I feel like I manage my CPTSD so much better than my depression. Like how do I start feeling like I care about the things in my life again? How do I start to get joy out of the good things. I feel like the only big emotions I feel are the negative ones
This may sound wacky, but I wash my dishes. They pile up when I am feeling depressed, and washing them helps.
This makes SUCH a difference to my well-being, even if I’m not in the kitchen. If I have a clean and clutter-free kitchen, I can tackle anything. If you gotta wash one dish at a time, you wash one dish at a time, but by god it fucking works.
Cool!
Just the act of being really mindful and present while washing dishes is helpful too! Not rushing through it or viewing it as a chore one has to get through, but being present with the act of turning the soapy sponge in circles against the dish
One dish at a time!
I hate how absolutely right you are.
This advice is really annoying but exercise. I remember my first therapist told me this and I literally wanted to m*rder him because I could barely even get out of bed in the morning. But he was right. To be honest though I think I would’ve never started exercising before being on meds, I was so dead to the world. The meds give me the extra push I need to do things that make me feel better.
I'd like to also add that exercise can be as simple as going for a slow walk. I have chronic fatigue and when I was really struggling with my mental and physical health, some days all I could do was some stretches on the floor or cleaning one shelf in my room. I prefer to call it "moving my body" as I think exercise can have such negative connotations
Yes, during my first bout with depression I started walking, very slowly. And since I was walking slowly, I was able to take the time to admire things. A certain plant or flower, the trees, squirrels and other little animals. Doing this allowed a little joy in.
And then eventually walking turned to running, and running turned into an interest in fitness, and now I've been invested in exercise for over a decade and it largely keeps the darkness at bay
Yesss! Running feels so good now and I love the feeling after
I'd also like to add, going for a walk is a great time to listen to some podcasts. I pay for YouTube premium so I can download them and I've learned a ton about trauma, mental health, spirituality, etc. I've learned a lot that has been really helpful in getting my mental health to a better place.
Also having positive role models in your ear, speaking wisdom to you, can be really helpful if you lack that with the people in your life. My parents were pretty good but neither is very comfortable talking about heavy stuff and years of trauma have them stuck in freeze mode, unable to speak clearly and openly.
Plus, wearing headphones while you're out will deter most people from trying to talk to you, which is generally my goal when I leave the house lol
It’s because of the fact I’m not taking any medications that my therapist advised me that I should be exercising otherwise I will be miserable. She is correct.
I was exercising consistently for a month, started feeling really good. Like there was hope in life and I would eventually be okay
Hurt myself while working out, had to take almost 2 weeks off
Aaaaand now I'm crying, feel like it's all hopeless, and "know" there's no point to any of it
The only material change is the not working out, plus pain from the injury. I logically think I'll be fine again after another couple weeks of working out
This happens to me too, been dealing with a recurring injury. Feel like absolute shit during the weeks that I have to rest.
Read Sarno. Most pain is psychosomatic. I get it everytime I try a new sport. Don’t give up
Excuse me, this is quite triggering
I'm a highly disabled cancer survivor, I took myself from not being able to walk 100 feet at 16 to being able to run Teo 10 minute miles, hit the weights, then an hour of racquetball at 27
Every single day has been so much torture, and I still get uo and do it
From the bottom of my heart, fuck you.
I know what pain to ignore and what pain means damage. A lot of my trauma comes from the fact that for every single thing I've ever done from 13 onwards, from eating a meal to playing video games to doing homework, has been so fatiguing it's physically painful
You and everyone else has no right to tell me what my pain is or isn't. Or do I need to give you so much sleeping medication you can't feel your face, make you not sleep for 4 days, and then give you a differential equations exam with the expectation you pass
Maybe next time you’re triggered, consider taking a few minutes to breathe. This guy doesn’t know you from adam and I’m sure he doesn’t mean to put you down personally or minimize anything about your past.
His point is actually good general advice, but maybe it doesn’t apply to your personal situation.
What if we all respond the way you did any time folks unintentionally say something that bugs us? Not a good world to live in. Everyone who is on this thread is here with good intentions.
