Combatting Depression

[ekimdrachir]

We all feel this way sometimes. For personal reasons and regarding the state of the world.
What do you do to feel motivated, and move through those feelings?

[kerrymti]

Stay busy.  That is the way I most often combat depression.  I am involved in so many 'extracurricular' activities I don't have time to feel depressed, sleep better at night too, way too tired to not sleep.  But, I still on occassion feel it, a hot bath, cup of tea, some reading of my Bible, praying and talking to my son about events (he is a great sounding board and is a good listener).  Sometimes, I will just 'disconnect' from news of any kind for a couple of days, internet too.  I will spend a couple of days playing video games, watching movies and old episodes of TV shows (I don't have cable, just netflix).  Seems to work wonders and I come back to the game refreshed.

[kerrymti]

Common Peeps!  This is a great thread!  Times are really difficult right now for A LOT of people.  Sharing your remedies for feeling 'blue' is an excellent idea. 

[Geolibertarian]

Stay busy. That is the way I most often combat depression.

The problem is that all too often "staying busy" means becoming that much more disconnected from the people around you. That might temporarily alleviate the symptoms, but does nothing to address the root cause. Consequently, when the symptoms inevitably return, they usually return with a vengeance.

As to what the root cause is, while this varies somewhat from person to person, I think the most common root cause is conveyed in the following two quotes:

"Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible." -- Carl Jung

"If the loss of true community entailed by masquerading in networks is not noticed in time, a condition arises in the victim's spirit very much like the 'trout starvation' that used to strike wilderness explorers whose diet was made up exclusively of stream fish. While trout quell the pangs of hunger -- and even taste good -- the eater gradually suffers from want of sufficient nutrients." -- John Taylor Gatto

I'm therefore convinced that no approach to combating depression has any chance of long-term success if it does not have as its foundation the establishment of meaningful dialogue with like-minded individuals.

Food for thought.

[Kilika]

The problem is that all too often "staying busy" means becoming that much more disconnected from the people around you. That might temporarily alleviate the symptoms, but does nothing to address the root cause. Consequently, when the symptoms inevitably return, they usually return with a vengeance.

Agreed. "Staying busy" is another way of saying, "ignore it, maybe it will go away!".

It might be better said to not sit and dwell on what is depressing, but rather spend your time looking into what is causing it. Get busy facing it head on and fixing it.

Depression is a state of being dissatisfied, a lack of contentment. Find out why your disatisfied, what you don't like. You may find that what you felt you were missing wasn't something to be upset about. It was really a case of being unhappy you didn't get something., or don't have something, and that want was just that, a want, and not a need.

People tend to want the wrong things, and when they don't get them, they get upset. The problem is compounded by the secular motivational speech junk pushing people to succeed at XYZ. The whole "Power of Positive Thinking" ideology. They are being brainwashed into thinking they can have or do anything they want, which isn't realistic at all. So they fail, and get upset. And the positive thinking trap tells them to get back up, dust themselves off, and try harder next time, which is a setup for more failure, so they get depressed they don't have the life the Jones have.

The chase for earthly treasures is a path to failure, and it is that chase people get caught up in, all in the name of the love of money.

[kerrymti]

I respectively disagree.  I am not saying that staying busy helps me 'ignore' the problem, but dwelling on the problem definitely makes it worse and causes it to last longer.  If I am sitting at home, alone, with nothing to do but watch TV (which I don't have anymore), and at the same time I am feeling 'down', I always feel much better going and doing something, not necessarily ignoring the problem. 

For example, if I go work in the yard or garden, I am working but thinking and praying at the same time.  I get energized by physically exerting myself, I feel better, I sleep better and when I sleep good, I get up in a better frame of mind. 

Further, if I am going to help at a church dinner or volunteer at a senior center, etc., it forces me to 'come out of myself' and see others and their needs, it helps me put my 'puny' issues in perspective.  I see that I don't have it so bad afterall, I could be in a far worse situation, I am blessed.  At least, these are my thoughts.

[thinkingman]

We all feel this way sometimes. For personal reasons and regarding the state of the world.
What do you do to feel motivated, and move through those feelings?

First step to ridding depression is taking more vitamin D (not through drinking milk), and getting off fluoridated water. The next step being the busy grasshopper and preparing ahead for things to come. Keep your family and close trusted friends informed to the truth. Those who blow you off and say you are a conspiracy theorists run away from. Be the generic go vote advocate we have roughly a 34% voter turn out per state (last checked). Don't be a downer danny (no offense to those named Dan) and keep a happy train of thought.

~thinkingman