Reddit reviews The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs
We found 47 Reddit comments about The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Great product!
I can only speak for myself, but I went through a rather severe period of clinical depression and absolutely used makeup as a coping mechanism during that time. I had some pretty crazy beauty guru watching and binge-online shopping phases during which I probably spent 4-5k or so. It was a fun distracting obsession that let me avoid fixating and thinking about the other problems and issues in my life.
How I finally got out of that dark space was a combination of talking with my PCP, going on a low dose of Paxil and following the steps outlined in this book. I also started watching Hannah Poston's year of no buy youtube series which is amazing. She is so intelligent and well spoken, and has really thoughtful and insightful ideas about shopping and beauty culture.
After cutting myself way way back (now I rarely buy products and basically only from one brand that I really like), I instead channeled the money I was wasting on makeup and skincare stuff I didn't need into completely paying off my car, student loans and started building my savings account.
I empathize with this woman, but she's not even the most extreme shopping addiction case I've heard of, this article in GQ about Buzz Bissinger (author of Friday Night Lights) detailing his Gucci addiction is absolute craziness, to the tune of 600k.
Anyways... my point being it's a real thing that happens and sucks, I wish anyone else struggling with it the very best- you can stop it, it can be done!!
edit- one other resource I just remembered that was amazingly helpful for me was subscribing to /r/Anticonsumption
Who owns your building- is it a giant conglomerate type REIT or a small landlord? How's your relationship with the manager or the owner?
Tread lightly here- if you get along with your landlord and you think they like you, make your case, show the doctor's note, ask nicely and give your history of issues and why you think the dog would help. Saying you are willing to do a non-aggressive breed and stay under weight restrictions is a great way to make them on your side.
I am a landlord and have fought tenants against getting fake service dogs all the way to court and won, but it was only because they clearly went out and got a puppy because they were morons, then tried to justify it as a fake service dog after they realized their lease and the building was no pets. ((Their original email communication to me about it was, "Hey landlord! We are soooo excited to let you know we just got a new pet puppy!! Just in case we are ever not home so you can walk it for us or maybe come feed him when we are away kthnxbye!!")) I was like, .... wtf, you morons. I felt so bad for the dog having to live with those idiots. Anyway, I mainly fought them about it because they pissed me off with their lack of foresight and selfishness of getting a dog before they even thought about whether or not the building allowed pets or not, then tried to cover up their stupidity with lies upon lies.
I'll happily allow service dogs and emotional support animals for actually medically disabled tenants who require them. Just make your case well and approach the landlord respectfully.
Best of luck with your depression. This book was a godsend to me when I was struggling, it really works if you follow all the steps.
Then the word is essentially "meaningless" and there's no point in lamenting it's absence. I understand that depression does this, as I've experienced it heavily. But the thing to remember is depression doesn't just cause us to see things as meaningless, it actually causes us to see things as worse than meaningless. Why is something that is remembered by generations worth more than something that is forgotten? You matter now, who cares about the unknown? If you can see life as an experience, and not a race to be remembered, it can be far more enjoyable.
Edit: If you do struggle with deep depression, this book helped me a ton. Ultimately our ability to enjoy life or not isn't dependent on whether our existence has some ultimate metaphysical meaning, but on our perception. You're obviously not just carbon and water because carbon and water don't ponder their existence. Reducing our complexity to our chemistry shouldn't lessen our value.
Sit in front of a 10k lumen SAD lamp for 15-20 minutes in the morning.
It does wonders for me.
Edited: I've basically used the advice in the book The Depression Cure (gimmicky title, I know, but sound advice) to manage any vague listlessness I feel during the whole year and to deal with any seasonal affective disorder. It's contains a few studies that back up most of the advice in this thread, exercise, eat right, etc. and a plan for implementing the steps or changing your own habits. The combination of steps was a more effective tool than I thought it could be and I've actually been off of depression/anxiety meds for the last 6 years because of it. YMMV
Wow! I had no idea he had such a strong family history! Please don't take the following as didactic, because it just poured out of me, and few people know about this stuff.
Wellbutrin is an NDRI, decreasing the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine (i.e., increasing them), which means in addition to an SSRI, Jordan was on medications for the three main neurotransmitters postulated to impact depression. Neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky notes how each of these three neurotransmitters and their deficits can clue you in to different flavors of depression: lack of energy for norepinephrine, lack of pleasure and motivation for dopamine, and (interestingly) a tendency toward obsessive thinking/rumination for serotonin. The latter is probably why I've found SSRIs to work considerably better for anxiety clients than depressed ones given the influence of near-obsessive thinking involved in anxiety disorders. And what people don't know is that antiderpessants barely fare better than placebo except in severe cases of depression.
