2 ms·
Some of the best ways to deal with depression: 1) Address any known health issues you have. 2) Dietary changes. There are studies on this. 3) Problem solve.
by Mz 9y ago
Some of the best ways to deal with depression:
1) Address any known health issues you have.
2) Dietary changes. There are studies on this.
3) Problem solve. If you are depressed because of terrible personal issues, work on resolving them. (The article mentions that a run won't pay his bill or fix other problems. Overwhelming problems are a legitimate cause of depression.)
4) If you are suicidal, seek company. If you know someone suicidal, spend time with them.
You do not necessarily have to talk about their suicidal ideation or the problems causing it. You can play games together, have lunch, be pleasant. Suicides generally occur alone. Just physically being there goes a long way towards preventing suicide.
If you do want to help them, help them fix problems. Feelings come from somewhere. Just massaging emotions does not work. Do not "help" them by preaching at them ("Just go for a run!").
- afinlayson 9y agoI 100% agree. But I want to highlight problem solving is so key to this. Like most things in life there is no silver bullet. Just running / working out won't fix everything. But it's a good start so that it's not adding to the issues going on. And if you are getting good results you can make it the foundation.
- Raphmedia 9y agoThat's the thing with clinical depression. You can be doing all the rights things and still be depressed. The worst moment of my live have been during periods where I was at my fittest and healthiest. You think to yourself : "I am hitting the gym three time a week. I've not eaten any junk food in months. I meditate and sleep full nights. Why is everything still seen through a haze? What am I doing wrong if everything should be fine? Am I broken? Who would want to speak to me. I am a fraud. I look healthy but I'm a husk of my former self. Everything is so exhausting." I have no answer as to how to deal with it. All I can say is that cookie cutter answers rarely apply and can even make someone miserable.
- Mz 9y agoI am not suggesting this guarantees results, and I also absolutely did not say that physical fitness approaches alone are some magic cure all. These are the best answers I know of that actually get results for some people, some of the time. I rarely suffer depression, but I have a genetic disorder and other serious personal problems (such as: I just got off the street after 5.66 years on it and I was molested and raped as a child). My medical condition sometimes causes me to become suddenly suicidal. My two adult sons, ages 30 and 27, make sure I am not left alone when I am suddenly suicidal. They know other things to do, but a big thing is we just do not let me be alone when I am at my worst. Getting healthier has reduced the frequency and severity of my bouts. Figuring out how to make money online so I can be functional in spite of my genetic disorder empowered me to get off the street. I am still quite poor in terms of overall income, but I have some pieces in place for my life that are usually reserved for only the very privileged. It is having a positive effect on my mood and mindset. I am still stressing about money and I still have days when I get nothing done, but my life is vastly better than it has ever been. I am 52. So, I am speaking from firsthand experience, in some sense. I don't suffer depression per se, but I do wrestle a lot with frequently being suicidal. It often comes on suddenly. It always involves whackadoodle brain chemistry, a side effect of whackadoodle body chemistry. I try to put out useful information to the best of my ability. I do my best to couch it in nonjudgmental, non-blamey terms.
- smnscu 9y agoHoly shit, this. I'm going through this right now, it's never been as difficult as when I'm doing mostly everything right. :/