How do you fight depression? - Let's help each other

[LazyMaid]

number go up cures depression
just keep getting better at something

 

[⋖ cørdion ⋗]

Cutting irritants from your life - a job you hate but told yourself you needed to impress people you don't even like, toxic relatives and "friends" who absorb your time and energy, coworkers you can't stand, addictions - if you get this out of the way, it is a huge step.
Sunlight and fresh air, exercise.

Whenever I visit home I'm reminded how far I've come. Nothing but news on the telly. Even when we're out seeing things it's nothing but talks of random news or stories. Never just "wow look at that, wonder how that happened". Nothing but doom and gloom.

I'd love to be around people or family that just lived in the moment. No cable TV; only deiberate media. Room to sit in silence and need to come up with something to do. Go on a walk out of boredom.

I did get a lot of other help, therapy, meds, groups, but none of it really worked until I started to reach for God,

I'm quite jealous of the religious, but I just can't buy into Christianity. Jehus might've been humble but the way people make him into a (literal) deity and guilt one another through him etc is just too absurd for me. "Well ignore the bad faithf-" bro they're a majority. If you don't rather ditch the faith at that point, you're in it for the wrong reasons.

 

[KifflomKween]

Whenever I visit home I'm reminded how far I've come. Nothing but news on the telly. Even when we're out seeing things it's nothing but talks of random news or stories. Never just "wow look at that, wonder how that happened". Nothing but doom and gloom.

I'd love to be around people or family that just lived in the moment. No cable TV; only deiberate media. Room to sit in silence and need to come up with something to do. Go on a walk out of boredom.


I'm quite jealous of the religious, but I just can't buy into Christianity. Jehus might've been humble but the way people make him into a (literal) deity and guilt one another through him etc is just too absurd for me. "Well ignore the bad faithf-" bro they're a majority. If you don't rather ditch the faith at that point, you're in it for the wrong reasons.

I don't watch tv anymore. It's so boring.

 

[Swine Schwein]

If you don't rather ditch the faith at that point, you're in it for the wrong reasons.

There's nothing you or anyone can say to make me let go of Jesus. I need Him more than I need internet argument points, and no-one else can provide what I need. I'm not going to start a personal crusade against my own religion in a vainglorious effort to prove my own superior purity either.

I am old enough to know where my hope lies, and where I'd be without it. When faith is molded through everything, it's a lot different than just some easily swayed sentiment. It's not going to change with words, events or further suffering. I don't know why you said what you said, but this is as far as I'll go arguing about it.

 

[⋖ cørdion ⋗]

There's nothing you or anyone can say to make me let go of Jesus. I need Him more than I need internet argument points, and no-one else can provide what I need. I'm not going to start a personal crusade against my own religion in a vainglorious effort to prove my own superior purity either

That's my point. A humble carpenter preaching good values misshapen into something much larger only in scope and value, not severity. Nothing I said is an attack on faith but the all-or-nothing approach to Christianity is almost troon-like, except rather than threatening selfharm it's.. harm.

Guess I haven't discussed the faith with non-americans.

 

[PonderosaPete]

Develop a slightly foggy memory. Go to bed and forget the bad, wake up and only remember the good. You'll be cured in no time.

 

[amieth]

this video poppped up in my feed. the presenter is kinda faggy but a lot of what he said stuck with me. maybe it can help someone here PI: ive been dealing with debilitating depression my whole life, especially during the summers when my classes/research are on pause. a lot of what this dude said made me feel better that part of my intense depression is just overthinking and bordem. my horrible existentialism is just telling me i need to walk outside for a little bit

 

[BABANGUIDE64]

When things are still the same, it's bad because time goes on and it withers you. Thus things need to change and change for better and there is no other option.
Btw I think that "epidemia of male loneliness" is an overexaggerated bullshit, it is today just like it was before. Incels and people like them are a minority not a majority. It is about you, not about the society or the current things. It is about me, I am myself a problem. Some people are just better than others and there are underdogs, who because of a widely diversified society don't think of themselves as of a bottom of a barrel even though they suspect it sometimes. They are educated, trained, they have skills, jobs but they are still losers.
I need to come to terms with being faulty and get used to it.

 

[Detective Carey]

This may sound trite, but I just tell it not today fucker, and get on with my day. We're all gonna die eventually, why cut in line like a douchebag?

 

[donksmanSupreme42]

my dog helps a lot, without him i'd completely lose it

 

[pork and beans]

Has anybody here had good experiences with meds(fluoxetine, whatever) ? I’ve had them prescribed for a long time and I never wanted to take them because the prospect of bad side effects and the uncertainty of it is uncomfortable to envision (eg: what if it doesn’t work) but lately I’ve been in such a rough patch that I’m considering starting them

It’s not my life what’s depressing me- obviously nothing is perfect, but it’s all going well. But that doesn’t really matter when you just don’t wanna wake up

 

[Jesus Swept]

number go up cures depression
just keep getting better at something

If only penis enlarging pills worked

For me, conquering depression is just a game of momentum. I can't say every day is perfect, but little by little I've been seeing improvements everywhere, and each one leads into the next. From my experience antidepressants don't work at all, and the side effects are too bad to ever justify them, but that's just my experience.