And I'm pulling my hair out, as I've done repeatedly in the last few years since looking for non-psychogenic (i.e., not based just in psychological experiences) causes of depression. Given his daughter's parallel reduction in depression and arthritis, this is basically a dead giveaway that her depression was largely if not entirely inflammation-based (see the wonderful Dr Rhonda Patrick's outstanding video on this link). Psychologist Stephen Ilardi has written an incredible book on evidence-based non-pharmacological links to depression, including (apropos the video you posted) the clinical utility of fish oil given its power (through EPA) at reducing inflammation (and Chris Kresser, albeit wary of high doses of fish oil given oxidation and other factors, has talked about how inflammation in the gut can lead to "intestinal permeability" -- i.e., leaky gut -- which in turn leads to a permeable blood-brain barrier, causing inflammation in the frontal lobes, which is where depression is mostly neurologically located). I've had one client who took krill oil and two weeks later his depression "magically" drastically reduced (unfortunately, because of the ridiculous office politics at my last job in a university, I couldn't make recommendations that clients take fish or krill oil). Regarding the gluten allergy possibility, people don't realize that Celiac's is only one form of three main reactions to gluten: disgestive (Celiac's), skin (rashes, etc.), and much more difficult to pinpoint unless you know where to look, the brain (since the brain has no pain receptors, inflammation there is much harder to pinpoint). Fatigue, as his daughter mentions, is also associated with inflammation in many cases. Also, obesity is pro-inflammatory, not to mention it increases activity of the aromatase enzyme, which converts testosterone to estradiol, causing potential estrogen dominance symptoms in males; estrogen actually activates the stress response more than testosterone, and is considered by some researchers to be one of the main differences between the sexes regarding responses to stress or stress sensitivity.
His daughter also mentions how her depression would get better in the Summer. Well, there's research for that too: we have serotonin receptors in the backs of our eyes, which fits with the need for 20-30 minutes of bright light exposure in the morning when light is brightest -- more easily managed by many people by getting a relatively cheap 10,000 lux therapy lamp. Meaning insufficient light exposure isn't just a seasonal affective disorder type of thing by far. Ilardi also cover this in one of his chapters. FWIW, his other points are on exercise, reducing rumination (which moderates depression), being socially interactive (which is often naturally opposed by many depressives, who seek solitude, usually to ruminate with the metacognitive belief that doing either will lead to feeling better when they rarely do), and getting sufficient sleep (without which stress hormones increase, contributing to depression). Can't recommend his book highly enough.
Soy is also a phytoestrogen, which can contribute to estrogen dominance in the face of insufficient progesterone, which in turn could indicate insufficient adrenal response to ACTH, and low cortisol, being part of this, means less antiinflammation and higher depression for other reasons (e.g., increases in CRH, which precedes ACTH, high levels of the former linked to depression), cortisol being the body's main endogenous antiinflammatory. This is just one possibility among many, but it's interesting in that Jordan mentions his change in getting sleepy, which seems like a pointer to lowering of possible sympathetic overactivation (e.g., increased levels of catecholamines inhibiting the subjective feeling of sleepiness).
Anyways, I pull my hair out because the research isn't hard to find. Just like it isn't hard to find that in the biggest antidepressant study yet conducted, the STAR D study, it wasn't antidepressants but triiodothyronine, also known as T3, the body's active thyroid hormone, which worked best for people with depression, despite a lack of labwork-related hypothyroidism (thyroid hormone increases serotonin, among other things).
And then, last but not least (i.e., I'll shut up briefly), there's a new field (still struggling to shed its falsities) called nutrigenomics, which looks at the association between genes, particularly single nucleotide polymorphisms, and phyisological (and therefore potentially psychological) affects on the body, given that genes code for enzymes which are affected by these SNPs, with homozygous polymorphisms (which you've inherited from both of your parents) being the worst given they most impact these enzymes. The most popular example is the MTHFR SNP, which codes for the enzyme of the same name, responsible for methylation, including folate metabolism. And surprise surprise, once people get this figured out their depression can go away, and there's even a pharmaceutical form of a supplement you can get for much cheaper in supplemental form called Deplin, which is just high doses of methylated folate, which bypasses the problems people with an MTHFR SNP can have with processing folate.
There are so many strands of interesting research, and I don't share Jordan's skepticism regarding what we can know about treatments for depression, including his methodological skepticism regarding how the studies are conducted and therefore the conclusions that can be generalized from them (although there are definitely poorly designed studies). In a clinical setting you have to be pragmatic and just try and see what works, and often many of the things I've mentioned above (among others) might not work, but if one or two do and this causes a significant reduction in symptoms, that's what matters; everyone's unique.
All of the reasons above are why people are shying away from allopathic medicine (dominated by MD doctors) and tending toward "alternative" medicine, such as naturopathic physicians or chiropractors (the best book I can think that's yet been written for a layperson is Datis Kharrazian's Why Isn't My Brain Working?, which has unimaginable detail on many different neurologically-related issues, including "over the counter" supplemental remedies fiercely backed by the research, and he's "just" a chiropractor).
Then you have hormone replacement therapy, but I'll save that for another time.
Sorry for the length. This subject infuriates me and fascinates me. So, so many people out there are done a mammoth disservice by their usually ignorant primary care physicians (or even psychiatrists) who throw antidepressants at what they can't understand, and even where neurotransmitter deficiencies are an issue, it's a disservice to clients to put them on a medication which often has a slew of side effects when the low neurotransmitters in question are more often than not mediated by other biochemical, nutritional, or genetic factors.
Some things you can try
From the book The Depression Cure
>6 steps
From the book The Mood Cure
You can get more specifics on all of these by reading those books.
Depression makes you feel worthless and refuses to be argued with. But reading your post, I see an unusually mature young man (I'm guessing 19?) who's holding down a steady job and maintaining a 100lb weight loss in the face of poor mental health and personal issues. That's some boss level fortitude.
I completely get that the last thing you want to do is move more than you can help, but exercise (especially outdoors in natural light) is more important than ever now you're depressed. If you can, check out The Depression Cure: it explains which lifestyle changes have been proven to help depression. (tl;dr fish oil, social connectedness, daylight, exercise, sleep and quitting ruminating).
