On Coping With Depression
Depression is incredibly difficult to cope with. By its nature, it's also an illness that saps energy and motivation, making it hard to recover as well. Different people will experience depression in different ways. It's normal to experience periods of depression after a loss or traumatic event; these usually lessen after six months or less. Major Depressive Disorder involves periods of lethargy and sadness that last for long periods of time for seemingly no reason. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) refers to depression that occurs as a lack of vitamin D during the winter months.
Depression can arise due to different circumstances or chemical imbalances, but the difficulty is the same. Fortunately, here you can talk about your experiences, find support, and support others. It's helpful to have a network to reach out to when coping with depression. Many people have trouble finding this in their real lives, and hopefully these forums will bridge the gap :)
To learn more about coping with and overcoming depression, you can peruse our help guide (https://www.7cups.com/depression-help-online/ ). I've also written two recently published blogs about depression recovery:
https://www.7cups.com/blog/post/30/Recovering+From+Depression.html
https://www.7cups.com/blog/post/31/What+To+Expect+While+Recovering+From+Depression.html
I'd love to hear about people's experiences. If you need a listening ear or support, I'm right here!!
I would just like to add a littlemetaphor I use for depression
It feels like you in a solid bubble that cannot pop, lots of people try to talk to you and help you out yet you cant take it in, you try to hear them but everything sounds blured because you in this bubble and you trying to pop this bubble to get out of it and become free but it is not just as simple as it sounds. I have had depression, the longest was for 16 months and I know what it feels like, I know the pain. If you ever need someone to talk to you welcome to message me.
That is exactly how I feel. I want to snap out of it. I want help but I can't accept any. It makes no sense. Its like part of me wants to feel this way.
Depression is killing me slowly, every now and then it comes and it sucks the blood out of me. I am not able to get up and because of it my growth is so slow mentally I am tired my maturity level is stagnant and everytime I am hit, its the end of the world. It becomes worse because people just expect you to snap out of it.
Depression is really like a curse because you have your legs your arms functioning, your brain refuses to function, and because you look so normal people think you are faking the whole process. Depression has ruined my life, made me so weak that I have no strenght to fight it.
Depression will likely cause you to become demotivated and lethargic. In the self help manual activities are discussed which can help to keep ones mind occupied like reading, gaming, exercising, tv etc. The difficulty now is to overcome the lethargic feeling and keep to a activity routine. In other words leading a regimented lifestyle while suffering from depression can be difficult but succeeding in doing so can play a huge role in managing intrusive negative thoughts and ultimately the depression.
I try so hard but it's so difficult. My husband just thinks I'm being a ***** and I use my depression "at my convience" and that I can be all smiles at work but when I get home I'm just a *****. He'll ask what's wrong and I say I don't know and he thinks I'm just being my normal *****self and for me to get over it. I just broke down in the kitchen and he's just screaming at me and that he's tired of me using my depression at my convienceand he hates me. I don't know what do to and I feel so broken. I want hell bit I just also want to disappear
I'm so sorry that you are going through this. It must be really, really hard. He doesn't seem to be supporting you with your depression very well. I would love to chat with you about it, if you'd like. Feel free to send me a message if you'd like to set up a time to chat.
- Jake
I am sorry to hear that you are going through this. It is important that we have understanding people around us that support us in our down times, people we can talk to and confide in. Ideally people who can relate to what you are going through.You don't seem to have that support system. I am glad you found 7cups and hopefully we can help to fill that gap.
I am so sorry you going through this, it must be so hard for you! I am glad you found 7 cups so you have the freedom of talking without judegement
I know how you feel because my husband is the exact same way to me, he thinks I'm faking it and has no empathy. Which is funny, he has been on anxiety drugs most of his life, you would think he would have some empathy. And he yells at me when I cry "What's wrong NOW????"
I'd just like to say that my doctor gave me the book Feeling Good by David D. Burns, M.D. and it's helped me a lot with my depression and anxiety. It has information, charts and quizzes that help you understand your own personal depression and how to help get rid of it.
Because suicidal thoughts often result from depression I just wanted to add this sourcehttps://www.helpguide.org/mental/suicide_help.htm#help This site not only gives information on how to deal with such thoughts and the number for suicide hotline but it also gives tips on how to talk to others about your suicidal thoughts.
reading helped me cope, it replaced the bad feelings, but i've also become really detached from the world
Thank you for sharing this!
Also worth noting is there is also the diagnoses of Dysthymia, now known as Persistent Depressive Disorder, often called chronic depression.Here are some facts on dysthymia from medicine net:
"Dysthymia, now referred to as persistent depressive disorder, is a form ofdepressionthat lasts more than two years at a time in adults and more than one year at a time in children and adolescents."
"Dysthymic disorder usually co-occurs with other disorders, like major depression,anxiety, personality or somatoform disorders, and with substance abuse."
"People with dysthymia tend to have a number of biological, psychological, and environmental risk factors that contribute to its development rather than one single cause of the illness."
"In order to meet criteria for the diagnosis of dysthymia, a person must experience depression most of every day, more days than not for at least two years in a row in adults, one year for children andteens."
https://www.medicinenet.com/dysthymia/article.htm
An interesting thing to note is that major depressive disorder can co-occur with dysthymia, often called "double depression"
Sorry, just thought I would throw that in there, heh.
ive been struggling with depression for a little over a year and ive had on and off episodes of going back and forth to the hospital. right now i do have it under control, but before i was so depressed i was just sleeping and not eating and couldnt or wouldnt do much for myself. coping with my depression was the medicine that has ultimately helped me get through this and the support of 7 cups and my family and friends also.
I suffer from major depressive disorder and it's very difficult to see an end to it. When it is at it's worst I totally disconnect from reality. My fears become reality and time passes by without me knowing it did! It has been 2 years now. I don't want to be like this. I don't even know who I am anymore. People say to snap out of it. I get so angry hearing that! If I could "snap" out of it don't they think I would have already? Gosh!!!!