That's why I love reading this subreddit so much. It's ironically refreshing! _^
The book saved my life. I was skeptical and angry when someone suggested it to me. I get it.
But it has made my quality of life and other people I love, better. So I always share it:)
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3mo
Thank you. That’s a great book and so is Gabor mates work. When the body says no and the myth of normal.
Some people are not ready to hear it. But I have been hospitalized with autoimmune disorders and in horrible pain. I was able to heal a lot of it. I wouldn’t have been able to until someone told me about this work. I was angry and skeptical at first also but it’s completely changed my life.
I always pass on the info.
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3mo
Yes! Good for you. We can change our thought patterns. The abuse and mental fallout is not our fault but it is our responsibility to fix it. No one else can. It’s hard work, but it can be done.
I have read Joe dispenza. Working on poly vagal. Will check out the last one.
I don't think this is for me because, as stated, I can now run two 10 minute miles, hit the weights, then play racquetball for an hour. It took 14 years to get here, but that's a pretty good amount of activity
I'm a firedancing, poledancing, knife throwing, martial artist too
I dont really understand why people feel so insulted at the mere suggestion that some pain may be psychosomatic. The brain is POWERFUL. It's not an insult to suggest that pain starts in the brain. And in fact, ALL pain starts in the brain, even pain that stems from a physical injury or disease. Pain is your brain's way of telling you something is wrong. What is wrong may be physical, or it may be mental. Recognizing that something is mentally wrong is just as important as recognizing when something is wrong physically, and it's important to learn to tell the difference and to interpret the brain's signals correctly. So i don't think pretending like psychosomatic pain doesn't exist is at all helpful, particularly when speaking on the topic of depression.
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3mo
My message ended with "I'll be fine after another couple weeks of working out"
This. I’m unmedicated but remember loving lifting weights in high school. I had an awesome weight coach who made me feel seen and cared about and I think that helped me to love the sport.
Anyways I posted a big response about the gym… but it’s true. Excercise.
I have medical issues that interfere with regular exercise so I was told to dance, it engages the same muscles and it helps get the blood flowing.
This. It took me a while to find the right exercise, because for me it needs to be strenuous, not a light jog or some yoga I mean. I did yoga for ages without much benefits.
I exercise every day for at least 30 minutes but without medication I wouldn't even get out of bed.
I had to take a break after swapping from meds to the gym... lasted about 3 months of 3 times a week when real life murdered my routine
Now going even once a week is so hard...
Honestly? I know it’s so cliche, but routine.
I’ve noticed I’ve fallen off of my typical routine I kept for years because of general terrible feelings coming up.
It’s impacted me a lot more than I thought just not having that routine.
I’m not thriving in the sense that I’m such a normal person but I’m not as bad as I am now, and the cluttered home makes me even worse. I haven’t gone outside, I haven’t cleaned my place, all of those things surprisingly hurt.
I'm not at all surprised they hurt b/c it hurts me, almost physically I'm just sooo stuck. I can't seem to push myself even though I need to get it organized. I hear you❤️
I don’t know if it helps, but I’m finding a bit of success just doing one extra thing again.
So just moving my water cup to the sink at bedtime. No need to pressure myself to do dishes, just move it from my table to my sink. Sometimes I feel motivated to do a couple of dishes but if not my goal is met and that’s something. It’s so hard to get away from an all or nothing mind.
My doctor gave me some research on how 2-5 minutes of vigorous exercise a day has given measurable results for health as an example that a small action still means a lot. So I try to keep up with that in mind. Not that you need to run yourself out of breath for 2 minutes a day, but that 2 minutes of activity at all can have an impact on your whole body.
Samsies. The kids don't have school because of parent teacher conferences for a week!!!! I'm like oh God. I don't do well on the weekends. I don't have structure and when I want to rest or even when I want to do something I'll either feel guilty or ill add on 8 more things then I don't know where to start then get overwhelmed and do nothing anyway. I'm not resting either because my mind and my body is in stress mode. So I don't do anything fun, relaxing, productive, anything satisfying. I can't wait til Monday.
Emotional detachment and dissociation, trying to distract myself with music, exercise, work, videogames,etc - something to tickle that reward center in the brain, to squeeze that drop of dopamine.
