Depression success stories?

[Dr. Caligari]

I'd like to hear about people, yourself or others, who overcame depression. Especially severe depression.

How, what was the road like? What helped?

Doesn't have to be a long story, just the main points are fine. Whatever you feel like posting really.

 

[Albake21]

Watching out of curiosity as I have the opposite story. Something I've thought about making a thread about, but I like this format better.

 

[tedtan]

I’ve known a few people who have overcome clinical depression by being willing to talk with a pro and take some antidepressants (at least short term).

In short, a combination of resetting the chemical imbalance in your brain via meds and and therapeutic techniques can be successful, which means you probably can’t overcome it on your own.

 

[bostjan]

Someone close to me growing up had clinical depression. This person conquered it by focusing their energy on things they enjoyed doing, shifting away from a hectic lifestyle. An important part of their story was also medication, but I couldn't tell you which medications or what dosage or how long they took them.

I've never been clinically diagnosed, but...

My own personal story is that I do a sort of dance with depression. There are times when it is leading me and then there are times when I lead it. When I am in control of it, I guess I couldn't tell you for sure if it's circumstantial or if I just will it away and it magically sometimes works or if it's a combination of things. The saddest I've been in my entire life was when my dad died, but it didn't depress me. The most depressed I have ever been was when I had zero reason to be sad and I just was sad anyway. Actually, looking back when I was most depressed, I had a loving family and I had virtually everything going for me, but just couldn't be satisfied with myself.

I don't believe that there is a "cure" for it that makes you "normal," as if anyone out there in the world is eve "normal," but I really do feel like it's a sort of like condition, that you can manage to the point where it doesn't really make any outward difference in your life. ... I really can only tell you what makes it worse, for me, and then maybe anyone reading this who battles depression can try to avoid those things:

1. Alcohol. Yup, number one thing. Medicating myself with alcohol never ever made me feel better. I obviously can't speak for everyone, but this is one that I'd say might be the most universal.

2. Giving up. There's always a thought to just give up and let the depression itself totally take control. Depression is in your mind, trying to pin you down, it's almost a literal metaphor. And it's not so much that you can overpower it, but just that, fighting it makes you stronger. So, when the circumstances are right to take control, if you are actively fighting it, you'll be way more likely to be able to take control of yourself again than if you are just giving up. I know when depression is kicking my ass, I feel like just drawing everything into myself and shutting out the world. But that is potentially a very bad path to get yourself on, which brings me to...

3. Avoidance. I know this one sounds comically hypocritical, but I think the first step to solving any problem is acknowledging the problem. Depression might itself be a problem, but I'm talking about avoidance of everything that typically comes with it. Avoiding people, especially loved ones, never helps. Maybe some people seem like they bring out the depression in you. In that case, you might be avoiding an uncomfortable conversation with them. Sometimes I'll avoid doing things that I either need to do or even just want to do, and that's never a good thing, either. Sure, it's a gamble, because facing things head on might go awry, but avoiding them just guarantees that they'll go awry. So, don't avoid the people you love and don't avoid doing things you need to do or things you love doing, even if you don't want to do them at the time. Do avoid things and activities that are toxic, though. I hope you know what I mean.

IME, getting professional help never really seems to spark anything. Maybe I've been unlucky and ended up with the wrong people, or maybe I don't understand how to cooperate with the process. I don't want to shit on anyone's profession, but I'll just say that it took me mustering up a lot of courage to reach out to professionals about this stuff on a couple of occasions, and I honestly felt like I tried my best to make the process work, and I don't feel like it did me any good under my specific situational circumstances. I'm sure that there are other situations with other people where it's made all of the difference. And maybe medication is the missing puzzle piece for me, but I feel like I'm at the point now, in my 40's, where I can manage my tendencies, even if I don't have complete control over them.

So, for me, avoiding those three things - not drinking (can probably lump illicit drugs in here as well, although I, personally, never partook in that myself), actively trying to beat depression, and trying not to avoid the things that help me do better, I can stay on top of depression 99% of the time. And by not letting the other 1% of the time push me into any of those three habits, I can keep the 1% from becoming growing.

 

[thebeesknees22]

.....

