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Coping with depression

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  • #126528
    Libby
    Participant

    I have anxiety, agoraphobia, social anxiety and now it seems depression. I am going to speak to my GP on Friday as I have scored very high on a depression test. I don’t want to increase the medication I take which I know is all he will suggest. I have started seeing my therapist again privately.

    All my issues began 4 years ago after being attacked by my brother and toxic family. I now have some chronic health issues and my anxiety etc all returned after overcoming my agoraphobia and anxiety a couple of years ago. My ill health has flared things up, I have an underactive thyroid and with it chronic fatigue. Which at the moment is pretty bad and I wondered whether I could be depressed as I know that causes awful fatigue and brain fog. On a depression test I scored high.

    Any suggestions for dealing with depression? any books you could recommend? The fatigue and brain fog seems to be my huge issue, if that would ease I could get out more and lift my spirits but it’s led to me being at home alot which has led to agoraphobia and social withdrawal. My GP even has to visit my home. My health issues were the beginning of this a year ago. Any advice would be appreciated. I love self help books on anxiety but no idea where to start with depression self help.

    Thank you
    Julie

    #126546
    Zipp
    Participant

    It appears you are in a cycle of events, one leading to another and bearing down on you.
    I suffer from the same problems, and has been worse the moment the clocks went back last year. I use a sun lamp each morning to give me some daylight, they are called SAD lights for seasonal depression.
    I get so tired at 6pm I have to crawl upstairs to bed as I feel cold, cannot concentrate or read.
    This week I have changed things around, each day I have been for a swim, eaten light foods and not had caffeine and spent a few hours in the weak sun in the garden wrapped up under several coats and blankets.now it is 6pm and I really feel quite calm and not at all tired.
    Will try the routine again next week, and see if it helps me.
    I wish you luck, keep strong xx

    #126549
    Emily Schwarz
    Participant

    First of all, I’m so sorry to hear about your hard past, I know i don’t understand what it’s like in your situation but I understand pain and for that I can connect with you.

    I have struggled with tenacious anxiety and depression after my brothers passing this past year, and I have learned a few things that have helped me through the darkest thoughts and the craziest panic episodes that I’d love to share with you.

    During a particularly sad moment, as hard as it might seem, try to list a couple of things that are going well. ie: your hair is looking awesome today, the weather is beautiful or maybe someone helped you with something today. It sounds so cheesy but it really helps me, because once I start, all of the small things I can find, out-shadows the sad thoughts that lurk around.

    On the note of anxiety, I can say that the most influencial thing for me in the most panicking times is to just talk yourself through the moment instead of sitting through the thoughts. I like to say “look around you, there’s nothing hurting you, you’re alive, and things are okay.” as a mantra.

    I hope that these little things can help a little bit, I know i don’t have all the answers and solutions, but this is my best I can give to you. remember that you can get through this and the toughest battles are given to the strongest people. 🙂

    lots of love! <3

    #126579
    Jennifer Boyatt
    Participant

    Dear Libby,

    Magnesium will energize you. Drink a greens drink every day, that will have lots of magnesium (my greens drink: coconut water, apple, lemon, and spinach and other greens). Your energy will lift and change. Your problems will still be there (of course! it’s life! ha ha), but you will be a different person facing them. If you are able, also stop eating soda and sugar. Another energy requirement is B vitamins especially B12 and B6. You can take these as supplements (and the magnesium).

    I wish you the best. It’s hard to move through such heavy energies. I hope you can find healing.
    ~Jennifer

    #126581
    Nina Sakura
    Participant

    Dear Julie,

    A lot of the depression I have had over the years coupled with anxiety, especially social one has been due to events and lot due to genetic reasons.

    Given this background, I had a great deal of problems with unhelpful, instusive, negative and paranoid thoughts. My poor choices and actions followed accordingly.

    What helped me often break the cycles were two things – awareness and coping means.

    Awareness meant knowing that I was in the middle of a phase or about to enter one. In case, I started getting worse, I had a set of coping strategies to manage atleast.