You are awesome, and more than capable of overcoming this.
From a review of the book he's pitching:
>“[Ilardi’s] program helps patients reclaim six ancient lifestyle elements that can improve or eradicate depression. These include a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the critical building blocks for brain structure and function; enjoyable activities that keep us from dwelling on negative thoughts; exercise that stimulates important brain chemicals; sufficient sunlight exposure to keep the body’s clock in sync; social support to avoid isolation; and healthy sleep habits that allow the brain and body to recover.
Just in case you wanted to cut to the chase.
Omg it's 736 pages and all about drugs. Someone mentioned Laughing Again in the comments as a better patient choice.
There's also the Depression Cure with almost all 5 star ratings.
I guess it's a good option if you don't get results from medication or therapy...but a book doesn't quite have the same authority to motivate you as a doctor.
Friend, do you have a relative or friend, someone who you can move in with to take care of you?
You need to get over asking people for help. It is time for help.
Go to the library and grab some self help books, too.
http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369253723&sr=1-6
The financial thing, that is not as important as your health right now.
Honestly anything that is an SSRI could be both considered a nootropic and might help with those conditions but i would highly recommend trying other things first and seeing a doctor.
You might also want to look into bibliotherapy. The book "Feeling Good" has been used for depression and anxiety and research has shown it to be rather effective and much cheaper than many other options.
http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-The-Mood-Therapy/dp/0380810336
I also found this book to have some useful information for general lifestyle changes that are good for people who have these issues
http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888
Also there are now free online programs to help with these conditions
https://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Background: Raised by abusive, pretty much white supremacist assholes. Dad was the abuser/narcissist, Mom enabled. Despite them both being sober my entire childhood, the golden child/scapegoat dynamic emerged with me as the scapegoat or can't do anything right child, despite doing extremely well in school and extracurriculars. Gaslighting was the norm, and despite having a solid union job, my dad kept the house in such a state of squalor that it worked very effectively to isolate all of us and background enforced the idea that we weren't worth anything.
I sank into a suicidal depression young - went away to camp for a week at 13 and hadn't realized how cruel my home life was until I was in that completely different environment for a week straight. That realization spiraled me into a suicidal and self-harming depression until I moved out of their house to go to college at 18. Didn't help that my mom just never talked about our family history of mental illness (including a murder/suicide in the family that I didn't find out about until a year or two ago) and my dad's opinion that mental health is bullshit prevented me (and my brother, who also has depression) from getting any care at all for it. Since leaving their house, my depression has never been that bad, but I still suffer periodic episodes throughout my life, sometimes without trauma/cause.
Recent life: Great job (finally!), social network is scattered and non-cohesive, but studded with excellent people. Making enough that I'm realistically putting together a down payment and want to buy a house in a year or so on my own. Interview next week for what would be a fat promotion. I haven't had a relationship last longer than 7 months in the past 9 years, but I'm currently seeing a super sweet guy I've known for years who is kind of just off a big break up, but I'm not looking for kids so I lack a timeline for relationships and am going for "let's just enjoy this/each other." That has been a little difficult given my depression flared up recently (see below), in addition to the fact that I moved back in with roommates, and while they're great, I've synced to the one girl's cycle and now experience an emotional PMS on her cycle.
What I've tried: Suffering, self harm, radical life changes, exercise, therapy, EMDR, anti-depressants, The Depression Cure (highly recommend), LSD
What actually helps me (just for me, this is not advice): I tried LSD for the first time last May, and after I recovered from the sleep deprivation, my depression was completely cured ... for about 3 weeks. Then it came back. I can't do acid that often, nor do I want to, so I finally tried antidepressants last September, when I felt like I was going to spiral out and lose my awesome job if I didn't do something, and I responded pretty well to it. Didn't like zoloft's side effects, moved to wellbutrin, which works great for me.
I'm also on additional supplements for it (omega 3/fish oil, methylfolate, and travagen [neuro nutrients]), which I ran out of about a month or so ago, and took a few weeks to re-up on, which has caused what I'll call a 'flare up' in my depression. It's like wellbutrin put a floor beneath me, preventing the usual depressive pull straight into the bowels of hell over anything or nothing at all. That is great, but going off the supplements was like leaving the floor there, but putting a very low, dark ceiling over me, making me over emotional and irritated all the time. It took a few weeks for me to figure it out, but I'm all stocked up again and have made a concerted effort to exercise harder/more frequently in general, especially until the rest of the supplements are fully back in my system and working again. Also amped up my socializing a bit more per The Depression Cure (linked above).
ALSO, curbed/nearly stopped drinking because it made me so groggy with the zoloft, then realized how unhealthy my relationship with alcohol had become. Did dry January and still read r/stopdrinking on the regular, even though I moderate effectively and that's almost unheard of there. Dry January wasn't difficult for me since I wasn't depressed any more, and I learned that I'm not an alcoholic, but I turn into one in response to my depression in the absence of effective treatment. Glad I figured that out in my 30s before that could yield major medical problems or other consequences for me.
Therapy and EMDR are helping with my past traumas, but the depression is so deep that it functions independent of that.
The hardest part about depression for me: Knowing that I'm never going to be free of it. My therapist thinks I have unipolar depression, in that I have recurring depressive episodes but no manic episodes in between, often without cause. When I finally restocked my supplements to refill my pill organizer, I just sat on my bed and cried at the realization that I'm forever beholden to this thing, even when I'm managing it and doing really well, kind of like how an alcoholic can be dry for 50 years but will always be an alcoholic.
