Hope im not posting to late or anything but i feel i can add to this post a bit as well. ive got a degree in psychology, ive taken a lot of psych courses but clinical stuff is what i feel i have a knowledge about the most. Initially i wanted to be a clinical psychologist to help people with issues such as these but that fell through after getting into a big fight with a friend while being away at school (was a good buddy), having a girl and breaking up with her, and in that time before and after i had what id call a mild form of depression, but turned much worse after breaking up from all the drama and crap. also after breaking up with a girl 4 years and a bit ago i had emotional troubles too, so i feel ive dealt with it for a number of years. i finished school but didnt continue to a doctorate or master due to my feelings of being drained. I never went to a psychologist to help with my issues, i did it all myself, i never thought id come back but im here lol, and thank god, life, friends, family and love are much more important, i hope i can convery that to you here. anyways ill share what ive learned.
There are numerous approaches to dealing with depression or feelings of less than. using a variety of approaches in my opinion is the best method, because you gain help/support/start feeling better from many angles.
As for being prescribed drugs, there is a push going on within the clinical community to stop using drugs to treat depression, except for serious serious cases for the reason being that it messes with your bodies natural chemicals and also doesnt get to the root of the problem most of the time. alternate and more natural approaches are now being/trying to be implemented. giving someone a drug can and does help and i dont want to say it is wrong of them to do so, but they are not necessary always.
If you already dont, try and start exercising. exercise if good for your mind and body and releases the natural feel good chemicals your body likes. you dont have to go hard or get shredded, but if u like the idea of getting ripped do it then. (go by what feels comfortable but you might need to push yourself a big at the start). 20 min of your heart pumping over its regular pace is all you need they say to maintain good health. lifting weights, or running, or doing both can achieve this. i like to go for a little jog sometimes before lifting weights because it gets your blood flowing and warms you up, and i like running. (if you go for a good jog be sure to stretch after).
As Angel has said, continue to do what makes you happy, do what you like doing. You may have lost some interest in old things, thats ok. I did too, im sure everyone did. But keep on. At some points you going to have to battle through this.
Depression can be a result of many things. but in my experience the 2 majors contributors are
1 - your mind is in the past, and you keep recycling past experiences. you replay regret, shame, guilt, fear, anger and any host of other destructive emotions that no longer serve you. you don’t need to hold these or replay these anymore, so release them in any way you can.
2 - beliefs about yourself. whether conscious or unconscious can cloud and upset your mind and emotions.
(i am leaving out being physically injured for a long time because that can result in depression, but im guessing this is not your issue)
You need to examine what your mind is doing/saying to you. unfortunately peoples minds race and race and race, and people cannot stop thinking. the result can be this sometimes (depression) if the narratives you replay are self critical, self abusive or just negative. your mind and brain exist to support the body, not the other way around. Use your awareness to examine why you are depressed.
Everyone posting on this thus far in my opinion is right and has good points. reaching out to people is important. showing your true heart to another, a close friend, family member, even a psychologist and getting all the bottled emotions out helps. I would say even if you do go to a psychologist though, still share with a good friend or family remember who can be a good listener. a psychologists job is to be a doctor, not a friend. they are trained not try and not get emotionally involved with thier patients. sharing with someone close to you is important, when you open your heart to another, theirs does to, there is a connection there you dont get in a medical setting.
Where are you putting your attention? Where is your energy going to? Start putting your energy and efforts into positive, life nourishing things. Put it on things like family, friends, your pets and yourself, whatever you want. Put your attention on love. Love can take many forms, between lovers, between friends, between family, bewteen you and your pet. I shut myself off from this at a point in my life. There is no need to, so open up. Not beleiving you can be loving is the biggest lie you can ever tell yourself and beleive. You may even feel resistance when trying to express it, i still do sometimes. That is because the way we have been socialized and cultured, or beielfs we hold true about ourselves. No worries, so start small. Telling someone you are grateful for having them in your life can be very moving for yourself and another.
Some people like helping others a lot and other people like it less, but helping others in a way that makes you feel good is a good way to help alleviate some suffering too.
puaninja is spot on when he said about it being a new day. tomorrow is gone, today is today, and tomorrow can be better if you put your attention on it. you don't need to let the yesterdays dictates your todays. no matter what happened in your past.
Forgiveness is a big one. Work on forgiveness, of yourself and others. Forgiveness cleans your wounds from the past.
To finalize here, as i mentioned before psychologists are starting to use alternative methods to treat depression; among cognitive and behavioral therapy and other things there is meditation.
meditation and its positive effects are now well documented in clinical and medical journals. meditation is not a wizmical, mystical thing, but i guess it can be if you want to have fun with it lol. meditation helps with your mood and emotions, helps with depression, anxiety and helps you get a better restful sleep to just name a few benefits.
I will attest to the help and healing effects of meditation. When I was at my lowest point a year and some ago now, i never thought I would recover. I came across the Chopra Centers 21 day meditation challenge. That started me feeling better, much much better. I can remember feeling so free compared to my past constrictions. It also helped me to kick my drug habits which i had abused for years as a way to cope, and to this day im clean and in control of them. After that i never stopped meditating. I bought past meditation challenges and continue to do the ones they come out with every season now (they are free for a period to but you cant dl them unless you buy them). I eventually found a meditation teacher in my area and learned from her. I would be more than willing to share with you if you would like. I highly suggest it.
Get into and read some spirituality perhaps. Some people like it others don't. I do. I dont mean open and read the bible front to back lol. theres a lot of modern spirituality out there now. Pm me if you like to know some books or audio programs, they helped me a lot too. you start realizing other things than your own ego centric views and motives.
I can full and whole heatedly say i wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for stumbling across the Chopra Center 21 day meditation challenge and the spirituality audio and video stuff that goes along with it/that i found online. I am not even going to entertain the thought of where would I be if i hadn't found it all, because im here today and i glad i did.
sorry for the long post and lack of capitals after periods, i just started typing.
kudos to everyone who posted here sharing and offering support.
If you would like to, PM me feel free.
let me say this to you too bra, you can do this. you deserve to be happy.
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