Ask HN: How did you manage your stress or recover from depression?

antidepressant. I know it's a bit controversial but... at some point your nervous system is not working properly, and there is no way you can heal if your nervous system continues to overheat. Antidepressant allowed me to calm it down, regulate it, to be able to sleep again, and start the (needed) psychological work with a therapist. Both have to go together. It can take months or years. But you'll fight it ultimately, trust me.

Learned an amazing meditation yesterday, can teach you if you need help.

Two things to consider:

- Identify cause(s) of stress. Operate on that cause. Address symptoms but work on the underlying cause.

- Depression is not simple but consider if your depression is about past or future. Either direction is a problem that needs to be addressed by being more present in the now.

I had massive eczema and a host of other issues caused by stress. Nothing helped, eg creams, diet, meditation etc. The source of stress was ultimately incompetent management where I worked. Bad schedules, faulty deadlines, poor environment. I put up with it long enough to prepare my escape to a new role elsewhere. Within 3 months at new position my skin issues vanished, I lost quite a bit of weight, I had more energy. My depression dropped off significantly.

Various drugs might help with symptoms but if they aren’t addressing the underlying cause they can prolong the issue rather than solve it. Don’t ignore medications that address an underlying cause of symptoms either.

One final catchall: go to a dentist, doctors. Get full blood work tests. Make sure you eliminate all the “stupid simple” deficiencies or factors that are easy to fix. Vitamin D is one of these for depression. I’m definitely sensitive to that and it was an early cause we eliminated through just me being outside more and supplements. It helped a bit.

exercise, no alcohol, minimal caffeine

i only thinking about best case scenario. that's keep me happy and motivated.