Is it within one's limits to go in or control one's depression?

Question

What are the factors affecting?

Sudarshan Guddy-
Where and when is it mentioned by me-that I aspire anything? And that I aspire to be God?
But anyway-God is in me, in you and in all of us!
Pl dont go on posing such statements-as i respect you!
God bless U!

Answer 1

I am really tired of people that say, "Just get over it!". For one thing if there is a chemical imbalance God gave man the knowledge of how to correct it with meds. Eating properly, getting enough sleep, and exercise can also fix things. Meeting your responsibilities, working hard if you are able, and not running ahead or behind God but along side in your daily life is wonderful. When you have a bout of depression, intellectually tell yourself that it is temporary and it will soon pass. Don't try to control other people because that is the devil's job. Allow the freedom of choice to those around you because that is what God does for us. Realizing that the character, spirit, personality and life of those around you belong to God and it is their responsibility and relationship will let you off the hook and make you feel like an elephant has been lifted off. Pray and be a good witness without constantly correcting, just loving and sweet and they will come around in their own time not on our time schedule. On a church marque it read, "We were appointed to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges". I like that one. Another one said, "Forgive and forget, or, remember and resent". Most of all remember that the King of the Universe according to prophecy fulfilled in Scripture will be returning soon to take us home. God bless and keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh. It Won't Be Long. Mmm

Answer 2

Things like breathing exercises, yoga, tai chi, stretching, meditation, all help. Also creative things like music, art, etc. can make you feel good and be a good outlet for feelings.

Depression is an actual medical condition, and I suppose you can control it to the extent that someone with asthma or diabetes can control their condition.

The problem is that people use the word "depressed" too easily, when often what they really mean is sad, tired, fed up, frustrated. Depression, the actual illness, has certain symptoms/factors. You can probably find a self-screening test for depression quite easily on the net, I've seen several on various websites (sorry can't remember the URLs right now).

There are also different types of depression, and ideally one would go to a psychiatrist for a diagnosis. Medications they'd commonly prescribe might be anti-depressants or anti-anxiety pills.

If you take antidepressants follow the doc's instructions carefully, e.g. if s/he says "after meals" then don't take them on an empty stomach or just with one chai-biskoot! Try to take the antidepressants at the same time every day. Some work on a 24-hour cycle so if you keep changing the time, then you may end up having mood swings. Also when first starting, talk to your doc about how you feel, about a week or so into it. (e.g. When I started taking these meds I was taking them at night after dinner, but I found that they made my mind race all night long .. so discussed it with my doctor and then we changed it to a morning dose and I had no problems after that.)

Don't rely on the anti-depressants to do all the work for you. That's not what they do.

Some self-help methods will make a lot of difference. The best way is exercise. At least 20 minutes exercise at least 3 times a week, (e.g. a brisk walk) makes a big difference. Dancing or playing sports also a good option.

Also try to drink at least 8 glasses of water. Sometimes we don't drink enough and that makes us dehydrated and feel dull and listless which doesn't help with depression!

Avoid alcohol it will make you feel worse later. Also overdosing on chocolate or sweets can make you feel great at the time but bring your mood crashing down afterwards.

There are plenty of good books on how to live with depression and if you follow their tips you may actually end up living a healthier life than non-depressed people. There's also lots of information on the net.

Answer 3

Hi,
i think it depends on the degree of depression and the type. Keep in mind that not one fits all. Sometimes depression can be caused by something physical and or a combination of physical and mental. there is no easy answer.
Some people just have milder forms of depression that will be able improve , but others do not .
If symptoms last more then two weeks a person needs to go to a doctor and get treated. If a person get it under control within that time period then that is great, however sometimes that is not possible.

Answer 4

I certainly would not want to speak for everyone, but I was able to heal myself of depression. I feel like a new human being. What helped was reading about Cognitive Behavior Therapy. David Burns has a good book, Feeling Good, and the basis of CBT is to look at the negative thought patterns of the depressed person. I was not successful in finding someone who really bought into this therapy, so I read all I could get my hands on. I studied it like it was a college class, making notes, note cards, etc.
It took some time, but now I can say that no matter how difficult my life has been, I do not feel depressed. I grieved over my mother's death four years ago, but it was not depression. I was able to function and be happy much of the time.
Don't be afraid to get help for depression. There are many ways to the same end. Just remember it is not what is happening to us that makes us depressed, it is how we define what is happening to us.
Yes, depression can be beat. Mind body medicine confirms that our thoughts affect our body chemistry. I tried the medical route, but it was not for me. That doesn't mean it couldn't be effective on a person's path to getting a grip on their own thought patterns.

Answer 5

Maybe. It depends on the person and how severe the depression is. If it qualifies for the DSM-IV criteria for a Major Depressive episode, it would most likely require medication, especially if it is recurrent.

Sometimes depression is caused by situational factors, and sometimes it just happens. If it can't be traced to a particular event--it's highly possible that it is caused by a so called "chemical imbalance", that is, something about the way the individual's brain works. "Chemical imbalance" depression is more likely to require treatment, but situational depression (or Adjustment Disorder) may also require treatment if it becomes severe enough.

