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Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

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Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#61

Post by aws_ls »

zamalek wrote: post #39
Tossrock wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What a bunch of hooey. Just 'deciding to be happy' is nonsense for someone with major depressive disorder (the medically accepted name of the disorder, as opposed to the term 'clinical depression', which people without experience tend to use...) I'm glad things worked out for you but this is not helpful advice for someone who is actually depressed. It's like telling someone who's short to just decide to be taller.

I guess you're right. I'll just remove that one paragraph. If you are at a doctor you are more than welcome to weigh in on the 2 opinions I had at 10 after being bullied for 3 years. I might not be able to remember all the terminology, but I do remember not being able to get out of it. I do remember not being able to have more than 1 friend up until I was 20. I do remember drinking myself into a pit at 22 (2 six pack…

>Because for some reason I can't explain I started believing that I could. I am now happy. The only thing I have left is excruciating existential anxiety, can I beat that too? Fuck yeah.

This appeals to me, and perhaps to a lot other people. I know, it may not help all situations and all people. But sometimes unleashing/encouraging the fighter in you, may be the best thing. For me literature (novels etc.) and movies are helpful to generate that kind of fighting instinct.

Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#62

Post by collyw »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #52
Strom wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. Get medicated. 12. Never do drugs. This just amplifies your problems. Your points #1 and #12 are a nice big contradiction. Anti-depression drugs in particualr tend to have rather significant side-effects, which can last for a decade after you've stopped taking the drug. Going to drugs to help against depression should be a plan C kind of a thing. Changing your environment and activities should be well tested befor…

My guess is that GP is not native American (or a native of other English-speaking country). As a non-native, it took me some time to grok that the term "drugs" can mean both "medicines" (like aspirin) and "addictive substances" (like alcohol, tobacco or cocaine). I suspect GP is referring exclusively to the second meaning. For instance, in Polish, we always use separate words for those two concepts.

"medicines" (like aspirin) and "addictive substances"

There is a lot of overlap in these two sets.

Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#63

Post by snarf »

justintocci wrote: post #48
throw_away_555 wrote: post #10

This won't get a lot of votes, but it ended up as diet and exercise for me. When I dropped caffeine and alcohol my anxiety went away. When I exercised my depression went away. I tried a lot of things, but it ended up figuring out that I wasn't eating well or working out. Now I do crossfit. I know, I know. It's a cult blah blah. But go try it. You need to be exercising every day to get all that endorphin goodness and…

i'm not a big alcohol person and had been paleo for many years. one day i get a gift from a friend, some special coffee. i don't drink coffe but i gave it a try. wow! it was great, i had a cup a day for a few days and then bam! i was in bed with a rage-depression ten times worse than a normal bout. i couldn't work for three days. i can't describe my thoughts because they are still so embarrassing. on the forth day, i…

I have a similar experience with caffeine. I really enjoy the boost that I get from coffee and chocolate, but then the buzz wears off and I crash, feeling irritable, tense, and on edge. It's the withdrawal effects of the caffeine, and it can go on into the next day (unless, of course, I take in more caffeine, which just repeats the cycle). Some people like us are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine (and alcohol) and are just much better off without it. Better sleep, more even energy and moods throughout the day, etc. I, too, miss the coffee buzz and the social aspects of it, but for those of us that are more sensitive to caffeine, the negatives outweigh the positives.

Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#64

Post by yitchelle »

Something I read in HN recently, maybe two months ago, resonate with me. It is about having guaranteed small wins. It is something that I starting to apply to most things that I do, and it has change the way I see things around me.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9782083

Also came across this list, the items about happiness are great suggestions.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/60-small-ways-to-...

Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#65

Post by cha-cho »

Exercise and sunlight are scientifically proven to reduce depression. Indulge in each for at least one hour a day. Two books (with very long titles) that may be helpful in understanding and combatting the illness are: "The Depths: The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic" and "How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable about Anything--yes, Anything!"

Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#66

Post by zamalek »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #55
zamalek wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess you're right. I'll just remove that one paragraph. If you are at a doctor you are more than welcome to weigh in on the 2 opinions I had at 10 after being bullied for 3 years. I might not be able to remember all the terminology, but I do remember not being able to get out of it. I do remember not being able to have more than 1 friend up until I was 20. I do remember drinking myself into a pit at 22 (2 six pack…

I don't think you really should have removed that paragraph :). Yes, it jumped on me too, but after thinking about it for a second, I actually appreciated it. I've never been able to think myself out of something like you did, but I found it reassuring. I actually envy you that skill; myself I was also drinking myself every night for almost a year; at some point I run out of money for cheap beers, stopped drinking, r…

> If you have any tips about "excruciating existential anxiety"

I've found that the more I think about it the worse it gets - which makes sense: it's habit-forming. Try this:

1. Stay on the SSRIs - they can help you learn how to break the habit.

2. Pick a "safe topic." It doesn't have to be interesting (although that probably helps), but should just have a good chance of not leading to existential issues.

3. Next time you start thinking about existential issues, start thinking about your topic instead.

I have no idea if it works in the long-run but it's what I am doing right now. I'm not sure if the underlying cause for the anxiety will ever go away, but if I can habitually stop thinking about it then it might as well no longer be there.

Also, it's usually worst when I am trying to go to sleep. I put on YouTube with brain-numbing content face-down next to my pillow: nothing stimulating (interesting or humorous).

Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#67

Post by hownotwhy »

I was depressed at university. The courses weren't interesting, my neighbours were verbally abusive, and my long distance relationship was ending badly. I ended up going to the university psychiatrist and just cried my eyes out. I didn't pass with the grades I wanted but I got through it. If I'd do it again I'd just talk to people. Not everyone will understand but if you're lucky someone will. Other than that all I can say is "this too will pass"

Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#68

Post by TeMPOraL »

collyw wrote: post #62
TeMPOraL wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess is that GP is not native American (or a native of other English-speaking country). As a non-native, it took me some time to grok that the term "drugs" can mean both "medicines" (like aspirin) and "addictive substances" (like alcohol, tobacco or cocaine). I suspect GP is referring exclusively to the second meaning. For instance, in Polish, we always use separate words for those two concepts.

"medicines" (like aspirin) and "addictive substances" There is a lot of overlap in these two sets.

Not disputing that, only pointing out that some languages don't use one word for those two, however overlapping, groups.

Re: Ask HN: How did you deal with depression?

#70

Post by collyw »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #68
collyw wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"medicines" (like aspirin) and "addictive substances" There is a lot of overlap in these two sets.

Not disputing that, only pointing out that some languages don't use one word for those two, however overlapping, groups.

Well depends how you look at it. They are pretty much the same in many cases. There are plenty of "drugs" that aren't addictive and plenty of "medicines" that are. Is caffeine a medicine or a drug in your view? I don't see as much of a distinction as you would appear to.
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