Im feeling very depressed right now,what are some ways to alleviate depression...???

Question

Im currently feeling quite depressed right now. I had to be retained for the first year of my junior college due to poor studies but i decided to withdraw deciding it was best to enrol in a polytechnic. I am now waiting for the school curriculum to start and spending my days at home feeling depressed. Missing my friends and going through a very emotional period of my life, feeling that the future ahead of me is bleak...

Answer 1

Personally, I find that when I am feeling depressed, I go and volunteer somewhere. There is just something in it that when you are helping someone who is sick or who needs help that lifts your mood significantly. To see their day get brighter whether you just hold the door open for someone or smile at someone who looks like they feel worse than you do and see their shocked look and then their smile on their face, it lifts your heart. Here are a couple of websites for natural ways to lift depression:
http://www.thehealthierlife.co.uk/article/3237/depression.html
Often when people complain about “feeling depressed”, it means they’ve had a bad day or are feeling temporarily down. However, as a medical condition, depression is quite different.

It can leave you feeling constantly sad and empty, pessimistic about the future, unable to enjoy things that once gave you pleasure, tearful and unable to cope. It can also disturb your sleep patterns and cause marked changes in your appetite. All of these symptoms can soon fill you with despair and paralyse your ability to get on with life.

Apart from being triggered by a bereavement, redundancy or illness, the cause of depression is still unclear. One of the most probable scientific explanations is a deficiency of neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly of the “feel-good” hormone serotonin.

Normally, optimal amounts of serotonin flood your brain’s tissues and synapses (cell connections), which helps regulate your moods, feelings of well-being and many emotional responses. So, it follows that if your body produces too little you can soon start to feel low, which can eventually progress to full-blown clinical depression if left unchecked.

You should see your doctor immediately if you are severely depressed or experiencing suicidal thoughts, as you could benefit from medication. For sufferers with mild to moderate depression, natural approaches may offer a better choice to help overcome the problem, as antidepressants can cause serious side effects.

Five Simple Lifestyle Changes That Can Help You Achieve A More Positive Outlook

1. Exercise can successfully help lift your mood. Several studies have shown that exercises, like walking and swimming, are an effective way of stimulating the production of powerful mood elevators such as norepinephrine and endorphin.

2. Talking about your feelings and problems can be extremely beneficial. Seeking professional help in the form of counselling can help you get a perspective on your problems and help you make sense of your feelings. Contact the British Association for Counselling (BAC) for details of accredited counsellors in your area, tel: [phone].

3. … If you feel uncomfortable talking to someone about your feelings then writing them down can also help you cope. Keeping a diary can be an effective way of gaining an insight into your thoughts and feelings, especially if you feel embarrassed or ashamed at the thought of having to talk them through with a counsellor.

4. Eliminating sugars and refined food from your diet can help end feelings of lethargy and despair. Although high-carbohydrate foods like biscuits and sweets can be comforting initially, they play havoc with your blood sugar levels and can leave you feeling tired and down soon after eating them.

5. … Instead, eat more “happy” foods. Oily fish has been found to be particularly beneficial for alleviating symptoms of depression, so include plenty of mackerel, halibut, sardines and tuna in your diet. Eat more foods high in vitamin B6 – such as soya beans, lentils, meat, poultry, fish, fruits and brown rice – as low levels of this essential vitamin have been linked to depression.

http://www.yourdepressionworld.com/Natural-Ways-To-Treat-Depression/Article/32442

Natural Ways To Treat Depression

Depression is a medical condition that affects the mind, often leaving the person suffering from it feeling hopeless, without ambition and unable to focus. Left untreated, this condition can adversely affect academic achievement, family life, friendships and careers. People tend to seek help from a mental health professional who may prescribe mood balancing drugs. Most, however; use an alternative form of medicine for a more natural treatment in tandem with drug therapy. Milder cases of depression can be treated solely with natural remedies without the need for prescription drugs.

Therapy is a great way to restore balance in your life. Seeking help from others who have similar issues will provide a support system to discuss issues, understand symptoms, and develop techniques to feel better. Often talking is very cathartic and can help alleviate stress and loneliness, which may cause feelings of depression.

Therapy that involves personal expression has been found to provide an outlet for pent-up feelings and can be a positive way to articulate deep feelings and emotion. This can take many forms. Dance is a great outlet for this as well as other movement therapies such as martial arts. Martial arts teach focus, self awareness, and control which can greatly benefit someone suffering from depression. Using art as a form of therapy is another expressive form of therapy. Whether it is sculpting or painting or any other variation of art, it’s a way to expose feelings in a tangible way.

Relaxation techniques help a person focus and gain a sense of serenity. Yoga is an ideal form of exercise that melds the body, mind, and spirit. It promotes good health, a positive self image and teaches relaxation. Meditation is also a good way to relax and unwind. It reduces the heart rate and clears the mind, allowing more focused thought. Acupuncture has grown in popularity as a means to treat depression. By using various pressure points, it is believed to enable a calming effect and promote a healthier emotional balance. Hypnosis is also popular as a means of getting to the core issues of why someone is depressed and leaving them with a sense of well being.