I chase dopamine and things that make me happy constantly. I think it’s also why so many CTPTSD survivors are at risk of becoming addicted to drugs. Energy drinks and weed are my vices at the moment - I never want to try the hard stuff.
Just gotta do the things. The doing comes before the liking/ caring. Exercise for those endorphin boosts, nutritious food, daylight, sleep schedule.
All the boring, easier said than done things.
Support groups, exercise, healthy support system, helplines
I’m barely hanging on
relatable!
Externalizing it mostly. Saying there's a part of me that is sad, rather than I am sad, helps me remember that there are parts of me that can still act in spite of sadness. Fully acknowledge that it doesn't always work though, and that it isn't the right strategy for everyone.
Thank you for this ❤️
Walking, reading, meditation, lifting weights.
Daily walks and sunlight within 30 minutes of waking.
A few things that help me get through it:
acknowledge my depression and go through the motions without fighting or denying it. Just let it be.
talk to either a therapist or someone who I can be emotionally vulnerable with
give myself grace and move along each day at my own pace; take baby steps when it comes to starting and completing tasks
try to find happy distractions: watch some cartoons, stand up comedy, oddly satisfying videos, get lost into music, etc.
Newest tool I’m using is portable infrared sauna. Been using a few weeks and noticed a real improvement. Been years it seems since I’ve had a perked up day.
Mushrooms
Same. Nothing else helped. Meds, yoga, running, years of therapy, journaling, DBT - didn't really help at all. A few weeks of microdosing and I wasn't super happy 24/7 but I could function and felt like myself again.
Microdosing what? Mushies?
So I never used prescribed medication for my long term depression but I do have some things I like to do.
Weight training, walking, cooking, cleaning, meditation, video games, doing inner work like shadow work books, herbal medicine, being present, talking with people I like, brushing up on topics that interest me.
My problem is I have never done all of these things simultaneously.
I have a bad neck sprain at present so I can't weight train and I wonder how my meditations would be different if I were able to. I don't feel like doing shadow work right now either, I'm on my period. And that affects my mood during meditations too.
So I wonder if I will ever have a day where I can just seamlessly flow.
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3mo
Yes, I was thinking about swimming in general. I haven't touch a pool in years. Thank you very much for your great suggestion.
My gym membership is the best thing I ever did for my mental health. I sleep better, my base level of anxiety is lower, my mood is better. It helps my medications work better too.
High intensity is what a lot of doctors recommend for mental health and so I do that. (I run til my heart rate is 180 then walk til I catch my breath and repeat).
38, perimenopausal female with PMDD…
As awful as it sounds… working out. I love lifting weights, gave me a sense of confidence and power in high school and holy fuck getting back into it at 38 years old has been life changing. Started going 3x a week, then 4x a week and now 5x a week. The endorphins are wonderful, the changes to my body have given me a huge boost of confidence and now that the armoring is gone I feel like I’m really stretching out into my own skin for the first time in my life.
Because I’m lifting hard and regularly pushing myself I’ve had to significantly modify my diet… which means meeting nutrient requirements and … I feel the best I’ve ever felt in my life and I lifted weights for three years straight in high school, for comparison, and was still miserable
Being outside on a sunny day. Even if there's snow on the ground, being outside warmed by the sun for a few minutes or as long as I can helps me feel alive.
HARD exercise daily. Like heart rate over 160 for 45 minutes. Journaling. When I was really in crisis; walking miles everyday until it helped drown out the constant pain. Taking care of myself like a baby; naps, snacks, baths, etc.
Raw doggin life RN and I don't recommend it hahahaha.
-Therapist. I love my therapist.
-Having a job that even on hard days I believe in, helping others helps me
-Pets.
-Socialize even when it’s hard. I never regret time w/ a friend, especially when I can be honest that I’m having a hard time. I am also there for their hard times with no judgement.
