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Subject: Holistic Health Author: Edie [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 23:18:54 03/30/05 Wed I'm not pre-disposed to clinical depression, so I haven't had to develop the coping skills to deal with a long-term or severe depression. And while I'm not depressed at this moment, my world has been a bit sudden lately, and I can see the potential for me to become depressed tomorrow or next week or even next month. Since fore-warned is fore-armed, I'm working to prevent it from happening. So I could use some tried-and-true advice if any of you have been depressed. Exercising increases endorphins and that helps prevent depression, so I'm exercising twice a day. I'm eating healthy foods in order to avoid sugar or carb depression. I let go of my worries and put them in God's hands as much as humanly possible, trusting that "what God brings you to, God will see you through". I won't take pills, that's right out. So what else can be done? [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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[> Subject: Re: Holistic Health Author: Beth [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 02:09:29 04/01/05 Fri It helps if you can recognize when its coming on. As often as I've been depressed, you'd think I'd know when its happening, but sometimes it sneaks up on you, and then you're in the middle of it and it feels like you're slogging through mud trying to get yourself out of it. I used to want to sleep all day when I was depressed; now it keeps me awake. I used to realize suddenly that the reason I felt like complete crap was because I was depressed. Now I notice it starts off with me feeling overwhelmed and completely misunderstood and sad and lonely and every other bad feeling I can feel, and then it just spirals down. If I can keep a rational thought floating around in there somewhere, I can tell myself (over and over until I believe it), that this is just depression, my thoughts aren't rational, and eventually it will pass. Of course when I'm in the middle of it that seems impossible, but then it does and I can't remember why I thought it was impossible. It's almost like some kind of weird allergy attack for me, I can feel that its different than depression brought on by circumstances, although at times I have both. If you do start to feel depressed, the best thing that works for me is to distract myself in whatever way possible. This is also hard, because when I'm depressed my first inclination is to listen to Evanescence, get out the journal that I write only depressing things in and completely wallow in it. But I've found that forcing myself to get up and do something else - anything that makes me NOT THINK or to redirect my thinking stops that downward spiral. If you can get out and exercise, that's great, but usually its all I can do to put in a movie or read something funny (I tend to want to read books about the holocaust or insane people. Keep a stack of Calvin and Hobbes or Zits or something handy; those work great). Work also helps, if I'm working on something interesting, that is. I know thats mostly what to do after you get depressed, but if you can recognize the symptoms and get busy early on instead of letting yourself wallow in it, you'll hopefully never get to the point where you're really depressed. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: Re: Holistic Health Author: Mom Z [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 22:05:18 04/03/05 Sun I can usually tell anymore when I am about to get depressed because I suddenly start saying to myself, "Just leave me alone" over the most innocent of requests. Some of the things Beth mentioned too. Exercise is great; I find going to the lake (any body of water if the sun is shining) and walking and just observing little tiny flowers in the grass or the treetops in light and shadow. And the quiet is wonderful; somehow when I go out like that to a park or a lake, my mind stops all the chatter and when I come home I feel 100% better. Of course, now I'm on medication too, so I've coped better this winter than I have for a long time. Can't really add anything to what Beth said tho - she describes it well, that is how it is with me too. But she doesn't much like going outside and it's my relief valve. Oh, one other thing that works is digging in the ground. Sounds funny, I know, but if I go outside and dig in the garden, pull weeds, or plant something that really helps. Sounds like you've already put into practice some effective strategies. Good luck keeping your spirits up; and as you said, God does help too. At least, I think so. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]