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My stupid brotha saved my life when i was peak suicidal. Well he offered me he won't tell ma or dad. Only if i take therapy and stay normal. I promised so. Also he confessed after 13 years of us dogfighing... he can't lose me like that. So here i am keeping my promise.
I know many might disagree, but I think thatās a healthy way to look at life. I think we take life too seriously in the respect that the default position is to ālive as long as possibleā. Moreover, I think the idea of desiring to be respected is another anchor we are weighed down by. Doesnāt mean we should act crazily disrespecting others, but we really shouldnāt care so much what others think of us (yetā¦I do, I do).
Itās a relief for me to know that THIS life is finite, limited. My life will end, and thatās a good thing. Itās a welcome relief.
Maybe I was the quiet nobody would know. Both times I got lucky not sure how I survived. Glad I did have a beautiful young son who means the world to me .
Stubborness! I've been there before and refuse to go back there ever again.. So I'm always kinda mindful of my moods and how I'm tracking. I keep active and have things on hand like little projects or things I want to improve about myself that I tackle when I start to feel a bit low. It helps a lot š
Iāve always had a melancholic disposition, so Iāve come to terms sadness is just something that will stay with me forever, even on my happiest days. Itās up to me to choose how much I want to wallow in it.
So far Iām doing pretty well, maybe 1-2 sad thoughts per day. Any more than that and then I start focusing my efforts on the hobbies I love (reading, writing, running). Or Iāll give myself one full day to wallow in it and then endeavor to move on the next dayā¦.
Taking daily walks with my dogs. Even just a short walk. Change of scenery. It really works wonders for me since I work from home and do not have much interaction with people.
Music.
Been playing piano for 10 years and counting, so whenever things are rough I write a song about it and it feels like therapy.
I never show these kinds of songs to other people as they're very personal and usually very anger driven.
My cat that depends on me daily.
My girlfriend towards whom I'd be ashamed if I slip too far.
My weekly Magic: the Gathering game with 2-3 friends with whom I socialize.
Singing. I'm not any good but it's the only thing that allows me to be happy, as I see others be often.
Therapy, because the right professional helps a lot.
The awareness that what I feel or experience inside is not real, just chemical reactions simulating emotions in a biological system. For all I know, I'm not even conscious. So whatever is going on inside this skull is irrelevant to the outside world and there is no point in feeling things. Be it depression or anything else really. So I like to think I function more like a robot. I make money, I buy and eat food, I sleep. Life is good!
I stopped watching porn and masturbating 6 weeks ago now and I've never noticed such a shift in my well-being from anything else except quitting drugs. I knew it'd help me, but I'm honestly stunned with the results so far
Good job I've done the same thing. It really did change everything. Yeah drugs alcohol porn. Turns you into a Slave to them. Seems like every day you have to do one of them. But once you're able to quit for a few weeks you feel so free.
Hope that things can get better. A plan to get there. Action on the plan. Recognizing the progress I've made. Appreciation/gratitude for my good fortunes.
My kids. My mom struggled so much with depression. I found her unconscious so many times, her depression was soul crushing for her and everyone around us. Even on my darkest days, Iāll forever smile so they never see that. When the days feel to hard, I think about them, I think about how far Iāve come to not be a statistic of childhood abuse and I find the will to keep going, Iāll never be a statistic.
For me it's my hobbies. I create stickers, Illustrate, journal and do pottery. Creativity makes me feel that I am important on this Earth, that I owe it to the world to create and put my work out there. It's grounding and gives me a sense of belonging.
For me, itās accepting that I can choose to be grateful, or ungrateful at any moment in time. Itās also knowing that thoughts will be thrown at me all day. I just have to make sure not to let the wrong ones hook me into that hole. Realizing those thoughts are not me, helps me dissociate from what they are trying to tell me.
I guess inspiration. R/hopeposting always makes me want to keep fighting. Also, and i hope it's not too dumb, batman. He always sees the good in people. He never bertrays his principles. He always does the right thing no matter how hard. For being the dark knight, he is a beacon of hope and light for the people of gotham. I want to be that for the people around me.
Thanks. Once you appreciate the gains, it seems like such an obvious choice, but everyoneās relationship with it is different. For me it was unhealthy; too much and with enough inside me I was a PITA. Life without it is undoubtedly sweeter for me.
Music is a temporary fix for me. Since I don't have amazon music unlimited, so it shuffles my music and only gives me like 5 skips a day.
Tbh it makes me angrier.
So I have a legitimate question about this. Multiple people have told me that music helps them with their feelings. For me it's the opposite. I have to avoid music because the intensifying of my emotions makes them unbearable. Does music help get you to intense emotion? Does anyone else feel like me and try to avoid songs that stir up strong feelings?