-I pay up front for a number of personal training sessions with a trainer I enjoy. She does all the planning, I show up bc I can’t afford not to. It makes me feel better than almost anything else by the end of a session and influences me to eat healthier
-Walks. I can find many tiny sources of joy on a walk
-Put on favorite music or tv and do bad art. Just pushing the paint around is cathartic, but I also tend to create non-bad things once I get going. Artistic flow state gives me joy
-maintain boundaries. If that person/place/activity makes me feel bad, they gets a boundary
-Hygiene. Hot shower; ice water to the face; a thorough shave; floss picks while distracted by something fun; painting the toes; hydrate and moisturize. I also stopped wearing makeup except certain occasions and feel much better not trying to rise to makeup/filter standards
-meditation: good for neuroplasticity, I can only do a couple minutes but hey
-shower my partner in affection and appreciation. He reciprocates and it helps me prioritize working with my emotions bc I don’t want them to come out in ways that push him away. He cooks amazing healthy food too
-sleep. I learned some people need more than average and it finally explains why I’m struggling unless I get a lot
-I know OP says besides medication, but must say that a lot of the above felt impossible without meds when I’ve had major depressive episodes
IN PROGRESS:
-trading screens at bedtime for book = sleep (thus mood) improvement. This is highly difficult bc I like to “treat myself” to dopamine at night like tv and snacks
-try to not fucking compare myself to anyone. CPTSD Depression and ADHD mean I’ve had it rough and it’s incredible if I’m just alive and breathing. Framing it as society’s benchmarks are more about capitalism than what truly makes sense for me
-always plan at least one thing I am truly looking forward to
GL and hugs OP, depression is so fucking tough and management feels like a constantly moving target
Schedule anything fun to do everyday. Or at least relaxing like going for a walk to the park.
Staying busy. I started painting, and realized that if I spend most of my free time doing that, or baking, or gardening, I can sort of outrun the sads. It’s not foolproof, and when I get sick or my chronic stuff is acting up, the sads come back hard. Getting started again with the busywork can be tricky after that, but once I get back to it, I pull ahead of it again. My mental health is the best it’s ever been, since I started painting. Usually if I’m not painting, I’m thinking about painting. That doesn’t leave as much time for rumination. Finding hobbies that bring you joy plus distraction is a game changer. At least for me it was.
Exercise and weed!
I'm in a depression and anxiety group. I read books. I do short walks. I'm still sad. I still feel alone. I still feel like I'm not enough. Then I listen to audiobooks. I try to sleep. I try to eat well and be thankful. I listen to yiruma.
Another exercise as therapy person here. I have some pretty maladaptive coping mechanisms like being online far too much and impulse shopping, food restricting. Trying to change these by walks and runs in nature and home workouts especially when I am engulfed in negative thoughts. Something shifts when you are moving and focused. Art projects and reading help. My danger zone is first thing in the morning and last thing at night so then I try and be mindful of destructive thoughts. That said, I have just gone back on meds because joy in anything is all too rare.
I have two groups of people I can tolerate atm, they are my niece and nephew who are adorable, and one group of my very close friends, and they know I'll turn up to half of everything. When I'm with either of these groups, I'm actually doing really well - very social, relaxed and engaged. All my other very much loved friends have gone in the "sorry guys" basket.
If you've got any people you can deal with, especially kids or even animals, I find this can really help. Some social interaction and some childlike fun.
Walking everyday. Moving my body. Having dogs and a girlfriend. Eating well. Educating myself every chance I get. As little social media as possible. A good stable job. Spirituality. 6 monthly use of high dose psilocybin (not suitable for everyone) and smoking weed to relax after a long day. I’ve been in some real dark places but you will come out the other side 😁 Depression in 2024 is a societal issue in my opinion, meaning there’s not something inherently wrong with you. The universe has a plan for you and loves you and your depression could be a sign that something needs to change.
Volunteering, exercise, light therapy as soon as I wake up, yoga, meditation, long baths with bath bombs, long walks, making sure I sleep enough.
For me, it has been cutting out alcohol, no cannabis either. A good regimen of mood/gut supporting supplements (b12, d3, magnesium glycinate, blood builder), plenty of movement, and clean eating-avoiding processed foods, gluten and dairy most of the time. I have never felt better and I do believe there is a world of good for us in decreasing inflammation in our brains and bodies as much as possible-we have enough to deal with without our internal systems fighting us too!💗
EFT tapping *
Or try emberrassing yourself with zumba like classes. go find some yell, jump and relax group to let it out all together. If you are depressed do absurd things and make fun of yourself and your life. It will start being interesting :) Be spontaneous and random and unusual. Be an actor one day go out and act, and be like a model one day. Just go have fun with yourself. It is better to fake it than look and feel depressed :)
Polyvagal exercises, supplements, and weight training.
