One thing on which I have never gotten clarification, only evasion, is ... what if you are faced with something permanent that is a bummer, major, and that affects your mood. A progressive disease, an unfixable disability, and so forth. Are you "depressed" then, or just legitimately sad?
Tips for the depressed
141–150 of 224 posts
Re: Tips for the depressed
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
The main benefit I've found to making the bed is that it shrinks your subconscious to-do list and helps you concentrate. If you make your bed, clean up the plates on your desk, and pick up your clothes from the floor, then your brain has nowhere to hide -- the only thing left to focus on is the task at hand.
But making my bed & cleaning were never on my todo list to begin with, so it isn't shrinking my subconscious todo list
Are there any menial tasks that are on your list?
Re: Tips for the depressed
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here we go, actual data about SSRIs vs the placebo effect: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172306/ It would be super cool if we all took the time to cite data that back up our assertions instead of just insisting that our ideas are correct.
I'll quote the lede from the abstract so people know what they are clicking on: Instead of curing depression, popular antidepressants may induce a biological vulnerability making people more likely to become depressed in the future. Nobody currently taking antidepressants should stop them without very careful planning and consideration of whether they should and how, but the same very strong consideration should be g…
I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with anyone here. I'm merely asserting that we should use facts to back up our arguments.
Re: Tips for the depressed
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think people should be allowed to share their opinions, even if they're controversial. Just because you disagree doesn't mean he's wrong (nor am I saying he's right). I have no dog in this fight, but you don't have to Google much to find studies that cast doubt on the efficacy of anti-depressants. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325767
Ehhhhhhh... And google swings... and it misses... There are two somewhat competing studies involved in what you linked. The original meta-analysis is stating that "[a]ll antidepressants were more efficacious than placebo in adults with major depressive disorder." And if you dig into that study, the level of effectiveness varies, but is consistently above a placebo. The other, states that the original meta-analysis mi…
I agree with everything you said, and was merely pointing out the evidence is far from overwhelming (or even conclusive, in my opinion).
If we're going to talk about making dangerous statements, mentioning that antidepressants are effective while ignoring the fact they increase suicide for some people seems a lot more reckless to me. Of course, you don't know if they will do that until after you are already taking them.
https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3697/rr-4
Since at this point it seems unlikely I really "have no dog in this fight," for what it's worth I think antidepressants likely help more people than they harm, but I do think their positive effects are exaggerated by health professionals.
Re: Tips for the depressed
#145I have observed when i am alone for 3 or more days without talking to anyone i get depressed. Even if i have conversation with anonymous people on the internet over text chat, depression gets reduced a lot. Are there any scientific research on human contact over text and depression ?
I'm curious as well
Re: Tips for the depressed
#146I've dealt with depression and anxiety on and off, and one thing that's missing on the list that helped me a lot is purpose and service.
It may be your job, caring for another person, volunteering for something that has impact, taking responsibility in a community or anything else really as long as it's meaningful. It's a pain if you feel crappy to take on more responsibility but in my opinion, it helps because at least if you feel like crap you're still doing good for others and you can get through a lot of suffering with that in mind.
For me personally mindfulness and talk therapy and exploring your feelings and whatnot is fine but it's also very self-centred and you can do it all day and still be miserable so at some point, I just thought getting out of my head and getting on with life as best as possible is what matters.
Re: Tips for the depressed
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I’ve done a lot of research and I think psychiatry is pseudoscience and antidepressants are largely placebo. Please don't spread anti-psychiatry misinformation online. I'm sorry that it didn't work for you, but please don't dissuade others from seeking proper treatment. Playing devil's advocate: Even if SSRIs are just placebo (they're definitely not, and we have decades of science to explain why that's a false stat…
It's also misinformation to assume SSRI's work the same way for everyone. For my mother, antidepressants made her suicidal.
so did my psoriasis pills .. great now i have fucked skin and wanna kill myself. at least without the pills i just had one of those. neither helps my depression tho.
Re: Tips for the depressed
#148I would love to finally see an article that has tips for a society on how to prevent depression, instead of the constant stream of self-help BS that is constantly directed at people who may have real reasons to be depressed.
Let's pick something else that isn't as broad as "depression."
How about:
- "I would love to finally see an article that has tips for a society on how to prevent ADHD..."
- "I would love to finally see an article that has tips for a society on how to prevent Schizophrenia..."
- "I would love to finally see an article that has tips for a society on how to prevent Bipolar Disorder..."
- "I would love to finally see an article that has tips for a society on how to prevent Mania..."
And "real reasons to be depressed", what would those be; or are you mixing up sad or anxious or morose or frustrated or ... with "clinically depressed." Clinical depression, much like the other mental health issues that I used above, doesn't have to have a reason as proscribed socially.
Unfortunately, most "self help BS" is written from two perspectives, those that have never had a bout of clinical depression; and those that have and found a specific way to get __themselves__ through it. If those that used specific things to get through it presented that information in that manner instead of "this is what everyone should do" it may be understood better overall, but that's a failing of being human; not of the writers.
Re: Tips for the depressed
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
For me, doing those small things did seem impossible and even when I managed to achieve it, I didn't feel the reward. There didn't seem any point in making the bed if I felt the same whether the bed was made or not. Eventually I reached a mental place where I could turn that around: If it doesn't make a difference in how I feel, why not make the bed? I had to more or less take it on faith that eventually the rewards…
Coincidentally, I really see no point in making the bed. I wonder if I'm depressed.
Making the bed is a waste of time. Better to let the mattress and sheets breathe and air out. (at least that's how I justify my laziness). Don't sweat it friend.
Re: Tips for the depressed
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I’ve done a lot of research and I think psychiatry is pseudoscience and antidepressants are largely placebo. Please don't spread anti-psychiatry misinformation online. I'm sorry that it didn't work for you, but please don't dissuade others from seeking proper treatment. Playing devil's advocate: Even if SSRIs are just placebo (they're definitely not, and we have decades of science to explain why that's a false stat…
Many people are upset I called antidepressant placebo. It’s obviously a huge discussion out of the scope of this thread. But keep in mind that companies make a ton of money selling SSRIs and _still_ have trouble differentiating results from placebo, despite arguable massive publication bias influenced by big pharm. Furthermore the metrics for these things are the most subjective thing in the world, surveys of humans.…
I agree. The book Lost Connections goes in depth into how all antidepressants are either same as placebo or better by a statistically negligible amount. (Oversimplified but the book does a good job).
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Connections-Uncovering-Depressio...