Depression - How Did You Cope ? What Changes Worked ?

I have been on meds and in therapy. What worked just as well and at times better was diet and exercise. It's difficult because I have to make myself do it. It' definitely a struggle but if I can atleast get to the gym , everything else falls into place.

I recently watched a documentary called "Food Matters" I highly recommend it. A severly suicidal depressed women didn't respond to medication or therapy. Her nutritionist (who also has a PhD in medicine and is a practicing Dr) put her on high doses of Niacin (a vitamin). He also recommends 2 handfuls a day of cashews is equivalent to a dosage of Prozac, without all of the nasty side effects. She was totally cured.

I've been on Paxil, Effexor... both made depression worse. Getting into a routine, healting healthy, working out, taking Saint Johns Wort (recommended by a sibling in advanced med school), supplements (and yes, cashews), positive thinking and coping skills for stress, and do a lot of praying and meditating help. I have hard days, especially now since our life is going through some very traumatic events, but I feel more at peace and able to cope with life in general.

If anything, you need a new therapist that can actually help you! If it is really sever and nothing else works, then perhaps you need to see a therapist who can prescribe meds. But, I would be wary of those who prescribe meds without helping you behaviorally as well.

I personally think you should see your doctor and describe all these symptoms to them. It sounds as though you might need a prescription anti-depressant to help you "stop your brain" as you say. Then I think perhaps your doctor could recommend a good psychiatrist or counselor for you. I know you've seen them in the past, but I wouldn't give up on that....it can take time to find the right match for you.

You say that you've distanced yourself from your friends....perhaps you should try to reconnect with some of those relationships. Be open and honest about what you are going through and I think you'd find your true friends to be another source of support for you.

I say all this after having suffered through bouts of depression myself. Periods where I basically went to work, went home and distanced myself from everyone I could. I remember the pain and lonliness of that and feeling like I couldn't help it. But, it does get better if you find what works for you.

While I agree that diet, exercise and other less conventional approaches can and do help, I also know that severe depression is caused by chemical imbalances in your brain. Those imbalances often need a prescription drug to help "right the ship". Once you begin to heal the chemicals, the other stuff can help keep the ship afloat.

Good luck to you and if you ever need someone to listen to you, feel free to message me!

i think it would probably help if you found someone who had a similar belief system as you do. try looking for a counselor through your church or church leader.
in my church they actually provide psychologists who can give prescriptions if needed.

if all else fails, counsel with God. He is always there for us and He has always helped me in my darkest times.

I've been in a group that used Dialectic Behavior Therapy. I have a great book, titled The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook by McKay, Wood, and Brantley. We can change the way we feel by changing the way we think and act. It's a process that's taken me years to learn but it's worth it.

There is another form of talk therapy which is similar but I can't think of it's name now. I started with that. It goes something like this. A happens and because we think B,the result, C. is depression, anger,joy, neutral feelings. When we change B (the way we think about A) the result, C, is different.

I've found that it takes several sessions to know if a therapist is a good fit. Of course they don't remember the details because they still don't know you. And......this is an important idea, repeating our stories is often seen as a therapeutic tool.

I've taken medication along with talk therapy. I recommend talking with your doctor about trying a medication. Because of your years of depression the chemicals in your brain are out of balance. Medication gets them back in balance.

Later: In regards to the sleep issue, I urge you to talk with your doctor about it. I was recently diagnosed with insomnia and will undergo a sleep study to help learn what is causing it. I may have sleep apnea, which is common these days. In the meantime I'm taking trazadone which helps relax me so that I do sleep thru the night.

I would first be evaluated by a psychiatrist to see whether medication would help, or if they felt it was needed for your depression. If it has been going on this long, it might be a helpful to take an anti-depressent until you can start working on therapy as well as using coping skills to manage and decrease the symptoms of depression. I would look up a form of therapy that might help, it is called Dialectic Behavioral Therapy. It helps you regulate your emotions, as well as utilize ways to feel positive about yourself, and build self worth.

