if a person is depressed and anxious and thinks negatively, what things can they do to get better?

Question

how can they be happier (pleased do not suggest medical drugs)..I am looking for behavioral or thinking straties or actiopns and things like that.

also part two--Can changing how we think change our brain chemistry from bad to good if we change our thinking from bad to good.

bloneone..so many good ideas..love naturopath's (but can't afford) but am very self taught in alternative health and diet and exercise have a big role to play..thanks for pointing out gluten and sugar may be culprits.

It is so odd that you mentioned battlefield of the mind as I wound up talking to a christian when I called a crisis line and she recommended that book and another and also saying Bible verses OUTLOUD and I totally forgot..so it was like God must be reminding me.

Yes what we think and say definitely are involved..I am trying to read books like the secret and others based on the concepts and also feeling good about how depressed people who change their irrational thoughts reversed even intractable depression..it is just so hard to change how we think as it is so habitual and negative thoughts and emotions comes so easy..feeling gratitude takes a little more thought when things seem all bad,.

azure..some good suggestions..act happy is an interesting one..they say if one

acts forgiving even if they do not feel it, eventually they will feel forgiveness so I bet the same thing happens when one acts happy even if they still feel depressed..with time they will feel how they act..I like that

nlp..the key is consistency and I appreciate that suggestion as I think it may definitely help Andi have ordered that DVD you recommended from my library

observer I appreciate this long answer..it makes me feel you really care with the edits and all the thought..I give long answers all the time spending one or two hours and they never get read as I am at the end as I take so long..plus I keep editing it and improving it and maybe this gets missed so thank you.

I agree the nutrients affect things and exercise and friends and sunlight..I have no friends and get little sunshine..in fact that is probably what is causing my depression..I have delayed sleep phase syndrome and go to bed at 9-12 and thus sleep in the daytime and when I go out it is often dark so I think I

I have like a year round SAD and that is why I am depressed at least in great part..I also think hormones and chemical imbalances and negative thinking is involved with me..Breggin's books have shown the many bad effects of these psychological drugs..I myself was suicidal 15 years from the SSRI antidepressants and after stopping them 8 years ago, all suicidal ideation went away though problems remained and depression remained so I will now that I am informed not take these dangerous drugs..plus they did not work for me,.

good idea for that temporary uplift and coping stategy.on your edit..yes I do think one leads to the other and via versa in a vicious cycle and I think your thoughts can cahnge your brain chemistary but I did not know that on the hormones..thanks

yes my sister was like snap out of it..you are just lazy and had no belief or understanding that it was biochemical and n illness and it hurt me deeply..you seem very intuned with caring and very sensitively and nurturing..

I believe you are likely a blessing to people or if you aren't you should be as you have a gift I feel..

sock knocker..I like the skipping and tangerine thing..it made me smile..you seem kind of off the wall like me..I enjoyed reading what you said and thank you for sharing things that helped you for m benefit. I thank everyone who answered and carefully read what each person said twice..thanks

Answer 1

If the person is depressed and anxious due to specific events, the person can try to focus on finding a solution to solve the problem. This will channel all your mind's energy in a positive way. The person needs to trust his/her own ability to solve the problem.

However, if the person is consistently or frequently depressed, anxious and negative about things, then the most likely cause is a hormonal one. A low level of serotonin usually accompanies this sort of problem, but the root cause can be a wide range of things. First of all, try making sure that the person's diet is complete with all the necessary nutrition. Vitamin B deficiency commonly can cause that, but recent studies show that lacking in vitamin C can also contribute to the problem. Omega 3 is known to help the production of serotonin. Etc. etc. So, lots of good nutrition to start with. Physical exercise, sunlight and social contacts at a regular basis are also important. Leave drugs as the last resort is a good thing, as we don't really know the full extent of side effects of all the drugs, really.

Last but not least, a coping strategy for overwhelming 'lows' is to deliberately and abruptly change your own mode (the person must do it himself/herself). Pick something you always enjoy doing a lot, be determine not to think about things that bother you now, tell yourself that you can solve your problem and will handle it later, and go do the thing you enjoy doing.

Depression is common. The statistics in my country indicate that 1 in 5 people have depression at some point in their lives. But, there're ways to deal with it. Support from friends and family is important. If you're concerned for your friend or a loved one, he/she is lucky to have you. If you're depressed yourself, don't be afraid to talk to someone. Keep talking to people until you find the person who understands.