It's an ongoing battle. I'm in my 40s and it's taken some time to figure out what works for me. A lot of it has been building a number of habits by going through the motions, even when I hated it. Therapy has helped a lot, although I recently paused going because I have been managing my mental health pretty well without it.
Ketamine infusions every 5-10 weeks. The biggest game changer for my depression and PTSD symptoms both was ketamine infusions. I started a year ago. My tics are almost entirely gone. I feel lighter and more connected to life. My SI is gone. Rumination is much lower. It even helps with my chronic pain. It allowed me to fall in love again after being very bitter about people and romance.
Deactivating my social media accounts last year has helped so much. Turns out nothing happening on Facebook and Instagram was important to see or participate in. It often filled me with rage and sadness. Quitting social media has freed up a lot of time for more fulfilling activities.
Vaping 10-15mg DMT before bed a couple times a week, helps with feeling a sense of wonder. I think it resets my nervous system too. But psychedelics aren't for everyone and you have to ease yourself into them. They can be pretty triggering or even traumatizing for some. Needs research and intentionality.
MDMA with my partner a few times a year helps me feel connected and loved and loving in a profound way that boosts my mood and relationship quality for months. It depletes serotonin and often has a depression hangover that lasts up to a week so it requires caution and aftercare.
Orgasming once a day helps with feeling relaxed and connected to my body.
Yummy, nutritious, easy to make food. I try to keep a few quick meals around that will be easy my tummy. Every week I'll make a big pot of soup or a large batch of pasta and veggies so I can heat it up and eat it as leftovers throughout the week. I often make instant ramen loaded with veggies, spices, egg, and plant protein. Only takes about 10-15 minutes to assemble and cook. And I allow myself treats like ice cream, something I never used to do
Keeping my apartment clean and doing chores helps a lot with feeling more emotionally regulated. If my space is clean and organized I feel so much lighter. This was a hard habit to build but so worth it. I have a friend who I pay to do housekeeping tasks 1-2x a month and it helps me stay on top of things like doing dishes and folding laundry if I start to slip.
Bicycling 20-40 miles a week helps me feel like less of a goblin and is good for my heart. I am lucky enough to live in a place where I don't need a car. Car culture contributes to depression IMO.
Making art and working on creative projects helps a lot with preventing rumination. I especially like crafting things for people I love. Collaging and writing a card. Making a piece of jewelry. Composing a song on my computer. Painting or decorating a hat or pair of shoes. Ironing patches onto my clothes. Working on my bike.
Listening to music changes my mood. I try to only listen to energizing or relaxing music that covers a spectrum of emotional themes and I steer clear of sad, mopey music.
Showering! A nice hot shower is a mood booster and feeling clean afterwards helps me feel like a person and stay on track.
Doing loving things for people helps me feel a sense of purpose and meaning. Offering to listen, helping them when overwhelmed, easing their burden, cooking them food, giving them small gifts, doing chores or errands for them, offering advice.
I wonder how obvious it is to the people here that I'm not. Sometimes you can't help but be struck by the lack of self-worth. Unless there's a secret store, I don't think buying any is in order. Things haven't changed in all this time.
I was literally just thinking of how drinking the voices away was no different than medicating them. But they don't go anywhere. Like me, there is nowhere for them to go.
Shut up!!! I'm two years sober, I ask myself all the time. Was it better when I was numbing it all away? It seemed happier. I'm feeling every sense of the word hopeless. Sober. I feel as though anything I have ever had the courage to show the world has been met with shame, disgust, manipulation, invalidation....I could go on. I see now how hurtful people have been to me, and I let it happen. Drinking or medicating only made the outside voices get louder. It doesn't matter what your inner voices are at the time, because your drunk. No one cares, you're not in control scream as loud as you want, no one will hear you. That's hopelessness. Being sober and feeling all the hurt, shame, guilt, worthlessness is unforseen power. Feeling everything the good the bad the ugly is your fuel to take control of the narrative. Yea I feel pretty low sometimes, but I have control. They don't like sober Courtney. That makes it worth it 💯
Therapy. New at EMDR. Prayer, Bible, deep breathing.