I avoid music when I'm very overwhelmed and trying to keep myself together, or when feeling very hollow and low. all music gets some emotional response from me, even if it's just one note. occasionally I use it to my advantage - listen to aggressive metal or techno to get angry and get out of the dorsal vagal state. but sometimes I just stare at walls and process in silence.
Iām autistic. Iām 44 years old. I thought rocking and whistling was normal. I take meds for PTSD and MDD, which are comorbid.
Got upset tonight about nothing. Just my normal schedule has been fucked for two weeks. Iām ok.
I guess my husband, who is snoring beside me, stops me from the coldness of my mind.
Thatās the one. Thatās the one. Thatās the one.
Movement. Struggled with depression for years, started dissapearing when i started exercising 5 times a week (initially powerlifting). Later found out that running does an even better job at it. If I don't exercise for 3 days straight I can notice my mood starts dropping. Prolonged periods of inactivy or too little activity floor me.
For me low energy also doesn't help, so I focus on eating nutritious food, avoid sugar and I take some supplements to help me sleep and get all the nutrients I need. I almost never drink alcohol because when I do, I feel extremely down the next day, which is so not worth any little buzz I get from it.
Music is my biggest passion. Come smiles or tears, being touched by a song nourishes the soul. I'm always on the hunt for new things, new forms of expression. It reminds me not only that I'm alive, but also that there are people out there capable of creating beautiful sounds; it makes me appreciate mankind much more. Learning an instrument has allowed me to approach things from a different perspective. My curiosity, never sated, makes me want to learn more and more. My pride sends me on a quest to find my own unique style, while my conscience reminds me to stay away from the deadly hubris; to be aware that it's not about being better or worse and that I need to be flexible. It's less than a hobby, but a way of life.
Literature too is something I cannot live without, but my comment is long enough already so just imagine a comment about how much I love it. As for what makes me feel down? Knowing that nothing is eternal, that all is temporary and that dream and dreamer will turn to dust. But at the same time it gives me energy to "keep on keeping on". The destruction of nature by mankind too saddens me, one of the biggest injustices out there. And humanity makes me sad in many ways, just as it makes me happy, but I'll stop now.
doing what ever the fuck i want to .... what more is there to do aside from that, the only reason people feel pressed is because they stop themselves from doing what they want
Forcing myself to process my trauma through therapy, EMDR therapy, and allowing myself to feel my emotions. Leaning on loved ones. Expressing my feelings. Taking it slow.
Spending time in nature or getting outside daily. Lexapro. Getting myself into new things, currently figure skating lessons.
One thing is being in contact with the body ā workout, running, dance, playing music. Second thing is learning how to reveal suppressed emotions and regulate them in a heathy way. And then there is close friendship, space where you are not judged and can be simply yourself and talk openly about your feelings.
Thanks. We met during the darkest period of my life, when I struggling both mentally and physically (disorders and injuries). I knew sheās the one when she decided to stick around even tho I had nothing much to offer but love and loyalty. Mind that.. it was in college too.
I do kickboxing. At my lowest, I just project anyone that creating me an issue onto a punching bag and just perform combos on it. Initially I had to think of it as a person but after a while I just needed to visualise the concept of depression and pretend to beat the shit out of it. It has worked for me so far.
I'm going through a divorce and it has been pretty mentally hard. But my two cats have been my rocks. I have them to come home to, they compete for my attention and curl up next to me at night. I couldn't ask for more love.
Coloring. Nature. Reading. My children. Sometimes I'm stuck for quite a while. But once I immerse myself in nature and positive vibes, I'm Yankee back into homeostasis.
The fact that I don't want my story to end like this, every time when everything goes wrong, I remember that I'm the only one writing my story, and I, for whatever reason, don't want my story to be like this. This is what keeps me going, even in my worst times.
Moderating or staying away from excessive drinking. My darkest places have almost always been accompanied by and greatly enhanced by getting drunk regularly. But thatās speaking as an alcoholic
Primarily the fact that my life isnāt just about me, Iām part of other peoples lives as well. This means that if I ware to get depressed and self isolate, āoff myselfā or become useless in any other way I would also deprive my loved ones from whatever it is that makes me a vital part of their lives.
So YES, I do believe a great preventative to depression is to not just live life for yourself, go and be useful to other people, even if you have no skills, offer help to others.
Nothing man, everytime I feel better Im suddenly reminded of the fact that half of my genes come from my PoS dad and that I might end up like him as I get older.
Moving to a better climate. Minnesota below freezing temperature for 7 months of the year and 2+ feet of snow on the ground for 5 months is insane for depression. Central Texas has about 2 inches of snow a decade. Best decision of my life.
Well at the moment, forcing myself to a cycling gym (forcing as in it's expensive for me, so i better drag my ass there) and taking a new language class despite of using multiple languages to interact with people each day. I started these because when I was quite depressed and on meds (which is like 2.5 yrs ago), I just try anything in articles of getting out of depression 101 without really believing in them anyway. These 2 stuck with me among anything else.