I suffer from depression too. I completely understand the difficulty concentrating and making simple decisions. I also understand finding noise (especially anything repetetive) unbearably annoying. I also tended to withdraw from everyone.

Once I started taking Wellbutrin, though, it did get much, much better. (I find that if I don't get enough sleep on a pretty regular basis, it will kind of creep up on me again though.)

I highly recommend that you talk to your doctor. You don't have to live like this- you really CAN feel better. If it weren't for my husband and kids, I don't know if I would have been motivated, but I felt bad for them that I wasn't myself.

Hang in there!! =o)

I've dealt with chronic depression and severe mood swings since I was 8yo. Three years ago I was diagnosed with Bipolar type 2 disorder. I have a problem with dopamine, not seratonin, which is why the SSRI antidepressants didn't work for me. I have found that a combination of Cognitive Therapy and Welbutrin have relieved 99% of my symptoms. I think it's time you talk to your doctor. Remember that if one doesn't work, another might. Good Luck.

take a 5 minute walk around the block once a day for the next week. when you return home write down 3 things you saw or heard that made you smile, or made you laugh, or that were beautiful, or that you were thankful for. swing your arms while you walk, take full breaths of air into your lungs, and whistle a tune if you like. at the end of the week read about all 7 of your walks and then do it again next week!!!!!

Your internist can prescribe meds, just an FYI. That is if you feel you can be better helped with meds.

Your complaints about your therapists seem odd to me. I am odd so that may be the problem, who knows. I have never expected a therapist to remember everything. Generally it starts with how are things going....granted my kids have therapists, not me. I am perfect, just kidding. Anyway you seem to want to find fault with the therapist, not yourself, that is not a good approach to therapy.

Anyway, myself, I was severely depressed for around two years. I was having to deal with an unfaithful husband and a two year old who clearly had issues, we later found out was autism spectrum. My ex would not help at all with Andy other than telling me his mom thought I was doing everything wrong.

So after drinking myself to sleep for two years I woke up and realize he is still here in the morning. Not matter what I do he is still here. So I took control of my life. Oh and I divorced the tool, kinda like having one less kid to take care of. That seemed to fix the problem right up. Even with everything life has thrown at me since then I have never been depressed. Never want to be either, that was no fun.

Don't give up, find a therapist you like and trust. Yes, it costs, but this is your life and it's worth it.

Be open to meds, see you md for a check up and referral.

See a naturopath for a full work up, lab work and supplements that might balance your own neuro-chemicals.

Exercise and eat healthy, avoid sugar.

Find a support group.

Go to church, get involved, volunteer doing something you love.

Try some different things to see if they help: yoga, pray/meditate, group exercise classes are fun and social as well as helping you feel relaxed.

I'm sure that many mom's reading this can relate. I see so many women come into my practice with all or even more symptoms that you are suffering from.
I know you have been told that you have a clean bill of health during your annual, but I'm sure they didn't focus on adrenal stress, neurotransmitter function and nervous system function. All of these issues can be balanced WITHOUT drugs. Drugs will simply mask the symptoms without you truly getting well, whereas supporting the function of your body will bring you to a state of homeostasis.
There is simple testing that can be done and from those tests supplementation and gentle chiropractic adjustments applied to return your body to normal function.
It seems that you are coming from a point of desparation and I would truly love to help. Feel free to email me with any questions--I'm an open book.
Take care and God bless.

You should talk to your DR about the depression, but for sleep try Melatonin. It is something your body naturally produces to help you sleep, sometimes it just needs a jump start sort of speak. I have been using it now for about 3 years.

I'm not sure where you live, but I have heard great things about Kathy Stiles ###-###-#### and here is a link to info about her: http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_detail.php...

I would suggest trying counseling, and if you still feel something is "off" you may need some medicine. Best of health to you.

It could take months and months of talking to the right psychologist before you started to see a difference and that gets $$$$.