It sounds gay but clean eating, healthy living and a genuine desire to work on myself is what's keeping me going.

 

[Dawdler]

Meds may get you over the hurdle and that's really the point of them, but they will wipe you as an individual and you still need to put in effort.
Sadly, society is so doomed it's almost mandatory to take them.
Constant propaganda from moment you turn on any device or walk outside.

 

[KillaSmoke]

Has anybody here had good experiences with meds(fluoxetine, whatever) ? I’ve had them prescribed for a long time and I never wanted to take them because the prospect of bad side effects and the uncertainty of it is uncomfortable to envision (eg: what if it doesn’t work) but lately I’ve been in such a rough patch that I’m considering starting them

It’s not my life what’s depressing me- obviously nothing is perfect, but it’s all going well. But that doesn’t really matter when you just don’t wanna wake up

Just started buproprion at 75 mg for a week, to assess for side effects, before going up to the typical starting dose of 150 mg. After a month or two of monotherapy, planning to add on vortioxetine for 6-12 months, before switching to fluvoxamine for more long term benefits via sigma agonism. All self prescribed in a third world pharmacy

While side effects are real, and there's a reasonable argument to be made that they're somewhat under discussed by clinicians, in the general population, or at least certain subsections, I'd say that they're discussed about a hundred times as much as is justified. If there are specific side effects you're especially concerned about, then different drugs might be better or worse. There are also certain genetic polymorphisms associated with better/worse response to specific psych drugs, but outside of one study, I've never heard of practitioners actually checking genetics before prescribing

One of the biggest misconceptions about depression is that its caused by low levels of serotonin, and SSRIs work directly by raising serotonin. There was a paper that came out a few years ago, and got a lot of attention from the public, claiming to show that depression wasn't caused by low serotonin, and therefore SSRIs don't do anything. Unfortunately, it failed to turn psychology on its head, because it was debunking a theory that nobody who knew what they were talking about had believed for literal decades. Current thought is that elevated serotonin is useful in treatment of depression, but low serotonin is not the cause of it. Serotonin has some impacts on mood that might be somewhat useful, but longterm elevation of serotonin causes a downstream increase in neural growth factors, causing you start growing new brain cells. This makes your brain much more adaptable. This is also why most people don't really see much benefit from SSRIs before 3-6 months, that's about how long it takes for the neurogenesis to ramp up. The neurogenesis also comes with additional benefits, like (probably) reducing risk of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Another thing to keep in mind is that depression, as well as many other psychiatric issues, are kind of "fuzzy". Theyre based on symptoms, rather than ideology, or root cauae. You need 5 out of a possible 9 symptoms to qualify for depression. We can imagine two people, each with 5 symptoms, overlapping only on one. Their presentation and experience of depression is likely to be very different, and there's a good chance they will have different causes, and respond better to different treatments.

You mentioned fluoxetine, and while I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that drug, its also the most commonly used. When people mention that they're prescribed it, it makes me suspect it was just chosen thoughtlessly, because "that's what you prescribe first", not because there was any reason to think it would be the best drug for that person.

Personally, I'd say that MAOIs are some of the most underutilized drugs in psychiatry. They can have very dramatic effects over short timeframes. There are some concerns but a lot of the things people worry about, including doctors aren't major issues. Back in the 70s, there were certain foods you could eat on a MAOI, or you might have a heart attack or some shit. Food production techniques changed decades ago, and the chemical that causes this is present in foods at way lower amounts now. So if you eat a kilo of aged cheese, maybe your pulse goes up as much as it would with a cup or two of coffee. You do still need to be careful about mixing it with SSRIs and shit, but as long as you're cautious, you'll be fine

There are also other options to increase neurogenesis. You might look into them if you were really afraid of SSRIs, for some reason, or maybe if you wanted to use them short term, to at least get an idea of what the benefits would be, without having to wait 6 months. But you should know up front that you'd be using weird drugs in super off label ways that they usually have zero research on. And you'd also probably end up paying a lot more

Again, all this shit is really personal, and what's likely to work well for one person might not make any sense for another. If you or anyone else wanted to discuss this stuff in details, feel free to DM me, and hopefully I can help steer you in the right direction

 

[pork and beans]

Again, all this shit is really personal, and what's likely to work well for one person might not make any sense for another. If you or anyone else wanted to discuss this stuff in details, feel free to DM me,

Thanks for taking the time to answer so thoughtfully, man. Really appreciate it. hope your own thing goes well.

I knew about the “low serotonin is the cause for depression” framework being updated, but I didn’t know about the current framework.
And yes, definitely agree with depression being not always the exact same.

