How can i start my diet when i have depression? how can i urge myself to start?
595491
One thing is great for easing depression AND maintaining a healthy weight - exercise!  Get out there and walk, run, go to a gym if you can afford it, rollerskate, whatever.  It will give you energy and make it easier to concentrate as well as help you lose weight in a healthy way.  \n\nHere's a good link that explains some of the theories about exercises positive effect on people with depression...\n\nGood luck!
1057761
well i dont know how bad your depressions are and how long you got them now, but you should have a therapy and sometimes you have to get at least some kind of medication to get a therapy started. but i understand that you dont like the medication!i wouldnt like it either...well to give you some kind of advice, if you are depressed its important for you to have goals in your life! the worst would be if you dont have anything you work for....just make yourself any kind of goals oyu want to reach (doesnt ahve to be huge goals, start with something small), get yourself a hobby to keep you busy. dont know like a sport maybe or some craft stuff...i dont know how old you are so i dont know what kind of goals you could take yourself....but this is something really important...i would talk about the medication stuff to you doctor and tell him you wanna make a therapy and tell him your not into those medication stuff, he knows you better than i do, so i cant tell you if it would be ok for you to just stop it. i know people who would have killed themselves if they wouldnt have been on medication, so medication is not always bad, sometimes when you get depressed or depressions get too bad, you just need them...
518557
The advice of exercising and eating healthily is very good.  However if you are depressed then you should see a doctor.  Why are you hesitant to do so?  It is a medical condition, like a broken arm, only not so visible.  There is no shame in it.  However, if you go out and about with friends, take up a new interest and go walking especially in the sunlight if possible, these things will all raise your mood.  Listening to up-beat music helps as well.  If you go for a 30 minute walk every day, it is impossible to become clinically depressed, because the levels of serotonin in the brain will not dip to that level.  I hope you feel better soon.  Remember that family and friends will want to help you to feel better, don't think that you will be burdening them by talking to them about whatever is troubling you.  They will be only too happy to help you because they care about you.
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Activity - stay out of the bed, talk to a trusted friend.  Do not dwell on the probleml make do-able plans for your life and do one of them everyday.\n\nFor example you may want to take a course, call the school and get costs. Each day do something even the smallest thing.  But you must do something.  \n\nSometimes you may need medication to get ot of it, because the serotonin level in your brain can drop low enough and you will not get out of depression by yourself.
245103
There is a lot of help available for depression.  Depending on your condition, a doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe medication that can correct potential chemical imbalances that can cause depression.  Therapy sessions with a psychiatrist, psycholgist or other counselor can help you come to terms with how and why you feel the way you do.  There are also a wide variety of support groups and "help lines" that can provide both encouragement and (usually) free advice.\n\nInvestigate the possibilites in your community, and talk to someone about how you feel.  It's the only way to start feeling more like yourself again.
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First of all, do not blame yourself.  Depression is a chemical imbalance that is easily treatable.\n\nMy recommendation is to visit a licensed doctor that can evaluate your mental condition and prescrible a method of treatment.  It may involve medication; It could involve meeting for regular counseling sessions.\n\nIn the meantime, this might help:\n1:  Sleep regular hours (6-8 hours a day).  Too much or too little sleep will only make the situation worse.\n2:  Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet.  Also, try and drink more water.  This will help get your body on more of balance, which in turn could help your mental situation.\n3:  Exercisize regularly.  This releases "feel good" chemicals into your brain that can help alleviate your depression. Also, it will help get your sleep on schedule.\n\nI hope you feel better!
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Look in the phone book under counseling, or something similar.  Most cities have free 24-hour services that can help you find someone to speak with.  That's if you feel you are overwhelmed with depression.  If it's minor depression, exercise.  Studies have shown that exercising can be just as effective as an anti-depressant for someone who is only moderately depressed.
1116595
Turkey, Bananas are high in Tryptophan, so if you like them, eat them. Also eat more fats (esp. essential ones, but also  saturated). America is depressed because so many people eat fat free. Absolutely avoid fat-free and carb-free foods!!! Drink whole milk, not skim milk. Don't worry about gaining weight, you will not. You will actually lose weight if you turn your body into a fat-burning machine. For that your fat intake has to be higher than your sugar intake. Eat in moderation. Avoid artificial sugar. Eat what you really like, and eat the best of the best. Indulge, but in healthy food, like fruits, dark chocolate, low sugar ice cream. Do not indulge in french fries, coke or donuts. While they may satisfy you temporarily, they are very bad for your body in general. Also do not eat something you don't like, just because it is healthy.
