4 ms·

> So HN, what has your experience been with depression? Have you tried the drugs? What worked or didn't? Have you been able to triumph without chemical assistan

> So HN, what has your experience been with depression? Have you tried the drugs? What worked or didn't? Have you been able to triumph without chemical assistance and what did that look like? Is my utter terror of these drugs warranted or should I just bite the bullet and try them? A lot of friends have ended up on prozac or other drugs, with profoundly hit or miss results. I've struggled at times, but found that vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, decent amount of protein, and good sleep did a lot for me. Regular outside activities, even if just walks, or exercise also a lot for me. Keep in mind I live in Western Canada, so my walks often happen in -30C weather. Also just finding something that produces joy was big. Not fun, not cool -- joy. Making less money and doing more things that bring me joy made a big difference. Most of the people I know making "the big money" are miserable people.

alberth 5y ago
Couldn’t agree more on Vitamin D (and if possible get sun, even if it’s fake sun). Also, avoid caffeine like coffee etc. Caffeine can make things worse. EDIT: why the downvote?
- Jtsummers 5y ago
  I don't know why you were downvoted, but I will say that for me caffeine has not directly impacted my depressive episodes. The closest is when it impacts my sleep. I've learned that poor sleep quality and insomnia are my first obvious signs of a depressive episode, but the causal direction is not always straightforward (depression -> insomnia, insomnia -> depression? Both have happened, they feed on each other). So keeping caffeine to the morning and early afternoon is sufficient in my case. However, caffeine does heighten my anxiety (with or without the impact on sleep). Maybe I should quit caffeine, but I like my morning coffee ritual so have no plan to right now. Instead, I take periodic breaks from caffeine to make sure I'm not addicted again. If I can go a few days without caffeine and without getting a headache, then I'm good. If I can't, then I'm probably consuming too much and it will (or already has) exacerbate my anxiety.
  - alberth 5y ago
    Depression and Anxiety are highly correlated. https://www.hartgrovehospital.com/relationship-anxiety-depression/ https://www.hartgrovehospital.com/relationship-anxiety-depre... And it’s common for the same medication to treat both anxiety and depression. Note: I’m not a doctor and wouldn’t recommend the OP to take advice from anyone other than a medical professional.
jrgoff 5y ago
I have also found vitamin D to be important for my mental health. In the past I found probiotics extremely helpful for my mood as well, though lately they haven't seemed to effect me much (seems to have changed after I had a course of antibiotics, so perhaps the reason they had been effective was related to an interaction with some bacteria?)

alberth 5y ago

Couldn’t agree more on Vitamin D (and if possible get sun, even if it’s fake sun). Also, avoid caffeine like coffee etc. Caffeine can make things worse. EDIT: why the downvote?

Jtsummers 5y ago
I don't know why you were downvoted, but I will say that for me caffeine has not directly impacted my depressive episodes. The closest is when it impacts my sleep. I've learned that poor sleep quality and insomnia are my first obvious signs of a depressive episode, but the causal direction is not always straightforward (depression -> insomnia, insomnia -> depression? Both have happened, they feed on each other). So keeping caffeine to the morning and early afternoon is sufficient in my case. However, caffeine does heighten my anxiety (with or without the impact on sleep). Maybe I should quit caffeine, but I like my morning coffee ritual so have no plan to right now. Instead, I take periodic breaks from caffeine to make sure I'm not addicted again. If I can go a few days without caffeine and without getting a headache, then I'm good. If I can't, then I'm probably consuming too much and it will (or already has) exacerbate my anxiety.
- alberth 5y ago
  Depression and Anxiety are highly correlated. https://www.hartgrovehospital.com/relationship-anxiety-depression/ https://www.hartgrovehospital.com/relationship-anxiety-depre... And it’s common for the same medication to treat both anxiety and depression. Note: I’m not a doctor and wouldn’t recommend the OP to take advice from anyone other than a medical professional.

jrgoff 5y ago

I have also found vitamin D to be important for my mental health. In the past I found probiotics extremely helpful for my mood as well, though lately they haven't seemed to effect me much (seems to have changed after I had a course of antibiotics, so perhaps the reason they had been effective was related to an interaction with some bacteria?)