Any ideas on how to treat depression...

What is setting it off, is it a constant battle, have you always had it or is it a recent development, is it death/suicide based, feeling useless or hopeless, not good enough, loneliness etc etc.

I agree. Give us some info OP.

a reply to: fusiondoe

When I was at my lowest point in life I discovered 'Acting' classes. These helped me a great deal as I was on my own. I had taken classes a few years before but working full-time got in the way and it was great to get back to it. I also took up martial arts classes and got back to running and getting myself fit. Couple years ago even took up cycling as fitness training and to get out in the open air (although the pollution from cars kinda spoils that).

originally posted by: fusiondoe
I have suffered with it for years.

I won’t go into what or who I believe causes/manufactured the illness of depression, nor do I want suggestions of poisonous antidepressants nor do I need anymore counselling/therapy.

Would just like to hear from some people on natural ways and coping mechanisms and dare I say, maybe a natural ‘cure’. Perhaps there are some people here who have beaten this evil disease.

I am so sick of fighting this every single day but I am doing well, just need some tips.

First, I sincerely apologize for being WAY too long in my post, and I hope you read and I most of all I hope it helps some.

From what I have read in this thread so far is that most here have never had 'clinical depression', you cannot just take a ride on a motorcycle, etc. to cure this. (I have ridden for many years and do still, and, I've had severe depression)
I had a lot of people tell me that I only needed to "take a ride", I knew then they had never had clinical depression, they wanted to help but didn't know what it's like to get depression from 'out of nowhere'...
We all get depression when a pet or family member dies, but clinical depression is a whole 'nother animal, it can come it seems for no real reason.
Or does it? I say that because through trial and error I found what caused my depression and I had never really read anything at all about the causes that made mine.
I will say this, YOU may have other reasons that you have yours, but I have to mention this or I wouldn't be a good person, if you know what I mean.

In my 40's I realized that things were changing in my body, 50's too, then my 60's, so as we age we change, we most all know this. In my early 40's though coffee really started to bother me, I was probably drinking about 5 cups per night, I worked 2nd shift and it was common for most of us to drink coffee at night. Anyway, my 'jitters' got so bad that I had to lower the number of cups to only 2, then as time went on I had to completely stop. I maybe had stopped for a year or so and started back again, I had no problems for a long time, then the same thing again, the smallest thing would make me jump sky-high! =)

In my late 40's, around 48 I went to a (new) doctor to get a full physical because I had planned on doing a lot of strenuous stuff like hiking and so on, while there I casually mentioned that my temper had gotten to be pretty bad. My temper (mostly at my wife) would come out of nowhere and I would snap at her when she was only trying to ask me if I wanted this, or that, she was just be helpful. Anyway, that temper only last about 30 seconds then I would apologize to her and mention that I have no idea where that came from, or, why. She is really easy to get along with so she took it in stride, I wouldn't be able to do that though. So, my doctor tells me that I have depression... I say that I am not depressed and that I feel fine but I only have that temper thing. He still insists that I am depressed. I still think to myself that I do not agree with him.
He puts me on, "Celexa", it made me a real zombie type, I could not care less about anything, my new puppy which I really loved, if I dropped something on the floor I could care less, etc., I just flat out did not care about anything.
I told the doctor that I wanted to get off of that and maybe onto another anti-depressant, but he was adamant about me staying on Celexa.
To make a long story short about that drug is, DO NOT EVER TAKE THAT STUFF!!!
I still have problems I attribute to that drug and that stupid doctor and it all started with that pill.
(Feel free to ask me about that pill if you want, it's a whole story on its own))

I said all of the above to get the scene set so maybe it'll make more sense as to how things may be, hopefully for you.

When I drank coffee and I had really bad side effects such as severe nervousness and all of the things that come from too much coffee, but there was more.
I switched my sweetener from sugar (my new doctor also told me that I was a type II diabetic) to Sweet-n-Lo. At some point I noticed a change in my days, I was getting depressed, severely depressed at times, I was probably drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day. I also noticed that when I switched from Sweet-n-Lo to the brand of Equal that my depression changed, it was still bad, but it was just different. These changes between artificial sweeteners was actually a few years, it was not an overnight thing, plus, I still at this point had no idea as to what caused my depression. I wasn't sad because something in my life was going south, but I was depressed and severely so. Of course, some days were better than others too.