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Depressive disorders make one feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Such negative thoughts and feelings make some people feel like giving up. It is important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression and typically do not accurately reflect the situation. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. In the meantime: \nSet realistic goals and assume a reasonable amount of responsibility. \nBreak large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what you can as you can.\nTry to be with other people and to confide in someone; it is usually better than being alone and secretive.\nParticipate in activities that may make you feel better.\nMild exercise, going to a movie, a ballgame, or participating in religious, social, or other activities may help. \nExpect your mood to improve gradually, not immediately. Feeling better takes time. \nIt is advisable to postpone important decisions until the depression has lifted. Before deciding to make a significant transition--change jobs, get married or divorced--discuss it with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation. \nPeople rarely "snap out of" a depression. But they can feel a little better day by day.\nRemember, positive thinking will replace the negative thinking that is part of the depression and will disappear as your depression responds to treatment.\nLet your family and friends help you. \n\nSelf help for depression\n\nEffective therapy needs to incorporate everything that works in lifting depression. You may be able to help yourself effectively, although often it is useful to get the help of a professional.\n\nHere we'll go through what you can do, as well as what you should look for in any therapy you choose to undergo.\nWhat you can do to help yourself\n\n1) Know about your condition - what you know about your depression has been shown to have an effect on well you respond to treatment. Take the Depression Learning Path - it's the best way to start helping yourself.\n\n2) Cut down on rumination. Do whatever you can to decrease the amount of rumination you are doing. (Ruminating is 'chewing over' emotional issues in your mind without coming to any decision to act.)\n\nIf possible, decide to put off difficult decisions for 1 or 2 weeks while you get your energy back.\n\nWays to cut down rumination are to:\n\na) Stop yourself when you spot yourself doing 'all or nothing' thinking. (See thinking styles)\nb) Read novels when you have nothing to do, to occupy your mind. (Make them exciting novels, not romance or self help books!)\nc) Do exercise (see 5)\nd) Work if you can\ne) Keep yourself occupied as much as possible in ways that stop you thinking too much!\n\n3) Find ways to assess and monitor your depressive episodes - The way depression makes us adopt all or nothing thinking is a unique and crucial part of understanding depression. The way depression makes us generate seemingly hopeless outcomes to our situation can make it almost impossible to see a way out of it. \n\nFinding ways to gauge your depression can help to show the shades of gray, that will ultimately defeat the black and white thinking on which depression thrives. This is often done in the form of a diary, where you grade how bad your days have been on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the worst and 10 is the best. Then, after 2 weeks or so, you can look back and see how things have varied over that time. \n\n4) Lower your emotional arousal levels calming down emotions such as anxiety and anger helps your brain function more subtly and decreases the amount of catastrophising you do. Along with getting proper rest, being able to relax is incredibly important.\n\nRelaxation therapies are effective in overcoming some of the other issues that can co-occur with depression. The effects of panic attacks, anxiety and anger, etc can be lessened and overcome with the ability to relax properly and deeply. Physi
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I live with long term depression and can not take the anti-depressants doctors prescribe, yes, I have tried the new ones with the same results, they make me more depressed, not less!\n\nOver many years I have developed a lifestyle that alleviates the depression in a natural way. Here is what I do, I hope it is of help to you and others as well.\n\nCounselling: I find having a person I can rely on to talk to is very helpful when the depression is bad, many counsellors now agree that depression in many cases should be treated in a more natural way.\n\nFood: Eat lots of raw fruit and vegetables and if you have to cook them only just cook them! Natural foods are bright in colour and so are pleasing to the eye to eat. Also ensure you eat fish once a week every week.\n\nDrink: Limit coffee, alcohol, soft drinks and tea, instead try lots of water, fruit based cordials, herbal teas and fruit juice\n\nExercise: Walk outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air for 20 minutes a day. During the walk really look at your surroundings and take note of the big strong trees, cool soft grass, blue sky, and if you are lucky enough to live near water notice the water and how it responds to its environment. We tend to breathe more shallowly when we are depressed so some exercise helps us breathe deeper and increases the oxygen intake making us feel better all over. You dont need to run a marathon, just exercise regularly and only do what is possible.\n\nVitamins: Take multi vitamins one day and Multi B the next. You dont need to overload your system with vitamins otherwise you simply end up with expensive urine! If the Multi B and the multivitamin both have Vit C in them then that is even better.