One good thing about my life/me: I have a high enough salary that I can easily afford the care I need (fuck 'murica). I'm incredibly resilient and independent, and finally finding an effective treatment freed up so much of my mental and emotional energy that I can really, truly function. I'm doing great at work and am back to writing and doing my own creative projects, which I had basically abandoned for 10 years after college. It's like I can finally apply myself.
Read "The Depression Cure"
You might want to rethink overlooking this.
One key point to take away from the book if you decide not to read it is that although depression has a basis in chemicals in your brain, chemicals are not the only thing that can "cure" depression. It's a great read; it taught me a lot about my depression. I highly recommend you read it.
Many people have had success with St. Johns Wort. In fact, it has been shown to be clinically effective against depression. It's often the first thing prescribed in Germany, and basically no side effects.
Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of major depressive disorder. A review of current research
From that review:
>In a large meta-analysis, St John's wort was found to be equivalent to antidepressant drugs with fewer side effects.
Another study. You can search pubmed for more if you want.
Definitely worth a try. It can interfere with other medications (notably SSRI's because they work through similar mechanisms and can cause a 'serotonin overdose'). Talk to you doctor/research etc.
As to your concern side effects, that's certainly reasonable. While some people only have 'minor' problems like headache and nausea, many have serious side effects and withdrawal problems.
Here is another similar thread.
Also, a book I recommend (especially for mild and moderate depression, but really everyone): The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs. It is NOT an anti-drug book, it's a try- these-first-since-they-are-good-for-you-anyway book.
If these don't work, then try anti-depressants, but you might as well start with the healthier options first.
I don't like the way anti-depressants make me feel. They make me more tired, make my insomnia worse, and make my vertigo worse. So I wanted to try something natural. This book helped me a lot:
https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482859767&sr=8-1&keywords=6+step+cure+for+depression
Sure! Here is Feeling Good and here is Intimate Connections. They're both by David Burns, and Feeling Good is considered the most effective book for overcoming depression. I have been chronically depressed my entire life, and this book has helped me feel better and better, much more than therapy did. I might even write a letter to Dr. Burns to thank him.
The essence of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is that your moods are created by your cognition. The world lacks any inherent meaning: your brain simply gives it meaning when it processes its sensory input into thought:
> Events -> Thoughts -> Emotions
So by eliminating the false and irrational thinking patterns associated with depression, one can improve their mood greatly. Feeling Good covers everything from building self-esteem, to anger, love and approval addictions, perfectionism and guilt. Whilst reading it, I felt as though I was reading a documentary of my own dysfunctional thought patterns. But it was comforting to realize that I'm not alone. Since its introduction in 1980, Feeling Good has sold over 3 million copies. I only wish I had heard about it sooner.. I'm surprised my therapist didn't recommend it last year when I was seeing her.
Another book I'd recommend (though it's not the end-all-be-all that its title implies) is The Depression Cure. It doesn't measure up to Feeling Good on its own, because it doesn't really address the dysfunctional cognitions that lie at the core of depression (besides telling you to simply stop thinking them, which isn't really adequate in my opinion). However, The Depression Cure does advocate simple lifestyle changes you can start today which have a clinically proven effect of lifting mood. The basic tenets are:
All of these lifestyle changes are clinically proven to improve health and alleviate depression. I'm sold on the Omega-3 supplementation, because of the whole host of other health benefits it provides (see links on EPA and DHA above).
Good luck, and if you have any questions PM me any time!
This book helped me a ton.
Also, I stopped waiting for the motivation. I just did things, even though I didn't feel like it - I was betting on Newton's First Law of Motion: An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. I was waiting for motivation (that never came) to put to me (which was at rest) into motion. This was not working. I just threw myself into motion and physics took care of the rest. Once I went somewhere or started something - things just started to get done, no motivation required. Sometimes I drudged through it, but it started to become easier. Motivation started to make appearances.
I also adopted the mantra: "It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be"...and that carried me out of bed and got me in motion. Every time I felt internal resistance I would repeat that to myself over and over and before you know it I was doing whatever it was I was waiting on motivation for.
I also went to a TedX event a few years ago, and there was a talk on being Successfully Depressed which also helped me a lot. Maybe it will help you too.
If you also suffer from depression, Steven Ilardi has a good book with a multi-pronged approach. It is where I got some of the anti-rumination strategies I mentioned in my comment.
I found it pretty straightforward and I liked that it has very actionable ideas and not just a bunch of vague advice.
https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888
He also did a TEDx talk that hits some of the high points of his research.
https://youtu.be/drv3BP0Fdi8
I can't address all of your issues, but I can address some.
First, struggling with depression, and having it sap your motivation. There are a number of things that can help. Fish oil supplements can have a huge boost, although just eating more Omega-3s would be better. (Supplements can always have side effects, so better to change your diet.) That means fatty cold-water fish like tuna and salmon, nuts like walnuts and almonds, replacing fatty oils with canola/flaxseed/walnut oil, replacing grain-fed beef with either grass-fed beef or bison, using flaxseed in recipes, etc. Its amazing how much this simple change can help you with both depression and health- EAT OMEGA-3s!!
Other things that help depression are getting sunlight, so either going outside for half an hour a day, or getting a sunlamp. Exercise, which you're obviously doing. Socialization and/or a hobby. I'd recommend this book- check out the reviews on it. You could buy the audio version and listen to it while walking/running!
