i'm against taking pills for my depression.?

Question

i don't want to take pills in order to treat my depression. my friends and family don't think anything is wrong but i've been like this for years, ive thought of suicide and have been known to self-harm. my counsellor just yaks on about statistics and not about what i can do to help myself. should i go to a greivance group? its like emotional rehab.

Answer 1

I think you should
1. exercise everyday (aerobic at least 20 minutes)
EXERCISE IS THE SINGLE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO FIGHT DEPRESSION.
2. take flax seed oil capsules.

Check out this site and see if there is an REBT group in your area.

http://rebt-cbt.net/


It explains how to apply REBT to specific problems such as depression.

Answer 2

I am against pills for treating depression in most cases, and I am studying to be a psychiatrist! I suggest you find a good licensed therapist if you can find one. Couselors aren't much help when you really need it. If you cannot afford a good therapist, many work on sliding scales and some colleges offer programs with doctorate students.

Statistics wont help you, unfortunately only the right information and your own determination will help you and you will still fight with self harm and depression on and off in your life.

You need to start to understand yourself, who you are and why you percieve and react to certaint hings the way you do. You may be able to figure out some things on your own, but a good doc can help you do this much faster and perhaps better.

A good starting point is to set a goal for yourself, where you want to be in your life. Make a dream and focus on that. It will give you hope of someday reaching somewhere better than you are. Don't make it ambiguous, like I wanna be rich, or I wanna be married, make it specific and attainable. I want to be a teacher, I want to own a Firebird... etc. If you find a focus, you can put your energy towrd this and it will serve to give you hope.

The hardest thing for those who have never suffered depression is to understand it and offer advice. The problem is even though who have suffered depression can't offer a whole lot either, because each situation is different and the answer only lies in the person who is suffering.

Try and decide what in your life would make you happy, and forgo societies ideals of what should make you happy and mold your life around that. Good luck to you.

Answer 3

First of all you need to find yourself a different therapist. A good therapist can help you develop coping strategies to deal with your depression. Keep looking for a good one until you find one.

I seriously urge you to reconsider your stance on medication. The fact that you have been the way you are for years suggests to me that you have a chemical imbalance in your brain. Imbalances can be the cause of your depression, but they can also develop from leaving depression untreated. Studies have shown that if you don't treat it chemically, depression can change the chemistry of your brain, and that it can continue to get worse.

I understand your reluctance to take medication, as I have known a lot of people who choose not to treat their depression that way, but let me ask you something. If you were diabetic would you be opposed to taking insulin? Depression works the same way. Your body simply does not produce enough of some of the neurotransmitters that are needed in your brain. Untreated diabetes can be deadly. So can untreated depression.

Definitely go to a group if you feel that it will help you, but go with your eyes open. Studies have shown that the most effective way of treating depression is a combination of talk therapy and medication. Talk therapy alone, whether one-on-one or in a group setting is considered the least effective way of treating it.

I wish you the very best.

Answer 4

You should definitely look for a new counselor who will really listen to you and help you with your particular problem as an individual. I too was very against antidepressants for years and refused to take them. I finally hit the point where life was passing me by as I lived closed up in my depression and anxiety. I finally decided to give in and I have to say that 2 weeks after starting on antidepressants I felt like I had just come out of a fog. It was amazing to get myself back. I'm not trying to talk you into taking antidepressants, I'm just telling you my story. A good counselor is a must. I found an awesome counselor who really helped me greatly too. I hope you will find the right person to talk to and start to be able to enjoy life. Just be open to trying new things in your journey to come through this. I wish you well.

Answer 5

u need to vent out any sort of negativity that u might have...
join a kickboxing or karate class or just go to gym and workout everyday........u cud also play a sport like tennis or football......
Yoga really helps if u dun wanna take medication.......it dosent sound that cool but it can change ur life completely....
diff people act differently to rehab ....u may feel ur better off than the oderz der or u may think their better off than u....
it is not recommended that u enter a place which has negative energy while ur in this state...
the best u can do is keep urself busy cuz if ur busy u wont have time think about to endin ur life much less actually end it......
hope everythings works out for u....

Answer 6

Group Therapy has proven to be effective in the treatment of Depression. However this is only part. A qualified psychiatrist would agree that medical intervention(pills) are excellent in restoring the chemical imbalance that makes you feel so "down".

Answer 7

Depression is caused by many factors; the most severe and long lasting is actually the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Try the group and find someone else to talk to one on one (your counselor isn't worth a hill of beans.)

Answer 8

If your counselor is not helping then find another one, people often have to go through several before they find one that fits. As for pills, I have also battled with depression and self-harm and made the choice not to medicate, it was the right choice for me but every ones situation is different.

Answer 9

Zoloft for me became into as quickly as a existence saver! mutually as pregnant 5 years interior the previous I equipped OCD Obsessive compulsive habit and It worked wonders. i'm nonetheless on it consisting of a anti nervousness treatment. no longer all meds artwork the equivalent for each guy or woman so as which you may would desire to enjoy a pair of unique ones besides the shown fact that If it does artwork you will think of lots larger. sturdy success

Answer 10

I'm in the exact same position. I try to hide it from my family because i don't want to burden them. i've been hiding it for years too and i'm good at it, but i'm all alone in fighting it. I can't afford insurance so i can't have a therapist. i'm also against drugs. Look, we weren't given this plight to have some drug change us and solve the problem for us. We were given it so we can solve the problem and grow to be the strongest people out of it. Taking drugs, in my opinion, only changes who you are. We may need to change ourselves, true, but we have to control that change or how can we give ourselves credit for taking control of our lives when it was drugs that took control of it for us? If you're seriously considering suicide, medication's okay, if you're in serious danger. I only say to avoid the drugs because I think you're strong enough to get through this yourself when it's time. Even when there's no hope, there's that little feeling in you that says it's going to be okay one day. All we can do is believe it.