How to Deal With Depression

Originally Posted by willpower

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Go see your doctor.

Originally Posted by dusty

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Exercise if you can.
+1. Both of these helped me out tremendously. Srsly.

A lot of good advice here.

Do SOMETHING, anything to try to change what is going on. Staying in your rut will only lead to more depression.

For me meds didn't work. I find the best solution to depression is staying on the move as much as possible. If I'm constantly working towards something I feel a lot better. What is the point of life if I'm going to be depressed and sit around doing nothing? I was going to shoot myself but decided why not have some fun, work hard and see how far I can get in life. Staying busy and focused as much as possible is what helps me. Also cardio is a great way to help in times when the depression is very bad. Nothing defeats feeling down like a good run or game of racquetball. It releases endorphins and makes me happy to have accomplished something. As long as I'm moving forward and growing, working towards something I can keep my depression at bay for the most part. But the times when exercise does not work or I can't, I have to simply tell myself "this is chemicals, keep my head on and don't mess things up because I feel bad at this time." It's a lot worse if you play into it.

I realized after many different medications and therapy that no one else is going to help me with this, I have to be the factor that causes real change. Positive thinking, working towards something and keeping a cool head is the best treatment for me. This last week when I was sick and wasn't able to get any exercise or get much work done my depression was much worse, sitting inside all day or in class makes depression 10x worse. Now that I'm almost better I can go out and accomplish things and work towards getting what I want in life.

Many of the above are good pieces of advice.

I deal with depression all year round - it used to only be one of those seasonal things where it only bothered me in the winter, but over the last few years it has gradually worsened. The only thing I have found is, as the above poster said, to stay busy. I work, go to school, and volunteer - the only time I am really left to be alone with my thoughts is when I get home late at night. Medications and therapy didn't do anything for me so I don't waste the money or time on it anymore. Instead I put it away and work toward buying myself something that I want or something that will make me feel good.

I don't have children either, but your daughter should be the biggest incentive to getting you through this. Depression really does suck, there's no doubting that, but unfortunately it's not just going to disappear. Definitely see someone about it.

Drinking constantly makes you depressed, **** at your job, and tired all the time. I had a serious problem with depression and drinking a few years ago. Had a hospital visit that 'scared me straight' as it were. Stopped drinking completely (which seemed impossible at the time) and started exercising instead. Go to AA if you have to. There's plenty of people there that had fucked their lives up then managed to turn it all around.

I agree go to AA they can really help

Originally Posted by r...

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How do you deal with depression? I cant get outta bed before noon. Lost another job. Had to take my daughter out of daycare because I cant afford it. Phone is next. Tired all time. Havent had health insurance in 8yrs so medication is out of the question. The hooch helps to dull things at night but I still cant still cant sleep and lower back pain when I wake up doesnt go away.

I agree with the other posters.

Exercise has been shown to release the feel good chemicals in the brain and will help greatly with depression.

Medication (Paxil, Wellbutrin, etc...) are approx. $4-$10 / month at Wal Mart. There's no excuse not to see a doctor and get a prescription.

Counseling may also help with any underlying issues that may be making you depressed. 12 step programs / support groups at local hospitals are free and at them you can get support if you need it.

There's plenty of help out and there on you just need to be willing to get out of your own way and get it.

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

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**** aint that bad R.
You always have two options:

1: you can keep going
2: you can give up

Now, there's nothing wrong with choosing either option. But if you have a daughter, you might want to figure out a way to get some help.
Depression isn't something you can self medicate. You need to get your **** together, and we are all here for you, but we can't do it for you.

Can't say it any better than Slim did.
Time to take control of things and start to get better.

I'm surprised and saddened by how much I can relate to this thread and how many other people can also too.

I'm young so I have no real responsibilities, so when I get down I tend to just stay down for a long period of time. But I will say that the times when I was happiest was when I was just keeping busy, and working on several projects I had a lot of passion it. I was often really stressed and over worked many times, true, but it also helped me to appreciate the free time when I had it and the moments I got to spend with my friends and gf at the time.

Alcohol is not only a depressant in its pure form, but it messes up your sleep patterns. Which will make you tired, induce you to eat too much, and feed the cycle. AA might not be necessary-- not everyone who drinks more than they should today is an alcoholic needing to quit forever. But at a minimum, quit for a few weeks and then see if you are doing better.

And just about every other post is helpful. Doing something-- being of service, having a target (however small) can break the cycle.

Medication doesn't work for everyone, and not all medication will work for those who need some. But do try to get medical attention. If nothing else, you'll know that you're working on the problem and that it isn't all your fault that it has complicated your life right now.

If you are drinkiing and doing illegal drugs then make sure you have the best quality fir your money.

Enlist.

Yea there are a lot of people sharing the affliction and even more people looking out for you with resources and experience in helping you get better. Try to look for opportunities to engage in activities that you might enjoy or are new to you or help out with a little community service.

You could also try to read the book "Feeling Good" by David D Burns. Its a really great book which helps you to align your thinking to change your mood. Give it a shot. I know it sounds lame but you'd be surprised how easily your mind can affect how you feel. And it ends up in an endless cycle after that.

All the best!

Postpartum depression in dads – or PPND (for Paternal Postnatal Depression) – is a very serious condition. Without effective treatment, it can result in damaging, long-term consequences for a man, his child, and his entire family. But with proper treatment and support, men can fully recover from PPND.

Be honest. Talk to your daughter. Children are smart.

Originally Posted by dusty

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Exercise if you can -- recent research shows that it repairs neurological pathways in a similar way to antidepressants. Just interacting with other people, for me, has a sort of grounding effect and is a tremendous help. You really need to be seeing a doctor. Many generic antidepressants are dirt cheap. The first step is really to realize that this is something that can be helped if not cured. Good luck.

This, plus I would highly recommend a trial run on antidepressants. Wellbutrin, in particular, is very good for men because it does not cause ED (like many other antidepressants do) and does not cause weight gain (again, as many others often do). I'm on Wellbutrin right now -- have been on it for about 3 months now; it's my first antidepressant -- and it's working very well for me.

I wouldn't consider antidepressants a magic bullet solution. I'm not super-happy all the time or anything. But what they do is take the edge off my depression. Prior to antidepressants, I could find myself dwelling on a bad mood or bad moment for hours at a time -- to the point where it would disrupt whatever I was doing, or whomever I was hanging out with. I was also very moody; I could become depressed at a moment's notice. These days, I can still get bummed out. But the feeling goes away pretty quickly, and while it lasts, it does not sink to anywhere near the extraordinary depths to which my depressed moods would sink without medication.

Wellbutrin takes a good month and change to really kick in, unfortunately. So you've got to be diligent about taking it every day for at least four weeks before you start to notice major improvement.