1. Alcohol. Yup, number one thing. Medicating myself with alcohol never ever made me feel better. I obviously can't speak for everyone, but this is one that I'd say might be the most universal.
....

yeah this one was a source of being depressed for me. I cut it out a couple of years ago and haven't really felt down since. I cut out a pretty big friend group to be able to ditch alcohol completely since that group was just a no go if I really wanted to completely cut alcohol. But I've been a lot happier and content since doing so.

I'm not completely anti-alcohol now or anything. People are free to do whatever if they like. I just know it's not for me, and If I do drink I have to be prepared to have a few weeks of feeling really down in the dumps after. So I just steer clear of it if I can.

 

[SpaceDock]

Imo a big part of depression is not accepting yourself or where you are in life. The further your reality is from where you want to be or think you should be, the deeper that depression will be. Learning to accept who you are and making incremental life changes, not dreaming of flipping a switch into a different life, I think can be a real way out.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

Alcohol isn't the source of my issues, but it makes not-caring way too easy. When I'm drinking regularly I don't give a fuck about anything. I can recognize that this is a problem and respond by pouring more bourbon on it. Tough cycle to break, I've been a few years sober but this is not my first attempt.

As mentioned, self-acceptance is a big one. We pin our identities on all these goals and ambitions, and a lot of them aren't realistic or just get sidelined by life. It's hard not to feel like you've lost your "you"-ness when you get separated from these things. As middle-aged musicians we all know this well, there just isn't the time like there used to be, whether it's kids and families, demanding jobs, or just the rigors of our aging bodies.

I'd hesitate to call myself a "success" story, it's a constant work-in-progress and when I'm not actively pushing I backslide pretty quickly into void-filling, avoidant/dismissive patterns of drug use and escapism. I've gotten better at taking care of myself, at recognizing my triggers, and at being proactive about my feelings.

I saw a counselor through a program at the local university where you can see a counseling dept intern for free. It was helpful but also felt like we were finally getting into some important stuff when it ended.

I haven't tried any medications but I'll tell you that the few months when I was microdosing LSD is the best I've felt consistently since I was like 10.

My brother is a navy vet, also struggles with depression/addiction, he's on Welbutrin now and loves it. Hasn't been drinking or doing coke and tells me he feels better than he has in years.

 

[odibrom]

... with the way things are going around the globe, anyone still kicking around is a depression success story...

 

[Drew]

Not my story, of course, and I'm sure you've seen this somewhere, but I always come back to this.

Depression Part Two

I remember being endlessly entertained by the adventures of my toys. Some days they died repeated, violent deaths, other days they traveled ...

hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com

Life works in weird ways, even when we think it doesn't.

 

[profwoot]

I'm a lifelong depressive in remission the last couple years due to Spravato (ketamine nasal spray). It's annoying to go to a clinic so often, but it scooped me out of my lowest point ever and had me basically fixed within a month. I'm still susceptible here and there when I don't get enough sleep or exercise (<- top 2 lifestyle factors for sure), but it's been incredibly effective for me. I don't think my experience is entirely typical, however.

Now I just worry about the drug's continuing availability, since apparently some folks are switching from Spravato to the cheaper street powder version and fucking their lives up (occasionally dying due to fentanyl sneaking in there), so who knows what the regulatory/insurance situation will end up looking like.

Edit: I'll also add that therapy and/or extreme self-reflection is a big part of recovery. Learning to evaluate and contradict the thoughts arising from one's brain is an essential tool that I really wish more people had access to. "You are not your brain", while literally false, is a very useful idea when your brain is trying to get you to act or think destructively.

 

[wankerness]

I'm naturally a bit depressive, I got really low several years ago mainly due to a miserable situation with a coworker that I had to be around 8 hours a day every weekday, and tried medication for a bit (Zoloft). It kind of evened me out and prevented me from feeling as bad as I was, but definitely also chopped off the upper end of the emotional spectrum so I wouldn't find things really funny or emotionally moving, either. I kind of felt like a zombie (plus it made me a zombie sexually). I quit it after a few months and then quit my job as soon as possible and since then things have been a lot better. I still definitely go through bad days and have a really negative outlook due to being in a dying town, but it's usually better. And I have gotten good at identifying when my really dark thoughts are a result of not getting enough sleep vs being worth considering, and then immediately trying to suppress them either via doing something I like that occupies my mind or taking a damn nap.