Answer 6

Depression is equivalent to drowning. I am a swimmer and I learnt with my own experience and later on told by my coach also that if u go to the bottom of the swimming pool and u do not know how to swim, JUST RAISE BOTH UR ARMS FULLY AND OPEN UR PALMS AND U WILL COME UP TO THE SURFACE OF THE POOL. When I was a biginner I went down in the pool ( shallow area only) and my coach did not notice it. I simply raised my hands so that she notices me and pulls me out, but I came up without any help. Later I spoke to the Swimming Pool authorities about the negligence of the coach. But point here is how to get out of depression. For this I suggest change ur thinking from negative to positive. Read books on power of positive thinking and how to heal ur life. U will then realize where u r wrong and correct ur thinking and words accordingly. This will surely help u. Besides must practice anulom-vilom and kapaal bhati - pranayaam - as taught by Baba Ram Dev on Aastha Channel at 6.00 a.m. everyday supplemented by diet as told by Baba. These r sure shot remedies for depression. All yahoo answerers have given suggestions and u r surrounded by wonderful set of friends here and there is no need to feel depressed. U r well read as I see from ur questions then what is ur aspiration. Do u aspire to be God. It is a tough job, it is better to be an ordinary human being and receive grace of God and enjoy life. I hope ur depression is suspended for now at least.

Answer 7

While many will say it would be best to see a Psychologist/Psychiatrist, which is definately true for someone who loses control of themselves, it is only the person receiving treatment that can realize his struggle with depression and overcome it.

Given a positive enough environment, one might be able to control / fight their depressive tendencies without the assistance of professionals. Though in most cases, the depressed person would simply inhibit the depression, bottling it up and making it worse in the long run.

This is a question though that you'd get the best answer from a professional psychologist / psychiatrist! And if you're referring to yourself, it's a great start that you're learning to control it on your own, but you will need additional help.

Answer 8

I cannot quite understand your problem but I understand your condition. Don't give up. Everything has its solution. Below are some tips on overcoming depression. believe me it works.

Make yourself busy. We all need to feel like we're involved in something significant. We need to participate in something outside ourselves. You might consider volunteering at a local women's shelter or food pantry. That will elevate your mood as well as your self esteem.

Exercise is good for us, but physical contact is equally important. Exercise affects brain chemicals, and the healing touch of physical closeness does too. If you're depressed, hug somebody - anybody, everybody! A hug is good medicine. It reduces stress and tension and it boosts your immunity to illness. Hugs raise self esteem and lower blood pressure. They feel good and make people happy. And they're free! Hugs are the universal language that communicates love and acceptance. They're healthy for the "hugger" as well as the "hugee."

Take up a sporting activity like walking, cycling, tennis, golf, water sports, riding, gliding, sailing, football, badminton. Something with a personal achievement goal. Spectator sports do not count and have little value for the purpose of defeating depression. Like alcohol (with which they are often associated) and television, they are simply ephemeral distractions. Depression cannot exist when the adrenaline is surging. Try bungee jumping.

Avoid substances that are unknown to cause mood swings or depressionlike alcohol, caffeine, chocolate and high sugar foods.

Learn to laugh. It really will make you feel better. Visit a local joke shop or toy shop. Buy books and magazines that you find entertaining and amusing rather than just educational. hire a funny video and invite one or two friends round to enjoy it with you.

Build up your self-confidence. People who suffer from depression often lack self-assurance. Write an advertisement for yourself listing all your good qualities. Carry your advert with you and look at it whenever you’re feeling down.

Have a pet. The pet, however, be it a parrot, a cat, a mouse or a dog do not have this problem. They love their ‘master’ unconditionally and this is fully reflected through their behavior. It is much easier overcoming depression and making your way back to normalcy when you are faced with the exceptional love of a pet (or more). It was observed that people whom pets were given want to become better, want to become useful, want to love back and hence slowly escape the clutches of depression and return to their old selfs.

Talk to someone about it. A problem shared is a problem halved. Have you ever felt better by getting something off your chest? Of course you have. Did talking about a problem in the past help to put it into perspective and perhaps make it easier to deal with. I would guess you have probably been there too. Depression is no different. Find someone you can trust and get talking about it. Friends, family, your doctor, support groups both online and off....You might even find that someone comes up with an idea you have never thought of which just might work for you.

Answer 9

Control? No. Psychology still believes the learned ego can be controlled/modified - rather than simply being a program that needs to be ultimately deleted/purged from the system. If psychology and religion could get their acts 'literally' together, the world would be better off.

But, can we 'go inside' and contemplate the origins of the feelings of depression in order to reframe and 'transcend' them?? Absolutely!! But, every religion offers a path for transcending these embedded beliefs about self that control feelings, thoughts and reactions - IF they are read/understood "psychologically." Conflicted beliefs are the proverbial 'demons' that control our experience of reality. Purification of these interior thought patterns or compulsions is absolutely necessary for 'eternal/full aliveness.'

Answer 10

Hello,All I can say is that the levels of depression & the ability to control the same varies from person to person.If for instance a person is basically has weak will power then he will be more prone to succumb to depression but the fact remains that near & dear ones can be patient & loving so that the person can come out of depression at this time its BEST to avoid company of all sad hearted so called well wishers & never give up!
Depression can be caused due to Physical illness & all other perceived or genuinely felt failures etc..My Aunt suffered from Depression but all of us pooled in and ensured that we never let her be alone ,kept her busy & always talked postive things with her ,Ensured that no relative or friend ever came and sympathised with her or was condescending towards her,,she is Fine now for the last two years.