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How I Beat Depression

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Re: How I Beat Depression

#111

Post by Evbn »

mrcdes wrote: post #88
ForrestN wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both in your reply and in the original article, I wish there had been more attention paid to the value of talk therapy in some cases. While it may be true that for some depression originates as a chemical imbalance in the brain, I think for many or even most, it originates from psychological pain. Therapy can and does routinely help provide lasting help with depression. I don't know what "beating it" means but some p…

I believe it is a chemical balance, which requires chemical intervention.

Chemical imbalance just means a chemical level associated with feeling bad. Which is also what psychological pain is. So you will you need to be more specific if you want to differentiate.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#112

Post by Evbn »

eaurouge wrote: post #89
bpatrianakos wrote: post #42

I don't think one can actually beat depression but instead only really cope with the symptoms. I know that sounds awful and kind of defeatist (and I could be wrong) but I think the idea that you can actually conquer this disease sets you up for failure. I first noticed my own depression when I was just a 13 year old kid and first sought help just before the end of high school. I've been through the entire range of em…

Why is this nonsense the top comment? How can you, from your study of a cohort of one, assert that no one can beat depression because you haven't? That's a potentially fatal message you're sending, and it's based solely on your own experiences. People get depressed for all sorts of reasons. It's bad enough that some doctors would lump the majority of patients as being clinically depressed and prescribe drugs that may…

People try to beat cancer too, with medical help, but it is known not to be their fault.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#113

Post by Evbn »

lmkg wrote: post #86
bpatrianakos wrote: post #42

I don't think one can actually beat depression but instead only really cope with the symptoms. I know that sounds awful and kind of defeatist (and I could be wrong) but I think the idea that you can actually conquer this disease sets you up for failure. I first noticed my own depression when I was just a 13 year old kid and first sought help just before the end of high school. I've been through the entire range of em…

I would say that depression is like alcoholism: You never stop being an alcoholic, but you can stop drinking. Even a dry alcoholic has troubles with alcohol, and may need to struggle with that, even though they are successful in containing their affliction. Similarly, some people will always be susceptible to depression (I coin the term "depressives"). But, like an alcoholic can learn how to stop themselves from drin…

"Depressive" is a standard term, so you made a good choice.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#114

Post by Evbn »

lwat wrote: post #90
bpatrianakos wrote: post #42

I don't think one can actually beat depression but instead only really cope with the symptoms. I know that sounds awful and kind of defeatist (and I could be wrong) but I think the idea that you can actually conquer this disease sets you up for failure. I first noticed my own depression when I was just a 13 year old kid and first sought help just before the end of high school. I've been through the entire range of em…

You are wrong, I beat depression. I don't just 'cope' with it, I actually don't feel depressed any more at all. And this is the rule rather than the exception, most people with depression recover just fine.

Do you have statistics on that? Anyway, "depression" is so vague/broad that it's like measuring whether most people with physical unfitness eventually recover just fine.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#115

Post by Evbn »

ZenoArrow wrote: post #108
adeaver wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Short answer: yes. Long answer, think of it like an addict. They always called themselves 'recovering' because they know it only takes a single slip to set you back. Same with Depression. You can be fine for years, become lax in your coping mechanisms and handlers and something small happens that sets off a chain reaction where you are reaching for things you wouldn't normally reach for. One innocent comments or look…

Thank you for your feedback adeaver. I do understand the addict analogy, but in both cases I'd say the solution was the same... perhaps the issue is ongoing because the root cause of the problem is still there? The triggers that set people off into addiction/depression are what separate those that are susceptible to those behaviours to those that are resilient to them. What are those triggers? What links them? What a…

Yes. I had high cholesterol. I made lifestyle changes. I have low cholesterol now. Did I beat it? Sort of. But I can very easily get high cholesterol again, if I let my guard down.

Contrast that to, say, chicken pox, which I beat. And t almost certainly will not recur, even with no effort in my part-- even of I tried, I probably couldn't get chicken pox again.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#116

Post by Evbn »

dpapathanasiou wrote: post #7

Exercise is incredibly important b/c of all the positive neurochemical effects it produces. But if you're exercising by yourself, it's easy to skip it, especially if you're already feeling down. It's better to take part in some kind of team or class activity where there's a little bit of social pressure to show up. There will be mornings when you think, "I don't want to go, but I don't want to let those guys down," a…

Also, sell your car, and moved within range to bike to work. When exercise becomes locally optimal, it is hard to avoid it.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#117

Post by Evbn »

DanBC wrote: post #68
nova wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... "Death is bad," said Harry, discarding wisdom for the sake of clear communication. "Very bad. Extremely bad. Being scared of death is like being scared of a great big monster with poisonous fangs. It actually makes a great deal of sense, and does not, in fact, indicate that you have a psychological problem." ...

When you're about to bunjee jump off a bridge you should be scared. When you're walking down a dark road you probably should feel some fear. But some people fear death all the time - they're sitting at home, watching tv, and they can feel their heart beating, and they think it's beating in a weird way, and that causes them to feel fear, which causes a bunch of physical reactions. Tense muscles, sweating, breathing ch…

Are you speaking from specific knowledge? I thought anxiety was a general physical symptom --- that your body response as though you are facing extreme stress, even when you aren't. I didn't think specific irrational fears where really relevant. (Maybe a fear of failure at work/school/flying-on-airplane-safely , economic colllapse, crime, etc). Or maybe it is the same as what you are saying....

Re: How I Beat Depression

#118

Post by Evbn »

gesman wrote: post #50

It's impossible to "think yourself" out of depression or "do something good" out of depression, unless it's just a temporary down mood. The way I beat depression is by doing pure mental exercises on focusing on the actual physical areas of the body where depression is felt, without trying to change/fight/eliminate the feeling itself. I came up with this technique during lowest point of my life and was almost shocked…

Where in your body do you feel depression, besides your r brain? That's where mine is. Plus in my heart (anxiety), but that's not really depression.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#119

Post by Evbn »

richardlblair wrote: post #14

I'm really happy that these posts are getting onto the front page. They are very important. I want to add one thing. Working with a doctor is important, but work with a psychologist as well. Especially if you are resistant to going on meds (and I don't blame you if you are...). A good psychologist may be able to offer you treatment options that better suit your needs. Also, if you aren't getting what you need from yo…

OTOH, for someone who is working through depression, it is nice to have somewhere to go to safely talk about something else without randomly once a day (as it was during peak Swarz-steria season) getting a note shoved in your face that says "HEY! let's talk about your fucked-up mental problems again!"

Re: How I Beat Depression

#120

Post by ciupicri »

kennethcwilbur wrote: post #78
drumdance wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious about the psychedelics, can you share more? What drugs? How often?

I don't know what specific psychedelics he referred to but I can share something. There is some research suggesting ketamine is useful for depression. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketamine There are legal substances which are similar ketamine which some people argue have similar properties. I cannot verify and do not advocate.

This was on HN a couple of months ago: "Yale scientists explain how ketamine vanquishes depression within hours" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4615602
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