Depression Help

[Swivils42]

Happy Hentai Beastie

Iye Macilvana

Happy Hentai Beastie

Iye Macilvana

I've been severely depressed for about a year now and it's gotten a helluva lot worse since me and my boyfriend and broke up about 2 months ago. I barely sleep, I've gained about 50 pounds in a year. And the thought of ending things keeps popping in my head more and more.

I'm to a point where I probably should seek medical help, however, I don't have insurance, and I don't want to be pumped up with drugs. Does anyone know of any natural means of easing this pain?
Some have suggested weed, but I learned the hard way that I am allergic to it. And, of course, I know exercise will help, working on that bit.

I am bipolar and suffer from PTSD. I know exactly how you feel, I've spent the last two years in what feels like purgatory. Unable to move forward, takes all of my energy not to slide backward, and the bad news kept coming and coming. It's hard to exercise and put yourself out there when you feel that low, and when you can barely do anything outside of your routine.

I will say this: counseling has helped. It took a while to find the right counselor for me, but she's been an ear when I wanted one and a motivator when I've needed one.

I definitely think you could use some short-term goals and activities. Most of mine were long term and I was in the same state as you. I recently took some community training courses just to get myself out of the apartment. I learned a lot about mental health, addiction, and poverty. It ended up having a profound effect on my outlook, and even my future plans.

Feel free to message me if you ever need to unload, commiserate, or even if you just need some sort of contact.

'Thank you, I haven't found any help programs in my area as of yet. I've finally forced myself into an exercise routine and that's been helping. I've also been hanging out with a coworker/friend going through a similar depression as I am, we just help each other get out of the house and move around.
With my exercise routine, I've already lost about 20 pounds this month, I didn't get a scale until last week and I lost 5 pounds this week, been exercising for a month, so I estimate I've lost about 20.
What caused you to have PTSD, if you don't mind me asking?

To be perfectly honest, a number of things. Abusive childhood, a near-death experience (had to be resuscitated), and then the big breakdown combined working three jobs for a year, then walking in on my fiancee and best man.

WOW. Don't mean to sound insensitive, I just don't know what else to say but wow.  

[Happy Hentai Beastie]

*chuckles* No worries. I have my bad times, but I've tried to make use of what I've gone through. I'm going to school for social work and plan to help those with mental disabilities find the correct organizations to help them, as well as join an oversight committee to watch over them. I know it sounds trite, but the things we go through can make us stronger, and wiser, and more compassionate. The trick is to use whatever happens to your advantage, even if you can't see how for awhile.

When I drowned, I opened myself up to faith and the mysteries of the universe.
I overcame the abuse, made peace with my family, and now we're closer than ever.
My diverse experiences have helped me connect with people who otherwise have a problem finding common ground with others.
Had I ended up with Aubrey, I would never have ended up on a long journey of self-discovery and broadened my horizons.
I would have ended up working a nine to five job, never dealing with my issues and continuing to inflict it on all those around me.

The most important thing, though, is to find yourself in the middle of the storm. Being comfortable in your own skin is the very foundation of happiness, and it's very important to get there. The first step I recommend? Analyze yourself. Even the little things, see if you can find out why you do what you do. If there's no good reason, ask yourself, does it make you happy, or better? Should you continue to keep doing it?  

[Swivils42]

Happy Hentai Beastie

*chuckles* No worries. I have my bad times, but I've tried to make use of what I've gone through. I'm going to school for social work and plan to help those with mental disabilities find the correct organizations to help them, as well as join an oversight committee to watch over them. I know it sounds trite, but the things we go through can make us stronger, and wiser, and more compassionate. The trick is to use whatever happens to your advantage, even if you can't see how for awhile.

When I drowned, I opened myself up to faith and the mysteries of the universe.
I overcame the abuse, made peace with my family, and now we're closer than ever.
My diverse experiences have helped me connect with people who otherwise have a problem finding common ground with others.
Had I ended up with Aubrey, I would never have ended up on a long journey of self-discovery and broadened my horizons.
I would have ended up working a nine to five job, never dealing with my issues and continuing to inflict it on all those around me.

The most important thing, though, is to find yourself in the middle of the storm. Being comfortable in your own skin is the very foundation of happiness, and it's very important to get there. The first step I recommend? Analyze yourself. Even the little things, see if you can find out why you do what you do. If there's no good reason, ask yourself, does it make you happy, or better? Should you continue to keep doing it?