My partner and I stopped living together in the last year (work stuff for the two of us making it not make sense in terms of travel time) and that means in the middle of the week I tend to get depressive just from being isolated, but the weekends with her always recharge things.

So, I'm lucky that I'm only somewhat chemically imbalanced so I think it was mainly solved via lifestyle changes and I'm mostly on top of it without having to use drugs or therapy. We'll see what the future brings, I guess.

From what I've heard about antidepressants, I would never ever touch zoloft again (I also got "brain zaps" from it which were really alarming). I have heard Wellbutrin is the only one that doesn't put your libido in the toilet, so that would be the only SSRI I'd mess with. Ketamine sounds promising based on the above post and also some articles I read a couple years ago, that hadn't been rediscovered back in 2013 or so when I needed something.

 

[vejichan]

I was depressed for a good chunk in my teens because i disagreed with all the naysayers that kept telling me

- you cant play guitar
- you will never be able to make your own music because you lack talent
- you cant join a band
- you cant listen to that musi
- you arent good at playing guitar ..why dont you give up


After 2 decades of arguing with the naysayers i finally caved in and just agree with the naysayers and feel *alittle* better.

 

[CanserDYI]

I was depressed for a good chunk in my teens because i disagreed with all the naysayers that kept telling me

- you cant play guitar
- you will never be able to make your own music because you lack talent
- you cant join a band
- you cant listen to that musi
- you arent good at playing guitar ..why dont you give up


After 2 decades of arguing with the naysayers i finally caved in and just agree with the naysayers and feel *alittle* better.

Are you sure these people aren't in your head? Like, the way you talk about other humans in your life sound like awful movie tropes from bad 80's/90's films. I've never heard of any human, let alone enough people to necessitate saying "all the naysayers", really putting anyone down for playing music, ESPECIALLY something as pretty universally cool as playing guitar. This sounds like an extremely deep-rooted defense mechanism you have developed over the years probably being insecure about your own playing. You're seriously no where near "bad at guitar" and I'm not complimenting you. Its insulting to hear yourself talk about it like you have no idea what you're doing, when it's painfully obvious you're looking for a stroke.

Jesus christ.

 

[TedEH]

naysayers

Free Life Pro Tip:
If you find yourself constantly at odds with "naysayers", or "h8ers", or whatever else, you have to step back and ask if you might be the common denominator.

In 90% of the times where I've found myself to be getting a lot of pushback from groups of people all at the same time, in retrospect, it turned out that I was just poorly receiving very valid feedback - sometimes from people who were "on my side" so to speak. If you receive all feedback as antagonistic - in other words if you react to every difference of opinion or point of feedback by calling them naysayers - then you're shooting yourself in the foot. You'll be running from, and arguing against, these "naysayers" forever.

Being able to take in feedback in a constructive and positive way is a skill - and it needs to be practiced like anything else - otherwise you lose it.

 

[vejichan]

Free Life Pro Tip:
If you find yourself constantly at odds with "naysayers", or "h8ers", or whatever else, you have to step back and ask if you might be the common denominator.

In 90% of the times where I've found myself to be getting a lot of pushback from groups of people all at the same time, in retrospect, it turned out that I was just poorly receiving very valid feedback - sometimes from people who were "on my side" so to speak. If you receive all feedback as antagonistic - in other words if you react to every difference of opinion or point of feedback by calling them naysayers - then you're shooting yourself in the foot. You'll be running from, and arguing against, these "naysayers" forever.

Being able to take in feedback in a constructive and positive way is a skill - and it needs to be practiced like anything else - otherwise you lose it.

Thanks. You have given me alot to think about.

 

[CrushingAnvil]

I'm not really comfortable going into too much detail but I was depressed between 2018 and 2020. Someone else in my family was going through some mental health issues at the time so I kind of suffered in the background. A couple of things got me through this time in my life but it wasn't drugs or therapy. It was music, my nieces, video games, and Christ, Our Blessed Lord. I know that might taste sour to some people here but it's true. Through Christ I rejected a lot of modern and worldly pressures that young men face.

