aside from anti-d's - what helps mild depression?

[phoenix2]

i have finally faced up to the fact that i am somewhat depressed. having thought i was suffering all sorts of viruses/fatigue syndrome etc etc.
am going to a counsellor and she wants me to see the doc to get some anti-d's. i will not take them. i have tried 3 in the past and all of them made me much much worse. in fact i felt so much better once i came off them but still no where near normal.
i am going to reiki next week. is there anything else i can try. have been using a few glasses of wine to 'cheer myself up' for a while now and obviously that is making it worse - if not the whole problem in the first place. so hopefully i will stop that habit.
any other ideas??

i use the four 'S's to ward off my depression: sleep, serotonin (I eat a banana every day), stress (avoid) and support (lots of it). this helps me.
Perhaps get a book on CBT? this will help you identify and then challenge any negative thoughts that are such a distressing part of depression.
and exercise. not on a scale to wear yourself out, but a daily stroll keeps things moving.
and getting outside. garden, get 'in touch' with nature. i think i read that this helps lower depression/ anxiety symptoms.
good luck!

Hello, friends have said a healthy diet + exercise has helped, also st John's wort.

I find exercise really helps, even if you really don't feel like it. Sometimes I just get up and walk around the block. I usually find that after that I'm up for doing something else.

Exercise is good, releases lots of endorphins. Will also give you more energy and help you sleep better, both of which will also help to make you feel better.

I have started a good quality vitamin D supplement which I think may be helping. I also try to get outside and see "the beauty" in things, spend time with positive, happy people and eat a reasonably healthy diet. Agree with your not drinking plan :)

Yes to St Johns Wort. (not to be taken with ad's though) Also Vitamin B tablets (think Vitamin B6). Definitely walking, gardening. Also talking can really help get perspective. You are right about wine! (I dont practice what I preach..)

I am taking fluoxetine 20mg a day after finally going to my gp - the lowest dose you get - and have had little in the way of side effect, onto my fourth week now so hoping to see a difference anytime soon.

Good luck. Keep talking on here, I started a thread when was feeling v low, and got amazing support and advice.

Fresh air and exercise each day.

A routine to mean you have a structure to your day/week

Avoid alcohol and caffeine

Avoid over stimulation - I find even a long night out can end in a panic attack

Plenty of sleep

I found music also helpful - a feel good play list

Avoid draining people - I tend to 'catch' negative emotions. This even means I avoid watching the 10pm news.

St John's Wort. And finding half an hour every day when you do something that you like doing. Just for yourself. Something different every day is even better. It may sound silly but I try and do something nice just for me every day - have a long bath, go out for a walk, or just sit down and watch something silly on tv. I was in a really bad place a few months ago and doing much better now. And asking people for help. That was in fact my biggest discovery that I'm surrounded by pople who DO want to help, I just needed to let them be there for me.
Hope this helps and things get better soon!

Totally agree with the avoidance of negative energy - I know my personality takes on other peoples negativity and happy people make me happy. I would say be a bit selfish (mean that in a nice way) and put yourself first.. don't say yes to everyone and everything unless you really want to.

Exercise is helping me. Talk things out.

If something/someone is hurting you or getting you down/criticising - write it down. Write to the person telling them how they are making you feel. Why you feel you don't deserve it.Write the reply you want back (i.e that you know it is unreasonable for you to be treated this way etc) I really find this helpful (don't send it).

I hope you will be ok.. look after yourself.

Alcohol acts as a depressant so agree stopping that. I found the word HALT helped. Asking myself was I:
Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired
and dealing with those issues. Good sleep routine helped. Getting up at regular time so slept at night.

exercise

Echo HALT and also making sure that you get enough sleep as a preventative rather than waiting until you are tired. Also a massive advocate of exercise - I can't manage without anti d's but believe that my exercise is as important to me as taking them, iyswim?

Also, I find that if I am struggling with something, have something bothering me or on my mind, that taking a few minutes out when I can during the day and either writing or typing out how i am feeling, and then answering myself in the 'third person' really helps. It's as though putting it on the page helps you to imagine how you would respond if your very best friend was saying those things to you. I.e. you wouldn't be saying 'pull yrself together', or 'stop being stupid', you would be being kind and saying loving things. I know it probably sounds a bit kooky, but it's helped me with fairly severe depression in the past. HTH.

exercise. high dose of omega 3. not much alcohol. enough sleep.

st johns wort is great. Exercise too - doesn't have to be much, something like a brisk walk. If I can't be bothered going out, I fire up my music and dance the housework done! My MN name choice wasn't hard to come up with The plus about that one is you also feel good cos the house is tidy. If you are on a brisk walk try smiling and saying hello to people. Might just be peculiar to me but it makes me feel better

Reading self help books help me feel more positive. I like don't sweat the small stuff.
Also just getting as much light and sunshine as you possibly can.

I find it interesting that no one has mentioned psychotherapy or counselling yet. I'd be interested to know whether people haven't experienced it or been offered it, or whether it's just not seemed helpful?

For mild depression it is not always offered.

Feedthebirds I have been involved in counselling, it is helpful. However, OP says mild depression and seems very self aware and is already going to a counsellor.

Getting out of the house and going for a good long walk always lifts my mood. Practising mindfulness while doing so also helps enormously.

Exercise is really, really helpful. Like a drug but better. Walk, swim, or, if you can, run, for however short a time or slowly. Do it even if you don't feel like it, just make it routine.

Try to sleep and eat regularly and well. See friends, not necessarily to talk deeply, just to experience social activity - see a film, walk, chat about nothing much.

high dose of cod liver oil
b vitamins
st johns wort
good diet, no junk food

oh and no alcohol!

Exercise and good diet help me.

So true about small, achievable goals. Get one little thing done at a time. Accept you can't do more and draw a line, so you don't think about it.