Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Depression Thing

zachholman.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

231–240 of 348 posts

Re: The Depression Thing

#231

Post by 6nf »

ElatedOwl wrote: post #15

I was diagnosed with "major depression" when I was 14, did the medication and therapy thing for a bit but the medication made me a zombie. Therapy helped me learn to cope a little better, but I was never "cured" of my depression. My 20s have been pretty bad, but in the last year and a half I've lost 100+lbs and have been running and lifting. It turns out the common sense advice to depression was really what I needed…

This is really good advice. Anyone strugging with depression should definitely start with the basics:

- Regular good sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

- Good exercise every day. This will help with the sleep too.

- Eat healthy food on a consistent schedule

- Avoid alcohol

- If you don't get much sun, check your Vit D levels and take supplements if needed

These things will almost always make big difference. If you're still strugging you need to see a psychologist or try some medication. Medication is hit and miss so you'll probably need to experiment with different types to find something that works for you. And of course some people just don't respond to depression medication at all. Cognitive behavioural therapy is often helpful and there are other therapy options too.

Depression is multi-faceted and you will usually need a variety of treatments to get the best results.

Some people recover and go back to normal, but many sufferers will have manage it for their whole lives.

Re: The Depression Thing

#232

Post by ada1981 »

betenoire wrote: post #129
thanatropism wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you believe in Austrian economics or Young Earth Creationism too? I mean, it's within your rights...

This is too dismissive, I think you are reading too much into words like "release". Learning to love yourself and to let go of things gives you a new perspective. A new perspective leads to new thinking and new experiences, and we all know our brains are plastic and are constantly changing. You are the fool, not he.

For me the experience often went like:

1) notice I'm depressed 2) create space to feel emotions more and use something like Breathwork to loosen up my ego enough to get out of my default mode of shutting down / numbing out.

3) having a deeply personal / visionary like experience of seeing old events in my life or relationships or choosing to forgive someone.

4) am actually emotional release, like crying and feeling like I was able to be back in my body vs being stuck in a painful loop in my head.

Re: The Depression Thing

#233

Post by a_t48 »

rmetzler wrote: post #170
throwaway5650 wrote: post #147

Throwaway for reasons that will become obvious. Imagine that you met a friend you hadn't seen in years. They seemed really down, and you ask what's up. They say, "My job is to collect tolls in a tollbooth in Alaska. For 9 months a year it's freezing, and the heater breaks every day, and I'm stuck outside wrenching on the thing with one hand while Googling "how to fix a heater" on my phone with the other while I slowl…

I've been in your shoes earlier this year. Or maybe I didn't come even close. I just want to say, I felt like what you describe. Then I read an article about the microbiome of dirt [0]. In the moment I read this on my smartphone I sat in the grass on a hill and I thought to myself, fuck it, what can go wrong, I'm going to stick my finger in dirt, put it in my mouth and eat a little bit of dirt. And that's what I did.…

Um. Please be careful, ingesting soil can lead to stuff like Botulism. As for the GP - I've also been there, for many years. I'm not going to suggest treatments because you have a whole thread full of it, and it wouldn't do a damn bit of good unless you happen to be in the right state of mind for it anyhow. I don't know you, but if you do happen to need someone to chat to, I'm down.

Re: The Depression Thing

#234

Post by Swizec »

eradicatethots wrote: post #217
Swizec wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "get your life in order and it'll all be dandy, it worked for me!" No it won’t all be dandy. But it helps. Or at least it’s what I’ve seen help the most people I know who are or have been depressed. At the end of the day, the main thing to do is to not give in to depression. That thing wants you to sit on the couch and feel sorry for yourself. That’s like one of the main symptoms. Fighting that urge helps make it g…

I think my other reply to you is relevant here, because your advice cannot be proven wrong. You’re replying to someone who tried what you said, saw no marginal improvements, and saying that means they have to keep trying the same thing regardless. If someone tries this for several years and it doesn’t help them, would you consider your theory thoroughly debunked?

> If someone tries this for several years and it doesn’t help them, would you consider your theory thoroughly debunked?

Yes.

Re: The Depression Thing

#235

Post by Swizec »

eradicatethots wrote: post #221
Swizec wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> except if the response to "I tried, but it doesn't work for me" is "your depression makes it even harder, but that is literally irrelevant" In my experience dealing with depressed people, me included, there’s a huge spectrum in what “tried” means. Doing it once won’t help much. Forcing yourself to consistently do it every day for 2 years? Now we’re talking. If after 2 years of doing things that are known to up your…

So did you try Rust for two years before deciding it didn’t help you? Your position on these things is across the board absurd >if you’re on meds ... Have you considered that the people in this thread saying it doesn’t work aren’t just saying “it’s hard”? 67% of college kids are suffering acute anxiety, is 67% of the college populations only problem a lack of excercise? Your insistence on these things is frustrating…

> Have you considered that the people in this thread saying it doesn’t work aren’t just saying “it’s hard”?