Good luck with the social work. I never got the notice saying I had a reply to this thread.
And I've been taking steps to improve how I feel about myself. I'm trying to lose weight because I'm tired of being disgusted with what I see when I look in the mirror. My mental demons are another thing, I'm deathly afraid to tackle those. Right now, I just try and distract myself. Which I know isn't healthy.  

[Happy Hentai Beastie]

Iye Macilvana

Happy Hentai Beastie

*chuckles* No worries. I have my bad times, but I've tried to make use of what I've gone through. I'm going to school for social work and plan to help those with mental disabilities find the correct organizations to help them, as well as join an oversight committee to watch over them. I know it sounds trite, but the things we go through can make us stronger, and wiser, and more compassionate. The trick is to use whatever happens to your advantage, even if you can't see how for awhile.

When I drowned, I opened myself up to faith and the mysteries of the universe.
I overcame the abuse, made peace with my family, and now we're closer than ever.
My diverse experiences have helped me connect with people who otherwise have a problem finding common ground with others.
Had I ended up with Aubrey, I would never have ended up on a long journey of self-discovery and broadened my horizons.
I would have ended up working a nine to five job, never dealing with my issues and continuing to inflict it on all those around me.

The most important thing, though, is to find yourself in the middle of the storm. Being comfortable in your own skin is the very foundation of happiness, and it's very important to get there. The first step I recommend? Analyze yourself. Even the little things, see if you can find out why you do what you do. If there's no good reason, ask yourself, does it make you happy, or better? Should you continue to keep doing it?

Good luck with the social work. I never got the notice saying I had a reply to this thread.
And I've been taking steps to improve how I feel about myself. I'm trying to lose weight because I'm tired of being disgusted with what I see when I look in the mirror. My mental demons are another thing, I'm deathly afraid to tackle those. Right now, I just try and distract myself. Which I know isn't healthy.

One of my teachers challenged me once with a riddle. He had me draw him an elephant, and he asked me how I would eat it. I spent the next day baffled and expecting it to be a trick question. I asked him what he meant the next day, and he said, "You make elephant burgers." Now I was baffled AND annoyed. But he explained that a massive challenge has to be broken down into its parts and overcome individually, over time.

Whether I'm playing a tactical sim game, or dealing with my own problems, it's always popped back into mind. Granted, it's not the coolest saying in the book, it reminds me that everything has to be broken down into its parts and conquered rather than tackling the impossible en masse, and it's worked well for me.

I've felled impossible bosses, mental issues, health problems, bad news, everything in this manner. Next I'm tackling the weight issue as well, setting myself up for a weight loss regimen that starts on January 1st. I'm sure you can do it as well!  

[Swivils42]

Happy Hentai Beastie

Iye Macilvana

Happy Hentai Beastie

*chuckles* No worries. I have my bad times, but I've tried to make use of what I've gone through. I'm going to school for social work and plan to help those with mental disabilities find the correct organizations to help them, as well as join an oversight committee to watch over them. I know it sounds trite, but the things we go through can make us stronger, and wiser, and more compassionate. The trick is to use whatever happens to your advantage, even if you can't see how for awhile.

When I drowned, I opened myself up to faith and the mysteries of the universe.
I overcame the abuse, made peace with my family, and now we're closer than ever.
My diverse experiences have helped me connect with people who otherwise have a problem finding common ground with others.
Had I ended up with Aubrey, I would never have ended up on a long journey of self-discovery and broadened my horizons.
I would have ended up working a nine to five job, never dealing with my issues and continuing to inflict it on all those around me.

The most important thing, though, is to find yourself in the middle of the storm. Being comfortable in your own skin is the very foundation of happiness, and it's very important to get there. The first step I recommend? Analyze yourself. Even the little things, see if you can find out why you do what you do. If there's no good reason, ask yourself, does it make you happy, or better? Should you continue to keep doing it?

Good luck with the social work. I never got the notice saying I had a reply to this thread.
And I've been taking steps to improve how I feel about myself. I'm trying to lose weight because I'm tired of being disgusted with what I see when I look in the mirror. My mental demons are another thing, I'm deathly afraid to tackle those. Right now, I just try and distract myself. Which I know isn't healthy.

One of my teachers challenged me once with a riddle. He had me draw him an elephant, and he asked me how I would eat it. I spent the next day baffled and expecting it to be a trick question. I asked him what he meant the next day, and he said, "You make elephant burgers." Now I was baffled AND annoyed. But he explained that a massive challenge has to be broken down into its parts and overcome individually, over time.

