Help getting through depression.

[HaruX3]

So it's that time of year at my school. Finals week. People are scrambling to get their grades up and get the massive stack of essays edited and turned it and me? Well I can barely get out of my fucking bed. My depression has hit me hard these past few weeks and I have no clue what to do, my medication usually keeps me up enough to get things done but It's just not working as well anymore and I can't see my doctor for another 2 weeks so any advice any of you might have would be great.

[Joel]

Take a night or two for yourself go out and grab a beer or have a night in if your depression is bad as you say so then your not going to get much done either way. 

[Vallium]

I just sleep more, heh. Sorry, not helpful.

 

[Wrecker]

you're in a situation where anybody is liable to get messed up. depression would be moreover a catalyst to issues that not only yourself, but a pile of your peers are going through. ideally you've been doing well in your schooling up until now, and should that be the case, then just keep on keeping on. there's a lot of people that are confident as fuck, but when it comes to test time, they just melt away.

i've been dealing with depression for fucking years and years, and i'm in finals for trade school here come tomorrow - provincial exam is friday, and it is scary... take it with a grain of rice, though.

you've obviously made it alright this far, you have a pile of work on your plate, but it's no different than what you've been taught already.

depression is you bringing you down, not the world bringing you down. keep in mind that you're better than those bullshit feelings, it's like being at war with your own head. you know what you want, and you have to fight for it, you can't let it be just that shit side of your own mentality that wins out. not a lot of people have to fight with themselves just to succeed, but i'd go out on a limb and say that when you win against your own depression, you're better off than somebody who hasn't been there before.

don't let that pile of shit get the better of you. you're better than it.

[Revates]

I think it helps to not think about the work that has piled up. It know it can honestly feel impossible to get out of bed. But give yourself a full day to yourself to sleep or do something you enjoy then shutout your distractions and try work through it at your pace.

If you have a school guidance counselor you may be able talk to them and get some extensions as you're obviously in a bad place since you're already on medication. Which will give you some breathing room for now. 

If you ever want someone to talk about it to I'm here. Especially since I find it's a lot easier talking to strangers about it.

[Kaedal]

I have rather frequent depressive episodes, so I understand what you're going through. You definitely need to try and keep a somewhat stable sleep schedule, and try to keep a lot of light around you. In the northern hemisphere, this time of the year is especially bad for people prone to depressions, so you need to try and get as much light as possible. Try to find a friend or someone to vent to. 

And, of course, whenever possible, try to crack jokes. Even if they're really bad. You might be surprised at just how good that is for your psyche.

[Troj]

Make sure you get sleep, eat healthy regular meals, consider taking omega 3 fatty acid gel tablets, and don't be afraid to reach out to friends and family for support.

Keeping a to-do list and/or a calendar may actually help to reduce your stress. If a task seems big, break it into smaller steps. People have a tendency to imagine that they have more or bigger responsibilities than they really do.

Oh, and consider seeking counseling at some point, as a good counselor may be able to provide some tools for getting through depressive periods.

[Kaizy]

I've had this same thing happen to me, and I notice my depression seems to hit me like a sack of bricks in times of high stress like midterms/finals, and the like. Usually what helps me is doing a few things here and there that I like, maybe something even as small as buying a milkshake to cheer myself up or taking a break from the work and watching a movie or playing a game until I'm feeling better enough to work again. It's not much, but it does help to some degree, that way you aren't forcing yourself into the mindset that "I have to work, I have to work, I have to work" and stressing yourself out even further, you just need to break it up a bit and work in pieces.

I don't have much to really recommend since I've always just worked regardless of how bad I feel due to family/personal pressures, which has done wonders for my anxiety and caused me to crash at the semester's end into a month-long depressive slump during my break, but hey, I got my work done. I don't recommend this at all.

[Spawtsie Paws]

I was diagnosed with treatment resistant Major Depression Disorder back in February of this year. As such, I can strongly relate!

 For as long as I remember, the feelings of despair and hopelessness are present when one should feel sad. This is not normal...and you need to see a doctor about being prescribed anti-depressants. I am prescribed an antidepressant with two adjunct medications and it has given me a little hope, especially when I don't have to deal with suicidal ideation everyday or those dreadful feelings. However, I stopped taking them because they started to interfere with my work skills (trembling + starting an IV = unable to preform job). Those dark thoughts and feelings came back I ended quitting with the intention of never working again...for an obvious reason. So, I started taking them again because I was tired of feeling so despondent. Chronic depression is definitely not normal. I highly suggest speaking to a doctor about it...who knows, maybe you'll find the right adjustments and be able to function in society!

At least, that is my experience. If your medications aren't working, you need an adjustment or an adjustment medication. But since you can't see your doctor, I highly suggest speaking with people who you are emotionally attached to. It seems to be the only way I can attempt to feel somewhat normal when my medications do not work. Or, you know, find a song that you can really connect to. That works for some people. Other then that...you need help with relaxing from stress. Breathing slow and deep for ten seconds or so usually helps me for a little bit (especially since it triggers a vasovagal response). I find myself continuing to breathe longer then the ten seconds just because it helps so darn much in times of severe stress.

 

I am truly sorry that you feel depressed. I hope you find some copping mechanisms within this thread.

Edited October 21, 2015 by Spawtsie Paws

[Taralack]

If you're bad enough to be on medication, I don't know if anyone on this forum has any good advice for you.. what works for one person might not work for you unfortunately. 

[Kinare]

What Taralack said is true, though we can possibly give you things to try. No guarantees, though.

I found what works best for me is to just stay constantly distracted. When I was younger I was on depression meds, but the parents were constantly bitching about money so I decided to fake not needing them anymore to get them to shut up. Was pretty rough going for a while and at times still is, but if I can manage to distract myself so that I don't get a chance to sink into a depression then I can have an ok day until a strong trigger or multiple small ones comes along and says "hi". It has taken a lot of practice for me to get this far though, so I'm not sure if it's an option for you. Basically you just have to wake up and instantly occupy your mind with good/fun things, which is not as easy as it sounds, I know.

The suggestions about pacing yourself and rewarding yourself for doing things are very good. I've done that the last couple years whenever big projects would come up because I can get overwhelmed quite easily, especially if there's pressure to get something important done by a certain date. I would just do so much work one day (leaving off at a good spot), then make a plan for each day and when I completed each day I would give myself little treats (like game time or a special snack or whatnot). So say you had a paper due in 2 weeks or something, you could plan ahead how much you would do each day that you had available to work on it and not push yourself to do more knowing that if you stick to your plan that completing it will be no problem. Eases the mind that way, more reasonable small goals instead of one giant goal, plus rewards!

[AnotherWizard]

Personally I'd recommend seeing a therapist maybe once a week or twice per month.

Having someone to listen to my problems and point things out to me was much more useful to me than anything else. Really it felt like I had all of the answers but i didn't know what the questions were. 

I don't recommend psychiatric medication. A friend of mine recommended to me to try and get a psychiatrist for the longest time. To the point telling me that any problems with taking medication were as a result of being mis-diagnosed.

Then a few weeks later he tells me he's having withdrawals because of his dosage and he needed to have it upped. And I was immediately even more hostile to the idea of taking medication. I only see taking psychiatric medication as a last resort if every form of therapy fails.

[#00Buck]

Go ride on a jet ski. 

You never see anyone weeping on a jet ski. 

[Vallium]

Go ride on a jet ski. 

You never see anyone weeping on a jet ski. 

 

Edited October 27, 2015 by WolfNightV4X1