thanks zebrah in the nick of time i guess i was using the sugar remedy a bit much as i drink a pot of coffee a day and i always feel better of it and i eat oatmeal as well
Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the body. Sometimes the actual imbalance is hard to determine. Some people go through many different treatments before they find the right one. This can be very frustrating to get through the many weeks, months, and sometimes years before you have your symptoms of depression under control. The young have a much better chance of depression being a temporary illness. Those who have suffered from bouts of depression several times in their life or are older may have to be treated for depression the rest of their lives.
Many of the things that Zeb listed can help with depression. Keep in mind though that your treatment will be unique to you. Finding the right doctor for you is also a big part of the equation. You will need to talk with your doctor about your depression, any and all herbal supplements you take, as well as the other things you do to keep yourself healthy and your depression under control. Some might need prescription medication depending on the severity of their depression for a limited time, others might need them for the rest of their life. Either way one who suffers from depression needs to do the right thing for them.
I personally have suffered from depression since I was young. I had a chemical imbalance due to hormones when I was 12. I was treated for the hormone imbalance which in turn helped treat my depression. I my late teens I suffered again due to a chemical imbalance from my diet. I was treated and recovered. I have also suffered from postpartum depression, was treated and recovered. Depression is a part of my life but it certainly does not control it.
Things to keep your body chemicals in balance are your diet, exercise, supplements, and sometimes medications. Be sure to eat healthy for you because everyone's dietary needs are different, exercise and stay active as much as you can, take a multi vitamin and add any other supplements that work for you but be sure to talk with your doctor before you start them.
I currently take a Hypericum (Saint John's Wort) supplement along with a fish oil supplement to boost the chemical imbalance I suffer from. I take a multivitamin everyday and I also eat a low fat, low sodium, and low cholesterol diet. I practice Yoga and stay active with different things like bike riding, hiking, and other gross motor skill actives. I am sure to commune with the living things around me and thank them for being there. I also take a supplement that includes passion flower and valerian that works quickly stop feelings of anxiety when I have them.
Other ideas you might want to consider;
Gardening, especially plants that mean a lot to you. (I even have a Saint John's wort mound growing on my property) If you can't plant outside try growing them in pots inside or on a porch
Take on a project that you can do and finish it in a timely manor. Finishing things gives one a sense of accomplishment. Build a model car, do some needlepoint, paint a picture, clean out a closet, etc. Be sure to do fun and not so much fun projects. This way you can get chores that have to be done accomplished.
Volunteer, become active in your community by taking some time to help others.
The most important thing one can do when suffering from depression is to accept what is happening and move forward into a state of living without the symptoms. There is no need to live thinking there is a monkey on your back trying to hold you down. Instead think of the symptoms of depression as a sign to change and improve your life.
Many people should read this! I got depresed at age 12-14. It sucked, I didn't want to die though, I ust wanted to leave home to be away from everyone. But luckily, I found pace and happiness through mother earth. It took a few years, but Happiness is simple if you know how to find it. Just got to know how to find it. Wonderful post!
Well, if everyone else is sharing... as Zeb said in the OP, every depression is unique, so I guess there's no harm sharing my experiences as well. Something I'd consider paramount in my own battle with depression is the concept of hopelessness.
That's what separates depression from sorrow, I guess. The idea, be it a grimly held conviction or a hard to shake suspicion, that no matter what happens, no matter what course you take, things will stay this bad. There's no bright horizons, no future respite. And this idea takes root and digs in deep. For me (of course I can only speak of my own experiences) the real manifestation of it was the perceived loss of control. I felt trapped in my own life. And after a while, I just accepted it. But not in a good way.
Acceptance can go two ways, see. You could accept that you have depression, and learn to overcome it, or you could accept that depression has you. That you are so entangled in this quagmire that there's no point in fighting. That every day will be like this, and there's nothing you can do about it. You can accept that, but it's not true.
The people who need to hear this the most are going to have the hardest time hearing me. It's not true. Depression does not own you. You are never too lost, too deep in the mud, to get out. There is always hope. I know, sometimes you can't see it. That's what happens when you?re depressed. But it's there, somewhere. And the next part was real important for me, so listen good- you can take control of your own life.
See, that was always the thing for me. Control. When I was depressed (well, worse than I am now), I felt I had lost control of my life. And really, I had. Part of it was the depression, and the control it had taken from me. The other part was external- circumstances had conspired various ways that limited my options in life. I lost my feeling of control. The core of my battle, which I'm still fighting today, has been regaining this feeling.
The first step, for me, was accepting responsibility for my life. If I was losing control, it was because I wasn't fighting hard enough to keep it. I had to stop thinking of myself as a victim, stop thinking life was something that happened to me. My problems were my own to solve. This simple shift in mindset was very empowering to me. In acknowledging my failure, I also acknowledged the potential for success.
I'd really like to say more, but honestly that's as far as I've gotten. I'm still fighting. I've still got so much further to go. It's hard getting out of a slump I've spent the last eight years in. It's hard for everyone. If you're where I was, keep fighting. If you're where I am now, keep fighting. Maybe further down the road, I can talk more- give actual helpful advice like Zeb and Katie. But for now, I?m still working on it myself.
