How do you cope with depression?

Learn to count your blessings and live a life of gratitude.

I dealt with depression throughout my teens and feel that I can give at least a sliver of retrospective advice.

Be aware that the origins of depression are both physiological and environmental. Some of these elements are controllable, some are not. As far as controllable elements, make certain that you are getting at least eight hours of sleep a night and are eating a diet that is as healthy as possible. I know that these two choices would have made me far healthier and happier in my adolescence. Additionally, don't think that you have to be party to your parents' fighting or your father's negativity. You'll have to deal with it to some extent since you still live with them, but during the day or even evenings try to find a place to get away. Do you have a local library nearby? That would be a wonderful environment to finish your graduation project in, away from all of the negativity you get at home.

Beyond that, talk to a counselor. If your school has counseling services available, definitely take advantage of that. Having an ally to talk to and support you through a difficult time can only be a good thing. Lastly, be aware of the factors you can't control (your home environment, family's money situation, etc.) and simply accept them for what they are. Don't let the things beyond your power have any power over you.

Good luck with your project -- take care of yourself and your business, and pay no attention to naysayers. You can do it.

Divide and conquer - break up your problems into smaller bits, otherwise they'll overwhelm you.

Prioritize - tackle the important stuff first.

Be positive, but realistic - look at the big picture; most problems are rarely at the "end of the world" level, cut them back to size.

Get active, don't spend too much time indoors/in your room - take a walk, do some exercise, enjoy the world outside. Catch some rays, your body needs vitamin D, otherwise you'll get the 'blues'.

Talk to someone - communicating your problems to a friend, family member, mentor, etc. always helps. Don't keep your problems inside, they'll fester - discuss them with someone.

Set a goal, and stick to it. Start small, build up to bigger results.

Reward yourself for goals met, and successes!


Good luck and Happy Holidays!

I meditate at least once a day--and this way I stay out of depression. Also, I've found that playing a musical instrument (piano in my case) is very good. It has a double effect: first there is the music and secondly the fingertips massage that goes with it also reduces stress quite effectively.
By the way, people in third world, despite of being poor, are mostly very happy and depression is simply non-existant in those countries.

You can cope with the depression by thinking that what you have got right now, and what you are capable to get. Just work on it, and don't think about anything else.

You can either go for medication or find your passion and live it. Find something you would do day in and day out and find a way to get paid for it.

Can I be a third person to recommend meditation? Just sit or lie down somewhere you feel comfortable, and either close your eyes or gaze at something pleasant. It can be anything. Let your thoughts drift in and out, just let them be. You don't have to try to do or be anything. Just be still for a moment, by yourself. Breathe.

You are not weird for having the feelings you do, okay? Have you thought about talking to a counselor at school? I'm sorry that your parents fight a lot and that your dad isn't very supportive. That is difficult to go through, I know. Try talking to someone about this. A counselor should be there to listen to you. You can also try calling a support hotline to talk to a person your age for help. I can guarantee you there are people out there, including us, who want to see you feeling happier.

Things will get better, believe me. This quote may help you : "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." Do something that you like to do today.. maybe pick up a book, go for a little walk somewhere, or start volunteering somewhere. You can find appreciation and happiness in your life, even if you don't get a lot of Christmas presents. Keep your chin up, okay?

running also helps i used to and still go out for a run and cry my problems aay as well as run faster and faster then walk home , pray and go to bed this too shall pass slad, Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality . Wake Up and Live!

Moderate to light cases of depression tend to self correct with
the passage of time. If you realize this, then use the mindset that
you will soon be back to a normal state of mind. Just persevere.

Concentrate on things on what you love to do that makes you happy. Find an outlet where you can pour out all your emotions. You can express yourself and your thoughts through art.

Best thing to do is just give the
situation to God and keep still
and see God's Powerful Hand
Taking care of you..

I would (and have):

* Get a therapist -- No more shame in that game when you're depressed than there is going to a doctor with a nail in your foot
* Exercise
* Sunlight
* Meditation
* Deep Relaxation Exercises

1. go see your clergy.
2. go see a doctor. Depression can be a medical condition.
3. See a therapist.
4. Read Think and grow rich and watch self help videos by Tony Robbins.
5. Do something you like--sports, hobbies whatever makes you happy.
6. Remember the only one you have to answer to is you.

Good Luck.

Get a medical check up. Hypothyroidism, low vit B12 and low folate can all cause severe depression. All are treatable.

Walk.

When you set your daily goals set small achievable ones. Only one or two a day. Reward yourself when you get them done. Don't downplay your success by telling yourself these don't count because they are too small.

Keep a success journal or log. Every evening before you go to sleep right 5 things you did that day. Make them different each day.

Also record the answer to the question "What is the best thing to happen to me today?"