I recommend using the program through UT Southwestern. You get a resident who is supervised by a real doctor. The resident DEFINITELY pays attention to your problems since they are part of his/her school work. After several sessions, the resident may identify you as someone who would benefit from medication in which case the supervising doctor prescribes it.

Outside of that, basic lifestyle changes help - eating a healthy diet, and daily exercise.

Good luck!

I didn't read your other responses, but have you tried vitamins and diet changes in addition to therapy? Check out some articles on www.hotzehwc.com

Good for you that you posted your question. A lot of people think that changing your "the glass is half-empty" attitude to "the glass is half-full" is all you need. I disagree.

I've been married for 20 years; I've struggled with depression for more than 25 years; I am struggling with being a wife, a mom and an employee. I've tried all sorts of stuff. What is helping me now is a combination of
1) therapy with a psychologist (whom I see once a month or less often or more often, as I feel it is needed)
2) medication from a psychiatrist
and 3) personal self-help (books and cds)

I have found it very helpful to get into a marriage program. You can check out these programs (T\there are two I recommend) online at:
Worldwide Marriage Encounter http://www.wwme.org/
(or http://www.austinme.org/)
Retrouvaille http://www.retrouvaille.org/
(pronounced like retro-vi, long-i sound)

I've heard that calcium at bed time helps with sleep; there is tryptophan, which is an amino acid found in foods especially in turkey, not helpful for me. Here is a website with some good tips: http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_tips.htm (going to read it through for myself!).

I would welcome a message if you want to discuss this (or anything) with me. I'm looking forward to hearing news of how you are doing. Good luck.

My father is bipolar and has had great success with a product called K48 Plus. Take a look at http://bit.ly/p70a92 and see all about it, also notice the second testimonial on the page. It is an all natural option that may help!

Hi N.,
I am have been dealing with depression (and anxiety) for some time now as well. I'm finally starting to feel some energy and life coming back to me. I can completely understand that empty, solitary, completely zapped feeling ... hating feeling that way ... but having no energy nor really the desire to do anything about it. I have been on Zoloft since 2003 and that really did help for a long time, but after my last child was born (April 2010) I was never able to come out of that funk, and it actually got worse instead of better. I know that I must have appeared lazy to my husband and family, but it was so much more than that. (I too have a wonderfully patient husband). Exercise, diet changes, etc were all suggested, but they all failed to realize was the extent of the depression. How are you going to make yourself go out for a walk, exercise or put forth the effort to make any changes, when the effort to take a shower feels like climbing Mt. Everest?

I finally went to my ob/gyn specifically for this issue back in May. After much discussion, we decided to switch to Effexor XR and recently added Wellbutrin as well. I am feeling so much better. I have energy that was absolutely non-existent before. I'm much more involved in my children's playtime, school and activities now. I keep the house kept up much better now too. There's a light in my day that wasn't there before.

Now, why do I go into all this? First, it's to let you know that you are not alone in this, and second, to encourage to see your physician. Whether it's your primary care physician or your ob/gyn, they are there to help you. They want to help you. Medication may not be your answer or you may not want to be on medication, and that's okay. They can help you find a good counselor or other means of getting help, too.

I hope that you are able to find the help you are seeking. Please let me know if you need any references for doctors or anything. Hugs!
A.

melatonin is a great all natural sleep aid..an amino acid or something?that your body is supposed to make on it's own...

Start with 1mg. the timed release is best to keep you asleep all night. take 1 about 20-30 minutes before bed and go to bed as soon as you feel sleepy ...in a dark /quiet room!

you can take up to 3mg per nite. but taking the least amount is best!..

You need to eat as healthy as possible...and a 20 minute walk every day/ evening will help you relax/unwind..has been my prozac for 25 years! many benefits from exercise!

I'll be praying for all that concerns you!...