The positive coping skills: Gym, therapy, meds, support group, socialization, sobriety, healthy food, reading, meditation, paired gratitude practice, good sleep habits.
The malignant coping skills that like to barge in when I’m slacking: self harm, SI, dissociation, masochistic sexual acts, cigarettes, rampant spending, isolation, sleep deprivation, punishment rituals, binge eating/starving.
Gardening. Sounds generic but I garden specifically cacti :) I have 5 so far. All are about two years old. Two of them have bloomed so far. Some species have edible berries which is kinda cool. Specialty gardening is where it's at.
Exercise (cardio and weights), time in nature, EMDR to puke up the stuck emotions and trauma, neuromodulation, massage, sunlight, close attention to diet, supplements, and staying on top of health issues, developing healthy relationships. Occasionally using psychedelics or microdosing.
Finding things that you are able to feel at least a little excitement about and developing those as hobbies or interests is a good way to start building positive emotions into life even when at first I was very emotionally shut down.
I also use cannabis which helps manage negative emotions and helps me find my humor and feel goofy like a kid again. I try pretty hard to moderate it and take every other month sober mostly but I’m not super hard on myself about it.
Weed, exercise, writing and archery
Meditation specifically Kierra Michell has some nice 10-15 minute kindness and empathy focused audio session.
I’m not managing it at all. I’m just tired
For me what's working is to spend as much time meditating as possible, and when it becomes too hard because the symptoms of depression become too intense, then I take a break and either read different books, browse the internet, play videogames, or go watch a movie in a theater. And then I go back to meditating.
If I can manage to make myself do it, going outside. Even if it’s just walking in circles behind my house, it helps. I see birds. I feel the air. Sometimes I lay in the hammock I bought.
My depression brain never thinks it’s a good idea to do the things that help (moving my body, making something, going outside), but I never regret when I do.
Weed helps me a lot personally especially with being able to sleep with less nightmares.
Dogs
Sometimes just talking helps, especially a friend or family member that I know cares about me. I find that it grounds me very well because once I can start talking about it, I can work my way through the emotions.
Therapy, acupuncture, exercise, meditation, nature.
I have found sometimes attending church, Alanon or ACOA meetings helps. Getting exercise can help too
Martial arts does it for me, I didn't really intend that but was surprised to find it works really well. The combo of rhythm, touch, repetition, community, body control, accomplishment , and excercise is tough to beat. And punching things is satisfying. I imagine other excercise could probably fill the same gaps, at least partially, if martial arts just isn't your thing.
MarioKart, but I turn the volume down and listen to music at the same time lol. Also if you have an oculus beat saber is AWESOME (can’t do it anymore cause of my chronic pain but when I could it really helped my mental health overall), or honestly any other VR game cause it gets me outta my head.
This is what Positive Psychology deals with, not how we treat depression but how to move into a "positive" state, what a positive state looks like for ourselves. It's ideas/thoughts I've slowly been chipping away in the background of all my other treatments/illnesses.
DBT has been super helpful for me!
Clean, make money, travel, have sex, exercise.
Laying down helps. Unfortunately I'm not the best at managing depression. At this point in recovery, I see depression as my body's response to unresolved threats in the present...a lot of my trauma is "healed" now.
Unfortunately there are lots of unresolved threats in the present moment of my life lol - I'm just trying to figure out the next steps.
I start small, wash my face and brush my teeth. Do a little cleaning, even if it's just dishes. Blast my music and I force myself to dance (badly, like absolutely no rhythm). If that is too much, I find crocheting helps me, while I have the t.v. on. I basically do whatever it takes legally to get the dopamine flowing.
Ganja and music
I would say the three pillars for me is exercise, sleep/rest and nutrition/food.