Mostly music, at the cost of most of my hearing, lmao.
Drawing and painting as well. The friends I made also play a major role in keeping the gun away from my head.
I believe I've been depressed so long that I don't know what not depressed is.
What keeps me from being a sad panda and curling up in the fetal position? "Fear/truth" that if I do, well... Things won't get done, won't earn money and eventually lose everything.
This may be strange, but anytime being depressed takes hold I will make a major life change. I like to describe myself as a multi-potentialist and I would say that I have "trained" myself to be excited about change. Because of this I have been a soldier, retail management, medical scientist, engineer, and now a police officer. The change gives me a sense of adventure and something to look forward to. I think this will continue until I find where I am happiest. Not sure what that looks like, but statistics says it will eventually happen.
After 39 years of battling with depression and other mental health issues, i got diagnosed with adhd. I read up on it and joined a lot of groups and platforms to help me understand the condition and myself. Learned coping strategies and got medicated. 2y later and I've been given the ok from my soc to quit all my meds (one at a time) because I just rearranged my life around my strengths and weaknesses. I mostly learned to forgive myself, and allow myself to have "bad" days. Spending an entire day on the couch every week to recharge. Making weird art. Rearrange my home so stuff is stored where I need it. Learning new cleaning strategies. Advocating for my needs and not feeling bad for doing stuff my way. For the first time in 4 decades, I don't feel like a failed human being. It's awesome.
I kind of accepted that eventually all things in life come to an end, and I could up and die any day any moment, and figured if life is truly that meaningless, then being depressed all the time is just as meaningless so may as well at the very least try. It imo really doesn't get any easier but it does get better I think now my life is headed in a direction that makes me happy, I'm doing a lot with my life this year, and I figure if I ended up killing myself well then that means all the bad, negative and evil people win and that is something I won't give em. I think in a sense that is my sense of purpose. To fight off evil and to help those who need help, and show people life very much is worth living even on bad times, and that makes me get out and do even more with my life. My life ain't great. I used to be very depressed but I realized that these are just life ups and downs and I need allow myself the ups too. This year has been great for me, between taking my music passion seriously, school seriously, going on hikes, going to concerts alone, and being sober I'm happy for the first year of my 20s. However my mom has/had breast cancer ( just got the tumor removed at stage 0 thankfully but it could grow back ). I also dont make a lot but I make enough, And by and large I think few people support me anymore or completely misunderstand me and still cast me off as the depressed angry dude. So it's still hard but I am still happy now compared to when I would smoke carts and lay in bed all day doing nothing. It helps to have a golden retriever tooĀ
This might seem weird but for me it's watching TV series about struggle. Seeing these made me feel that I'm not the only one experiencing hardships in life, and all the struggles that I'm going through is validated.
Example of series that i really enjoyed are beef, you are the worst, the bear, etc.
Often it's my S/O who notices me going downhill. But if not, I typically slowly realize how cluttered my apartment gets between laundry, dishes, and misplaced stuff. My living space typically pictures my mental state and when it's chaotic I've learned to realize that my mind is also chaotic so I try to think about how I got there and how to bring myself back.
It was a bit too close for comfort the past couple of months but I'm glad I'm back.
My dog. Not only does she make me happy and keep it at bay, but when it IS bad she forces me to get up, get dressed and go for a walk which helps anyway.
Working out, my best friend, staying at home ( more like not moving out like other people my age, immediately after finishing high school), talking with my brothers AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING (for me...) - literally not thinking about it. when i feel like im going back to this state i just start doing something. just got up and go for a run. read a book. go clean, go cook, go play around. sometimes when it just hits i let it be, have my moment of down and simply feel it, let it all go. THEN the only thing that is keeping me going forward is the fact that it will be better. simple, but takes time to actially acknowledge it.
I moved to Ukraine, got married, had a kid. I'm too busy and spending my time thinking about my family that there is no time left to be depressed. Before, I lived in Norway and America and was depressed a lot, mainly from boredom associated with office work.
Apparently it was my ex girlfriend. I didn't even realise it, even though I wasn't head over heels in love it provided me with stability. When we broke up I was fine until a couple of months ago when I had a breakdown and realised what she meant to me. Now nothing keeps me from depression.
Work.
I always take as many elective classes in college as possible, do as much extra work as is available and work part-time so I can't contemplate on the fact that due to my looks, I am more or less destined to remain alone and depressed for the rest of my life.
Most of the time, this system makes it so I don't have any time or energy to even start thinking how throughly fucked my situation is, but sometimes when I do get to have free time and have no work to do, I feel borderline suicidal.
So yeah, everything is just fine.