Certain dietary changes and supplements have been reported to be helpful in the treatment of depression. Adding fish oil, Zinc and B vitamins are found to help the body regulate chemicals that may trigger depression. Exercise is also very important. Keeping active will rejuvenate the body and keep it fit, promoting a healthier lifestyle and better self image. Working out several times per week can calm the senses and invigorate the body.

Depression does not need to be debilitating. Making a few changes to your daily routine will help promote a sense of well-being and help alleviate symptoms of depression. If you continue to have feelings of depression or have severe symptoms like suicidal thoughts, consult a health care professional immediately.

Answer 2

Oh, I'm so sorry you are feeling so depressed. I know that this sounds reduntant right now, but honestly you do have your whole future ahead of you. You are just in a slump right now. This too shall pass.

You realized you needed to make a change and that is a great thing! So in the meantime do things that will help you until school starts again. EXCERCISE is so important not only for your physical self but for your mental self. It really does help make you feel better. Don't drink a lot of alcohol, because it is actually a depressant. Call friends or visit.

Keep as busy as you can. Things WILL get better, I promise. :)

Answer 3

Sounds like you are just dealing with some uncertainty. And that can be depressing. Set your goals and try to stay focused on them. I can tell you that when I have experienced periods of depression, spending too much time on the computer made it worse. It was fun while I was on, but when I would get off I had an overwhelming sense of UN accomplishment. Do things that are worthwhile and that make you feel productive. After you get back to school, see if your outlook changes. If not, there is no shame in talking to a professional. Keep your chin up! It will get better.

Answer 4

Exercise works as a light antidepressant, so try working out. Sitting alone at home for too long makes me depressed, so get together with friends if at all possible.

And don't feel that the future is bleak! You're still young, your life is ahead, and you're only beginning to discover your own possibilities. Most people 'fail' at some time in their lives, but if you stay positive, you can turn it into something good, and maybe a few years from now you'll look back and understand why things have turned out the way they did.

Answer 5

Get some exercise. It's one of the best antidotes to depression. Volunteer until it's time for your classes to start. It will make you feel better by helping others and most agencies will be happy even if you are only a temporary volunteer for a couple of weeks. Do some reading on relevant subjects to get ready for your polytechnic classes. Think of it not as though you failed in junior college but as a new beginning at polytech. If you talk to someone it may help too.

Answer 6

Hi! You should try to get out as much as possible for exercise and be sure to get adequate rest. That being said why not think about what new things you will be learning in school and how exciting your future can be? Call your friends and tell them how you feel...they are there for you. It's ok to feel down and depressed sometimes but if it affects your life you should take steps to fix that before it gets out of control. Hope this helped..good luck!

Answer 7

Laugh at yourself and yell, "I'm strong enough to face these things!"


Seriously, pray -- that's the best answer for you. Others may be not good listeners but God does. He'll always be there for you when things seem so tough to deal with, and there's nothing inside you except a will which says, "carry on"~ He'll also back you up when world doesn't support you and when people around you treat you unjustly!

Above all, I hope you're not an atheist and actually believe in God.

Answer 8

Bro..same here lah..i dropped out n enroll to poly, and regret also..at 1st damn depressed..a lot of things i want and miss. Best way is to go out with friends and have a long talk full of crappy jokes. Do stuffs u did in sec sch. Knowing that there are things worth enjoying once in a while. After all your sec sch friends would be the closest friends in your life. Poly life is different, everyone has their own circle of friends. Get some cash and spend it on outings, it may be a temporary cure, but after a while you would get hold of yourself. Human beings are meant to adapt anyways, thats how our body system works. Seasonal depressions are nothing.

Answer 9

Hey.. College life can be stressful. Your at that age of uncertainty.. regarding career.. future etc.. Try forcing yourself to exercise. Team sports.. be it basketball, softball etc.. get you out there and your focus is off of yourself. Many young adults have experienced the same thing as you.. Your not alone.. Maybe group counseling might be of help too. If you live in an area with bad weather.. Find things to do indoors.. Could be the weather too.. Good luck.. Maybe since your not in school you could volunteer your services and tutor kids who are having difficulty with their studies.. I'm sure Jr. High's have a need for tutors..

Answer 10

Too bad. You may need to reflect on what it means to grow up. From your statements, the future is on the upswing. You are about to begin a new adventure and meet new people to add to your list of friends. Keep in contact with the old ones. You don't have to be in class with them to know them. Think about how exciting your next school is going to be and what you plan to do at the finish. You may also want to look into some good study habits so you do not repeat what happened last year.

Answer 11

i know what you mean...i just came out of my deep depression. i didn't know what to do....i started to listen to rock and sing along to get out some anger. then i got real help with anti depressant pills and a therapist. your future isn't empty ....its pretty much beginning if you think of how long an individual can live. whatever you do dint hurt yourself in any way...cry it out if you have to. dint be embarrassed. after i came out of the dark i felt kinda stupid because of all the things i was thinking. crazy stuff. anyways i hope this will help you!

p.s. the band i listen to was My Chemical Romance....the death obsessed band. but there cool though. Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge saved me. carry on