\n\nSunshine is the best and easiest way for human beings to absorb Vit D. So being outside in the sunshine is a good thing. Being sunburnt is not, so take care to wear a shirt, hat and sunscreen. And sunshine just makes you feel good! It actually releases some chemical in the human brain that makes you feel good.\n\nIf you eat lots of white flour based foods, fried foods, and processed foods you will find that this tends to make your digestion system sluggish and seems to add to depression so avoid them.\n\nNew Things: Learning a new thing alleviates depression because it gives us a sense of satisfaction and achievement and you cant feel satisfied and depressed at once! Take on new challenges whether it is getting around to learning a musical instrument, painting, riding a bicycle, or learning Tai chi you will find that a sense of accomplishment feels very good.\n\nGrow something: Carig for something else turns your attention to positive things like what you can do right and what is possible. If you think that you are the worlds worst gardener try this: Ask someone for cuttings of geraniums stick the cuttings in some dirt and water daily for a week. Geraniums are the most amazing flowers to grow because they grow from cuttings so there is no cost involved and if you plant half a dozen cuttings you will get two or three plants from that. Their bright colours and often scented leaves are a delight. An old fashioned plant but a cheerful one. Daisies also grow from cuttings and are bright cheerful plants. Both daisies and geraniums grow really well in pots and so do many vegetables! There are lessons we can only learn by osmosis, we have to absorb the lesson and growing something gives us some of those lessons.\n\nGet Involved in Your Community: Join an interest group, a local health centre committee, or a church or other organisation. Being with others with a common goal can be very upliftng. Being with, caring about and learning about other people leaves no room for you to be wound up in your depression.\n\nMusic: Get a good collection of music of all kinds, try some classical, some heavy rock, some lilting little melodies, african drumming music, aboiriginal music, the more variety the better. listen to all kinds of music.\n\nGet a pet: You dont have to buy a d
895871
Well my first suggestion would be to exercise.  Walking is an excellent way to start.  I would say to keep doing that.  I agree with one of the earlier answers to join the YMCA.  I belong there and have made many friends.  It helps to keep me motivated.  That being said, it sounds like you are an emotional eater.  ME TOO!!!  When I am upset, when I am happy, when I am depressed, when something good happens, when something bad happens etc.....  I use food to fix all issues and celebrate the good one.  \n\nSo I joined LA weight loss.  I love them.  I am only saying that as a suggestion.  But I will tell you what they taught me.  \n\nFirst and most important is journaling.  Write down everything you eat and be sure to include portion sizes.  \n\nNext I would concentrate on portion sizes.  Keep track of how much of each thing you eat.   Now you have a starting point to where you can start to make smaller portions and healthier choices.  \n\nIf you don't already, start eating more fruits, veggies and lean proteins.  Grill your chicken, steam your veggies and loose the fast foods.  I love chinese and have had my share of depressed chinese eating but if you find yourself there, just have a smaller portion and fill up on water.  \n\nThat is the next important point.  Drink water and pleanty of it.  At least, if not more, 8-10 8oz. glasses a day.  Stay away from soda as it is empty calories and makes you dehydrated.  \n\nAnd keep your chin up.  It will not happen over night but it will happen.  I have on my refridgerator a list of all the reasons I am trying to lose weight and what my reward will be.  I am 10 lbs from my goal and my reward is getting my belly button peirced.  I have lost over 50 lbs so far.  If I can do it, so can you.\n\nIf you would like to email me you can.  My personal email is ejniver@hotmail.com\n\nElicia
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Hi Boo2U. A poor diet can definitely worsen depression. At many times depression is even caused by lack of vitamins ex: vitamin B, Folic acid and selenium. Also omega 3 fatty acids are key to prevent depression
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Try listening to Anthony Robbins' books-on-tape/CD. That's what I have done to get further in what I want to do and to stop the things in my life that are only hurting me.\n\nI used to always go to the liquor store to buy alcohol when I felt depressed. Now, I don't. Don't know how to explain it. If you have a library card (or if you don't, you can get one usually for free), you can take out books-on-tape and such. I really do recommed Robbins. Great motivational speaker. I just finished my first and only tape of his so far called, "Awaken the Giant Within." Listen to it over and over and follow what he asks you to do. Remember, everything you do basically has to do with your mind. If you change your mindset, in your case, you can change your body, and in your case as well, it doesn't take prescription drugs. I know myself. I am on 4 very powerful anti-anxiety prescription drugs and I'm not being over-medicated. It's just that my condition is pretty bad if I don't have the meds. But, there are other things you can change without the meds AND you CAN improve the parts of your life that you have been medicated for, i.e. depression.\n\nGood luck!