Yes I understand you feel utterly miserable right now. I have experienced situations very similar to what you describe. You are not alone not matter how lonely and isolated and misunderstood you feel.

I talk to someone about it. Keeping it inside is killing me.

Slade feel comfort in knowing that people aren't obligated to be nice to you. I know this is not a traditional way of thinking, but, if you can be happy knowing that life owes you nothing I believe you can become at peace embracing reality. As far, as not being sociable, I ask you to do yourself 1 favor. Speak to people when passing by them, and, talk about class, and, study. You are in school with a bunch of people who want to do nothing else, but, graduate! You and your peers have a common connection. You don't have to be sociable to asks someone, "how did you solve x,y,z?
Slade, two things, 1. go to tutors and 2. get in one of those student study groups that you see others in. Simply just ask them can you join in and study with them. They won't mind that you want to get help they are your classmates.

Lastly, If you want your parents to envy you then success is the sweetest revenge. Try to stay out the house to study, and, try to stay busy.

You can do it!

I agree. When you have it, just accept it and wait for it to go away while trying to maintain your focus or exercising (though it can be parslyzing for days or weeks straight). Try to get out and move around--even just to do the dishes.

But I think 80% of it is prevention, which comes from the same methods used to relive stress, cause deep relaxation, and calm down the effects of anxiety as well as depression.

That comes from a lifestyle of:

Relaxation exercises
Regular exercise
Good diet
Meditation
Yoga / Tai Chi / Qi Gong
Regular massages
Balanced self-renewal

Visualize success and happiness instead of unhappiness and failure. Prayer too.

Talk to them u loves. meditation is very gud to wash out stress. Spend some time to listen music (if u like music). This will help you to get out of situation. Believe in you and God.

Yeah definitely talking to loved ones can help. People who genuinely care about you and are trustworthy and level-headed.

Read inspirational stuff and get back in the game....

The best way I know is sport. When I feel depressed I run or make other exercises. I also remember when I 16 or maybe 16 I watched the movie "Pump Up the Volume" with Christian Slater. The movie gave me the power for a really long time I felt like I took some drugs when I watched it

Not sure about NLP but thanks for the idea.

Start doing physical exercise and meditation regularly...this alone will make a huge difference

1. Self love, you have to love yourself more than anyone else. Do it too much though and you can end up a narcissist.

2. Someone popular once told me "fill your heart with love". At first I thought that was the sappiest thing I ever heard but then I realized that I spent my whole life just hating. Hating people, hating my situation, hating even the weather; my heart was consumed with hate. When you love yourself and love people in general that's the beginning of charisma. You will start to shine and people will be drawn to you.

3. When you see something you can't have don't say " I wish I had that." Even if you did have it you probably wouldn't be happy in the long term.

4. Do a physical activity. If you can't afford to go to the gym then do push ups, tricep dips and shadow boxing. Learning to box can do wonders to your confidence. I learnt just from watching fighters on youtube videos.

5. When you have negative thoughts say to yourself the exact opposite. for eg. " I hate my life. I hate people." should be changed to "I love life. I love people."

6. Meditation. focus on one chakra point like your third eye or throat and breathe into it.


You made it a habit to feel down so it will take a long time to make it a habit to feel good inside of yourself. Don't expect to change in only a matter of weeks.

From my perspective, depression can be solved with eing active against it. I had depressions aswell, but i started to fight them, i went more out, searched for friends who accept me how I am! I am very happy about that and I dont feel i have them any more!

Depression is what simply says negative feelings which wound our positive thinking and which not only destroyed our life but also throw reflection on others who are dears to us.
So what to do I think its is good to follow these tools of life goal in our life.

1) Connect to others. When we start to feel depressed, we tend to want to isolate ourselves. So we have to seek out social connections that are positive and nurturing to us.

2) Seek out meaning and purpose. Focus on activities and relationships that give our life meaning and purpose. When we don’t feel good, we start to believe that doing something meaningful would take too much energy; but the truth is, the less we do, the more tired and worn-out our feel.

3) Give to others. It is said that the more you give to others the better you feel. But, if we reach out to others who are suffering then we feel the benefits of giving and this will improve us.

Others have suggested this and I will too because it's free and works. Practice meditation and do it with some good background music (nature sounds, binaural beats, ambient music).

You can learn everything you want to know about meditation for free with Google and YouTube :-)

Faith in God, good music, good friends really helps a lot.
And like my grandma always says...
"Jing, this too shall pass"

Jing Quimpo
"Life is an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep." -- Carl Sandburg

When you’re depressed, it can feel like no one understands. But depression is far more common in teens than you may think. You are not alone and your depression is not a hopeless case. Even though it can feel like depression will never lift, it eventually will—and with proper treatment and healthy choices, that day can come even sooner.