 

[CrushingAnvil]

Free Life Pro Tip:
If you find yourself constantly at odds with "naysayers", or "h8ers", or whatever else, you have to step back and ask if you might be the common denominator.

In 90% of the times where I've found myself to be getting a lot of pushback from groups of people all at the same time, in retrospect, it turned out that I was just poorly receiving very valid feedback - sometimes from people who were "on my side" so to speak. If you receive all feedback as antagonistic - in other words if you react to every difference of opinion or point of feedback by calling them naysayers - then you're shooting yourself in the foot. You'll be running from, and arguing against, these "naysayers" forever.

Being able to take in feedback in a constructive and positive way is a skill - and it needs to be practiced like anything else - otherwise you lose it.

Wholeheartedly agree. This is something I needed to hear years ago and still do occasionally. The best thing you can start doing for yourself and even others around you is admit when you're wrong and just try to take on-board the advice people give you.

 

[odibrom]

I'm not really comfortable going into too much detail but I was depressed between 2018 and 2020. Someone else in my family was going through some mental health issues at the time so I kind of suffered in the background. A couple of things got me through this time in my life but it wasn't drugs or therapy. It was music, my nieces, video games, and Christ, Our Blessed Lord. I know that might taste sour to some people here but it's true. Through Christ I rejected a lot of modern and worldly pressures that young men face.

I respect that you believe in those stories, but remember that Christ wasn't a Cristian, as Buda wasn't a Budist and so many other man whose life and saying/teachings derived in religions. Religions are great shelter houses on stormy days, but keep one from contemplating the stars in a hot Summer's night. One shouldn't take them so seriously... and as a wise man once said, "Humor is one of the highest forms of spirituality". You are your own Lord in a land where everyone is also a Lord... a King in a land of Kings.

A teacher also once told be that "poor is the man who has only one teacher or reads one book"... so are religions about spirituality and the matters of the soul...

:::::

...empty minds get bored and depressed easier than the ones that are active, however, hyper active minds may feel overwhelmed and fall into depression as well... and meditation calls for emptying our own minds... confused?

... my advice on fighting Depression?, Keep on kicking!... and so I close the loop started earlier in this thread... 😁 everyone still kicking around is a depression success story. Keep up the fight? Do shit, do great shit, do monumentally unforgettable shit, but please, mind not to hurt anyone, yourself included.

... going vegie/vegan helps... but I'm not saying why, that's for you to discover.

... sorry, I was rambling for a bit... hope it helps... also, keep in mind that "Christ our blessed lord" may not be easy to digest around here...

 

[TedEH]

You can just as easily take the message / guidance without needing to be part of the faith. The only part you need to digest is that the goal is to recognize the sources of pressure, and search for whatever framing relieves you of it - whether that means you have some kind of faith in a bigger plan, or just recognizing that it's usually ok to be ok with the things that are out of your own control.

 

[RevDrucifer]

I’ve dealt with it for the better part of my life but it’s not really present these days. I was suicidal throughout my teens and 20’s, it felt like a fail safe I could keep in my back pocket.

Meditation keeps me in check regularly and I’ll take that over anti-depressants any day because at least meditation actually works for me and I don’t need to ween myself off it or risk seizures, or worse.

But if I don’t maintain a strict schedule of 3, 15-minute sessions a day, I notice it pretty quickly. In the morning before I get ready for work, in the afternoon when I get home from work and generally one before bed. It felt tedious at first and I resisted it, but after seeing the benefits, I get pretty uptight about missing a meditation.

Changing my diet also did quite a bit and I was more surprised about that than I was the meditation aspect of it. Cutting out processed foods was a big thing for my body. It’s surprising how much energy our body requires to break down a lot of foods and while it may not be mental energy, the physical energy it depletes from me is noticeable after eating whole foods only for 5 years. When my physical energy is low, there’s a good chance my mental energy is taking a hit to make up for it.

And another big thing; ridding my life of anyone who wasn’t adding anything positive to my life, even if that meant my own mother. That whole quote/meme you see occasionally that says something like “Before going on anti-depressants, make sure you’re not surrounded by assholes first”? Just like that. It’s truly amazing how good life can be when dead weight is not dragging you into their drama.