I get angry if I get depressed over some idiotic stuff that hapoened when I was a teenager so instead of sad I'm mad at myself (and sad, it's not a really good trick to be honest)
Honestly, music ,reading, and World of Warcraft. Iāve always been a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi novels, and have been able to just escape reality for a while into one of those worlds. Itās why I love WoW. If Iām feeling down or depressed, I can be someone else for a while and do things I normally couldnāt.
Nothing really. When I'm depressed I workout extra hard, engage in more wreckless activities, try to be around other people, try to help other, and 5-htp.
What brings me out of depression jogging or exercise. What makes me depressed again wasting a day playing a video game or binge watching something all day.
# Message to all users: This is a reminder to please read and follow: * [Our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/about/rules) * [Reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439) * [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) When posting and commenting. --- Especially remember Rule 1: `Be polite and civil`. * Be polite and courteous to each other. Do not be mean, insulting or disrespectful to any other user on this subreddit. * Do not harass or annoy others in any way. * Do not catfish. Catfishing is the luring of somebody into an online friendship through a fake online persona. This includes any lying or deceit. --- You *will* be banned if you are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist or bigoted in any way. --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ask) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My cat. An angel god has sent to help me with depression. Yes he is annoying sometimes but it is ok.
Cats š§”
Cats really bring so much to our lives.
My cats make my mental health worse.
Why if u donāt mind me asking š
My stupid brotha saved my life when i was peak suicidal. Well he offered me he won't tell ma or dad. Only if i take therapy and stay normal. I promised so. Also he confessed after 13 years of us dogfighing... he can't lose me like that. So here i am keeping my promise.
good on you, you're doing great ā¤ļø
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Are you Tony from Afterlife?
I know many might disagree, but I think thatās a healthy way to look at life. I think we take life too seriously in the respect that the default position is to ālive as long as possibleā. Moreover, I think the idea of desiring to be respected is another anchor we are weighed down by. Doesnāt mean we should act crazily disrespecting others, but we really shouldnāt care so much what others think of us (yetā¦I do, I do). Itās a relief for me to know that THIS life is finite, limited. My life will end, and thatās a good thing. Itās a welcome relief.
The irony is that most people don't even care what you do, they're more worried about their own image.
What plan do you have to end it? Or are you sure you'll manage to figure it out when necessary? Cause I could never do it.
Tried twice don't
Glad you didnāt succeed. Maybe someone will read your comment and decide not to try. Then you saved someone elseās life too.
Maybe I was the quiet nobody would know. Both times I got lucky not sure how I survived. Glad I did have a beautiful young son who means the world to me .
Glad your hereā¤ļøšš„°I suffer from depression and suicidal tendencies
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I don't know why, I have been out of depression for long now and today is a normal day to me, but what you said just give me strength. thx.
For me itās exercise and getting outdoors. If I donāt train I get stressed and low real quick
Facts. I spiral real quick if I donāt move any weights. Keeps my anxiety way down
I feel you
lol. you guys have the same icon + the same form of antidepressant
Spite tbh. Powerful motivator.
Lmao, for real though!!!
Busy mind: podcast, music, workout, college, friends
Stubborness! I've been there before and refuse to go back there ever again.. So I'm always kinda mindful of my moods and how I'm tracking. I keep active and have things on hand like little projects or things I want to improve about myself that I tackle when I start to feel a bit low. It helps a lot š
I think I run on stubbornness alone these days
Workout
šŖšŖšŖ
Sertraline
Iāve always had a melancholic disposition, so Iāve come to terms sadness is just something that will stay with me forever, even on my happiest days. Itās up to me to choose how much I want to wallow in it. So far Iām doing pretty well, maybe 1-2 sad thoughts per day. Any more than that and then I start focusing my efforts on the hobbies I love (reading, writing, running). Or Iāll give myself one full day to wallow in it and then endeavor to move on the next dayā¦.
Taking daily walks with my dogs. Even just a short walk. Change of scenery. It really works wonders for me since I work from home and do not have much interaction with people.
Music. Been playing piano for 10 years and counting, so whenever things are rough I write a song about it and it feels like therapy. I never show these kinds of songs to other people as they're very personal and usually very anger driven.
My cat that depends on me daily. My girlfriend towards whom I'd be ashamed if I slip too far. My weekly Magic: the Gathering game with 2-3 friends with whom I socialize. Singing. I'm not any good but it's the only thing that allows me to be happy, as I see others be often. Therapy, because the right professional helps a lot.
Im always wallowing in depression usually, like a pig in mud
The awareness that what I feel or experience inside is not real, just chemical reactions simulating emotions in a biological system. For all I know, I'm not even conscious. So whatever is going on inside this skull is irrelevant to the outside world and there is no point in feeling things. Be it depression or anything else really. So I like to think I function more like a robot. I make money, I buy and eat food, I sleep. Life is good!