I tried all kinds of things to figure out what was the cause for all of the crap I was going through, sometimes I felt as though I was close to a breakthrough, but, nope...
One day I decided to stop drinking coffee and along with that I stopped using the artificial sweeteners too, then I noticed a difference, and I kept experimenting because I didn't know if it was a fluke, or what, I'm no doctor.
I knew then that I was on to something, and finally I knew I had found the culprit, my sweetener AND my coffee!
Somewhere along the way I thought I would try the freeze-dried coffee and along with the sweetener they ALL were MY cause for MY depression. I don't just think this, I know it's a fact for my case, it may not be for everybody that has similar problems, but for me it was.
This is not to say that I think you, or anyone else should stop drinking coffee or sweetener, (although when you read about sweeteners they sound VERY scary!) but you should really take a look at what you are putting into your body.

I am not holistic in any way, or I don't know medicine at all, I did find out at least for me that we really are what we eat.
If something alters your body's chemistry that can change your Serotonin levels, (if you believe that Serotonin is a reason for depression, some don't) it can bring on depression.
In today's world we get all kinds of chemicals in everything we eat, drink, or eat out of, so surely there is a connection, maybe, maybe not, I feel there is.

So, I said all of that to say this, really look at what you do from the time you get up to the time you go to bed, you may see 'something' that could be the culprit, I know that my family doctor's always just want to prescribe more pills, they don't have enough time in my short little visit to delve into it like it needed. I might should have gone to a head doctor too, but really, I didn't trust too many doctors before all of this, and I sure didn't after I had that one dumb doctor that had a God complex and wouldn't listen to what I was saying to him.

I am for the most part depression free now days, although I still drink coffee, and I do take Prozac from time to time because it actually does help me. If I take Prozac daily it can actually make me depressed by itself, it's a long learning process for MY body, it may not affect others that way.
My sweetener is Stevia and I only drink coffee that's percolated! These two changes made a a BIG difference for me.

Again, I apologize for being so long, but if I hadn't maybe it wouldn't mean as much, hopefully it helps in some way, I know that I wish that someone would have mentioned this to me early on. You may be light years ahead of me on all of this too, but I was just trying to help some.
=)

a reply to: fusiondoe

Pick up a good sandbox/open world video game.

I have depression, and something about pretending to live vicariously through a fictional character seems to take my mind off of the crazy thoughts i have, the overwhelming nature of life in general, and any outstanding problems I have in which i have no control over.

May I recommend Elite Dangerous, Fallout (3, NV, 4), No Man's Sky (now that they have added a ton of content through updates). Or better yet, a good 'ol fashioned Final Fantasy (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, or 15)

They have done studies that show video games actually help with depression more than therapy and drugs, at least in the cases of teenagers and young adults.

You could also go old school (as I had done recently) and travel 4 hours into the wilderness with no cell reception, and said F society for two weeks, and go fishing and target shooting.

Did a world of good for me

I will say that in the early days just right before I found out what was causing 'my' depression I would watch Squidbillies, that would always elevate my mood. It may sound crazy since it's a mindless cartoon, but it worked for me. So when I said before that I don't think that the people that say, "Go ride your motorcycle" were not correct, I would be sort of wrong.
Anything that you can do to elevate your mood is a good starter, but I still stand by trying to find out what the root of it all is. If you don't, you are just trudging through life, there is no more high points to your day. I 'usually' wake up in a positive mood now and although some things can trigger me, I try my best to avoid negative things, just in case.

It's whatever works for you, you know yourself better than anyone, just take the time to learn what is the root cause, if it can be done.

Really too, there is all kinds of levels to clinical depression too, mine was probably up there with Robin William's, I thought about ending it because the (literal) pain was just too much. (I am only guessing about how much pain he was in, I wasn't inside of his head)
For me it was like there were javelins raining from above and stabbing me in the head type of a pain. That is how I always described my pain, even when I visualized my pain that is how I saw it.

