Depressed - What Works for You?

I’m at a point where I feel that I am depressed and need to start an antidepressant again. I’m away from home so going to a walk-in clinic for this seems it may be tricky. Maybe I should stay on it for life now.

What other things do you do for self care? I do nothing but sleep a lot and eat.

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If you can, regular exercise is your answer.

It’s has never failed me since I started to exercise on a regular basis since I was 12. I am now 49.

30 minute walks and progress to 30 minute jogs.

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Hi Bloom,

Sorry to hear you are feeling low.

What helps best for me is also exercise, which for me is a lot of walking as I walk to work and am walking at work all day but then I also make time on my days off to get in some walking.

I also listen to a guided meditation on youtube for clearing subconscious blockages. I am not a meditation kind of person but this works for me. I put on headphones and listen to this man’s voice and I can get at least an hour of solid sleep that is peaceful. I wake up feeling refreshed.

Another thing I do is when I am feeling low, I help my elderly relative as much as I can, ask them how they are doing and what needs to be done. Helping others makes us feel better at the same time as we are being productive.

It is tempting to eat comfort food, but I try as best I can (although I don’t always succeed) to eat even more healthy food when I’m feeling low. Getting sleep is good, although too much can be problematic. Eight to nine hours is OK.

Visiting or talking with friends or family who care about you helps, too. Let them know you aren’t feeling that great and you may find they will have caring words and actions that will make you feel better.

Did the antidepressant help you? Would it be something you look forward to taking again? I have never been on meds, myself, just tough it out when I feel depressed, but there can be times when that is the only thing that works. I hope you find relief. Let us know how you are doing. :purple_heart:

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Thank you, Chuong_Ha. I like walking so need to force myself to start walking now.

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Did the antidepressant help you? Would it be something you look forward to taking again?

LifeIsHard
Yes, the antidepressant helped me a great deal when I was 1st trying to cope with my sons illness. I did not try it until the 3rd year and remember thinking that I wished I had tried it sooner. Would have made things easier back then. I feel it would help me now because I feel so hopeless and don’t even care about self care. I’m sleeping 12-16 hrs a day and I am still feeling tired. This feels like back then to me. At that time I did not get out of bed for a week until my daughter pointed out that I should see a doctor. Thank you for your thoughts

In addition to exercise, I find other sorts of tasks that are measurable and achievable help. It might be something mundane like weeding the garden, cleaning out a closet or a garage or something like that.
You get a feeling of accomplishment and it occupies the mind and keeps it from wandering or dwelling on other things.

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Exercise is my #1 go to, along with sleep. Healthy diet and spending time with friends are my #2.

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@Maggotbrane
Yes, just doing cleaning, organizing as a task to accomplish something helps but unfortunately I’m cleaning out my deceased parents belongings and I think that is contributing to my depression.

@Itsastruggle
I miss all of my friends and coworkers. I have just retired and moved. I need to make some phone calls. I have my best friend who has been great to talk to.

@anon64643646 Yes, I recently had to let go of a beloved dog and coming across mementos is hard and can stop you in your tracks, but working through it is part of the process-- at least for me.

Then again, in theatre I’ve always loved striking the set even though most actors hate it, and just want to get to the after-party. Something about the physicality of it, and sorting through what to throw out and what to save for the next show, helps me with the grief that the show has ended.

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