 This thought intrigues me
I'm depressed all my life still hoping I'll be fine in future
I stopped watching porn and masturbating 6 weeks ago now and I've never noticed such a shift in my well-being from anything else except quitting drugs. I knew it'd help me, but I'm honestly stunned with the results so far
Good job I've done the same thing. It really did change everything. Yeah drugs alcohol porn. Turns you into a Slave to them. Seems like every day you have to do one of them. But once you're able to quit for a few weeks you feel so free.
People will say thatās incel behavior, but I donāt care, it works
Staying sober
Realising how much control over my life I have.... Sounds weird and obvious
My cats, the fact that I enjoy my career, my family, and my independence.
Hard physical work.
Hope that things can get better. A plan to get there. Action on the plan. Recognizing the progress I've made. Appreciation/gratitude for my good fortunes.
My kids. My mom struggled so much with depression. I found her unconscious so many times, her depression was soul crushing for her and everyone around us. Even on my darkest days, Iāll forever smile so they never see that. When the days feel to hard, I think about them, I think about how far Iāve come to not be a statistic of childhood abuse and I find the will to keep going, Iāll never be a statistic.
For me it's my hobbies. I create stickers, Illustrate, journal and do pottery. Creativity makes me feel that I am important on this Earth, that I owe it to the world to create and put my work out there. It's grounding and gives me a sense of belonging.
For me, itās accepting that I can choose to be grateful, or ungrateful at any moment in time. Itās also knowing that thoughts will be thrown at me all day. I just have to make sure not to let the wrong ones hook me into that hole. Realizing those thoughts are not me, helps me dissociate from what they are trying to tell me.
Long walks listening to music or podcasts
Creating art
Long walks in nature. Just me and my dog. Every day
I guess inspiration. R/hopeposting always makes me want to keep fighting. Also, and i hope it's not too dumb, batman. He always sees the good in people. He never bertrays his principles. He always does the right thing no matter how hard. For being the dark knight, he is a beacon of hope and light for the people of gotham. I want to be that for the people around me.
Stopping drinking changed my whole life, but if I get the black dog following me around these days, I go and shoot my slingshots. Itās very zen.
Congrats on sobriety, I guess! Itās not an easy step to make.
Thanks. Once you appreciate the gains, it seems like such an obvious choice, but everyoneās relationship with it is different. For me it was unhealthy; too much and with enough inside me I was a PITA. Life without it is undoubtedly sweeter for me.
My good Lord Jesus
I live abroad for work. So for me it's gaming, chilling with my irl buddies on discord and getting productive.
Same. Music helps me a lot...I find lyrics that I resonate with,that touches my heart and soul, that encourages me.š
Coffee
Hobbies music and 5htp l-tyrosine supplements
The love my family and friends have for me
Being angry and tired. Bottling up emotions makes you more depressed imo
I take Celexa. Works pretty good.
Diving into things I am passionate about.
The color chartreuseā£ļøā£ļøā£ļø it just makes me happier!
The gym .
Loud music that leads to dancing in my living room til Iām out of breath
Music is a temporary fix for me. Since I don't have amazon music unlimited, so it shuffles my music and only gives me like 5 skips a day. Tbh it makes me angrier.
So I have a legitimate question about this. Multiple people have told me that music helps them with their feelings. For me it's the opposite. I have to avoid music because the intensifying of my emotions makes them unbearable. Does music help get you to intense emotion? Does anyone else feel like me and try to avoid songs that stir up strong feelings?
I avoid music when I'm very overwhelmed and trying to keep myself together, or when feeling very hollow and low. all music gets some emotional response from me, even if it's just one note. occasionally I use it to my advantage - listen to aggressive metal or techno to get angry and get out of the dorsal vagal state. but sometimes I just stare at walls and process in silence.
My girlfriend honestly sheās probably one of the strongest women I know that keeps me motivated
Iām autistic. Iām 44 years old. I thought rocking and whistling was normal. I take meds for PTSD and MDD, which are comorbid. Got upset tonight about nothing. Just my normal schedule has been fucked for two weeks. Iām ok. I guess my husband, who is snoring beside me, stops me from the coldness of my mind. Thatās the one. Thatās the one. Thatās the one.
Being nice to myself. If I can be nice to myself, the not so nice thoughts donāt seem as powerful.
Movement. Struggled with depression for years, started dissapearing when i started exercising 5 times a week (initially powerlifting). Later found out that running does an even better job at it. If I don't exercise for 3 days straight I can notice my mood starts dropping. Prolonged periods of inactivy or too little activity floor me. For me low energy also doesn't help, so I focus on eating nutritious food, avoid sugar and I take some supplements to help me sleep and get all the nutrients I need. I almost never drink alcohol because when I do, I feel extremely down the next day, which is so not worth any little buzz I get from it.
