It’s bad (again)

@Kiki45

It is frustrating to have to deal with depression year after year.  

I've learned a lot over the years, so I'll offer some things to think about.

If you haven't had your thyroid tested in the past year, it would be good to do that.  Being hypothyroid can cause depression or can make it worse.  Being vitamin d deficient can make depression worse as well.  Both of these things can be assessed by getting a blood test that your doctor can order.

I try to get some sun nearly every day; it seems to help my mood.  Even if I cannot summon the energy to do something, sitting outside is good for me.

One thing I discovered by accident is that -- for me personally -- my depression is made worse by inflammation.  What happened was that I had to take an anti-inflammatory medicine for awhile and I was doing pretty well with my depression, but I didn't connect it to the medicine.  Then I stopped the medicine and my depression went back to being bad.  I knew I couldn't just keep taking the medicine indefinitely, so I looked into what causes inflammation in the mind and body.  There are many things that can, but I decided to focus on diet, since that seemed like the most rational place to start.  I don't believe I know all of the foods that cause me inflammation, but I've figured out that gluten and chocolate do.  Staying away from that stuff has minimized the occurrence of dark, self-destructive thoughts.  I'm still on a journey to figure out what things to avoid and what to add to my lifestyle to help me, but I'm encouraged by the change I've already seen. 

I like to do a lot of guided meditations and guided hypnosis sessions.  I've found some channels on YouTube that I like.  One thing about meditation is that no one is good at it as a beginner.  It takes time to train the brain to focus better, and some days I am still unable to do so.  But it has helped me at times when I've needed something to soothe me and get my mind clear.

Another thing that helps is to have a hobby that occupies your mind.  For example, putting together a puzzle could be a good one.  Your mind has to think about what you're doing to some degree, so can be drawn away from negative thoughts for awhile, giving your brain a vacation from negative thoughts.  

Getting exercise can help quite a bit, even if it's just a walk after dinner.

When my depression is so bad that I struggle to do something as basic as shower, I've learned that the best way to get the shower done is to not think about doing it before I do it.  If I think about it, I will talk myself out of it.  It's better for me to put my feet on the floor and move myself to the shower and get in without thinking. 

I know this will always be a part of my life, as I've been this way since I was 7 years old.  Personally, I believe that the struggle is happening for a reason; that my spirit is supposed to learn things while I'm here on this earth.  Spirituality has helped me a great deal as well.

If you had a difficult childhood, you may want to learn about childhood PTSD or complex PTSD.  I wish I'd known more about that sooner, as well as narcissistic abuse.  I don't know if any of that applies to you, but I'm mentioning it because knowing more about those topics earlier in life would've saved me a lot of suffering. 

I don't know if any of this stuff resonates with you, but I figured I would throw it out there.  I'm sure you've already tried or at least heard about counseling and medication; those things are great, and they are necessary for a lot of people (such as myself).  But many people don't know about some of the other things that can help with depression and associated illnesses.  

I hope this post helps you in some way.  Sending kindness and healing thoughts your way. 💜

Read and when you done, take sleeping pills my friend