About being scared to try the second week- that's OK, for now. It sounds like you need to work on pacing. Just slow it down! If at any point during jogging you start to feel like you're gasping for breath, immediately slow your pace to a very light jog. Don't feel like you have to force a certain speed. Try a week where you pay very close attention to pacing, and force yourself you slow down each time you start breathing too hard. If you run your first two cycles faster and slow down for your third, that's fine! I usually run on a treadmill so my pace is forced, but when I run outside- that last jog, people out for lesuirely walks are passing me. Its OK! Getting through the program is simply about doing it, you can work on speed later.
As for your shin splints- I used to run hurdles in track and that KILLED my shins. So much so that I gave up running for 10 years. The most important things you can do are calf stretches and shin-strengthening exercises. Stretch your calves daily, even rest days. Stretch them both before and after a run. Maybe even take a quick break during one of the walks to press back on each heel, keep the muscles loose. On your rest days, do a few of the following exercises:
Do one or two of those exercises every day, stretch your calves, and you should notice your shin splints going away. If they don't, switch to the elliptical for a few weeks while you continue to do the exercises- you may need to build shin strength before getting into a high-impact workout like running.
Once you get your shin splints under control and work on pacing, you should be ready to head into week 2. Just keep in mind that you can work through the program at your own pace, and you don't have to be ashamed of repeating a day or week. Just don't give up. Keep pushing to the best of your ability, but if it actually is too hard, or you're physically hurting yourself (like worsening your shin splints, which can turn into fractures), then there is absolutely nothing wrong with stepping back for a week and working on improving your overall health. I'd recommend adding some strength training into your routine, maybe on rest days. It doesn't have to be anything crazy- start lifting 5 pound dumbells for 2 sets of 8 repetitions. Do a Google search for exercises that work a certain part of the body. I personally feel like my arms have too much flab hanging down, so I work on my triceps. I also like having a toned butt, so I work my glutes. Pick a section you want to work on, google some simple exercises for those muslces, and pick your favorite exercise. Building some muscle and gaining strength will keep you motivated even if you have to cut back on the running to heal your shins. I love working my biceps because those muscles seem to grow the fastest! Within a week of doing arm curls, you can feel a difference when you flex.
The basic point is don't give up. I know it can feel daunting when you have so many problems in your way. But I can promise you, once you work on your shins a little, stretch your calves a little, work on your pacing a little, and switch your diet up a little, you're going to breeze through week 2. And you will feel amazing beyond words when that happens. It will be worth ALL the time and energy. It will motivate you to push through week 3, all the way to running that 5K for the first time. Think about how it will feel when you finish running over 3 miles. You will be on top of the world, and everything you've needed to work through will just prove how much stronger you are.
(former majorly depressed speaking)
Hey man, here's a link to a book I read a few years ago. It's a great read for anyone with depression. I still try these strategies, some are hard, but he's proven it to be aa good program. You are already doing some of it already. Keep your chin up and look for things that make you feel happy, feel needed.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Depression-Cure-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382830509&sr=8-1&keywords=the+depression+cure
I've had a history of some anxiety, poor sleeping patterns, and dysthymia. PM me if you want to chat more.
Hey, you are very strong and you have made progress already judging from the fact that you said you made it to 63 days before. Keep fighting. And if you want a good book on how to beat depression, try this:
http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421339925&sr=8-1&keywords=depression
It's helped me in the past. And here's a motivational video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kxSrPD__BA
The guy's name is Nick Vujicic. He has no arms and no legs and he's very inspiring. He's even married with kids now. It's really hard to find THE perfect video of this guy, but he has a bunch of videos on Youtube. I hope this motivates you.
I would recommend a high quality Omega 3 supplement as most "standard American diets" have too much Omega 6s and too little Omega 3s. Look up Steve Ilardi on YouTube, he talks about a program called Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes for Depression that involves sun/bright light exposure, vitamin D supplementation, supplementation with Omega 3s, and fostering social connections. I would recommend his book/audiobook titled The Depression Cure (iffy title TBH) but if you watch the lecture posted above you'll get the gist of what he talks about in the book. I know that my attempt at incorporating the aforementioned changes has helped me with my day to day moods and overall wellbeing. I have also started supplementing SAM-E Examine.com and have noticed improvement in my energy and ability to focus (more than Adderall even, which surprised me).
I've also been (loosely) following an intermittent fasting eating schedule and find it's much easier when I'm limiting processed foods/sugars and choosing high protein/high fat meals. Some days when I fast I feel so much more alive and alert, it's really quite interesting and something I intend to experiment with further. There's lots of interesting research out there regarding intermittent fasting/"time-restricted eating" and diets like low carb/keto/elimination/carnivore and their effects on mental and physical health.
As others have mentioned, have your thyroid function checked (TSH), check for anemia (CBC with or without differential; a differential evaluates the levels of various white blood cells that may indicate an acute or chronic infection/disorder), vitamin D levels (kind of an expensive test FYI), testosterone levels if male (also likely pricey). Testing for other vitamin/mineral deficiencies could get pricey. Look into self-order labs through companies like Quest Diagnostics or Lab Corp, you may be able to find decent pricing vs going through a doctor/insurance.
Depression is quite a slog, just know that there is always a negative and a positive side to your day to day choices and try to make the choice that imparts positivity. Each positive choice builds upon each other and snowballs (just like negative choices can lead to negative trends/outcomes).
I wish you the best in your journey towards peace, good health and contentment!
