Give me your best tips for battling depression/ increasing happiness

[Sparklydiplodocus]

Hi all.

I find myself needing cheering up. I’m struggling with PTSD and anxiety/ depression.

On paper I’ve not got a bad life- I’ve got family, friends, a part time job, enough money, pets etc, but I just feel so down and empty.

What can I do?

Like others have said - medication and therapy.

Mindfulness has helped me immensely. Also finding a good therapist to “process” some of the things in my past helped. Crying is massively therapeutic

Hello
Medication worked for me
I also need to eat better nutrient rich food
I am a
Comfort eater and
As being overweight makes me feel worse
I also need to do take my own advice

Medication and talking therapy. Radical self care, I often think depression occurs (in my personal experience) when something needs changing/shifting. Its not necessarily about finding that thing but more about looking after yourself, take as much as you can off your plate for a while, just doing what needs to be done. Examining what fills your cup...what do you like, how do you want to spend time etc. Difficult to answer when depressed so start with anything that you would normally like or enjoy (even if you don't think you might at the moment) but without pressure or expectation. Also reinforcing your wants and needs, starting small. Like if someone asks, what drink would I like...what do I REALLY feel like. Over time, you can come back to yourself again and that starts to shape and reframe things. Also totally agree with as much time outdoors as possible, lots of sleep if you can, if not then just rest, the Calm app is very good. Treat yourself as kindly as you can.

[quote Sparklydiplodocus]@WinterDeWinter out of interest, what makes you say that CBT is no good for that? I’m having CBT now.[/quote]
Because CBT is designed to help with your response to pain. It can't help you process the pain so that there is less need to respond to its intrusions into your life now.

It's not that it can't ever be helpful, but it's helpful in the same way that mowing the lawn is helpful - it makes the garden more manageable but doesn't deal with the roots of things.. It was designed to be brief and cost-effective and efficient (and measurable), but it doesn't create longterm change or greater peace.

Exercise isn't in your list - do you do any? For me, it burns away the anxiety and depression like nothing else. Running especially is a powerful mood-enhancer. The sense of achievement after every run can't fail to put a spring in your step.

Go and do something to help someone else. Volunteer, join one of those 'seeing eye' apps, or those older people hotlines, mentor someone within your line of work, take out someone for lunch. In the nicest way possible, it's not all about you. Doing things for other people can really help.

@anotherchocolate yeah I work out every day. Love it.

@thisplaceisweird I work for a charity already. If I had more free time I’d love to volunteer but what with kids I’m maxed out.

I get SAD, have sucsessfully been treated for PTSD so it's no longer so intrusive in my life and I am much better at coping these days.

Right now I've just posted on a board (not here) about how the days are so flat and grey and how I'd like to pull the covers over my head and sleep the grey away.

The thing is that I have increased my radical self care over a number of years 5/6. So I have tackled sleep issues, regular exercise, mindfulness and diet. But it's been perseverance and upping my game when really well so that when not so well I'm at the minimum needed for me to function.
#I am functioning right now but I'm doing the bare minimum. I know that I will begin to feel better at some point, so far I always have, so I show myself compassion and I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. The daily shower first thing in the morning, the cup of tea in the sun, the 10 min walk outside at lunchtime, the decent dinner, the early / reasonable bed time - so boring but necessary.

Avoid FB Twatter megram
Avoid the news
Do sport/exercise where you will meet new people
Get involved in other hobbies

Run. Or at least, walk. Fast. Outside, for at least 40 minutes a day. Listening to upbeat music thats got a good beat. It's difficult to explain just what ahuge role physical exercise plays in regulating and lifting your mood. Especially walking / jogging outside - which is an activity that the human body has literally involved to do.

@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry What great suggestions. They've inspired me.

Look into EMDR for your PTSD. Worked really well for my DH (can't help cracking up at all the acronyms 😂)

The only thing that has helped me is medication and exercise and a low-sugar low-salt diet.