Depressed people, Please tell me how you got better!?
343647
With a psychaitrist and medication. Medication was like a miracle. Within a few weeks I was happy and content and could deal with anything and especially the cause of my depression.\nIt's really hard to get over this alone. The problem is that your mind is playing tricks on you, and you have unbalanced chemistry in your brain. Medication helps balance that out. \nThe medicine that they have today is incredibly good, and works really well.
976955
I have had depression for many years and have tried many things.  The counsellor is very important and necessary.  As far as medications go, it takes a while to find one that will work for you. If you are not suicidal, I would try other means of treatment if you do not want to take medications.\n\nI have had good results from accupuncture and vitamins.  Unfortunately neither are covered by my medical plan.  \n\nIf you go see a naturopath, they might be able to help you find some vitamins and other supplements that would help.\n\nExercise is also very important as it releases natural endorphins, and helps burn off stress.  Try to get your heart rate up for half an hour at least three times a week.  \n\nTry avoiding chemicals in the food you eat, as this can throw off your brain chemistty.\n\nTry not to sit at home and watch TV a lot.  Get out and do things because this will help take your mind off things.\n\nIf you don't go to church, try to find one...studies show that people with religious beliefs tend to be happier than those without them.\n\nAlso, do you live in a northern climate, or a place where it rains a lot.  I live in Vancouver, BC, and it rains most of the winter here.  My depression is worse in the winter because of the lack of sunlight.  If the lack of sunlight is a factor for you, get yourself a SAD light (SAD = seasonal effective disorder).  If you do buy one, make sure that the light that comes out of it is white.  Many products say that they are a SAD light, but they have an orange light.  In order for the product to work, if has to be a full-spectrum light, which is white.\n\nOkay, I hope I have been some help.  I wish you luck.
500858
Depression, get a good therapist and on some TEMPORARY antidepressants prescribed to ya. Experience speaking here.
1071264
Past medication, I am going to recite here what I found in Kathy Cronkite's book regarding depression: Liz Carpenter, former White House press secretary uses these techniques to keep "the wolves" at bay..........\n1. Do something for someone-a child, a friend, a mate. 2. Do something for yourself-a new hairdo, a new dress, a massage. 3. Do something for your home-garden, plant a tree, clean a drawer or closet while listening to music. 4. Have eight people to dinner with your good china and best recipes. 5. Take three upbeat friends to lunch. 6. PLan a vacation. 7. Exercise-swim, dance, jog, walk. 8. Volunteer to work in a soup line. 9. Follow the AA formula of HALT-take positive steps to avoid being Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. 10. Confess your depression to a sensible friend or physician. 11. Join something-a cooking club, tennis club, church or all three. 12. Sing-even if you think you can't. \n\nKathy Cronkite wrote "On the Edge of Darkness", Conversations About Conquering Depression". Buy it. I sent it to my Aunt and never thought I'd need it for myself. It helped me immensely along with my doctor and his kindness in understanding. I have a prescription now, whereas, all I wanted to do was just lay down and die. God Bless.
443881
what do you do as a job? i found that i had to change my attitude in a lot of different areas of my life. i don't know exactly what i'd suggest for you since i'm not sure what type of work you do. are you religious at all? that is something i got away from and i found myself sinking deeper and deeper into anger and despair. have you talked to your doctor about it? i have had to stay on an antidepressant. my family has a history of depression. sometimes we just have chemicals in our brains that are out of whack. it is hard to deal with life if your brain isn't working properly. i have made myself always look on the bright side. i dont' know you, but as a starter, you can be happy that you have a roof over your head and at least some type of employment. i honestly know how you feel. please don't consider killing yourself. i don't know how many times i made passive/aggressive attempts to harm myself. i was wreckless and i did not care at all. it's an awful feeling. i really suggest you talk to a doctor. psychological sickness is the same as physical sickness. some people do not understand that. there are methods to heal yourself. please talk to someone. i'll say a prayer for you.
