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The Depression Thing

zachholman.com

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Re: The Depression Thing

#71

Post by Mz »

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…

I don't think it is absurd. I have a genetic disorder. All of the standard diet and exercise advice failed me in every metric until I had a proper diagnosis.

Lots of people have unidentified health issues. Underlying health issues can cause low energy, which can be mistaken for depression.

Re: The Depression Thing

#72

Post by megaman22 »

gblain23 wrote: post #11

Cutting gluten out of my life basically "cured" my depression, which sounds crazy, since it is just something I'm eating... I'm not allergic, but probably intolerant. I ate wheat for most of my life. I'm pretty sure it is related to inflammation, and how eating wheat products probably screwed my digestion up. I also rarely get sick anymore. Not trying to suggest that medicine, therapy, etc. does or does not work, jus…

Cutting gluten probably is a net-positive, for most people, if for no other reason than it drastically reduces the amount of simple carbohydrates that you consume, and more often than not, the total number of calories consumed. Whether or not that it is actually the gluten that makes any difference, for non-celiacs, I'm less certain. I feel much better when I get closer to a ketogenic diet of eggs, meat, and green vegetables, but, again, I'm probably consuming on the order of 1000 to 1500 calories less per day when I do so.

Re: The Depression Thing

#73

Post by oculusthrift »

lqdc13 wrote: post #42

Please be advised that taking SSRIs can have negative side effects that you might not be aware of. When people I'm close with start taking them, they are less interested in being intimate and stop "loving"/being affectionate. In my experience, having a schedule, exercising and making sure you are around other people help a lot more while preserving your personality.

yeah well the same thing happens when someone is really depressed and not on ssris as well

Re: The Depression Thing

#74

Post by robotresearcher »

SonicSoul wrote: post #35
iamleppert wrote: post #31

If we're supposed to be happy all the time, why are there so many sad songs? Seriously though it irritates me how people have been brainwashed to think depression is somehow abnormal. Here's something I've learned in life: Depression exists for a reason. There have been times in my life that I've been very depressed. Sometimes it was due to some event that happened but more often it was pretty random. During these pe…

It's pretty sad when my friend tells me his doctor diagnosed him with a lack of something in his brain where only way to go is anti depressants for the rest of his life. He didn't even suggest aerobic exercise or diet, nope straight to prescription drugs. I'm not a doctor but based on my experience with depression and health, lifeStyle is so much more important than drugs no matter which disease you have or don't hav…

Did it work? Is that part of the story not interesting?

Re: The Depression Thing

#75

Post by Omnius »

gblain23 wrote: post #11

Cutting gluten out of my life basically "cured" my depression, which sounds crazy, since it is just something I'm eating... I'm not allergic, but probably intolerant. I ate wheat for most of my life. I'm pretty sure it is related to inflammation, and how eating wheat products probably screwed my digestion up. I also rarely get sick anymore. Not trying to suggest that medicine, therapy, etc. does or does not work, jus…

1 hour hold account 1 hour old comment. I am not trying to be negative but i have seen no science to state that cutting gluten is going to do anything at all for anyone unless they have Celiac disease.

You want to back that up with study or something? Its just WOO if i am wrong i will be happy to eat some crow.

Further more the comment near this one about some imaginary threshold of MEME count gives something legitimacy. REALLY?

WHERE AM I!!

Re: The Depression Thing

#76

Post by cinnamonheart »

I suffered from depression and anxiety for most of my life, and it's not something cured by lifestyle changes alone for every person.

Despite exploring and keeping up with alternative treatments -- like therapy, CBT, meditation, regular exercise, a proper diet -- I was still anxious and depressed. These helped me manage the anxiety and depression, but they were still there, and, internally, quite overwhelming. It was a daily fight.

The only thing that eventually pushed it from 'I'm managing' to 'I finally feel okay' was medication. I don't feel like a zombie, or numb; I just feel normal for the first time in as long as I can remember. It's not something that is manageable any other way for some, and the stigma associated with medication is only hurting those who need it.

Re: The Depression Thing

#77

Post by agumonkey »

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…

Did you feel like these three variables reinforced themselves ?

Exercise makes you eat differently and sleep out of exhaustion earlier, you also wake up a bit sore but somehow replenished; which makes you seek slightly more active things.

Re: The Depression Thing

#79

Post by jjjhjhjhj »

SnowingXIV wrote: post #56
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…

It's also a viscous cycle once you stop doing these things. I had everything going well for me, but then a bunch kinda blew up at once and I stopped eating healthy, quit working out, and was losing sleep because I was trying to solve all these other problems and felt those things were pointless. "Oh, I can't get in the mindset to lift today I'm too stressed out and depressed/hopeless." That led me from only skipping…

did you try getting a girlfriend like normal people

Re: The Depression Thing

#80

Post by gt_ »

Psychologists are much better trained than therapists. If at all possible, see a psychologist.

Therapists are minimally trained, and do not understand neurological conditions on nearly the same level. If your issues are beyond basic depression, a therapist will not be able to tell.

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