You should try a cleanse. It's amazing. Check out www.genesispure.com/kristinestell. If you send me an email, I can send you some information, I won't hound you. It's up to you, but I am telling you there are lots of stories what it is doing for people. I was having some health challenges and my blood work came back crazy. After taking this stuff for 5 days, I had follow up blood work and it all came back normal. Now I am doing the 7 day detox and am on day 4 and have lost 7 pounds and 10.7 inches. I am an insomniac and have been able to sleep great.

If you google Dr Lindsey Duncan, you will see how great he is. He has been on Oprah, The View, Dr. Oz, CNBC and many more.
My email is ____@____.com, and my phone number is ###-###-####.

I agree that you should share this with your doctor and try to find a therapist you like... I also wanted to share with you that a friend of mine, who has also been suffering from depression, recently started taking a nutritional supplement that has helped her dramatically. She started taking it in the hopes that it would help with her low energy and fatigue. It did AND it has helped her with her anxiety and depression. She is thrilled, needless to say. If you'd like some info, please let me know!

I see others mentioned trying dietary changes. I wanted to say it's worth a shot. When my daughter was not yet two, she suffered an allergic reaction to peanut butter. Then she was diagnosed with asthma, then juvenile arthritis, then uveitis, then ulcerative colitis - over a 4 year period. When she started getting sick and was in and out of the hospital, I was very depressed. My doctor suggested lexapro, saying it was not a major drug and wouldn't harm me. I felt HORRIBLE on it... like a zombie. I wanted to cry so badly to release stress, but I couldn't because of this medication so I stopped it and refused to try any other medications when other doctors suggested it. I knew I wasn't eating right, I wasn't getting exercise and I wasn't getting enough sleep, so I told these doctors that I needed to figure out how to live a healthier life first and then if that didn't work, I'd try another medication. I found the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for my daughter (which was worked wonders for her, by the way) and went on it with her so she would have support. Bingo.... I finally felt 'normal' again. My emotions were no longer all over the place. I had better concentration. The fatigue, anxiety and panic attacks disappeared. I could finally deal with all my daughter's health issues, working full-time and keeping up with household chores/responsibilities.

There is a mind/gut connection and if something is irritating your gut, it could be affecting your mind. The diet we follow eliminates complex carbohydrates because they are not as easy to digest. We eat only grass-fed beef and natural meats (no hormones, dyes, etc.). We don't consume processed sugar, dyes, artificial anything.

Even if you feel the need to get on medication, try making dietary changes too. My daughter's doctors all stressed that the dietary changes would do nothing for my daughter, but now are in disbelief by her test results (she's almost in remission with no other changes to her treatment besides diet). I have never felt more strongly about how the food supply is messing up our well-being/health with all the genetically modified foods, pesticides, unnecessary additives in foods, etc.

good luck with whatever path you take!

Hey - I see a lot of people are answering your question, but I just want to throw in a couple of my own thoughts. I have never been depressed, but there are certainly times when I have been sad or lonely. The most important thing that has made my life better is exercise. I know several people suggested walking around the block, but honestly, that bores me to tears. I always have to find an exercise class to really feel the benefits of exercise. Once, I signed up for what I thought was going to be an aerobics class and it turned out to be a sort of yoga/relaxation class. Honestly, it was the best class I have ever taken. It did NOT give me a cardio workout, but I felt so at peace with myself after that class. It was stretching and such, but at the end of the class, she turned off the overhead lights and turned on some twinkle lights and played some classical music and did floor stretches. It was awesome. Maybe you could find something like that?

Also, maybe while the kids are in school, you could join an art class or a craft class or a book club. Or volunteer somehwere? Maybe part of why you feel depressed is that are bored or stuck in a rut?

Also, melanin helps with sleep, I have heard. I saw one post give some details on this and so maybe that is all you need to get started with that.

Oh, and in terms of low energy, once I went to the doctor and complained that I felt tired all of the time - not sleepy tired - just exhausted. And of course, there was nothing WRONG with me. She suggested that I take vitamin B. I took it for about 6 months and it reallly helped me get back to feeling like myself.

Good luck!
L.