916823
Hi I really liked andiv's answer. But I just wanted to add that I was diagnosed with a low grade depression; and like you I also have a very high IQ, however I do not find that terribly relevant to my situation. A low-grade depression is characterized by a flat mood; not really deriving any joy in anything. There are treatments that may be able to help you to some degree. But finding a good doctor/therapist is not always easy, but well worth it. exercise was mentioned; I have personally found this beneficial, it does release those feel-good endorphins; important to be regular, develop a good routine.  I mentioned earlier finding a good therapist, because you seem to need to vent to someone(due to over-thinking). I have also  found having a knowledge of why were here and where we are going to be beneficial. My faith does provide me with an accurate knowledge, which has given me a hope for the future. Now if you want to know more about this, feel free to email me. If not, or even if you do,  I still feel a good therapist would be a good ideal; because it may be a chemical imbalance.
609143
This will work:\n\nTry a 4 hour job (part time) job; that you don't necessarily LOVE, but you do it for the sake of it, and some money. It may take your depression away forever.
997678
I would suggest you take some part-time employment \n\neven some hourly jobs ... like mowing lawns, aiding shop keeping , domestic....\njust to keep u busy ... \n\nGET STARTED\n\njust 2 keep u'rself busy for awhile\nwill help u overcome depression ...\n\nDo it slowly , but do it\n.... guess slowly u will revert back to mainstream life\n\n--- very best of luck ,, and my prayers
922153
"HUG" look after yourself. so many people care about you, even if they dont show it. and if they dont, i care. i became really depressed in the middle of the year.. :( and im a bit depressed now. i didnt get really bad tho.. but u have to be strong. no one can really get u over depression except yourself. be true to yourself in life and there are always ups and downs. i guess... everything happens for a reason..\n\ni hope this helps! be strong and dont listen to those other uncaring sons of bitches that say shoot urself or something ok!\n"hug" good luck!!!! suzie
117917
Depression is something that should be evaluated by a health care professional, to begin with.\nBe meticulous about taking the medications as prescribed, if that is the case.\nHowever, there are many things you still can and should do, to get a grip on it. \nFirst of all, following the advice from the health care professional, get involved with counseling. \nA therapist, who I would suggest to be a Psychologist, should help you to sort much of the mind confusion that accompanies depression. \nA Christian counselor, will guide you to seek help from the spiritual realms, since most depressed patients feel very lonely and also feel that their prayers are not answered.\nRelatives or very good friends should keep you company as much as possible to handle the oppressive loneliness that comes with it.  \nPrepare an agenda of things to do, the previous night. Stay busy. Do not overwork yourself. Measure the workload as much as possible.\nExercise. Include that in your agenda. \nSet up goals. Adjust your goals accordingly with the results you will be achieving. \nDo your best to get a vision for your life. Usually (not always), depression is the result of a traumatic event that threw you off the path you had for your life, and you find yourself in a situation where you feel your life has no purpose anymore.
609352
Talk to someone you trust, either family or friends. If they cannot help, see a doctor, try psychotherapy support, ask the specialist if anti-depressants may help you. \nAlso try to enjoy yourself, go out, look for a hobby, there must be something of interest to you, go to the movies, mix with happy people that make you laugh. Try to laugh a lot even if you feel you can`t. Good luck!
