it conventional medicine or unconventional.
Did conventional treatment help you or make you worse?
Did you find your own way after Drs and therapist failed you (if they indeed did?)
I dont mean self medicating in a harmful way, that a lot of us have done but did you read or stumble across your our cure?
How did you get yourself out that black hole?
I did it by diet ( always in ketosis) and amazed myself on how much my mental health improved, also my physical health improved beyond anything I could imagine.
I lost over 7 stone in one year (most of that put on due to the meds I was on )
What helped you the most, if anything. Was it conventional medicine or unconventional.
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Comments
For me, anti depressants did not work. The first one that I was on left me in a rage, I was spoiling for a fight all the time! Second ones, I slept about 18/20 hours a day, whacked on 57 pounds and was practically housebound.
Also having a job helps, its a real struggle to get up and go in (occasionally I give in) but once at work my mind is occupied and focused leaving no time to dwell on my anxiety.
Of course getting correct and managable medication is the first step.
My doctor gave me propanolol, which really helped. When the physical symptoms of anxiety reduced, I was more willing to go out more and that in turn helped mental health no end. The more you do, the more you want to do and the healthier you will be.
I still take propanolol if I'm going through something stressful, or I feel a tension headache coming on but this is thankfully getting rarer as time goes on.
Stress is often a leading trigger so best to avoid it if possible at all.
I was also recommended a therapist who was right for me, who really helped me too. It took me about a year of exercise/affirmations and seeing the therapist to get back to some sort of normality.
Its funny but my whole life up until I was 40 was very very stressful but as soon as that stress was gone, I fell to bits.
Positive thinking is also very good. Not being around negative people, not being pulled into drama.
If anyone makes you feel less than you are, then they are not good for you, and you should take steps to get them out of your life, even if they are family.
Seeing Shrinks. = didn't help
Tablets = don't help.
Getting out every day = no help.
Exercise = no help.
Eating plenty of fibre to stay 'regular' seems to have a noticeable effect on my mood.
Then I met someone who had suffered a nervous breakdown and depression and was quite unstable at times mentally.
It was a kick up the backside to someone like me who is a bit of a tough old cookie and gets on with stuff whatever.
It made me realise that the mind is a very delicate thing at times and never to prejudge anyone.
Going back to work as having too much time to think makes me so much worse. It's not the same for everyone but for me a routine helps a huge amount, even though it took me a long time to realise it. Accepting that I will have my bad days like I would with any illness but making sure it doesn't dominate my life and thoughts. CBT helped me enormously with that.
Sounds like severe depression.
I think self help can help mild-moderate depression but severe depression often takes time to heal.
I'm the opposite.
Mild stress can be motivating but any emotional upset or moderate-severe stress can send me spiralling on a downer.
But I feel stress is often accumulative and sometimes it can be something small on top of numerous other things that breaks the camel's back.
I agree with you on positive thinking and avoiding people who are bad for you.
I haven't looked back. I now walk about six miles every day and although I've never been fat I've lost 12 pounds and feel better than I have for years.
Mine was like that until I stumbled on my diet, plus high dose vit D. but all those things now help keep me up and motivated.
Hope you find something that will work for you.
BIB That has always been the hardest thing for me. I dont need enemies I am my own worst one.
not enough oestrogen-women
not enough testosterone-men
not enough light
not enough exercise
too much stress-especially in women
not enough vitamins and minerals
blood sugar imbalance
Key therefore is to balance blood sugar, get plenty of vits and mins, reduce stress, exercise, get light and get hormones balanced.
2. Cut sugar out of your diet.
3. Work long hours, preferably in a job you enjoy/tolerate.
4. Exercise rigorously three times a week.
5. Have 3-4 positive people around you. Cut negative people out of your life, and those who move from one crisis to another.
5. Develop a purpose to your life, a reason for living, that is greater than yourself.
6. DO NOT take so-called 'antidepressants'. There is no sensible, objective evidence that they work and quite a lot that they are linked to paranoia and deep problems.
Life's too short not to take the meds.
- regular exercise
- eating sensibly and healthily
- taking Vitamin D supplement (prescribed by a consultant for another condition) but really helped my whole health situation
- thinking of other people and helping other people
These things have really helped people I know who've had depression.