how do you fight depression?

[JitterbugPerfume]

I don't mean the clinical kind that definately requires medication , I just mean the garden variety

that gob smacks me occasionally

[newcriminal]

1. Take daily showers, and get out in the sun as much as you can.

[JitterbugPerfume]

6. good advice

sunlight helps , especially in winter

[LynzM]

2. Sunlight, exercise, friends, good books, funny movies, and energizing music.

And/or wait it the hell out. Take your pick. :)

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[JitterbugPerfume]

7. I just basically

need to get up off the couch and do something (other than eat!)Music helps tremendously, especially if you FORCE yourself to dance.

[redqueen]

3. It depends.

I sometimes just try to distract myself by trying to focus my attention on a project or a movie or learning something new. But that's no good long-term... if long-term depression is a problem (it is for me). For that, I use other tactics.

[JitterbugPerfume]

8. other tactics-

such as ?

[redqueen]

15. Arguing.

Sometimes my depression is exacerbated by irrational, negative self-directed thoughts. When that happens, I try to argue with the thoughts. Intellectually defusing them, so to speak. If I can't argue that the bad thoughts aren't true, I can argue that they don't matter, or that it does me no good to dwell on them. I have had pretty decent success with this method. I still get depressed fairly regularly, but the severity and duration of the bouts has lessened, and as I understand it, that may be as good as it gets.

Good luck. :hug:

[JitterbugPerfume]

17. Thanks redqueen

that sounds like a useable tactic!Also it helps to make a real effort to leave the past in the past .

[MissMillie]

4. drugs, exercise, and spending time w/ people who love me

and as much sunshine you can absorb w/o frying your skin.

[JitterbugPerfume]

10. spending time with people who love you--

sometimes living alone and away from my kids and my sisters really sucks--well, maybe not that ONE sister LOL

[datasuspect]

5. zz top

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRogNsVpyfM

[JitterbugPerfume]

18. I saw ZZ Top in concert

at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis way back in the eightys . As I recall I was kind of "impaired " at the time but they put on a good show

[ChoralScholar]

27. Aah... Fisto. . The patron saint of depression! :)

[Swede]

9. Quiet time for introspection,maybe read a book.

Or go out and party.

[JitterbugPerfume]

19. two of my favorite things

[taterguy]

11. Beer

[JitterbugPerfume]

20. Don't like beer

but whatever gets you through the night is OK by me

[gbate]

12. Distraction, a change of scenery, fish oil supplements (yes, really), and exercise.

[JitterbugPerfume]

21. I eat lots of salmon

and I really do think it helps

[Arkansas Granny]

13. Think of the things that you do when you feel good about yourself and go do some of them.

For me it's working outside in the yard or taking a walk. It takes my mind off of things that are bothering me and the fresh air helps, too.

[JitterbugPerfume]

23. Good advice

[Dangerously Amused]

14. All of the advice on here so far is good,

to which I would add,

Talk to people. Anybody, really. A shrink of course if you need one, but otherwise good friends, relatives (the good ones anyway, lol), neighbor kids playing next door or people walking their dogs, strike up a conversation while standing in line at the grocery store, whatever. Talking to all different kinds of people about all different kinds of things helps to keep life in perspective. At least it works that way for me.

Make it a point to get out of the house and interact with people every single day. If that means splitting up your errands and saving one for the next day so you have something to go out and do, and/or if it means burning a little bit more gasoline, so be it. It is very, very easy to keep to yourself and become isolated in your depression, and it is critically important to keep that from happening.

Been there. Good luck.

:hug:

[JitterbugPerfume]

22. Thanks

I do tend to isolate

The sister I usually talk to had a stroke recently and I really don't want to burden her any further

[Bertha Venation]

16. Activity.

:hug:

[JitterbugPerfume]

24. as I get older

I find that advice more and more essential to my well being,

and harder to achieve but I just try to keep plugging along. I had my handy man to put up a clothes line so I would HAVE to go outdoors every day , and it also saves me money--doubles the benefit. My kittys also help keep me at least semi-sane

[tigereye]

25. get out of the house with friends, in the fresh air and have fun

or lay around and read and watch guilty pleasures on the tube.

[JitterbugPerfume]

26. I find way to much

guilty pleasure on the tube. Reading is one of my great pleasures in life.

[newcriminal]

28. Check your pm.

[JitterbugPerfume]

30. Done!

small world :hi:

My daughter moved back there recently

[proteus_lives]

29. Pizza.

[JitterbugPerfume]

31. to much pizza is

part of my problem LOL

but the weight problem is another thread for a later time

[Juche]

32. meditation CDs

These actually seem to work on me. Look up Jeffrey Thompson's binaural beat CDs and listen to those 30 minutes a day. The ones I enjoy most are healing mind system 2.0, awakened mind system 2.0 and gamma meditation system.

