What do you do when you're depressed?

Question

I'm going through a lot right now and depression runs through my family but there's no way i'm taking some pill for it! Can anyone help me? It would me the world to me.

Answer 1

One of the best ways to kick the blues is to exercise. It has been proven to beat any drug in the market and it is not only good for the mind but for the body as well. A simple jog or some stretching with a few push ups and sit ups will do it. When I was in Iraq for the 2nd time this saved me from a deep depression. Depression is in my family as well and this kicked the blues for me. If exersice is not for you. A means to express yourself in an artistic way or by simply writting your thoughts down can help. My Dad carves things from wood. This is a physical and artistic way to release all the thoughts in your head. These are temporary and help in many ways though. A second thing to consider is talking to someone about the reason your depressed. What caused it. Simply just talk about it. If your lucky maybe you can find answers and realize that everything is not as bad as it seems and there is a reason to live in an happy existance. Some people find religion to heal their wounds and bring themselves from depressoin. My mom does this through prayer. So here are a few answers. Hopefully this helps you.

Answer 2

I cry. It sounds like a simple, sort of "duh!" answer, but you'd be surprised how many people try to bottle their grief, sorrow, anger, or melancholy inside and not let anyone know about it. I find that having a good, hard cry about something makes me feel instantly better. I also go ahead and crank up some sad tunes (I find "Rainy Days and Mondays" works well when I'm depressed in general about my life or something). What I'm saying is, take like an hour, or even a day, to really wallow in it, and then if you don't feel better the next morning, make yourself a list of everything that's bugging you. Try to work through each issue with rational solutions. (For example, if you put on your list that you are having trouble with someone in your life right now, your solution could be to distance yourself from that person for a little while and give yourself some room for recovery.) It sounds silly, sometimes feeling overwhelmed, disorganized, and otherwise underprepared for what life is throwing at you can be all it takes to fall into a deep depression. Also, you might not want to take any meds, but maybe you would benefit from at least seeing a therapist. Make it clear up front that antidepressants aren't an option, that you just want someone to talk to, and they'll be more than happy to accomodate your wishes. Feel better!

Answer 3

Depression runs in my family as well. I'm on antidepressants, myself, but to be frank, though antidepressants CAN work wonders, but they're not for everyone and are certainly not a cure-all. That, in my opinion, is why some people who get on anti-depressants try to kill themselves. They think, wrongly, that some pill is going to make everything better. Folks, it ain't necessarily so.

Personally, I've found that seeing a therapist really helps. As cliche as it may sound, talking really does help. A lot of other times when I'm feeling stressed or strangely down for no real reason, I eat something with chocolate in it or watch one of my favorite movies. The most important thing, I think, is realizing that you have a problem and confronting it head on.

Answer 4

Make sure you are eating and sleeping properly first.
Talk to someone you can trust.
If you do not want to take medicine, maybe you can look into natural herbs.
Most of the time, you are facing a chemical inbalance and if you are stressed, the natural approach could be something to look into before visiting the doctor.
If you are facing serious bouts of depression, you really should not put this off and make an appointment to see your doctor.
Just tell your doctor, your feels about the medication.
Maybe you need some testing done and do not even need medication.
Doing nothing at this point is not a good idea.
If you dont care, you need to.

Answer 5

Speaking from experiance here. My daughter was injured in a car accident when she was 18 months old that left her profoundly handicapped and now at the age of 13 has the mental ability of an infant with scattered skills 6-18 monhts. In 12-03 I was told she now had stage 4 chronic lung disease and wouldnt live beyond 6 months. I was a single parent, working to support her and taking care of her my world was crumbling in around me. In may of 06 I gave birth to my second child. Who is healthy and I thought EVERYTHING should be perfect. My daughter was doing well, I have an amazing man and a healthy child. But all I did was cry and have thoughts of hurting myself {I NEVER thought of hurting my children or anyone else}. My sister was the first one in our family to ever be diagnosed with depression back in 1999. I tried everything I could think of so that I wouldnt be put on medications. Depression is caused by a chemical imblanace in the brain. And as much as you dont want to be put on meds if you really want to help yourself thats what may be best. I have been on anti depressants since Aug. Stopped taking them a month after I started thinking I was better but I wasnt. I again cried all the time, felt I was worthless, didnt want to do anything and wanted to die. I started them again and I am fine. Its nothing to be embarrassed about but if you are "clincally" depressed you will need treatment. If you are just depressed because your life isnt going how you planned for the last month or so, it'll pass.

Answer 6

My sister sleeps alot when she is depressed. Try exercising & keeping busy. It runs in my family too & you may be against taking medication but they can make a world of difference Depression is a medical problem not "all in your head" as they used to think. It can drag you down to where you can't get up & ruin relationships. It was hard for my brother to accept when he was diagnosed about 4 years ago but now he says it (prozac) was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Answer 7

I was diagnosed with clinical depression a few weeks ago. I have had it since middle school and I too refused to take medicine. Now I take Lexapro. It is non narcotic and non addictive. I feel so much happier and more relaxed now. It is also easier to deal with issues I may encounter. I would definitely recommend seeing a psychiatrist. I am also in therapy so that helps too. Maybe you could try therapy without medication. Go see a psychiatrist soon though.

Answer 8

Sorry you are going through alot right now. I've battled depression for about the past two years and I know how tough some days can be.

For me, on the really stressful days, it helps for me to get outside myself. During my worse times, I have volunteered in the kitchen of a local homeless shelter. That usually puts life in perspective for me, gives me an opportunity to "distract" myself from my own problems and makes me feel better about myself because I have done something for others. Not to mention, when you see the conditions in which these people live and yet they greet you with sincere thanks for volunteering. It makes me really appreciate all that I do have.

Answer 9

For me I just try to stay active. I will go exercise or hang out with friends. I have also found when I get depressed that I will curl up with a good book and read. Another thing that I will do is write in my journal. As a comfort food I tend to eat ice-cream . Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Answer 10

When I'm depressed I sit on the porch and think about the good things in my life and don't think about the bad things that have happened in the past or the present. I wonder sometime why it hap pend and what I can do to resolve it but sometimes you can't resolve things that have elevated into a ton of DRAMA..... And remember all you need is Jesus and no one else........