    Coping strategies were things like taking a bath, lying in bed after that without any cell phones, gadgets to distract me – maybe a thin, interesting book at best. This might not seem like much but it helped moods immensely.

    Then there was cleaning the room. Sometimes it was making the effort to go outside for only 5 minutes, get some air. This was really hard because….I dunno, I think you understand why.

    But it was all linked to taking a bath and combing my hair – things people take for granted but got really hard for me.

    Next was drinking enough water which meant keeping 3 water bottles next to me and finishing those during the day. This meant I didn’t binge so much when I was down and had to get up out of bed to pee. Again quite a task because all I wanted to do was sleep all day.

    During this entire time, your sleep cycle will probably be a damn mess in one way or another. It will take time to fix.

    So for now, take one day at a time. Seriously that’s the only way I know.

    Take a bath few times a week

    Leave the house for 5 mins or sip hot tea by the window on a sunny day

    Drink 3 litres of water a day.

    Write down whenever you feel sad and never read it again later.

    Sounds trite I know but doing just this much will set a process in motion over time.

    In case you are ready, I recommend practising something called surya namaskar 3-4 times. It’s basically a yoga practise.

    Regards
    Nina

    #126583
    VJ
    Participant

    Dear Libby,

    “Any suggestions for dealing with depression? any books you could recommend?…. I love self help books on anxiety but no idea where to start with depression self help.”

    I am also a user of self-help books and techniques.
    I will suggest you to take a look at ‘The Healing Codes’.

    Dr. Alex Loyd developed a technique after his wife Tracey “Hope” Loyd had severe depression for several years and couldn’t find anything to cure it.

    She speaks in this video..
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFL6I3WlmWs)

    The full details of the technique is available in The Healing Codes book-
    (https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Code-Minutes-Success-Relationship/dp/1455502006)

    The book has everything you need but if you do not have the time and patience to wait till you finish the book (because, apart from the actual technique the book also explains the how/why of everything) and if you have the required financial capabilities then you can also consider Personal Coaching on this process, which is done by a Certified Healing Codes Practitioner. You will get all of that information from their official website (below). Read out the number of positive reviews on the Amazon link above to know how it is helping people.

    Official Website:
    www(dot)thehealingcodes(dot)com

    Moreover, the same technique can also be used for all other issues that you mentioned too.
    (http://thehealingcodes.com/success-stories/)

    Warm Regards,
    VJ

    #126999
    Libby
    Participant

    Thank you all so much for taking the time to offer some advice for dealing with anxiety and depression.

    Zipp – I shall change my routine up, you’re completely right. We get stuck in a routine and I believe we then link our routine to feeling depressed so the cycle continues, You think I sat here yesterday, I felt weak and ill in the kitchen when cooking yesterday, I felt so low and tired sat on the sofa last night. You have to change the routine a little and getting out each day even for a short walk or a sit in the garden can help do that. I am also going to teach myself to crochet.

    Emily – Thank you. I love that mantra and I am going to write it in my journal now. We get so pulled into the mind when our anxiety is high, it’s no wonder panic hits at times and we get wrapped up in those scary thoughts. Also journaling positives and grattitude is a great idea. Thank you.

    Jennnifer – I am going to try that green juice daily now, I used to in the summer but as soon as the weather changed I stopped. I will do that for sure. I do take a b complex plus b12. I also have magnesium each day. I seem to be very tired due to my thyroid illness that’s still trying to be medicated enough but I take vitamins to help me along the way.

    Nina – Lovely advice and I shall take all your ideas on board. I have started getting out a little. Today was the third day I have been out and walked my dog, just for 8-10 minutes but that’s a huge start. I am going to try to do this each morning, energy depending as I do have a chronic illness. I think I am struggling to accept my thyroid illness and I find that hard but I need to accept who I am now, accept I am fatigued and weak but be hopeful things will get better. Thank you for your lovely suggestions.

    VJ – Thank you for your recommendations. I am going to look them up today.

    Thank you all.
    Julie

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