how can someone who is depressed, just "snap out of it"?

Question

I have battled depression for a long time, more so since I got married 10 years ago. I'm working on myself, doing more positive thinking, trying to get my body into shape, etc. I just am not motivated to do much of anything. I just want to tell my brain to 'snap out of it' but it's kinda difficult.

I am on an antidepressant and have been to see a therapist (and a marriage counselor as well)

Answer 1

You are doing all the right things there is no quick fix for depression, I have suffered for years you get good and bad days I find going for a walk helps it clears the head and your getting exercise at the same time, just be patient you need to address the root cause of the depression, if it cannot be eliminated then you have to try and accept it and work round it, do not let it be the center of you life as it will rule you. You do not say what antidepressants you are some can cause more problems than they help I tried St Johns Wort it helped me a lot but clear it with your dr first

Answer 2

Well I have struggled with depression my whole life. I have been so bad that I would sit on the love seat and stare at a spot on the carpet such as a small spec that most wouldn't pay mind to . I would think about nothing and ball my eyes out. People would ask me what was wrong and I honestly didn't know. I would stare at a tv screen and not see the show. I was blank. You could tell by the look in my eyes too....I got put in a lock up facility. I went through anger management classes,stress classes,suicide prevention classes,therapy,group therapy, and had to write in a journal everynight about my feelings&thoughts.It really did help me out too. I still deal with depression but have never once thought of suicide as a way out. I just keep in mind all the things I learned. And incase there ever is a day I think about suicide as a way out I have a list of reasons I should live......you will learn ways to cope and if you get bad off you may want to try to get through some classes I mentioned.

Answer 3

No, you will not just 'snap out of it.' I also have depression, but it is not serious enough for me to be on medication. Still, I really have to watch out for it! Marriage brings with it all sorts of positive (and negative sometimes) emotions that can lead to depression, especially if your partner doesn't understand what it is like. For example, I get panic attacks, and I had a hard time in relationships because my partners in the past didn't understand them--but my husband has had panic attacks before, and even if it is a fight that causes them, he understands what I am going through.

Motivation is a difficult aspect of depression. Start small--do something as simple as start and finish an entire project. Or even cleaning the dishes... it sounds silly, but putting a load in the dishwasher motivates me to do bigger things.

Also, do you have a job? You can get a non-stressful job that will help you organize your time and will give you a reason to get up and go somewhere. Sometimes when I have days off, I get depressed.

Try also keeping a journal. Self-reflection will help you, and you will also be able to record how long your depressive states last. This will help your doctor.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I would suggest you speak with your prescribing practitioner about what you're experiencing. Maybe an increase in your current med, an add-on med, or a complete change is in order. It depends on how long you have been taking the current medication and all your current symptoms.

And, NO!...you cannot "just snap out of it". Go to www.nami.org for more info on depression--for you and your spouse. Just like heart disease or diabetes, mental illnesses such as clinical depression are a disease..a brain disorder. So please don't buy into the stigma of mental illness and begin believing you can make yourself better quickly or with mind games. Medication with therapy, exercise, eating healthy, taking time for yourself, and getting enough sleep--all combined can greatly increase your ability to have improved mood and motivation. Hope the best for you.

Answer 5

Depression is a serious medical illness; it’s not something that you have made up in your head. It’s more than just feeling "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. It’s feeling "down" and "low" and "hopeless" for weeks at a time. You have no know what type of depression you have by asking help with a psychotherapist, and what is the root cause of this depression by knowing your own disorder and understanding its physiology maybe it would help you alleviate your depression.
Treatment choice will depend on the outcome of the evaluation. There are a variety of antidepressant medications and psychotherapies that can be used to treat depressive disorders. Some people with milder forms may do well with psychotherapy alone. People with moderate to severe depression most often benefit from antidepressants. Most do best with combined treatment: medication to gain relatively quick symptom relief and psychotherapy to learn more effective ways to deal with life's problems, including depression.Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is useful, particularly for individuals whose depression is severe or life threatening or who cannot take antidepressant medication.3 ECT often is effective in cases where antidepressant medications do not provide sufficient relief of symptoms.
Let your family involved in your therapy to help boast up your morale.
See a goo therapist.

Answer 6

If ur on an antidepressant, and u r still depressed, ur on the wrong one. It is a hard thing to recover from, especially if it is severe. U can't just snap out of it. It is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and no amount of telling ur self to snap out of it is goingto correct that, but it sounds like u r on the right track with counseling and exercise. Good luck to u.

Answer 7

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Do we tell someone who has high blood pressure to just "snap out of it"? Depression can often be caused by different chemicals in the brain not functioning like they are supposed to. If you are a person who is prone to depression because of this, and circumstances in your life add to this tendency, then do not beat yourself up for not being able to just overcome it. There are many kinds of different antidepressants out there. Some work on serotonin, some on norepinephrine and some on dopamine (all neurotransmitters), and then there's some that work on a combination of them. You may need to talk to your doctor about giving a different kind a shot. Your best bet is to keep up what you are already doing. Depression is best overcome with a mixture of medicine and therapy. Just don't give up.

Answer 8

Long term depression has formed and other chemicals are in the brain. They are slow to dissolve. Don't give up your Friends and family need and use you . The filler-outcast is often a love slave and highly valued. Take time to find one new friend who is far from your group. They will be honest and respond to your words . The drug store is for emergencies but you can survive fine. Learn the hand signs and the second vocabulary . You will have to become a spy to improve your chances for happiness only it will hurt at first.

Answer 9

no, you can't just "snap out of it." have you had the same doctor for the length of your depression? i do believe that to get out of depression the best method is to have "talk" therapy and medication - they usually work well together. you might need to try new medication. it may take up to six months to see if the new medicine works, but it is worth it. you might want to ask your doctor about getting a mood stabilizer in addition to your anti-depressant. many doctors have found that adding a mood stabilizer increases the benefits of the anti-depressant. mood stablizers are used mainly for people that are bi-polar - so don't flip when you see this. you also might want to look into support groups, i would try one that meets in person vs. the on-line groups. the on-line groups are great, but the "in person" groups usually have someone that is certified to lead the group. you might want to think about behavior therapy. while depression can be inherited, it can also come from some behaviors that are learned. example - things go bad, but we always do or have the same response to these stressful things each time. need to learn new ways to deal with the stresses that life throws at us. it does take a lot of work for someone that is depressed to begin to feel healthy and "normal" again, but is worth all the work. of course, someone like yourself that has dealt with depression for a long time needs to know that it could be something that could come up again, hence behavior therapy. wish you the best of luck, do some research, make some plans, but take it literally one day at a time. also, you came to us - the people on yahoo answers, but you need to also talk to some friends and family. they need to know what you are going though and be able to give you support. again, best of luck to you.

Answer 10

Gosh Sweety, that's a tough one. I wish I had a magical answer for you, but there isn't. I to have battled depression off and on all my life. In fact I just got over a 3 year long depression spree. Hun, it was very dark there. So I know what you are going through. The thing that helped me was - I began to create a new life for myself. I had recently kicked a serious drug addiction, but I was still very depressed almost a year after my last dose of methadone. Anyway, I to took antidepressants. They only helped a little. Pulling my head out of my pooper, and finding things to fill my life really did it for me "and staying off of drugs." Just fill your life with things, Doll." Maybe you are feeling stagnate in life. I know how dark your thoughts can be, when you are feeling blue like you. Sorry, but there is no snapping out of it. You just need to fill your life. It will take time, but keep pushing on. Feel free to e-mail me, or IM me.