How You Can Beat Depression

How You Can Beat Depression

Medications can only go so far in treating depression.  The rest is on you. To stay depression free, will require work on your part. You have to make a lifestyle change.

• Sleep:   Make sure you get at least 7 hours of good sleep every night 
• Routine:   Having a set routine. Get up and go to bed at the same time each day
• Exercise:   Get moving. At a minimum, walk for 30 minutes a day. 
• Goals:   Set goals for yourself each day. This is very important when you are trying to overcome depression
• Be Social:   Visit with friends.  It is important to keep a support system.
• Stress:   Eliminate stress from your life. Meditation is good to handle stress that sneak up on you.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs:  No Exception. They are the biggest triggers of depression.
• Understand your depression:   Learn how it affects your thinking.  This is helpful to talk yourself out of depression. Depression is a liar. Knowing this puts you in control.
• Therapy:   Utilize some kind of therapy. A therapist or life coach is. If that isn't an option, keep a journal or blog. 
• Spirituality:   Rely on your higher power. I could not make the changes without God. My faith keeps me going everyday.

Overcoming depression and keeping it away, takes work. But, being free from depression is worth the work.  I haven't made all the changes I have to do.  It is a long process sometimes. Do what you can, when you can. We will get there.

If you need someone to talk to email me at:  commentsjm@gmail.com
or follow me on twitter @justbreathe_jm

Pick a Diagnosis

Pick A Diagnosis

Diagnosing a Mental Illness

I was put on an antidepressant right after my first child. I don't remember getting a diagnosis. Ten years later, l was diagnosed with depression by my GP. Seven years after that, 2011 l think, I had a major spiral of depression and addiction. I was given a new diagnosis: Bipolar. This diagnosis never felt right, but that is what the doctor said. It wasn't until I got my addiction under control that I figured out I wasn't Bipolar.  So I was back to Clinical Depression. This was not a perfect fit, but that is all I had.  Three years after the spiral, I am still struggling. I am getting better, but I'm not cured yet.  I have done a lot of reading, and I came across an article about Major Depressive Disorder. I am going to do more research, but this seems to fit. 

Now for the intended post:

My point from the above rant, was that diagnosing a mental illness is challenging.  There is not perfect box of symptoms that fit everyone. My depression is unique from your depression.  There are many different types of Mental Illness and everyone has different symptoms.  In my experience, If you have any kind of depression, you are put on antidepressants. while I do agree, antidepressants are usually necessary, they aren't a complete cure.

The area I live in does not have access to good mental health tools. Maybe in other areas, there are better resources. For me, I have been left to research and teach myself about my depression. It has been good for me. I have learned a lot about myself and about my depression. It is not about a diagnosis. It is about the whole person.

It is a disease of the mind. Medication helps, but I started getting better when I began researching "me" more than just  a diagnosis.  

A Christian Living With Depression

A Christian Living With Depression

I am a Christian and I have Clinical Depression. If you suffer from depression I am sure you can understand the this battle. It is a battle between my head and my heart. 

My head:

When l am low into depression, the world is dark and painful. It is hard to imagine a future. At times I really don't want one. The struggle of living is just to hard. The anxiety leads me to fear everything. When I am deep in a depression, it is hard to see hope that the pain will ever end. 

My heart:

I have faith that God is always with me. With God, I don't have anything to fear.  He will always be there to protect me.  I know that God has a glorious future ahead for me.  I trust Him completely. 

I know that my fear and hopelessness comes from a disease. I know that God knows it is the disease causing these feelings. God understands. I still don't. As a Christian, I know I have nothing to fear, but my head still fears. I know that God will get my through  my depression, but my in my head I still feel hopeless. 

So who will win this battle?  Even through my deepest depression, I know the answer. God is stronger then my depression. I know he will break through my fears, and give me hope when I feel hopeless. 

Depression can lie to my head, and at times, I will believe it.  But my heart, it know the truth.

Depression Marathon: Fortune at the End of the Road

Depression Marathon: Fortune at the End of the Road



This is a great blog!

Finding my path

Finding My Path

Feeling a little lost

I spent the last three years struggling to find myself again only to discover the "me" I was searching for doesn't exist anymore.  I'm different and my life is different. I don't know this new woman or her life. She doesn't have a career,  like I did. She doesn't have kids at home, like I did. We have the same husband,  but not the same relationship.  I'm so lost. 

I thought this would be an exciting time. That anything was possible.  I'm supposed to be on a new journey of discovery.  That's what I told others and I still believe that. However,  I didn't expect to feel so lost. I'm not excited. The truth is I'm scared.  I don't know where to go from here.  Have I somehow lost the path?  If so, how do I get back on? 

I know that God has a plan for me, and I need to just keep living one day at a time. Live in the present.  

The Medication Dance

The Medication Dance

If you have been living with Clinical Depression for a while,  you have probably done the medication dance.   You start feeling good and you start thinking you don't need your antidepressant.  You start to think you can do it without medication. If you look back through my blog, you will see that I did the medication dance a couple of times over the years.   You think we would learn after the crash and burn that lands us back on medication.  

I finally have come to terms with the fact that I have a disease and I will have to take medications for it for the rest of my life. 

Clinical depression is not something that will go away. It's also not something you can control without medication. You might be okay for a while but it will come

back.  Trying to struggle with depression without medication is crazy. There are new antidepressants with very few if any side affects.  If you had diabetes, you would take insulin.   You have Clinical Depression,  you need antidepressants. 

So, I stopped the medication dance. I accept the fact that I have a disease and I will do whatever it takes to enjoy life. 

Don't Get Lost in Depression

Don't Get Lost In Depression

I was in a pretty bad depression that lasted for over a year. When I made it out, my fears were:  

• Would it come back?
• How long would it last if it did come back?  
• What could I do to stop it from coming back?

I'm sure that I was not alone in my fears. Anyone who has experienced a long depression, knows those fears. 

Well, the first two questions have no answers. There is know way to know. That is a scary feeling. It is also something that you need to get out of your head. I mean really don't think about it.

Something to can think about is the third question.  What do I do if it comes back?  The answer is, you fight. You now have an advantage. You know it lies.  You know that it will end.  

When you feel it coming on,  you start fighting. Don't let it get a chance to suck you in.  Get out of the house and visit friends. Start doing things you enjoy. Try not to be alone.  Other things that help are:

• Remember depression lies to you. You can choose how to feel
• Journal your bad feelings and then write down the reasons that they are not true
• Keep a list of all the blessings in your life.
• Set a goal such as running or loosing weight, etc. and put your all into doing it

The longer you stay in bed and let the depression hold on, the harder it will be to fight your way back. I gave into it for a long time.  When I stopped letting it control me, I started getting better.  There are days when I want to crawl back into my depression.  I might give myself they day off, but then I have to fight back or it will suck me back.  

Depression is a disease of the mind. You will always have to be aware that it can strike. Stay on your medication. If you feel yourself getting depressed, talk to a therapist if you need to. Get rid of stress.  Just remember that you have the ability to decide how you want to feel.   Don't let depression lie to you.