Some days i cant get out of bed, but the days i manage i push myself to go for a walk, atleast 30 min. And i always try to go to the gym and do 30 min cardio and strength training. I have alot of kettlebell at home so if i dont make it outside i make sure to do atleast 10x10 kettlebell swings and do some yoga.
I try to get enough sleep, which is hard, my sleep is like a jo-jo. Up and down. Some days im rested, other days im a ghost. But i allow myself to lie down and rest. I try to do this yoga Nidra practise daily if i feel disconnected. Highly recommend: https://youtu.be/zQAijefIYPQ?si=b6gDuDg1V_7bFnfb
Nutrition. I watch what i Eat and now Eat something called the carnivore diet. Its mostly fat and protein, and it works like a real Mother fucker. So i Eat Meat, eggs, dairy and butter. It give stable mood, reduce inflammation, stable energy level, over all so many benefits, i wont go into all of it but i highly recommend you check it out, changing your diet will change your life. Also worth to mention i dont drink, i dont smoke, no sugar or prossesed Foods unless i go crazy or something really bad triggers me emotionally!
When you manage to work these three pillars and incorporate then into your life you will get a more stable foundation, and from there it will be easier to thrive. Im not claiming it to be a cure, but its working for me. Ive been going from barely having my head above water to now resting in the boat if you get it ;)
For me at this time I'm trying to ignore it /hangout with pets besides work stressing me out really.
Wish I wasn't constantly burnt out/drained therapy is starting to bother me a lot unfortunately.
Music helps me a lot. I also try moving like cleaning or moving boxes around if I feel a flashback coming on, just to break the adrenaline and tire myself a little.
This helps when I remember it: In Pete Walker's book, he says something like, "Depression is a valuable state of mind."
Feeling my depression, letting it communicate something to me, letting it lead me to rest, does make it less painful.
I really feel what you said about wanting to have that joy in my life back. But right now the depression is a huge part of my experience.
Walks outside in the daylight
Strength training consistently
Yin yoga
Dark chocolate
Therapy
Morning walks are non negotiable.
Cold showers after that walk. Yes, it does work.
Quality sleep.
Quality diet.
Journaling and self reflection. Challenging my demons and going to war on myself.
Honestly I’m not managing but nobody believes me
The depression was easily managed by AD. It's the PTSD that really needs work.
Sugar
Workaholism
i'm not depressed but prayer. i eat healthy and all that but prayer is...
after awhile it just begins to work. to the extent i believe in god again
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I don’t lol. Nothing has worked so it’s ketamine treatments for me next week
Genuine questions...
Aren't they one and the same?
Ie CPTSD is the core issue...depression is a symptom?
Walk
I tell myself that today will be the hardest of it all. It means that once the day is over, I won't need to worry. I know it's a lie, though.
I’m not that depressed, but lots of walks
i recently began the process of accepting the major painful things i had been avoiding that caused my depression to win the past year (at least) . my god is it painful but i am seeing results and slowly taking better care of myself & my surroundings . i dont take medication & i have "managed" it off & on with marijuana for years .
Exercise. 7 hours per week.
Seriously, for me it's honestly better for the depression than an antidepressant. Catch is, it's kind of a chicken and egg scenario in that I need a certain amount of recovery to be able to be that active.
But once I'm well enough to get back into exercise, it becomes a big positive feedback loop.
Music and art. I’m having a hard time because of my “family” trying to overstep legal boundaries they cannot. Listening to angry emo music like it’s 2004 again is how I manage.
Just talking it one day at a time tbh. Not even day, just one thing at a time. Everything seems a little more manageable when you just try to get through one thing before thinking about anything else.
Sorry and especially exercises are having an impact, not directly psychological, but I feel somewhat more energetic and less physically terrible so there's a bit to be less depressed about. It helps... Some. I just dropped a ton of the stress from my life and that helped a lot. My psychiatrist is going to go over the paperwork for TMS next Friday with me
Running, videogames, time with friends
Doing laundry, cleaning my room (even if it's a little bit).