Whether I'm playing a tactical sim game, or dealing with my own problems, it's always popped back into mind. Granted, it's not the coolest saying in the book, it reminds me that everything has to be broken down into its parts and conquered rather than tackling the impossible en masse, and it's worked well for me.

I've felled impossible bosses, mental issues, health problems, bad news, everything in this manner. Next I'm tackling the weight issue as well, setting myself up for a weight loss regimen that starts on January 1st. I'm sure you can do it as well!

God luck with the weight loss.
The elephant thing is a good way to put things. I'll try to think that way more. I know it's going to take a while for me to get over my fears of my own demons, but taking it slowly will help.  

[Swivils42]

Buckshot_Thriller

If work isn't too far away, you can always walk to and from work instead of taking the bus/car.

Yoga is amazing but if you over exert yourself, you can really hurt yourself. I don't know if they have it anywhere else, but I used to take yoga classes at the community college near my old place. A whole semester for thirty bucks..that's an amazing price if you think about how much a real class costs at a studio. I don't think too many people are crazy enough to pay twenty dollars per session or a thousand dollars per month(I don't care how warm that room is sorry). I was soo lucky to have a teacher that knew what she was doing. That's important.

When I'm feeling lazy, I jump rope during commercials. It ends up being a game with me and my kid. She's learned to count mommy's jumps and tries to jump along.

Awwwww, that last part is just so adorable.
I have an elliptical machine I use to work out on my days off. I've been trying to at least walk home from work, but oddly enough, every day that I would have to time to do it, it frickin' rains!
I'll look in to the yoga, one of my old room mates used to take yoga at the community college and it worked wonders for her. Only reason why I didn't join her was because I didn't have the time with the job that I had. I wish I could do yoga at home, but there's no room, which really sucks because my old room mate showed me a position that's really good for popping you back. lol.  

[Dani Hyrosha]

We through reading this and wish I had something profound to add, but everyone seems to have hit the mark.

One thing I saw off-hand was about the medical end. I have a warning for ya: make sure you find a doc that will work with you! I was diagnosed with clinical depression at 17, but they diagnosed as bi-polar when I was 20. While that was the correct thing to do at the time, it was situational and I got shuffled between docs. It took them six years to realize I wasn't bi-polar, just regular depressed, because no doc bothered to recheck me after the initial onset. Lucky for me, I found one that did.

Maybe you're one of the lucky ones that doesn't need meds, or if you do, it won't be forever. Just whatever you do, don't let your friend say it's all in your head or your not strong enough. I let me "friends" do that. They don't know what they're talking about.  

[Sakura_Moonlight2421]

With all of the suggestions I don't think I could add much. But if you need an ear to vent too, I'm your girl. I too looked at that ending it all possibility with all the stuff I went though, with the support of my friends and my close family I got thorough it all. My personality has changed and grew a bit in the past six years as I allowed myself to let some of my emotions out into the open. I pray you find your sliver lining. 3nodding  

[Swivils42]

Sakura_Moonlight2421

With all of the suggestions I don't think I could add much. But if you need an ear to vent too, I'm your girl. I too looked at that ending it all possibility with all the stuff I went though, with the support of my friends and my close family I got thorough it all. My personality has changed and grew a bit in the past six years as I allowed myself to let some of my emotions out into the open. I pray you find your sliver lining. 3nodding

Dani Hyrosha

We through reading this and wish I had something profound to add, but everyone seems to have hit the mark.

One thing I saw off-hand was about the medical end. I have a warning for ya: make sure you find a doc that will work with you! I was diagnosed with clinical depression at 17, but they diagnosed as bi-polar when I was 20. While that was the correct thing to do at the time, it was situational and I got shuffled between docs. It took them six years to realize I wasn't bi-polar, just regular depressed, because no doc bothered to recheck me after the initial onset. Lucky for me, I found one that did.

Maybe you're one of the lucky ones that doesn't need meds, or if you do, it won't be forever. Just whatever you do, don't let your friend say it's all in your head or your not strong enough. I let me "friends" do that. They don't know what they're talking about.

I had forgotten about this thread!
I am happy to say that I am mostly out of my depression. It took a very special man to help me with it, and I'm finally over my ex. My new boyfriend has been helping me face my demons. I thought I didn't need someone to help me out of my depression, but with the way I grew up, solitude drives me insane. So staying alone didn't work. I still battle with bouts of my depression and anxiety, but it's not as bad as it used to be, and former suicidal thoughts are gone.XD  

[Liada Trovaras]

Glad things is working out for ya lovely. 4laugh