Yes I have.

My attitude is probably influenced by personal experience in dealing with depressed people. So far every time I’ve been observing someone long term, and they said “it doesn’t work”, they rarely kept at it for more than a month at a time here and there.

It is possible that everyone in this thread is different and kept at it for a long time consistently and it didn’t help.

And I never said “only exercise”, I said Do Things. Hang out with people, work on projects, make art, enjoy friends, go to a bar, see a movie, travel. Whatever as long as you’re not sitting on the couch giving in to your depression.

> this advice is upsetting to me

People I love sitting on the couch rotting from depression is upsetting to me.

Re: The Depression Thing

#236

Post by mmmbetternot »

eradicatethots wrote: post #212
the_cat_kittles wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as others have noted, these things are a negative feedback loop when you start slacking on them. so i think its important to make them as easy as possible, and externally enforced as possible. i think they truly do help alot of people, of course not all, but many . im really not sure how to solve that chicken and egg problem tho- you dont do these three things because you are depressed, which begets more of the same.…

I’m pretty sure depressed people don’t believe these things will help them. If they did, they would just force themselves into it despite feeling bad. The idea that there’s a problem here, rather than that exercise is just actually worthless, is ridiculous.

Most mentally healthy people can't force themselves to meet their exercise goals. Many mentally healthy people fail to meet their nutrition goals too.

Re: The Depression Thing

#237

Post by Mz »

Swizec wrote: post #235
eradicatethots wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So did you try Rust for two years before deciding it didn’t help you? Your position on these things is across the board absurd >if you’re on meds ... Have you considered that the people in this thread saying it doesn’t work aren’t just saying “it’s hard”? 67% of college kids are suffering acute anxiety, is 67% of the college populations only problem a lack of excercise? Your insistence on these things is frustrating…

> Have you considered that the people in this thread saying it doesn’t work aren’t just saying “it’s hard”? Yes I have. My attitude is probably influenced by personal experience in dealing with depressed people. So far every time I’ve been observing someone long term, and they said “it doesn’t work”, they rarely kept at it for more than a month at a time here and there. It is possible that everyone in this thread is…

Please stop this.

I have a genetic disorder. It was not properly diagnosed until I was nearly 36 years old. So, I spent the first 36 years of my life hearing that I was just lazy and not trying hard enough.

You being unable to fix someone else by brilliantly suggesting what worked for you is not definitive evidence that they simply aren't trying hard enough. That underlying attitude is monstrously arrogant and insulting to other people.

The world does not revolve around you. You being upset because someone else is "sitting on the couch rotting" does not give you the right to harangue people until they prove your pet theory correct that they just need to try harder.

Re: The Depression Thing

#238

Post by steauengeglase »

Nav_Panel wrote: post #66
jlg23 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Careful with that advice. It might have been good for you, it might be good for a lot of depressive people, but definitely not for all. Before I turned twenty I met two people my age who took your advice and exercised until ambulances had to pick them up (literally). Whatever you do to counter your depression, have a trustworthy, knowledgeable aid at your side: a therapist.

This is an almost absurd criticism ("be careful telling people to sleep, people I know who were depressed followed that advice and slept for 12-14 hours every day"). Let's fix it by being more specific, so we don't accidentally cause any more problems: "daily moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise" (or, if you prefer, "resistance training 3x week"). Or even, "a healthy level of exercise". I agree that therapy is…

Agreed. Not to mention hitting the gym for an hour every night closes a lot of access to self-medication.

Re: The Depression Thing

#239

Post by mnm1 »

I love how he belittles exercise as a cure. Talk about closed mindedness and stupidity. Just because it didn't work for him doesn't mean it should be dismissed. It's the only thing that worked for me and many others. I'm really not even sure wtf this ridiculous article is saying. Anyway, what I'm saying is that belittling something that has been proven to help many people is stupid and even dangerous. Fuck medicine, Fuck therapy, and Fuck this idiot.

Re: The Depression Thing

#240

Post by eradicatethots »

Swizec wrote: post #234
eradicatethots wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think my other reply to you is relevant here, because your advice cannot be proven wrong. You’re replying to someone who tried what you said, saw no marginal improvements, and saying that means they have to keep trying the same thing regardless. If someone tries this for several years and it doesn’t help them, would you consider your theory thoroughly debunked?

> If someone tries this for several years and it doesn’t help them, would you consider your theory thoroughly debunked? Yes.

Well then what do you say to the athletes in this thread who tried this for several years and felt no better? Have you been debunked? Does everyone have to spend 2 years of their life’s on your advice before they’re allowed to say “This doesn’t work for me”?

I can’t imagine you think that’s reasonable... I think it would be more helpful if people stopped throwing this sort of advice around like it’s useful to people

I’ve argued things like what you’re arguing before but really I was just afraid to think otherwise, could you be feeling the same way? I don’t think that’s a sustainable strategy though so here I am, arguing the other way. It was harder to think that way than this - less natural

Post reply on HN