• There is ALWAYS another solution, even if you can’t see it right now. Many kids who have attempted suicide (and survived) say that they did it because they mistakenly felt there was no other solution to a problem they were experiencing. At the time, they could not see another way out, but in truth, they didn’t really want to die. Remember that no matter how horribly you feel, these emotions will pass.
• Having thoughts of hurting yourself or others does not make you a bad person. Depression can make you think and feel things that are out of character. No one should judge you or condemn you for these feelings if you are brave enough to talk about them.
• If your feelings are uncontrollable, tell yourself to wait 24 hours before you take any action. This can give you time to really think things through and give yourself some distance from the strong emotions that are plaguing you. During this 24-hour period, try to talk to someone—anyone—as long as they are not another suicidal or depressed person. Call a hotline or talk to a friend. What do you have to lose?
• If you’re afraid you can’t control yourself, make sure you are never alone. Even if you can’t verbalize your feelings, just stay in public places, hang out with friends or family members, or go to a movie—anything to keep from being by yourself and in danger.

Hope this help,
Jeremiah

I can really sympathise with you here, as a child I was constantly bullied by my cousins, (23 of them), and coming from an Irish family, I was taught to fight back, I was overweight, and bullied at school, plus I had concentration issues, and was always active, which now would be diagnosed as ADHD, but back in the 70's and 80's I was just labelled a "problem child", and on top of all that I had severe dyslexia, which is still with me obviously.

I coped with this the only way I knew how back then, fight either physically, or fight emotionally, however as time grew, and I became older, I was fortunate that I listened to a great audio book by Dan Millman called the way of the peaceful warrior. From there I learned to look inside myself, and recognise the symptoms when depression kicked in, as I would go into myself and not talk to anyone for weeks or even months.

In all this turmoil that you are gong through, never forget that there is only one of you, and no matter what, the people who mock you, or tear your dreams apart are just bullies who truly have no idea of the concept of dreams, and more importantly are just scared individuals who lack the courage to try and reach their goals and dreams.

Smile and say ok, no matter what you say, I am a special person who will make a difference in my life, and be successful, while still helping those less fortunate than myself, and after saying this to yourself long enough, as crazy as it sounds, you will begin to feel better about yourself. Please don't give up.

Hope this helps you.

Paul Power.

The BIBLE....and if some reason that doesn't work for you then take advantage of 3rd world goods....light up, sip a nice cup of green tea made to your liking...hit the warrior forum and start making some money...it's hard to be depressed when your mind is occupied with positive thoughts....you are what you say you are, so say " you're rich powerful and everyone loves you" oh and believe it no one on this earth is put here without a unique design and purpose for their lives whether they believe it and fulfill it or not is totally up to the individual..This goes across the board, globally no matter who it is

To be honest depression has never played a large role in my life and so I'm not sure what the best advice is to get out of it.

I would say though that when you are young it is easy to feel a little out of place.

Some (if not most) people who are successful in life feel a little out of touch with a restrictive environment like school. And a lot are not great socialisers either.

I wouldn't worry too much about being poor, the truth is that 95% of the population struggles financially and that will include the parents of those children who you think are rich.

So what should you do?

Firstly it will pass quickly school is over sooner than you think.

And try and find something meaningful that you want to get involved with. Or possibly just try and have more fun.

First of all, I avoid any important work when I feel depressed. Why? That's because your emotions determine the quality of your work.

I try to remember WHY I am doing what I am doing. What am I going to avoid (like pain) if I get this thing done? What am I going to gain when I get the job done?

We are motivated in 5 different ways for different reasons.

1. Is motivation toward achievement (or gain)
2. Is motivation to avoid pain and suffering (away from failure) (away from rejection)
3. Is motivation toward power. People with power tend to get appetite for more power
4. Is motivation toward weakness. Some people hate to be weak and let other people jump on them. So they get motivated by NOT allowing people to push them away.
5. Is motivation toward affiliation. People get motivated when know that someone loves them. They are more family oriented.

The second one is more strongest, since people tend to avoid pain and loss more than everything else.

thinking positive and meditation helps alot .

Psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz has written wonderful books like The Myth Of Mental Illness... and many more.

Don't let depression take you out! Learn to relax, take things easy as it will be fine sooner.

Well the obvious thing is developing a positive attitude and not caring so much about what other people think,but that can be hard to do .Being a spiritual person helps for me,but if you aren't a spiritual minded person than Exercise,Exercise Exercise as mentioned already in this thread.Whenever I feel really down or low the endorphin release from exercise can turn my whole outlook on life totally around for the better. I don't think everyone at your school, unless its really small, is wealthier than you,but even if they are, there's got to be some people there who aren't stuck up or snobby because of their wealth. If these people think they're better than you because they have more wealth than they are pretty immature and likely have some issues of their own.