I can only speak from my experience, but I had really bad depression when I was in college (age 22) and my habits/routine were very similar to how you've described yours. I felt pressure on the top/back of my head sometimes, like I had been wearing my hair in a ponytail super tight for a really long time (I hadn't been, and usually lacked the impulse to do much besides put on a hat if I left my apartment). I didn't think much of the discomfort, and usually took it as a sign that I should wash my hair/shower more...which seems sad but when you're that depressed, nothing quite registers the way it does when you have serotonin to work with. You get it.
Anyway, about 2-3 months into this really dark, numb, exhausting time, a friend gasped and asked what happened to me. I didn't know what she was talking about but when I got a mirror, I saw a completely bald patch about the size of a quarter right at the tip top of my head (like toward the back, where your part ends and the back of your head begins). It was terrifying. I had to leave college for a semester and go home and get help. My psych ended up diagnosing me with "stress-induced alopecia." As in, if I controlled my stress (aka depression), I probably wouldn't go bald that much. My dermatologist gave me cortisol shots directly in the bald spot on my scalp to help the hair grow back more quickly.
[I didn't care about aesthetics much at the time, but after I started getting better, it was a real challenge to grow that much hair back in such a noticeable spot. I'm a girl with pretty long, wavy strawberry blond hair). It was most awkward when it got to around 1/4 - 1" length, since it would stick straight up. I had a lot of hats.]
Idk much about alopecia, but if it can be on 100% of the time for some people, but just randomly turn on for me when I'm 100% depressed, then there's a fair chance (?) that your scalp is stressed AF since your body is stressed AF since your mind is stressed AF. I'm obviously not diagnosing you here, just letting you know that, like everyone else has validated, depression can do intensely strange stuff to the body, outside of the better-known brain effect.
K so sorry for the saga, but as someone who has experienced several bouts of the kind of depression you're describing, I definitely think hair loss is or can be related.
I am struggling to type this because I mostly just want to give you a giant hug and hang out and help you feel less alone and less in your head and make sure you remember that this will clear and you'll see color and taste food and feel excited again some day....but if the hair thing is getting you down, I recommend:
eat more. I dont care if you can't find the energy to cook. Just try to eat three meals a day, even if they're all frozen Amy's burritos (I go organic if am skipping out on "real" food/opting for frozen). Remember: Hair is dead protein. And hair follicles are made of fat. Your mental/physical health aside, you need* protein and fat in your diet, in sufficient amounts, to the point where your body has some to waste so it can grow hair. Your body cant grow hair if it doesnt have enough protein and fat.
My chest feels heavy when I read your post. It feels really familiar and for whatever it's worth, I really care about you and want you to know there's a stranger in Colorado USA who is thinking about you and sending you love.
It is a gift now that you are away from him. He may have taken physical things from you, but he can never take away your strength, courage, tenacity, or your many virtues.
Don’t allow him to make you feel any lesser than you were when he met you. It’s all an illusion. There’s this quote:
you were a dragon long before
he came around and said
you could fly
you will remain a dragon
long after he's left
You can do this. You are a strong capable human being. Don’t give up and don’t feel discouraged. You can literally achieve anything you set your mind to
Stay no contact. These losers aren’t worth even a moment of your time/energy.
Work on healing your depression (regular excercise, omega 3s, eBaying activity to avoid rumination, sunlight exposure, social support, and sleep)
This is advice from the following book:
https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=nodl_
Yoga really helped me heal from narc abuse
You sound like you might be struggling with clinical depression. Everyone gets the blues occasionally but when the blues last for more than 2 weeks and interfere with your daily life, you've moved into depression world. In depression world you can't remember what made you happy or that you were actually happy at one point. I speak this because I've lived this and it's just awful. If therapy isn't helping, ask for different types of therapy. If medication isn't helping, try a different type of medication. If that stuff isn't helping the book The depression cure might help.
I agree with everyone that you have every right and reason to be upset and you should try not to judge yourself for that. None of us have the answers on how to get through this process unscathed. It is a difficult process. Big old hugs.
I'm glad you got the help you needed! I was actually on antidepressants years ago and they made a huge difference. Eventually I got off of them and started taking a specific combo of vitamins and supplements and felt just as great. Unfortunately, I ran out of them and simply didn't buy more because I thought I was "all better", some major life events occurred and here I am again. I stocked up on the vitamins again and hope that within the next couple of weeks I start to notice a difference again along with finding a therapist. I really didn't want to share my awful thoughts with my fiance, but I did and it definitely helped. Thankfully he didn't take any of it personally and has been my biggest cheerleader through this.
Again, I commend you for getting the help you need. There is nothing wrong with antidepressants--I know firsthand that they can be a godsend. If you are interested, though, here is the book that got me on the path to understanding why my brain works the way it does and how vitamins impact mental health. You might find it interesting, too! https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888
She doesn't? It must suck knowing it's hard for you to orgasm with her. Anyway, these depression drugs are really messing with people. This book is good, it's helped me a lot but you have to do all six steps completely. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0738213888?pc_redir=1396057914&robot_redir=1
I can't figure out how to see what shipping is, but I've been wanting this book for quite a while. I don't want to get back on a drug regimen, because none of them worked.
I don't know who Pavel Datsyuk is, but he has a cool name :)
Encourage him to go out for a walk in the midday sun each day for 30 minutes.
This book has a lot of good techniques, you can read it and teach him:
https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=depression+cure&qid=1555951660&s=gateway&sr=8-2
70%. That sounds pretty high.