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There are many ways you can overcome depression that work very well. The most important thing to remember is that you can control your thoughts and feelings. You can learn to change habitual thoughts and feelings that bring on the moods of depression. \n\nOne of the best ways to combat depression is to stay active. Find activities that you enjoy and seek out new interest. People are usually depressed when they have nothing to do. Get active in your community, join a bowling league, take a class at your local community college, volunteer your time to an organization, or take up a new hobby such as stamp collecting or crocheting. Busy yourself with things you enjoy doing.\n\nBe positive! When life lets you down, make a list of the good things in your life. Even the small ones count. The list can include such things as your family, your friends, your job, your back yard, your health, and even your ability to grill or cook. List items that you are good at doing. You may think grilling a steak to perfection is no big deal, but I have no idea how to grill a steak without it being leather. So, that is a feat to be proud of. On this list put every little thing. Now, when you feel depression coming on, take out this list and read it over and over again. This may help you with your self worth. \n\nDo not let others cause your depression! You can allow others to hurt your emotions, or anger you and this can also bring on depression. Remember the person that is negative is not you! Do not let their moods influence your emotions. So, what they don't like your shirt, they don't like the way you cooked breakfast, or they have some other complaint. You like your shirt, you enjoyed breakfast, and their complaints are just that, complaints without any merit. I am not saying to ignore others, but don't let them drag you down. \n\nDon't sit around by yourself! Being alone and idle can bring on major bouts of depression. Everyone enjoys having others around whether in a small group, one on one, or big social functions. Get out in the world. Find like minded friends and family to occupy those times. \n\nIf you are still having problems with depression and just can't seem to rid your life of these feelings it would be advisable to visit your doctor. There could be a medical reason that is causing your depression such as prescribed medicines, menopause, or other illnesses.\n\nGOOD LUCK TO YOU!!
562518
Hi,I really believe you should set up appointment with your M.D before you start any diet,medications or certain exercise,since I do not know any health problems you may have or not.What works for one may not work for others.Seeing a nutritionist is always helpful too,so they can help you with a diet plan that is healthily too.If you are unable to afford to see a M.D try going to the library on a book to help you learn how to count calories read labels.Always start off slow with a beginners aerobics found in many book stores.It is always nice to have a Friend to do it together.
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i think you must control and check what you are eating.\nin this respect first and foremost requirement is depression. if you have some depression then try to release it by any mean try to be happy and take everything lightly.\nwe can't do the things by thinking but by action. so dont think and if you think, always think good.\ntake water daily 7 glass or more as you can! if you have oily skin then use the soap or face wash according to your skin. try not to apply cosmetics on skin but where they necessary. okie
272126
exercise is known to greatly decrease the symptoms of depression.  develop a strong network of friends and family that you feel comfortable sharing your feelings with.  find a counselor (therapist) that you like and trust, talk to them, they can help (ask people you know for suggestions of who to go to, if you're comfortable with that).  eat a healthy, well balanced diet (consult a doctor or other nutrition expert if you're not sure what this means for you, or how to improve your diet safely).  check any medicines/supplements for side-effects that may include depression or similar conditions, but consult with your doctor before discontinuing any medications, as this can also cause problems.  some people find that accupuncture or accupressure work well, but this is not for everyone.  the most important thing to do is to talk with your doctor and a therapist, they can help you a great deal.  Remember, talking is natural, and you can tell them if you don't want to take drugs.\n\nFind friends, Exercise, Eat right, Talk with your doctor/therapist, Become active in your community (such as volunteering, chuch)