697918
take positive action today, right now. Life is too short and precious. I am your age and have recently retrained after 2 horrible years of illness. I am now doing a job i love. It was tough to get here but well worth it. Be prepared for things to get a little worse before they get better. for example you may be quite low on cash for a while. \nFirst...what do you want to do? need inspiration? look through the job pages, or check out what courses are available. \nsecond...if you don't want to be in this country, where do you want to be? \nthird...how about giving yourself some thinking time and doing something positive and rewarding to fight off the depression? You're young enough to be eligible for loads of charitable organisations, for example BUNAC. They pay for your flights, you do some volunteer work in an interesting place. Might help to get you some perspective.\ngood luck xx
676366
When depression strikes, the depressed person isn't the only one affected. Everyone around them -- family, friends, and co-workers -- feels the impact.\n\nHelping a loved one cope with depression can be key to his or her recovery. But it isn't always going to be easy. Here are some tips.\n\n\n\n      Get the facts. The first thing you should do is learn more about depression. Read up on its causes and treatments.\n\n\n      Get other people involved. You can't do this alone. Your friend or loved one may want you to keep his or her depression a secret. But that isn't healthy. It puts far too much pressure on you. So try to get a small circle of family and friends to help. That way, you can help look after your loved one together.\n\n\n      Ask what your loved one needs. Be direct. Unless you ask, you just won't know what your friend or loved one wants from you.\n\n\n      Don't try to solve the problem on your own. Your loved one needs professional help to get better. Depression is a real illness. You wouldn't try to cure a friend's diabetes on your own. You shouldn't try curing depression either.\n\n\n      Offer to help with the practical things. People who are depressed are easily overwhelmed. Everyday stuff -- dressing the kids for school, grocery shopping, or laundry -- may feel like too much. So pitch in. Sometimes practical help can make a big difference.\n\n\n      Take time for yourself. Taking care of someone who is depressed can be overwhelming. So it's key that you set aside time for yourself. Do things that you enjoy. Get out of the house on a regular basis. Take walks or go to the gym. Catch a movie or dinner with friends.\n\n      Given what your loved one is going through, you may feel guilty or selfish for thinking about yourself. But taking care of yourself is crucial. If you don't, you'll burn out -- and that won't help either of you.\n\n\n      Know your limits. There is a lot you can do to help your loved one. But you can't do everything. You can't make your loved one well. You can't watch him or her 24 hours a day. These things aren't in your power. In the end, your loved one has to want to get better, too.\n\n\n      Take threats seriously. Suicide is a very real risk of depression. If your friend or loved is threatening to commit suicide, take action. Don't leave the person alone. Remove any weapons or large amounts of medication. Call a suicide hotline or your loved one's therapist. In a crisis, don't hesitate to call emergency services. You can't keep something this serious a secret.\n\n\nI hope that helps, all the best to you and your friend!I went through a bout of depression, but didn't really tell my friends: I knew that they would say 'just cheer up!' or 'just don;t think about it' or 'snap out of it'... Those are actually the worst things you can say to someone who is depressed, as it makes them feel even worse that they cannot make themselves 'snap out of it'. I would advise you just to be there for her to talk to and do things with... and don't give up on her!
26516
Get moderate exercise and plenty of sunshine.\n\nA walk first thing in the morning is likely to help!\n\nIf you feel depressed for longer than a couple weeks, you should see a doctor or therapist.  Talk therapy and the right medicine are best for depression.\n\nSome nonpharmacologic methods of treating depression include psychotherapy, exercise, support groups, self-help literature, and light therapy. Patients shouldn't undergo nonpharmacologic therapies unsupervised or for prolonged periods because longer periods of depression are more resistant to treatment and 70% to 80% of patients respond to an adequate trial of pharmacologic therapy.7,12,16,17
194477
I am sure that they will "be funny" again.  Your personality sticks...the depression might alter it a little but they will spring back to normal.  Support them, be there for them.  If this person you are talking about is you, confide in a friend.  It's okay to cry and be depressed for a while.  It might be almost embarrassing to let that vulnerable side show since you/they were always the "funny and happy" one.  Trust me, you will seem even more real and likable when people see your human and have bad days...even if these days last for awhile.  Also, no one is too good to seek professional advice.  I'm not saying run out there and get put on medication, but you might need an extra boost to get back and going..whether it's just medical advice or whatever.  Good Luck.
933196
theres many things you can do. when im depressed or feeling low, i call or talk to one of my friends or family members. i also like listening to music. another thing you can do is eat your favorite food.
262652
Here's a screening quiz I found that can help give you an idea:\nhttp://psychcentral.com/depquiz.htm\nIf you think you need help, by all means get it.  I'm not sure of your situation, but talk to a psychiatrist, a counselor, a school official, a social worker...even if you don't have money to pay for a psychiatrist visit there are ways to get help - talk to a counselor at school or at work to see how.  If you are depressed, there's a good chance that medicine and/or talk therapy can get you back to your old self.