Edit:
To answer part two of your question, yes. Our biochemical state affects our moods and behaviour, and external factors can cause biochemical changes in us. Bad experiences cause our brain to release the stress hormone cortisol, and good experiences triggers the good hormone (endorphin being one of them). So, when you change your mindset from negative to positive and no longer feels stressed, even if you don't produce tons of endorphin, you'll stop producing cortisol.

Edit 2:
I should have mentioned this before: depression is not something you can just snap out of. Whether the inital trigger was an external factor or biological factor or both, once the course of hormones has been set in motion, the negative perspective of things is very real to the person. If we demand the person to snap out of feeling down, we're dismissing the person's right to their feelings. The person will consequently feel that one less person understands him/her and will feel an increasing sense of isolation.

Also, depression very often lead to low self-esteem, and vice versa. It takes time to change one's self-image. The best thing we can do is to give lots of encouragement, reassurance, and patience.

Answer 2

I have this problem a lot myself. I always feel happier though if I am doing something active (not like forced hardcore excersize) but dancing or skipping. Eating tangerines seems to help a lot too. (?) Also, alot of times i tend to have nothing but negitive thoughts becasue of the fact that I'm sitting around not doing anything to change what I'm angery about. If your feeling negitive about a frined, don't dwell on it. logically work it out on a paice of paper what your going to do to fix or help the situation. If you just dont want to think about it, then get up and do something else, make a cake- have a picnic somewhere, paint a mural on a water tower- do something that is slightly out of the ordinary that will make you happy.

Answer 3

one thing that has drastically helped me (I used to be depressed and have bad mood swings)....is eating correctly for my body. I find that when I have too much gluten or sugar, my depression and mood swings come back.

so,,,,,,

1--go to a naturalistic doctor and get tested to find out what foods work best for your body for optimal health.

2--exercise (raises serotonin)

3--combat negative thoughts by speaking out loud the TRUTH, not the negative thoughts.

4--by the best seller "Battlefield Of The MInd" by Joyce Meyer. This really helped me be aware of my thoughts.

5--watch your mouth. What you're saying is directly related to your thoughts. What you say and what you think are directly related to whether you will be successful or not, happy or sad.

The best thing you can do is get to a fantastic doctor ( I recommend www.jacemedical.com) He sees people from all over the country and is very, very good.

Good luck. Don't give up, there is a way through.

:o)

Answer 4

Act happy, avoid negative people, exercise, keep your mind busy by reading a good book, working on a computer or learning something new.

Reading positive books, meeting positive people and occupying your mind in some constructive activity will definitely bring change.

Answer 5

Yes, you are partially right. Firstly if some one knows something better they will never fall prey to depression and negativity. This lack of knowing is the root cause.

Therefore, they should know some thing better first, then there is no chance of negativity. I am not talking about useless optimism or fantasies. That is the other danger with knowledge.

Therefore knowing better how to be equanimous is good.

Answer 6

Medication can be helpful for many people, but there are also strategies that you can learn through talk therapy. Perhaps it's time to seek out a competent psychologist in your area. In many cases the best treatment is a combination of medication and therapy.

Answer 7

Depression and anxiety usually occur as a result of inferiority complex. In order to do away with such situations you should try and do anything that will uplift your status and make you relevant to your society and environment. However, if you find yourself in such situations try and revisit anything that will lift you up and make you relevant it never too late to retry anything that will better your life. Hence, you will never fail until you stop trying.

Answer 8

when u first wake up in the morning,think of three things to look forward to and when you go to bed think of three things to be greatful for.
They do not have to be big things... If you choose to do this consistently you will break the thought patterns that create depression and anxiety.

Yes changing your thoughts will effect your brain chemistry.Check out the dvd called 'What the bleep do we Know' and it will show you how. :-)

Answer 9

try to think positive and where-ever possible change the behavior and surrounding that got you to be thinking negatively and causing your sadness and depression. Try to surround yourself with people that think and act in a POSITIVE fashion and are looking forwards, not backwards. Volunteer--do community service--that's a great start in meeting such people.

Answer 10

my answer may not seem like much, but it works for me. make something to look forward to, a girlie/blokie weekend, pamper yourself, should make you feel better about yourself, write down a list of your good points, or try doing something to help your community, a lot of the time we have too much time to think, so keeping busy helps