Maybe you should see a doctor/therapist - but be mindful and try to do everything before using drugs , because they have side effects that are sometimes un reversible.
Also a few things i can think of:
there's this really good book , really helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453931705&sr=8-1&keywords=depression+cure
There's an app site call 7cupsoftea.com that offers trained volunteers who can talk to you , if you want.
And there might also be some link between too much gaming , and depression:
http://kotaku.com/5962636/do-video-games-make-depression-worse
Be well :)
I've had a ton of luck with Stephen Ilardi's TLC program (http://psych.ku.edu/tlc/). (amazon book: http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888)
Has anyone else tried this? I've been on it for a month, being sure to supplement with vitamins reccomended, exercise a ton and use my light-box (i've had seasonal affective disorder symptoms my whole life).
Have only had one bout of depression, which cleared up with the help of some serious meditation. Would reccomend everyone with mild-to-mid depression symptoms to try it at least for a month, but definitely see a doctor if things don't get much better.
I don't know about a Buddhist solution but I read a book to help me get out of depression, it had five suggestions.
Here is the book I read. https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1521688134&sr=8-9&keywords=depression+book
I understand how hard it is to do things when severely depressed, I've been there. At one point I had to use all of my strength just to get up and lay in the bathtub. I found that a combination of letting myself feel lethargic and pushing myself to do small and relatively easy things, along with the suggestions above, slowly helped me get out of it.
Good luck, I know it's hard. Hope this information helps you.
So, I have major depressive disorder. I did the whole psychiatrist route. Didn't do shit for me. Hated how the meds made me feel. (I didn't know it then, but medication only has a 30% success rate for patients.)
I recommend the following; The Depression Cure; https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888 (This has good guidelines on supplementation, exercise, light therapy, etc...)
The Mind Illuminated; https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Illuminated-Meditation-Integrating-Mindfulness/dp/1501156985/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522172217&sr=8-1&keywords=the+mind+illuminated
This is the most comprehensive meditation book I've read. Developing a meditation practice has been the single most helpful change for me. (The others are very important too.) Being able to meditate is like a super power. The vast majority of people today cannot sit alone in a room for more than 15 minutes without entertainment without totally freaking out. Plus it can lead to extremely joyful states called the Jannas. Also, Buddhism is an awesome philosophy and the neurological benefits of meditation are both real and being actively studied intensely right now by neuroscientists.
Finally, I'd recommend getting your diet right. I've tried alot of different diets. Quite a few people seem to do really well with Keto, but I didn't really enjoy it overall. My current setup is a "Whole Foods Plant Based Diet." Basically just fruits, vegetables, beans, starches, and nuts. It's easy to make meals, you can eat a large volume of food, (I enjoy eating, and the caloric density of vegetables is very low.) and it's extremely cheap.
Depression is a manageable issue. (It just makes itself very hard to manage because you don't feel like doing anything.) With some dedication you can get yourself functional.
P.S: There have been some recent studies on using Magic Mushrooms to treat depression that have had great success. I'm not sure if you'd be able to access that in your situation, but if you are able to certainly give them a shot. Start with 1.5-2g for your first trip and do some research ahead of time and make sure you have a babysitter and a good positive setting.
This TED Talk, and his book, has changed my life. I've followed all the things he recommends, and changed the way I think about depression and mental health, and my mood has been a lot better since. I think the biggest factor has been exercise...I've been going to the gym 2-3 times a week and my brain chemistry just seems better....anxiety and depression just doesn't seem to have as much power on me anymore.
But I think the stuff he says about civilization is dead-on.....We're not living our lives the way our bodies were design to live....we're meant to be living cave-man lives, yet we live these isolated, lazy, technology-ridden lives that our brains just aren't designed for, so they go out of wack and experienced negative effects such as depression and anxiety....it's the result of living life styles weren't not meant to live.....It's pretty crazy how few people realize this.....Everyone just thinks they're born depressed or something and they need to take pills to fix it......There's a reason why there are more and more cases of depression and anxiety every year as our lifestyles and civilization progresses further and further from what our bodies were designed for.
It felt just like in that comic http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.de/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html
It helped that I became depressed about an exam after I had written it.
>You sound like an absolutely terrible person for your brother right now and you need to do some serious research into depression and what it is.
Can you give me some links, bulletpoints, TL;DR?
I read a book about it https://www.amazon.de/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888
and I have watched quite a bit of youtube videos and TED talks on the subject.
Also see https://www.amazon.com/Witchdoctors-Psychiatrists-Common-Psychotherapy-Revised/dp/0060970243/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496036538&sr=8-1&keywords=psychiatrist+witch+doctor
Also relevant to the discussion is https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496036595&sr=8-1&keywords=ilardi+depression
Ilardi says that tribal people don't have deep fryers, TV, the splintering of the family unit, or medications that have lots of dangerous side effects. We also walk around with clothes from our wrists to our necks to our ankles, and they don't. They get a lot more exercise every day than we do. Their food isn't covered in pesticides. They wake up with the sun and go to sleep in the dark. All of those things add up.
Not to detract from the other book recommendation, but this little book is the best I've read about depression self-help. It is decidedly not pro-meds and advises against them, but I read it while on meds and I'm still on meds (and I think they're great for certain cases). It's good stuff.