One thing that really helped me was cutting out toxic people. I had an on and off relationship with someone and we were still friends, but I eventually realized he is a lot like my mom in a lot of ways except actually nice/ affectionate half the time, so I realized I was almost pseudo reliving my relationship with my mom through him, and the negative things or mood changes would really affect my anxiety and self worth and depression. Once I cut him off and only had the echos of things said by everyone else who is nice to me- friends, coworkers, my patients - in my head uplifting me, my self esteem and hopefulness improved a lot
Playing padel. Starpowa lions mane gummies. Some counselling. Allywise on instagram.
I was able to process a few of the emotional layers that were causing the depression. It's odd because it's as if I deleted it over night.
I don't want to make it sound easier than what it is, I did the work. I showed up and used tools that help the Brain consolidate and redirect into more reliable pathways.
I'd say depression took like maybe 4 sessions... The other types of pain took time, too.
I'm no longer struggling with cptsd after 300 hours of a mix of Brainspotting and BAUD.
Massage, at least once a month. Having someone else’s hands pamper me helps reprogram those negative thoughts of self-worthlessness. It also provides a nice endorphin rush when the knots in my shoulders and back are worked out. Be kind to yourself.
With antidepressants, work, gym, lots of escapism mechanisms to maintain my feelings numb.
Meditation helps me. I feel so much better when I meditate regularly. When I don’t, the ick starts to creep back.
not well. acceptance from others and friends helps immensely. but when they cancel plans or push me aside, I become severely suicidal and barely functional.
uh yeah, i have attechment issues...duh.
If things get worse, I meditate and try to follow the first "homework" I got from my therapist years ago: Go outside once every day, eat three (even small things like a slice of apple) abd interact with one person outside of my comfort zone (like a cashier at the supermarket etc.)
Also talking to my wife, sport and forcing myself to do things thst are normally fun helps. I don't feel them being fun at first but after a time it starts to work. Also planning my DnD campaign helps against instead of overthinking helps occupy my brain at night.
Weed helps me forget what I was mad at. Only for a little while though 🥲 sometimes I journal high because doing it sober makes me overwhelmed from all the anger and frustration
I am learning to express anger!
Happy lights don’t require a ton of energy to get up and move/exert and have good data to support use for mood and sleep!
Very very slowly and also very poorly. I recently moved into my first place and it's been a bit of a struggle. The more I do IFS work while I'm at home though, the easier I find it is to manage. Also a lot of breathwork. For that I recommend an app Othership, it's helped me a lot. Not entirely free, but there are some free sessions on there. It pairs different breathing patterns with music and a guide to keep you on track.
Other than that I just try not to think about it😅
I actually found great relief in accepting it and learning to live with it. I just get anxious and more depressed trying to fight something that's beyond my control anyways. I'm still depressed but I am now allowed to be depressed, and that makes everything a tiny bit better. I want to eventually fix it, and i think the solution for me is to learn how to express all the emotions. Dancing expressively has been a huge benefit for me and now I do it almost every day.
There will be ups and downs, but positive feelings do come back. Lately running and yoga have been really helpful to manage anger and alleviate stress. I’m even thinking about joining a body pump (group combat fitness) class more than once a week. I used to study or do math problems on Khan Academy and it was a great distraction for a while.
In terms of when you’ll start caring again, start small and build up. I babied myself for a few weeks and started with doing things I liked when I was younger - like watching Disney movies and listening to (ew) boy bands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys until I squeezed all the enjoyment and nostalgia out of it. Spa days and long walks with friends. Do more of what you like and do things you’re curious about. It works and make take time. You got this!
We're supposed to manage it?
Gratitude journaling. Sounds like absolute BS, or at least that’s how I used to feel about it. I didn’t feel ANYTHING for years. I definitely couldn’t feel something like gratitude.
I wasn’t feeling anything when I started journaling either. I just tried my hardest to list SOMETHING. I could logically identify things I knew I should feel grateful for, but had no feeling behind it.
A few months back was the first time I actually FELT it, and it’s crazy once you have a feeling you haven’t had in years. It’s like you forgot it existed, but it never actually left and was inside of you the whole time.
It still comes and goes, I’m still numb a lot of days, but definitely working on gratitude, more than anything, has helped me to feel again, helped me to pursue purpose, and given me a direction I feel like I want to go in.
I learn as an escape. I can't be thinking about my issues. So I learn random stuff.