I would suggest to watching, "Rick and Morty" now, but the season's already over... Maybe it would help. =)

a reply to: fusiondoe

Cut out inflammatory foods - dairy, gluten, sugar & polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, rapeseed oil etc.

Then stick to a 100% wholefood diet. You'll notice improvements after a couple of days.

Obvioulsy cutting down on alcholol helps but you needn't eliminate it altogether.

Of course it's all easier said than done but if you really want to feel better it's definitely worth it.

I think only people who battle depression can really offer help, aside from real doctors.

The reason is this...

A depressed person can't simply "go out side and explore" or "do something with your time". It's not like that. Doing those tasks are as hard as moving boulders with a go-cart.

Depression is sometimes an inviting feeling. When a person falls in to it, even though they want out, they find it much easier to just stay there. Depression can also bring about serious anxiety, social anxiety to boot... This also makes you not want to go anywhere, speak to people... you just rather be alone, on your couch, feeling sorry for yourself and wishing life was different.

People simply don't understand that falling into depression is like falling into the ocean and not knowing how to swim. There is nothing to grab on to and no place to go but down. Sometimes it takes a friend to literally grab you kicking and screaming to do things. Once you get comfortable doing those things, the depression starts falling away but you have to stay on top of it and not give up a day because it'll quickly set back in and you become comfortable with it.

People can suggest all kinds of things but it's all placebos unless you're taking actual prescribed medications for it. However... Exercise DOES help but you still have to get to that point. And it doesn't cure you but only gets you one step closer to break you out of your depression. You still need to get out, socialize, GET FRIENDS and stop secluding yourself. Catch 22 because you need a friend that will help you do this because doing it on your own is very hard. Some can will themselves but it depends on your level of depression. Still, if you do have stubborn will, then get yer butt up and make it happen!

It's also brought on by a chemical embalance and may not be self induced. For this you NEED medication from a DOCTOR!

Without more info, it can be tough to really address things.

There are things that are just "good" for us though, like some type of martial art, meditation, or yoga. Same with many of the suggestions. They are simply things and activities that would probably benefit anyone, depressed or not. Definitely look into those.

Another suggestion is to keep a daily log. This can be very tedious, but the more detailed, the better. Everything from what you eat to activities to changes in emotion can help build a picture that might be impossible to see.

The idea is to, ideally, find some correlations between how you feel and what you are doing throughout the day, or at least identify some patterns.

Most importantly may be twofold: its a process, not instantaneous and even if "cured" there will still be times of sadness. I have known some that truly overcame their depression drive themselves back into it when they felt any sadness, grief, etc. was depression rearing its ugly head again.

originally posted by: denybedoomed
True. Psychedelics are tricky. And not for everyone, they worked in my case. But maybe I'm one of the exceptions.

But i always say, until you're comfortable with your own mind, it's best to have a "sitter"

I think the problem is that using drugs to treat depression, any kind, is that over time there will be some sort of dependency, and then the thinking process will be, "why can't I just be happy as I am?"

Then there will be some sort of addiction that follows. Whether mental or physical, both lead nowhere. Depression is fought by accomplishment and self value.

Tripping on its own will never provide a real sense of accomplishment or value. It does release alot of emotion that is tackled by an inner dialogue that may never have happened to an individual before that moment, but "destroying the ego" as people keep saying these days (which is false, if anything you are attempting to destroy the super ego) is not an answer to physically and spiritually existing in the reality that you have. Only working toward goals and feeling a sense of self worth and accomplishment will do that.

Also, goals don't have to be like, "I'm going to be a doctor!" or anything like that. They can be small goals, "I am going to help grandma today" or, "I am going to this pals house and help them paint that room."

As has been always said, "Idle hands are the devils playground."

I'm afraid that real depression is not going to be cured with walks in the nature or new hobbies. That's why is important to know what kind of depression you have and how severe.