Please please please read this book http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415496290&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cure+for+depression
not hokey, just a professor helping us to look at ourselves as the hunter gatherers that we forgot that we still are. Its especially helped me as an aspie to identify the problems in a logical systematic way and provided some really helpful logical means to become in control of my situation. Right now you're "ruminating". Depression isnt an aspie specific thing its a modern society thing on top of the social issues we experience as aspies. As humans we werent hardwired to sit and eat every meal alone by ourselves; a reality a TON of people face. This book will really console you and validate your needs but uncharge them emotionally at the same time, so that you can get out from under your hopelessness and target whats wrong here. I have an insanely intimate and long happy history with my current partner but it still doesnt get rid of the depression. You really have to understand your needs at the most basic level and the good thing is that its not going to exclusively include a girlfriend that you have to devote all your energy to in the pursuit of happiness.
For anyone who is interested, I can recommend this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519117080&sr=8-3&keywords=the+depression+cure
it's basically a 6-step program:
it worked for me.
Also I recommend meditation
When you're depressed sleeping feels so good. Of course it's better than constantly thinking negative thoughts. Also called ruminating.
I'm guessing it's this - now that you've quit your depression is more appereant to you. Gaming was an escape from it and when you were gaming you weren't focused on negative stuff, but on the game. Now that you have removed it, you are more depressed and hence want to sleep more.
But don't worry, it's a the night is darkest before the dawn kind of thing. You need to fix your depression. I highly recommend this book for that, the practice described in it has been proven to heal even severely depressed people and it doesn't require any medication.
https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888
Read this book.
We live in a fundamentally sick world/society. It creates issues among those who might not be prone to them otherwise and exacerbates them for those of us who are chemically/genetically prone to mental health conditions. Using medication to get your mental health right is not a moral failing or a character flaw. It's just part of the equation for how some of us get back to healthy and well. As I tell people now, I don't take pills to avoid fixing my problems, I take them so that I can be well enough to fix my problems. It's part of how I get that work done, not an excuse to avoid the work.
It took me 20 years of suffering without any sort of proper treatment to figure this out, and while I kick myself for having waited so long to try meds, I know that some people never do who might benefit, and suffer greater instead. Yes, it's a crap shoot, and that unknown is scary. I was on Zoloft for a month, and it worked but I didn't like the side effects (drowsiness, especially with drinking, drymouth, inability to orgasm - which were annoying but FAR milder than any of the disasters of trial-and-erroring my way through hormonal birth control options). I knew it was working when I realized that I felt bored, like I should be doing something instead feeling like I couldn't do anything. My dr shifted me to wellbutrin after just a month, and that has been working pretty well. I still have shit days and even weeks sometimes, but those don't turn into the full downward spiral to hell/suicidal ideation like they used to. I feel it, it hurts, and then I rebound within a week or a month, instead of a year or so. I'm still me, but I'm just ... not as sick or stuck anymore.
If you've tried other ways of treating depression and feel like you need more help to get to good, talk to your doctor. Ask lots of questions: what kind of experience and specialized training to they have in prescribing antidepressants, how do they choose what to start you on, how do they handle patients reporting negative side effects, how long does it take to taper off if it's going poorly, how do they work to avoid prescription cascades, etc. And if you don't trust your doctor, go find one you do. I know that's easier said than done, and I'm sensitive to how expensive that can be. But it makes all the difference. I see a naturopath MD. She prescribes the antidepressants and also has me on supportive supplements. They work well together. But if you already have a pcp/gp you trust, start there.
Good luck. There are a lot of ways to treat depression. You don't have to jump right into meds, but you do need to use some sort of treatment option (lifestyle change, therapy, EMDR, etc). I like to recommend The Depression Cure as well for some DIY, easy/free to implement ideas. It's evidence based, so it's more legit than most self-help, and it's not anti-medication despite noting the validity of concerns about wanting to avoid meds.
As for kids, don't make big decisions about your life while you're not well.
u/LetsGetNice makes a lot of great points. We're all encouraged to go see someone, but rarely do those same advocates explain how lengthy the process can be.
Luckily I had a therapist that set my expectations from day one. She told me it would take months or even a year of self care and discipline to make real change. You need to buy in to the process and let it happen. Don't be afraid of the long haul.
I'd also recommend grabbing "The Depression Cure" from amazon as as a starting point down the road to wellness (my therapist had me read this and discuss the book point by point with my wife).
https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888
This book helps teach you about a holistic approach to wellness, that goes beyond therapy.
Good luck and you can always PM if you have questions.
Outside of the other good advice here I would highly recommend reading The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738213888/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_oubTub1TCYPRS
It collects a lot of really good information regarding the causes of depression as well as some concrete steps and methods you can employ to greatly reduce the frequency and intensity of depressive episodes.
The inability to enjoy life is not related to the discovery of these things, in my opinion. Everyone that stops to think will eventually realize this, but most that do will not become depressed. No one will be remembered forever and we will all die eventually, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. You aren't depressed because you've realized that life is pointless, you're depressed because your brain chemistry is fucked up. I'm still feeling shitty after reading this book, but it was definitely interesting, and I'm glad I read it. The big theory behind the program is that our bodies and brains did not evolve to live the way we live life now a days and the result is depression. Has anyone else read this? I'm now convinced that I can dig myself out of this hole, as long as I start working at it. Fuck, I should start now.
http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888
Yes
edit: tfw you get downvoted for giving a perfectly valid answer to op's question. I guess the answer you were looking for is: no, if you have depression, take meds or you're gonna be depressed forever. there is absolutely no cure for depression besides medication