Daily challenge - Sept 11 - 2018
Today's challenge is:
Depression is hard to deal with and you may be experiencing some of the following:
- A depressed mood most of the day (feeling sad, empty, hopeless, or on the verge of tears)
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed
- Weight loss (even when not on a diet) or experiencing weight gain. Also note decreases or increases in appetite
- Difficulty sleeping or being overly tired
- Restlessness or feeling slowed down
- Fatigue or a loss of energy
- Feeling worthless or guilty
- A lack of concentration or difficulty with decision making
Let us know:
1. What are some coping skills that you use to cope?
2. What are some new coping skills that you would like to try?
3. What are some ideas that you can share with others to cope?
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I was depressed most of my life, severly. I found the thing that helped me the most was... doing something. I learned this when I was doing some woodworking, and it made me feel good. I have experimented with the idea, and doing almost anything makes me feel better. Go for a walk, ride my bike, do the dishes. Anything at all that lets you tell yourself "You have done something".
@Offmytrack
Sorry to hear that you have had depression for a long time. So glad to hear that making things with wood helps you feel good and woodworking is such an awesome coping skill and you can make so many things with wood also. What are some things that you have made?
Yes, doing things helps folks feel better and as many things that you can helps even more to distract our thoughts. Going for a walk, riding your bike, dishing and cleaning the house, just doing sometthing helps us.
@DanaMH I have made a couple of bookshelves, some speaker cabinets, and a Celtic harp. The harp was the hardest thing I have ever made.
@Offmytrack
Those are some amazing things to make. The harp does sound hard to make.
I used to think my depression was like one side of a rooftop, and after a breif time on the top where I felt good, I fell on the other side where its anxiety, but now I think they overlap more than that metaphor suggests.
1. For coping, doing something even if I don't feel like it. I do a lot of art, so when I can't get my self to do anything, I pick up a Daily Art Challenge, or I use a prompt app.
2. I would like to try meditation, but it never seems to work well for me. My brain wanders easily and persistently, so I might try to find a style that takes up some mental energy? Like this "labyrinth" art I saw once where its made of one continious line and you follow the line with your finger or a pen to keep you zoned out. I also might misunderstand meditation.
3. If you cope by doing something, do not worry about how good you do that something. When you're down, your skills aren't always the best, so its easy to look at poor work as a reflection of your worth, and thats incorrect. Your brain is being a 50lb weight on each of your arms and legs, of course you can't move too fast or precisely. Consciously be kind to yourself, since your brain isn't letting you do it normally.
@TeaCupPangolin
I never heard about the roof top idea but that does make a lot of since and sorry that you are going through that. Art is a great coping skill. What do you like to make?
There are all sorts of different kinds of meditation and we just need to find the go to ones that do work for us to help the most. YouTube has a lot on there if you are searching for some more ideas. Mindfulness helps also.
Being kind to yourself because sometimes our brain isn't letting us function is very important and we need to use Turning the Mind.
@DanaMH
I do watercolor and comics. I think I used to draw a lot more in a theraputic way, but since then I've begun to draw like people will see it, and restrain myself accordingly. Maybe I need to get back into drawing like noone will see it.
I'm glad the rooftop thing makes sense. I like understanding things by visualizing them, and it can result in some weird metaphors.
@TeaCupPangolin
Watercolor and comics are great. I agree drawing is very theraputic and relaxing. You should try moe drawing and who cares what thy think since drawing is the persons own ability and they can image and visualize anything they would like to. Puttng sometime to a picture also helps us remember things better.
i used meditation and binaural beats to 'cure' my clinical depression (a brain chemistry disorder).
@GusteeMoon123
That is awesome to hear that you use meditation and binaural beats. I tried the binaural beats and it is really helpful at night to get to sleep and sleep better throughout the night also.
@DanaMH
i'm glad to hear that you are familiar with the benefits of the Beats, Dana~!
the Therapeutic formula that i used took 7 yrs to complete in the recommended way. BUT the cost and the effort were very worthwhile, because there was no other way for me to repair the damage to my brain. i have been enjoying my recovery for 8 yrs, now, and still love to listen to the Beat~! :) <3
@GusteeMoon123
I agree this cost a lot less then going to therapist and doctors a lot.
My current coping skills are meditation, taking walks, playing ambient music and this app 
.
New skills Id like to try are journaling and exercising in my home (rather than the gym, so I can respond quickly).
Skill I would recommend-walks!
@Zengrl
Your coping skills of meditation, taking walks, playing ambient music and the 7cups app are really great skills - great job!
Journaling is a great coping skill to start doing because you can write so much and look back on things that have happened in the past and see how much you have grown and learned over time also. Exercising at your home also saves on commute time and gas if you drive.
Walking is a great skill for others to use and I recommend that also becasue it is great exercise and over time you can even lose weight doing it.
@DanaMH yes this time of year is more difficult as we get into cooler wetter weather.
1. What are some coping skills that you use to cope? I have a routine of exercises and activities so I am not lingering on negative thinking. I start my day with yoga and stretching.
2. What are some new coping skills that you would like to try? I would like to try to help others build their self esteem.
3. What are some ideas that you can share with others to cope? Connect with our breathing. You can connect with that any time.
@soulsings
I agree sometimes it is more difficult as we get into cooler and wetter weather. Some things folks can do for walking is walk in stores while you shop or just go up and down the ailses instead of just going for a couple of things that they need at the store. Another idea that I did today because is was raining was walk in the mall. Amazing how I got my 10,000 steps in really fast also.
That is so great to hear that you do have several thinigs for coping skills to do so you aren't lingering on negative thinking. I am glad you mentioned stretching because a lot of folks don't do that like we used to in PE before we did exercise. That is a great new coping skill to take on of helping others build their self esteem. I agree connecting with your breathing is very important. I have been working with a lot of folks having panic attacks and breathing in slowly 4 and out slowly and ensuring you are breathinig from your tummy is really important.
@DanaMH have not had panic attacks but belly breathing makes me feel so much better anytime.