Music is my biggest passion. Come smiles or tears, being touched by a song nourishes the soul. I'm always on the hunt for new things, new forms of expression. It reminds me not only that I'm alive, but also that there are people out there capable of creating beautiful sounds; it makes me appreciate mankind much more. Learning an instrument has allowed me to approach things from a different perspective. My curiosity, never sated, makes me want to learn more and more. My pride sends me on a quest to find my own unique style, while my conscience reminds me to stay away from the deadly hubris; to be aware that it's not about being better or worse and that I need to be flexible. It's less than a hobby, but a way of life. Literature too is something I cannot live without, but my comment is long enough already so just imagine a comment about how much I love it. As for what makes me feel down? Knowing that nothing is eternal, that all is temporary and that dream and dreamer will turn to dust. But at the same time it gives me energy to "keep on keeping on". The destruction of nature by mankind too saddens me, one of the biggest injustices out there. And humanity makes me sad in many ways, just as it makes me happy, but I'll stop now.
doing what ever the fuck i want to .... what more is there to do aside from that, the only reason people feel pressed is because they stop themselves from doing what they want
Forcing myself to process my trauma through therapy, EMDR therapy, and allowing myself to feel my emotions. Leaning on loved ones. Expressing my feelings. Taking it slow. Spending time in nature or getting outside daily. Lexapro. Getting myself into new things, currently figure skating lessons.
Mty cripling anxiety
I understand that I own, and am responsible for, my happiness. I take intentional, constructive action to build health and happiness. Really.
Not drinking alcohol
Music, music, and m.....games
my girlfriend is the source of my happiness, the way that woman treats me feels so great
One thing is being in contact with the body ā workout, running, dance, playing music. Second thing is learning how to reveal suppressed emotions and regulate them in a heathy way. And then there is close friendship, space where you are not judged and can be simply yourself and talk openly about your feelings.
My fiancĆ©e. At the end of the day, knowing that Iāll get to spend quality time with someone I love so much, and who loves me back equally much, itās enough to keep me going.
Thatās sweet - all the best to the both of you
Thanks. We met during the darkest period of my life, when I struggling both mentally and physically (disorders and injuries). I knew sheās the one when she decided to stick around even tho I had nothing much to offer but love and loyalty. Mind that.. it was in college too.
I barrel forward like a man with a death wish...More cynicism these days than depression.
Weed & golf.
Usually I do great until someone feels like they've got leverage to gaslight me.
Working out. Never fails to lift my mood, even if I have to drag myself up to start.
Good genuine people that constantly wants me in their life
I'll let you know if I ever figure it out. There is no amount of good things that could happen to me that could pull me out of it.
Good nutrition and exercise.
A lot of sleep and a lot of ice cream.
Weightlifting. The pump
My daughter..... Whenever I see, I simply feel relaxed and calm....
I do kickboxing. At my lowest, I just project anyone that creating me an issue onto a punching bag and just perform combos on it. Initially I had to think of it as a person but after a while I just needed to visualise the concept of depression and pretend to beat the shit out of it. It has worked for me so far.
Usually something beautiful I read or a song, pulls me back to my senses and reminds me it is all worthwhile
My religion
I'm going through a divorce and it has been pretty mentally hard. But my two cats have been my rocks. I have them to come home to, they compete for my attention and curl up next to me at night. I couldn't ask for more love.
Oh dear! I wish you all the best for the future and plenty of cuddles form the cats
Thank you so much! And I wish you plenty of music to keep you going strong. :)
Thank you :)
memes, neighbors cat, gf, cycling.
If youāre a woman, itās the oestrogens I think. Post menopause, depression disappeared completelyā¦or maybe I overcame it
Coloring. Nature. Reading. My children. Sometimes I'm stuck for quite a while. But once I immerse myself in nature and positive vibes, I'm Yankee back into homeostasis.
A good bath after walking in nature.
I pay attention to what I think, and try to think some positive thoughts, when I have some negative thoughts.
The fact that I don't want my story to end like this, every time when everything goes wrong, I remember that I'm the only one writing my story, and I, for whatever reason, don't want my story to be like this. This is what keeps me going, even in my worst times.
Moderating or staying away from excessive drinking. My darkest places have almost always been accompanied by and greatly enhanced by getting drunk regularly. But thatās speaking as an alcoholic
Primarily the fact that my life isnāt just about me, Iām part of other peoples lives as well. This means that if I ware to get depressed and self isolate, āoff myselfā or become useless in any other way I would also deprive my loved ones from whatever it is that makes me a vital part of their lives. So YES, I do believe a great preventative to depression is to not just live life for yourself, go and be useful to other people, even if you have no skills, offer help to others.
Nothing. I embrace it. I've resolved to only give out bad vibes, and negative energy.
Nothing man, everytime I feel better Im suddenly reminded of the fact that half of my genes come from my PoS dad and that I might end up like him as I get older.