You mentioned fluoxetine, and while I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that drug, its also the most commonly used. When people mention that they're prescribed it, it makes me suspect it was just chosen thoughtlessly, because "that's what you prescribe first", not because there was any reason to think it would be the best drug for that person.

That’s a good point and I would generally agree as well. Personally part of the reason I took the meds even though they were offered through public healthcare and everything is related to that concern.

I think for me Fluoxetine was prescribed perhaps not at random (then again I can’t say, since I have not tried it LOL) because it was to treat some other stuff and then depression. I also got prescribed something for if I was in a crisis times but yeah I never retrieved it from the pharmacy nor used either

I’ll think on it al very deeply before starting anything though that’s for sure. I don’t see myself taking something I haven’t been prescribed but it’s always good to know the options.

 

[grump]

I read about or watch people supposedly even worse than me on this forum and in youtube videos or sometimes even movie or tv shows. One of my favorite genres is loser porn. Where the guy is completely pathetic, especially in romantic endeavors and his life is going nowhere and the plot is simple unadorned slice of life with nothing amazing or world changing happening.

 

[pork and beans]

I read about or watch people supposedly even worse than me on this forum and in youtube videos or sometimes even movie or tv shows. One of my favorite genres is loser porn. Where the guy is completely pathetic, especially in romantic endeavors and his life is going nowhere and the plot is simple unadorned slice of life with nothing amazing or world changing happening.

There’s a Spanish saying that goes “mal de muchos consuelo de tontos”/ The ailment of many is the comfort of the stupid

Meds may get you over the hurdle and that's really the point of them, but they will wipe you as an individual and you still need to put in effort.
Sadly, society is so doomed it's almost mandatory to take them.
Constant propaganda from moment you turn on any device or walk outside.

Yeah I definitely agree with that. I’m very critical of the psychiatry industry and how it pushes pills first thing. Or the way a lot of psychiatrists act in general no matter their framework.


Also it makes sense for a person to be depressed or have depression when they are going through a rough life patch or have a subpar environment or a lack of connections; however got me thinking about taking the meds i was prescribed is that even though I keep working towards making my life a better one and keep hitting milestones (arts, books, studies, work, healthy food without any deficiencies, trying to prioritizing sleep schedule, lifting and yoga, long meaninfgul friendships and new ones…) it’s still just awful. Constant dread and it’s hard to do everyday shit, winds you down to keep it all going, makes you feel like you’re losing the plot or why you are even here.
Obviously it’s normal to experience sadness in everyday life, but that’s not what it is.
I think I’ll probably just keep at it and try to hang out extra with my friends or my family to be honest.

 

[YouGuysAren'tThatSmart]

Beer bottles/cans.

 

[LemonParty]

Null's answer is unironically "just stop being depressed lmao!"

There's some truth to it though. Every day you must choose to be a "positive polly". Is it hard? Sure at first. Will you fail somedays? Inevitably. But you don't give up, try to influence the your world for the better, a little at a time.

How to influence your world for the better? Pick a simple task, something you've been putting off do to your depression spiral. Something small maybe just one or two things at first. Dishes piled up in the sink? Clean that shit. Something simple is broken? Watch a youtube video and fix that shit. Eat like shit? Well there's 25% of your problem, you're probably deficient in vitamins and minerals. You know vitamin D (the one you get from touching grass in the sun) that is linked to depression. How do I eat/cook better? Nigga you've got the Internet. Just avoid fad diets.

Once you build some routine that is positively effecting your world you can now branch out into The World. Go to a gym, boulder, trail run, cycle, swim, being physically active is another 25% of the depression cure. Now you're out The World doing things you enjoy, you've accomlished the first 50%, and if you're not an insufferable selfish cunt then you'll start meeting people. Being social and interpersonal relationships should be the other 50%. Now you're 100% not depressed.

How do I fuck it up you ask? Make excuses about how any of these basic life skills won't work without investing a decent amount and effort of time into them. If you want to bitch and cry about how unfair things are and that you're the victim then enjoy your stay at Incels forum, the most depressing fucking place on the Internet.

Maybe I've already fucked it up you say? Are you addicted to drugs or on psychotropic medication? Yeah then you're doomed. Get off that shit and start from stage one.

 

[Terf Miku]

I'm sorry this is going to be a very unconstructive post but I'm in pure emotional agony right now. If this isn't an appropriate thread for venting let me know.

Spoiler: The Big Sad

The last 9 years of my life have felt like one long bad dream. The last year I felt happy was 2015 and it's scaring me that when it turns 2026 it'll be the 10th anniversary of my depression. I don't know if I have the will to keep fighting it anymore. I don't know if I think things seem even possible to or worth fixing anymore. I just want to go back and do everything over again. I don't see any way to be happy with my current self and situation. My life feels like a prison and I want to be free.

I hope other depressed Kiwis can find the light at the end of the tunnel, someday. I just don't know if it's there for me.