I don't know your age,but if your talking about high school or the first years of college than you have a lot of time to get where you want in life,you just have to have patience.You'll get your success if you work hard and tell yourself that you are going to one day prove the naysayers wrong. You could also check to see if there is counseling that is offered at your school.Your school unless its a private one should have a counselor that is free of charge that could give you advice that might ease your depression.

I use to think of the worst that can happen from the situation and then adjust my mind with the current situation.

I generally just try and sleep it off, and pray for the situation. Unfortunately we live in a society where there are folks who have, and those who have not. Everyone simply just can not have...its the way our society works. You can not have wealthy, without poor. Sad, but true! 8-(

One of life's lessons is to learn to believe in yourself. remind yourself of what you've achieved in the past...and there will be some things, and work on doing some more of those...

Make a list of 3 things you like about yourself physically,ie nose, toes, a trait - good online, good at writing, something you're great at - running, crive etc.

add one thing a day.

I know from experience that this is way easier said than done, but when I can do it, I try to think of doing things for other people in need. Like, helping someone with something, or doing something for them or saying something encouraging to them. This sometimes helps to break the depression and get me thinking in different directions.

GT

Hi Slade,

Hey I agree with Kokopelli.

1/ go and get some exercise - walk, jog, whatever for 15 to 30 minutes everyday. It will get you out of the house and away from the arguing and it helps release endorphins, which are the feel good hormones in the brain. This is No 1 for importance
2/ break what you have to do down into doable chunks. question "how do you eat and Elephant ?" answer "one bite at a time"
3/ get councilling from your school / college. an old saying is "a problem shared is a problem halved" however I would be hesitant in telling others (friends, etc) as they may not understand.
4/ if medication is recommended, do take it as I may help to just get you through this tough time.
5/ as another post suggested if there is a library nearby (can you use the school one ?) how about you get out of the negativity at home and finish your projects there.

Take good care of those that you love.

Robbie T

The best way is to go to psychiatrist or post your question on psylal.com and your question will be answered by psychiatrist in few hours

I just try to put myself into something new and interesting so that my mind get diverted from the depression zone. You can also try this.

Something I know that helps is to listen to motivational videos/audios from people like Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar etc but the key is to write down in a notebook all the important points. You have to do this everyday and not quit and you'll soon start to feel better and will start to work on yourself and do what needs to be done.

I was in the habit of putting off so many things I needed to do, and once I did this Ive been a lot more proactive and happier overall.

You need to think like this

"If I can't even do this small task" how can I ever hope to do the bigger more important tasks which will make me successful" So it will be a lot easier to "just do it".

In the beginning you can just try and complete one task per day that you have been putting off. It will get easier to take more action and you'll feel like you're accomplishing things everyday and you'll feel great.

Anyway that's what I've found that works for me..

Listening music and remembring the past moments which brought a lot of cherish at that moment and again trying to be happy and smile for it............

To cope up with depression, I usually surround myself with positive and happy people. Those people who are most important to me.

I am 34 .. i have walked in the same shoes as the op much of my life and only started getting new shoes recently ..

being trapped in the place between facing what you don't have on a regular basis and feeling guilt for wanting more when so many people don't have as much.. takes a terrible tole on you over time . the key here when you notice that those in places with much less seem to be much happier most of the time .. is to realize.. that they are not constantly bombarded by messages of what they don't have ..so they are able to more enjoy the little they do have .. when they get exposed to western media programing they develope the same problems we face here .

also take account of where you are now ... and start envisioning a life where you are the person you want to be and your surrounded by people who make you better.. and not people who shoot you down ..

stay out of debt and invest in yourself as much as possible ... do what you can to make your self better as often as possible ..and cultivate the attitude that you have value and you are always getting better as soon as you can ..

i have walked the path your on .. you may even be a little better off than i was.. you do not want to walk the path of trying to be accepted by people who want you to be someone else than who you are..

but the first thing you have to do is accept where you are .. but understand you can always get better than you are now .. but you are never broken because you are never done and your always in a process of getting better that many times can look like a big bloody mess ..

i will add in a briefer message.. that coping is not what you do with depression .. because you let it stay around to long . the first thing you need to learn is to tell when you are getting depressed and break the cycle .. then when you start feeling depressed .. do not develop the habit of listing all the things that are wrong to justify the depression..

use meditation to dump the negative thought pattern asap.. then fill your mind with more positive option and ways to make yourself feel batter.. that do not have a possibilty of long term negative consequenses ..aka.. don't start popping pills or eating cake to feel better..

my coping method was numbness .. and i tell you .. please don't live numb .. it sucks ..