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Definitely agree on the reprogramming. I have been working on that by putting positive notes all over the place.
I have many friends that are truly happy all of the time. They have the bad moments, but they don't get depression and how someone can't just snap out of it.
I have many friends that are truly happy all of the time. They have the bad moments, but they don't get depression and how someone can't just snap out of it.
A person does not snap out of clinical depression. Your friends don't get it. I would imagine that would make your depression worse, since it sounds as if they're not very supportive. Do you have time to volunteer at something you like doing? (Library, hospital, classroom, etc.) You might feel better by realizing that you can help others...and you may meet people who are a little more empathetic.
I just cannot snap out of this depression. I am on meds, seeing doctors and exercising. I can't handle it anymore. This isn't normal.
I look at people around me, happy, smiling, don't let the little things get to them. I just keep spiraling downwards more and more. I see my future in my mom and I don't want to be that person.
I guess I just am so envious of people who are just happy. It has never been an option for me.
What are you eating? Diet has a huge, huge effect on your frame of mind. I read in a BOOK where a very respected doctor stated that he believed 20 percent of the people in mental institutions could be cured if they ate foods rich in B-Vitamins.
It is very important to eat fresh, whole foods as close to nature as possible, preferably raw and organic. Your brain cannot function properly when you are poisoning yourself with chemicals and poor quality foods.
veuvegirl...please hang in there! you are not alone, continue to see your doctors, let Dr know meds are not working it is possible a different med or dosage level may help, if the Dr doesn't listen or dimisses you find another Dr! Don't stop reaching out...Hang In There!
There's a lot of good advice here & I personally can attest to the effectiveness of nearly everything mentioned here - including 'pretending' to be happy, practicing it, making a tragicomedy out of my mortal situation, etc until I get past the attitudes and issues that are keeping me down. Humor art and spirituality are mirrors & veils that can help us see what the trouble is and then gives ideas on how to change them.
I wouldn't pass up ANY help I could get, from swallowing fish oil to making myself take a walk to bedding down for a double-feature of Shakespeare, and of course following any other medications and therapies you are comfortable with. I don't think there's only one solution, our personalities are generally less coherent than we think they are.
including 'pretending' to be happy, practicing it, making a tragicomedy out of my mortal situation, etc
Ten years or so ago was the darkest period for me. The wheels kept on turning and things got worse...then some changes fell into place that allowed things to start getting better. The emotions were still pretty bad, of course, but the situation was getting better. I used to sit in therapy and we'd be talking about something and I'd just start laughing and shaking my head. I remember her looking at me once and saying, "Why are you laughing?" and my response was, "Because it's all so f**king ridiculous! All of it!"
I guess I reached a point where I was tired of crying, so I might as well laugh at some of the worst parts. Plus, it was easier to do that when I'd gotten better enough so that I could stand back and look at it from a distance. When I was in the depth of it, it wasn't funny at all. I was too busy trying to survive to laugh. But from a distance, the perspective changed, and there was a certain sublime pathos to the whole thing that was ridiculous and hilarious and exhiliarating -- kind of like that burst of nervous laughter after a high-stress experience when you realize it's over and you survived.
veuvegirl...please hang in there! you are not alone, continue to see your doctors, let Dr know meds are not working it is possible a different med or dosage level may help, if the Dr doesn't listen or dimisses you find another Dr! Don't stop reaching out...Hang In There!
I am, thank you for your concern. I am just SO envious of those who don't suffer. I hate hate hate feeling this way.
Trying to move my way to positive thinking. I did it before and hope I can succeed again.
Yea, I have tried several meds, nothing works. I don't know what in my life to change to snap out of it. I changed jobs to something better, but sadly it didn't work.
I know there are ups and downs, and right know I am in a HUGE down. I am just curious how people can just 'be' happy.
Here's a secret:
People don't normally spend a lot of time "being" happy. Most people just "are" - not happy, not depressed, just rolling with whatever life sends them. They have moments of happiness, where they can say to themselves, "yeah - this is awesome." And they have moments of unhappiness, when they say to themselves, "life sucks, and then you die."
But most of the time, most of us are somewhere inbetween. If it helps at all, at least know that happiness is not a constant state. It's a moment. What you want, is more moments. If you were "up" all the time, you'd be manic, and you'd need meds for that too!
I think the thing that has helped me the very most has been to count my blessings. I was just lying there this morning when I couldn't sleep and thinking of all I'm grateful for and sometimes it seems like the silliest things but it's things that many people don't have. For instance: I was lying in my extremely comfortable bed with a quilt that my mother made and my dog lying next to me. I love my bedroom too--it's like a cosy little retreat. My dd's are teens and live with me and we get along well for the most part. Even though my job is extremely underpaid for my level of education, I really lucked out on my co-workers and they're the most caring people who have really helped support me through my divorce. My dd's are both in very decent schools.
Well, you get the idea and if you have to start reaching into history to feel lucky, that's a good way. I'm reading a book--1491--about the US before Columbus, and the sad thing is that the US was more populated than Europe before Columbus came but many historians and anthropologists believe that disease may have wiped out 90% or more of the native Americans. Whole villages and tribes were wiped off the earth and that's horrible but it makes me feel lucky that we don't have to deal with that now. Also, I've always carried some racial guilt about taking our country from the indians but that one was unavoidable--even if we'd been perfectly peaceful we couldn't have stopped that. Well, that's a sidetrack I guess, but a good example of how I use history to count my blessings. I tend to avoid watching the news--too depressing and stuff that I can't do anything about anyway.
Sometimes I'm capable of kicking it up a notch and I think about things I want to happen and I pretend that they really will. I don't think about how impossible they are--just pretend that it's coming and that I need to be ready for it. I don't know--maybe this all sounds silly, but it's a way of reprogramming your thinking and I tend to be of a rather melancholic nature, so this stuff really helps me. Depressing thoughts can wear a groove in your brain so that your mind will naturally travel to those thoughts and it's useful to stop going there and wear in new grooves but it takes awhile.
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It has never been an option for me.
