Depression Support Thread

Tiff_2

Hi andi!:hello:
How are you hun? I hope DDs are both doing well.

quote=andipandi;
Hi folks...
just my opinion as to what has actually helped me with my depression,
i used to actively fight my depression thinking i must not be depressed for the sake of my children esp my OH etc.
This was an interesting post andi!
It's always good to hear someone else's insight angel.
I think we got the same T-shirt...
Depressed? Me? Nope, never, can't, shan't, won't, mustn't, too busy, everything's fine!

i used to say its like being in a black pit or under a black cloud and eventually the black cloud lifts and i go about my business until the next time.
I'm glad you could see that the blackness would lift. You're so relieved it's lifted a little and you just carry on filling the barrel... until the next time it overflows.

my phycologist spoke to me at length and said try accepting it ,take a look and see ,look it in the eye and try to accept that it is part of you.
And no matter what our reasons or circumstances are for any mental ill health, that's the one thing we all find so hard to do.
We make depression over 7ft tall, with claws and teeth and that's what it feels like. We fight continuously with ourselves because, no thank you, I don't want to be depressed - just get rid of it for me.
Our fear of facing it, imho, is huge - and that fear is what can hold us back or make us feel like we're banging our heads against brick walls.
As for accepting it as part of yourself - ain't gonna happen doc! It's not me, I wasn't born like this and if I accept it, it's going to make me feel less of a person, with no hope and how can I enjoy life like that?! Sound familiar to anyone?:o
But, andi, this is really good advice, very important and also very hard to do. The reward will be that if you do this, you'll have nothing to run away from anymore.

i wasn't sure but the next time i was sitting there staring at the wall for hours i gave it ago,i can honestly say that although i suffer depression almost daily i am able to function and get things done , the depression doesn't debilitate me so much and although i suffer considerably at times it just doesn't take me over ,i used to exhaust myself trying to fight it and now i`m like "ok i'm depressed but i'm not fighting it i'm going with it ,
The fighting and the fear are exhausting and just because you're having a really bad time, life doesn't stop and keeps rolling over you, which doesn't always help.

I'll confess that I haven't followed this sound advice yet. I've been fighting things my whole life and don't know any different. I want to stop the pressures of the thinking and the struggling and the hunt for miracle cures.
I know I'll have to accept it eventually because simply put, it exists and that's just the way it is.

Acceptance of what is and non resistance to what is really helps me,it is important to point out that i don't deal with my depression by distraction and keeping busy ,i certainly don't fight it for the sake of others like i used to.
Distraction is a great friend when you're very anxious or very low.;) You do have to be careful though and realise that distraction helps you get through the hard times - it is not the whole answer, by any means.
I think we all fight it for everyone else at first. I'm hoping that along with accepting it as part of me that I'll vbe able to value myself.

just thought i would post this because i know theres alot of suffering out there, it is probably an unconventional approach but it helped me a lot, i had never looked at my depression before in this way and i was surprised by the results.
Andy[/quote
There's a wonderful book called ''Taming Your Gremlin'' by Rick (Richard) Carlson. It's subtitle is ' A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way'. :T

It shows you how you can deal with your mental ill health (gremlins) by taking control of them. It's written with great humour and wisdom and it manages to reach out to you. He also wrote another book called ''Don't Sweat The Small Stuff''.

I'm glad you posted andi because your drs advice is sound and I've heard it before - it really makes you see that there are some things you don't have to run away from. We can't help being ill with mental health issues, it's not our fault and we can be our own worst enemy by constantly thinking and fighting it.
I'm glad it helped you hun.:T I thought it a great idea when my nurse told me about it.
Basically, it means you give yourself permission to enjoy life and change the things you can and notto drive yourself barking mad over what you can't change. And also to never worry about what other people think - other people are just visitors in our lives, we have to be able to live with ourselves.
Just think I should point out here that this is not the same as giving up.;)
Ok tired Tiff - back on to smartie duty! Sazzy will be up and sober :eek: :rotfl: :A by about 11.30.
Hope all is well with everyone.
Much Love,
Tiff xxx

Tulip

Hi Everyone,

Morning! hope all is well,I am fine today Sorry to hear you dont feel well RBK,hope you feel better soon I am a bit better today myself but trying to keep myself occupied and busy to take my mind off it.

love and light,

Katie xxx

judderman62

Morning Katie and everyone :hello:

Hope you all feel OK today - be kind and gentle to yourselves.

have a good day all - gotta scoot go do my dad's shopping

Later folks

Judders
:grouphug:

Tulip wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

Morning! hope all is well,I am fine today Sorry to hear you dont feel well RBK,hope you feel better soon I am a bit better today myself but trying to keep myself occupied and busy to take my mind off it.

love and light,

Katie xxx

andipandi_2

Hi Tiff,i'm pleased you understood the essence of what i was saying,the whole point of acceptance with depression (in this case)is that the power is diminished and of course if one is fighting it all the time it leads to exhaustion so then thats another problem to deal with,many people are bound up in the past,planning or looking to the future and missing out on what is,that being the present moment,

i hear things like "i'm so busy,i'm fully booked,the phone hasn't stopped ringing, " an endless cycle of subconscious planning and doing,you can see it in peoples eyes ,so called normal people,thrashing off on holiday to god knows where,coming back more stressed than when they left.

yeah and all this coming from a self confessed alcoholic,most people think an alcoholic is someone who gets up and starts drinking,some do ,i don't otherwise i wouldn't get anything done,

i will look that book up ,you might do well to check out that chap Eckhart Tolle,

flipping heck,almost a rant and not intended lol

Regards

Andy

Sugar_Coated_Owl

FLIS





xxx

Sugar_Coated_Owl

Morning all! I feel better this morning How are you Sazbo? Hey Katie, what are you up to today? The weather isn't that good here today. It was raining earlier.

Well I've started the Kelloggs diet today. I'm a size 12 but just want to be slimmer and get down to a size 8/10.

Hope you all have good days xxx

andipandi_2

razorbladekisses wrote: »

Morning all! I feel better this morning How are you Sazbo? Hey Katie, what are you up to today? The weather isn't that good here today. It was raining earlier.

Well I've started the Kelloggs diet today. I'm a size 12 but just want to be slimmer and get down to a size 8/10.

Hope you all have good days xxx

Hi rbk,don't over do it it or get to obsessed ,nothing wrong with having a go but nothing wrong with a size 12 in my view also;)

Andy

Sugar_Coated_Owl

:hello: Andi, thanks for the advice Hope you are feeling OK this morning xxx

Sazbo

andipandi wrote: »

Hi rbk,don't over do it it or get to obsessed ,nothing wrong with having a go but nothing wrong with a size 12 in my view also;)

Andy

I'll second that, Andy;)

Sazzyx

Sazbo

andipandi wrote: »

the whole point of acceptance with depression (in this case)is that the power is diminished

I'll second that too:D We're agreeing a lot today!

Sazx