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Jeffrey-Thompson/e/B000AQ2OO4/ref=ntt_mus_gen_pel

[Flaxbee]

33. Huffington Post today has an article on 10 natural things to do to fight depression

Here's the link and a few of their suggestions:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannon-bindler/10-natural-antidepressant_b_232506.html

What do you do when you're feeling blue? We all want to be happier, yet as a society depression is on the rise. As life coaches we believe each person has unique solutions to their problems. While antidepressants are the answer for some with clinical depression, others may seek natural methods in addition to or as an alternative to taking medication. While there is no cure-all for depression, there is research supporting several natural options that may help boost our minds as well as our spirits.

1. Get your hands in the dirt. Gardening has long been known for its meditative, relaxing, and grounding effects. Medical News Today reports that UK scientists have discovered friendly bacteria in soil that reportedly affects the brain in a way similar to antidepressants by increasing the release of serotonin. A great, easy to follow gardening guide is RHS Gardening Month by Month, by Ian Spence.

2. Meditate. Many of us have all heard that meditation reduces stress. Scientists are now beginning to uncover evidence that meditation has a tangible effect on the brain. Professor Mark Williams, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford conducted a trial study reported by the BBC News, indicates that meditation reduces the likelihood of depression by over 50%. "It suggests to people that they begin to see all their thoughts as just thoughts, whether they are positive, negative or neutral." Get Self Centered offers meditation workshops and retreats across the US. Or, learn to practice from home with Jack Kornfield's downloadable audiobook, Meditation for Beginners.

3. Burn Incense. Incense has long been used in religious rituals and hippy living rooms across the globe to create a peaceful environment. In a new study (that can be found at The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal an international team of scientists have discovered how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain that alleviate depression. Floracopeia provides high quality, organic frankincense available as incense and essential oil.

4. Ingest a yellow flower. St. John's Wort is a wild yellow flower that has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. There is some scientific evidence that St. John's Wort is helpful in treating mild to moderate depression. Two large studies, one sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), showed that the herb may be helpful for treating mild depression, however it may not be effective for treating major depression. iHerb provides several types of St. John's Wart supplements.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

34. Sunshine, exercise, do something fun

Eat foods that raise your serotonin level.

[JTG of the PRB]

35. Fresh air, some sort of comfort food, and something that makes me smile.

If I'm feeling down, sometimes I'll sit on my deck and read for a while, or I'll make something special for dinner, and if I really need that extra boost, I'll put in a DVD that I know will make me laugh - "Arrested Development" or "Flight of the Conchords" usually does the trick.

Other than that, a good night's sleep or just a nice nap on the couch helps me out.

[stray cat]

36. Fighting the desire to stay secluded and doing nothing - activity physical and mental

can sometimes help battle depression by producing endorphins. Of course if you are depressed because you are completely wiped out - cutting yourself some slack and doing things that replenish you - including sleep could help.

[graywarrior]

37. Help someone worse off than I am

[Lars39]

38. Sounds a lttle strange, but having a schedule helps a lot.

I keep thinking of all my older relatives, mostly living well into their 80s, and one thing they had in common was their own schedules/routines. It kept them pro-active, as opposed to reactive(passive). I'm an empty-nester now, and on top of that my husband doesn't come home for lunch now since his office is now too far away. I've really had to re-think what I want to do with myself all day, once I got past the shock of it all. :hi:

[Tobin S.]

39. Retail therapy, baby! Break out that credit card!

:D

[Hippo_Tron]

40. I watch The West Wing

[Shell Beau]

41. Exercise is a great way! The endorphins released helps a lot!

Just a daily walk will help.

[Wapsie B]

42. I second that.

Walking and weight lifting have helped me a great deal.

[triguy46]

43. This sounds silly, but it has worked for me:

Write the problem on a piece of paper. As much detail as you wish. Include feelings, ideas, what you wish you'd said. Do it pragmatically, like a plan: here's the prob, here's the answer. Fold it up, walk away. That for me is a cathartic exercise. When it got really bad, however, with mom going to nursing home, work meltdown, and son breaking neck, Zoloft worked wonders.

[fizzgig]

44. bubble baths

and snuggling with the fur babies.

i also find that getting out of the house, even if it's a trip to the store or sitting down with a book at a coffee shop for an hour, works wonders.

i hope you get to feeling better soon :hug: