Has anyone been reallllly depressed for years and then finally figured out how to be positive and confident???

Question

.......after you've hit rock bottom, what's next????

Answer 1

I've been there. After a lifetime of depression realizing that I was no longer depressed was the strangest feeling... it feels a little empty doesn't it? I spent a lot of time wanting to fill my life with some drama because without the emotional agony I felt lost, cold...almost numb. The negative chatter in my head went away and I worried that I was not longer 'thinking' properly.

If you have thoughts like this, it is perfectly normal. You just need time to adjust to a new way of thinking after such a powerful struggle. The feeling itself fades once you replace the depression with constructive stressors.

The types of constructive stressors which you may wish to engage are in are up to you. A lot of the joy is in the search for a new direction - finally having hopes and dreams for the future.

I decided to finally kick my **** in gear and go to school. I chose psychology because my personal experience lead me to be the "counselor" in every group of friends I had. I turned my experience into something good for me, and the pressure/stress keeps my mind busy enough to keep me above the depression.

Someone else may start a new job, learn to speak another language, get fit, travel, go on a spiritual journey, spend more time with their child, learn everything that interests them - read, volunteer, learn to play an instrument, paint, do something that they had always wanted to do...these are all examples.

Just give yourself a new start now that you are able to. If you do this, the next time you start to feel depressed you'll have something to fall back on that will help you, and a goal to strive towards. It will help to focus you.

The longer you go without feeling depressed, the more time you will have to gain strength and control to deal with those feelings. In that sense, you are growing and improving every day, even on those days that you don't do much. Remember that, and be patient with yourself. Internal work takes time.

The greatest feeling is experiencing that first day of not thinking about yourself as someone who was depressed - just forgetting for a short while that it happened. It's hard to describe how amazing that is.

Good luck to you. Breathe.You'll be just fine.

Answer 2

I have been severely depressed for the past 2-3 years. (until recently) Certain issues in my life have impacted this state and certain underlying issues have been around since childhood. I have had thoughts of suicide for very lengthy periods of time as well.

It's funny because before all of the depression, I was a pretty positive and confident person, but it's amazing how you can hit a point in your life and start to go backwards.

Rock bottom for me was entering a 'black-hole' , it's the only way to explain it. A feeling of never-ending dark emptiness...you feel like you can't climb out on your own, if at all.

I took time to meditate over issues in my life. What I had to be thankful for. The people that I love. The little things that can make a big difference. Seeing people less fortunate even when I think I am the most pitiful person in the world. Letting go of the things I can't change. Ignoring people who are selfish/arrogant. Being proud of who I was, am, and still have the chance to be. Taking it a day at a time. Still need to make as much as an impact on the world as I can. Stop thinking of what I don't have and be proud for all I've accomplished on my own. Even if it's not much. After you've hit rock bottom, what's next? The road to the rest of your life.

Answer 3

For some a low drag at the bottom. For some an out through death. For others a lift through drugs. Others still do find happiness. It depends on if the depression is from outside sources, or internal like a unbalance of drugs in the brain. If its outside then it is quite possible to find happiness once agian. You just have to find something that makes you happy, and continue to include this in your life.

Answer 4

I think about the people i made happy and also what impact that i made in their lives. I think how will it affect them and how they go on day by day... I think about what changes i can do for them and what changes i can do know for other people i haven't meet... There are many things left undone that i want to impact the world... After you hit rock bottom because i am in that rut too owe three grand.... All you do is smile and hang around people that make you happy and force yourself to smile... That and listen to confident music.. Music is the next inspirational thing you can listen to... Help you think what road you should take

Answer 5

The first step is admitting that what you're doing isn't working out so well. Coming to grips with the fact that a personal pity-party hurts the ones that love you and in reflect yourself as well. I delayed my life from my teens through my mid-thirties by blaming my emotional state and misfortunes on everything and anything. Now I know the power of seeking truth and wisdom. It taught me that we have choices on how we perceive our world. That by getting my imagination under control is the key. It can be our most useful tool or our worst enemy.

Answer 6

Yes - after a really bad childhood followed by abusive friends and a tragic allergic reaction to a medical procedure I finally got help. The best help cam from a Natreopath who not only helped me accept my past and move forward but helped me adjust my diet for a healthier mind and emotional balance. It saved my life to know that the foods I was eating were keeping me transfixed in the past. That by changing my diet I could take control of my destiny. People under estimate the power of a good diet - rich in antioxidants, fresh foods and less manufactured foods. It is amazing and I will forever be grateful.

Answer 7

I unsuccessfully tried various drugs, therapies and behavior modifications.
I made an incredible turn around due to an endocrinologist that showed me how to modify my glandular output based on diet, exercise and sleep patterns.
The use of endocrinology for depression is a relatively new idea. I believe my doctor was a pioneer in this study.
He also solved my long-time trouble with kidney stones!
I am now totally drug-free, without trace of depression or kidney stones for many years.

Answer 8

When you are really rock bottom you get help. You consult a therapist who prescribes medication. Taking a tiny 'laughing pill' everyday gives you a better perspective of life. You wake up 'smelling the roses' and stop focusing on yourself.

Answer 9

after you hit rock bottom the only way you can go is up.

as hard as it may sound, you turn a negative into a positive.

Answer 10

somethign tragic happens, you make a choice about how to feel. life goes on, get over the hump, and do something good. give back.