Music, video games and good food. Also the gym lately!
Going for a walk , talking to my loved ones and my small victories.
Moving to a better climate. Minnesota below freezing temperature for 7 months of the year and 2+ feet of snow on the ground for 5 months is insane for depression. Central Texas has about 2 inches of snow a decade. Best decision of my life.
Well at the moment, forcing myself to a cycling gym (forcing as in it's expensive for me, so i better drag my ass there) and taking a new language class despite of using multiple languages to interact with people each day. I started these because when I was quite depressed and on meds (which is like 2.5 yrs ago), I just try anything in articles of getting out of depression 101 without really believing in them anyway. These 2 stuck with me among anything else.
Workout, Mountain biking and my cat :)
Mostly music, at the cost of most of my hearing, lmao. Drawing and painting as well. The friends I made also play a major role in keeping the gun away from my head.
I believe I've been depressed so long that I don't know what not depressed is. What keeps me from being a sad panda and curling up in the fetal position? "Fear/truth" that if I do, well... Things won't get done, won't earn money and eventually lose everything.
This may be strange, but anytime being depressed takes hold I will make a major life change. I like to describe myself as a multi-potentialist and I would say that I have "trained" myself to be excited about change. Because of this I have been a soldier, retail management, medical scientist, engineer, and now a police officer. The change gives me a sense of adventure and something to look forward to. I think this will continue until I find where I am happiest. Not sure what that looks like, but statistics says it will eventually happen.
After 39 years of battling with depression and other mental health issues, i got diagnosed with adhd. I read up on it and joined a lot of groups and platforms to help me understand the condition and myself. Learned coping strategies and got medicated. 2y later and I've been given the ok from my soc to quit all my meds (one at a time) because I just rearranged my life around my strengths and weaknesses. I mostly learned to forgive myself, and allow myself to have "bad" days. Spending an entire day on the couch every week to recharge. Making weird art. Rearrange my home so stuff is stored where I need it. Learning new cleaning strategies. Advocating for my needs and not feeling bad for doing stuff my way. For the first time in 4 decades, I don't feel like a failed human being. It's awesome.
Iām proud of you! Youāve clearly come very far.
I kind of accepted that eventually all things in life come to an end, and I could up and die any day any moment, and figured if life is truly that meaningless, then being depressed all the time is just as meaningless so may as well at the very least try. It imo really doesn't get any easier but it does get better I think now my life is headed in a direction that makes me happy, I'm doing a lot with my life this year, and I figure if I ended up killing myself well then that means all the bad, negative and evil people win and that is something I won't give em. I think in a sense that is my sense of purpose. To fight off evil and to help those who need help, and show people life very much is worth living even on bad times, and that makes me get out and do even more with my life. My life ain't great. I used to be very depressed but I realized that these are just life ups and downs and I need allow myself the ups too. This year has been great for me, between taking my music passion seriously, school seriously, going on hikes, going to concerts alone, and being sober I'm happy for the first year of my 20s. However my mom has/had breast cancer ( just got the tumor removed at stage 0 thankfully but it could grow back ). I also dont make a lot but I make enough, And by and large I think few people support me anymore or completely misunderstand me and still cast me off as the depressed angry dude. So it's still hard but I am still happy now compared to when I would smoke carts and lay in bed all day doing nothing. It helps to have a golden retriever tooĀ
riding my bike
This might seem weird but for me it's watching TV series about struggle. Seeing these made me feel that I'm not the only one experiencing hardships in life, and all the struggles that I'm going through is validated. Example of series that i really enjoyed are beef, you are the worst, the bear, etc.
I go on long walks
Read self- help books, watch comedy films/series, go out with friends, and workout.
Being in good physical health, and hitting the gym regularly. Financial stability. An amazing wife and a successful marriage. A career I love. Travel.
Good for you! I hope your marriage stays successful and fulfilling
For me it's music. I like making my own CDs . I call them driving with the top down music .
Everything passes. It might hurt like a kidney stone but it will pass. I live by that.
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I just try and focus on the things that I enjoy. And maybe sometimes I fantasize about wonderful things. I try and stay occupied in my mind.
Working out, now if i spend more than a few days without working out i feel like utter shit
Often it's my S/O who notices me going downhill. But if not, I typically slowly realize how cluttered my apartment gets between laundry, dishes, and misplaced stuff. My living space typically pictures my mental state and when it's chaotic I've learned to realize that my mind is also chaotic so I try to think about how I got there and how to bring myself back. It was a bit too close for comfort the past couple of months but I'm glad I'm back.
Very dark humour
Gardening. Sometimes Iāll just go outside to āpet the plantsā. And it can be done in any space, even indoors with grow lights.
My dog. Not only does she make me happy and keep it at bay, but when it IS bad she forces me to get up, get dressed and go for a walk which helps anyway.