All the nice things people suggest here can help a bit but is a constant battle, and they will not cure the depression. You have to fight every single day the same battle, with every little thing you have to do and at some point you don't even remember why are you fighting for. I used to stay hours upon hours playing on the computer, I do crafting, paint, I have a family, what not, and yet every single day I only wanted to crawl in a dark corner and die there. And every single morning I was waking up to another dreadful day where I had to carry myself like a dead weight through all the small activities of the day until the evening. And then another day, and another, and nothing really mattered just to hold on long enough to finish that day. I was feeling like in the "Groundhog Day" living the same day over and over because no matter what I did the feeling was the same. It was really living like a dead. For years.

I tried a lot of things except medicine and nothing really worked.
Getting off wheat helped in some way, so did juicing. Long walks helped only for a few hours. The loved ones became a nuisance always trying to help.
In the end I found something natural and I became alive again, and not only for a day. Now I wake up in the morning and I want to live that day, and this simple thing is so wonderful and incredibly precious, you have no idea.

Hope you find a cure, a real one and be able to live your life again.

originally posted by: WhiteHat

In the end I found something natural and I became alive again, and not only for a day. Now I wake up in the morning and I want to live that day, and this simple thing is so wonderful and incredibly precious, you have no idea.

I really want to ask, "What is it?", but I feel like it's a trap... I think I know, but...

For anyone suffering from depression and searching for clues on why they are like they are, I always refer people to this video, It's only a half hour and worth every minute.

You can change your diet. There are many studies that have been done, showing carbs/sugar cause depression. Do some research.
I personally think the food industry and govt are poisoning the American people on purpose to cause various mental conditions in our society......as it's all about selling those pills. Try cutting the chemicals out of your diet as well.
Be well and always safe!!!

I know this will be controversial, and even borderline violation of the t&c’s; but, there have been major breakthroughs in treating depression without ssri inhibitors just recently. Ibogaine and ketamine are two drugs that have been used to not only treat, but dare I say cure depression. Ibogaine is a riot that is an extremely powerful hallucinogen. And ketamine is a dissasociative anesthetic. Both drugs “reset” the neural pathways in the brain that deliver dopamine and produce seratonin.

I have a friend who had ibogaine treatment in Mexico for addiction, and it worked wonders on him. Atleast for a year or so until he stopped therapy and slowly relapsed.

They are both not offered in the US, so u might look into going to Mexico like my friend did. They are both non addictive non habit forming drugs that only need a 1 time administration.

experienceibogaine.com...

www.webmd.com...

Firstly! Thank you everybody for some wonderful suggestions! I have read all of
Them and I think I will try and implement a part of everything into my life if I can.

Secondly - more info - my depression ranges from mild to completely suicidal... I tend to get frustrated and angry with myself that I’m not normal like everybody else and I also get angry and upset that other people don’t love me/like me... girls aren’t attracted to me like others.

That probably doesn’t help but I have wrecked relationships (friends and intimate) through my ways. But I really don’t mean to be an asshole. But my fuse is so short.. I don’t actually hit anybody but I’m likely to smash things and punch walls. I feel like I have to win every arguement or disagreement, not because I’m a control freak but because I feel I am being walked all over if I don’t. I can’t stand the idea of being walked all over.

I think it stems from being a kid at school where I was bullied a little.

I hate myself for it all, detest myself. But I try everyday and majority of the time I succeed but then there is the occasion when I don’t and it causes mayhem.

Hope this helps

a reply to: fusiondoe
Would it be possible to hate yourself - if it was found that you are not what you think you are?
You have misidentified yourself. This is why 'know thyself' is so important.

You are not what is appearing.

What is appearing is just a movie. You do not appear in the movie. You are the aware screen on which the movie moves.
Here - watch this.

originally posted by: fusiondoeI won’t go into what or who I believe causes/manufactured the illness of depression, nor do I want suggestions of poisonous antidepressants nor do I need anymore counselling/therapy.

Anti-depressants are terrible in my opinion and cause more problems than they solve. I can only speak from my own experience and a big part of overcoming my depression involves eating the right food which means cutting out all animal products and living off an all-plant based raw diet. It may sound too simple to be effective, but you may be surprised.

One of the best things you can do to get rid of depression is getting medical marijuana in San Jose from a local licensed dispensary. I bet you’ll be fine very soon!