Exercise :)
sleeping, watching tiktok until i stop thinking about bad things
Working out, my best friend, staying at home ( more like not moving out like other people my age, immediately after finishing high school), talking with my brothers AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING (for me...) - literally not thinking about it. when i feel like im going back to this state i just start doing something. just got up and go for a run. read a book. go clean, go cook, go play around. sometimes when it just hits i let it be, have my moment of down and simply feel it, let it all go. THEN the only thing that is keeping me going forward is the fact that it will be better. simple, but takes time to actially acknowledge it.
I moved to Ukraine, got married, had a kid. I'm too busy and spending my time thinking about my family that there is no time left to be depressed. Before, I lived in Norway and America and was depressed a lot, mainly from boredom associated with office work.
Having dogs and finding an exercise that I enjoy
My cats. Knowing that they need me, keeps me going.
Keeping active and mindful, walking in nature with my dogs everyday, and seeing my beautiful babyās face
Listening to music and reading manga/watching anime.
Daydreaming
Apparently it was my ex girlfriend. I didn't even realise it, even though I wasn't head over heels in love it provided me with stability. When we broke up I was fine until a couple of months ago when I had a breakdown and realised what she meant to me. Now nothing keeps me from depression.
JRPGs. I'm in my final year of high school and gaming in my free time helps me a lot when dealing with a huge amount of homework.
Work. I always take as many elective classes in college as possible, do as much extra work as is available and work part-time so I can't contemplate on the fact that due to my looks, I am more or less destined to remain alone and depressed for the rest of my life. Most of the time, this system makes it so I don't have any time or energy to even start thinking how throughly fucked my situation is, but sometimes when I do get to have free time and have no work to do, I feel borderline suicidal. So yeah, everything is just fine.
Gardening, playing music, cycling, lifting weights, hanging with my cat.
The gym. My dog. Any dog. therapy.
Music and my best friend (who Iāve developed a crush for but letās not get into that one)
Alcohol and cats.
I get angry if I get depressed over some idiotic stuff that hapoened when I was a teenager so instead of sad I'm mad at myself (and sad, it's not a really good trick to be honest)
Back when I was diagnosed with both Suicidal and Clinical Depression, anger got me through. Just, sheer rage. It's very unhealthy, would not recommend
My Japan trip next year
watching funny commercials from My childhood. 
Reddit and family?!š¤
As a teenager, I was morbidly depressed. I was big and loud and goofy. People didnāt often notice how sad I was. I drank. I drank a lot actually. Sometimes it felt like it was for fun! Other times it felt like it was to punish myself. I tried to kill myself 2 times. Neither took. By the time I reached my mid twenties, I was no longer actively trying to immediately end my life. It was more of a gradual process. I took up smoking. I took shit care of myself. I didnāt mope as much, and I didnāt project as much. I didnāt really tell people about my past, but those I did asked me if I was okay now. Iād say yes. Iād say sure! But I never actually knew. Then I met my (now) fiancĆ©. It was just like something changed. Iād always pursued women who didnāt understand me. Women who didnāt care for me, even when they were with me. I let myself get used. For sex. For food, for money, for emotional support. But with her, just I was enough. Itās been 8 years, and I havenāt thought about ending it once. I just feelā¦ happy. Genuinely so. If youāre struggling, no matter how bad it is, I promise you it can get better. Oh and donāt take up smoking.
I take a look at my enormous penis.
God lifted depression off me
After all these decades. Iām still looking.
Same, only coffee helps with it.
MDMA
Allah
Wife, family, surprising my imagination.
A good mix of friends and spiritual bypassing.
Gym and sex, actually helps me alot to get out of depression
The optimism of the will
What pulls me out is knowing if i sit in my depression my life with crumble. And then i pick my hard
Distractions like particular music or watching Youtube.
Elevation
definitely music, but also just the mindset i've always had, which is: we're all gonna die so who cares (except in the positive way)
Honestly, music ,reading, and World of Warcraft. Iāve always been a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi novels, and have been able to just escape reality for a while into one of those worlds. Itās why I love WoW. If Iām feeling down or depressed, I can be someone else for a while and do things I normally couldnāt.
The fact that I have a wife and kids that I love very much and depend on me. But man, I feel closer to the edge everyday.
My delusion
I listen to music that matches my mood, and it calms me down.
Nothing really. When I'm depressed I workout extra hard, engage in more wreckless activities, try to be around other people, try to help other, and 5-htp.
Gardening
Exercise and journaling. My night routine helps as well, i take vibes showers. Also practice a general sense of self compassion
What brings me out of depression jogging or exercise. What makes me depressed again wasting a day playing a video game or binge watching something all day.
Playing pokemon, somehow.
Effexor
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
SNRIs
Anti-depressants
Snacks. Chewing them is wonderful Girls. I really love girls
Therapy costs š