People who have had severe depressive episodes in your life:

>>18275776

Not kidding, wanting to be like Captain America.

This thread hit me in the feels, because right now he's terrible in the comics and I have no hope because of it.

I don't know, got bored of depression I think.

Also Gurren Lagann, I'm not trolling that shit got me more pumped than I had been in years so I used that energy to go back into school.

Also the feeling of a woman being attracted to me is something that I cannot explain, inside I still feel like that guy who spend all day hidden in his room watching anime and playing video games and to be honest once they get to meet me they run the fuck away because I still can't control my autism but fuck just the fact that they are slightly interested in me makes me wanna keep going.

>>18275776
Inb4 underage, but finding the love of my life.

She absolutely fixed me, reconstructed me. I haven't cried from sadness for so long, it all seems like a bad nightmare now. I've regained hope and joy, all those feelings and emotions that I forgot existed.

Hang in there, OP. I wish I could do more than sympathize with your plight.

Weightlifting, I got so angry at myself that putting myself through pain felt cathartic. A nice consequence was that I got into good shape and my confidence shot up.
I felt depressed because my life was empty, but I realised that since I have nothing to lose then there was literally no reason to not at least try to improve.
Practically though, music elevated my mood drastically. I started listening to it whenever I felt empty, my favourite to this day is Killswitch Engage. I like them mainly because their songs are heavy but have surprisingly uplifting lyrics. Metalcore might not be for you, but try finding other genres you like, or even tv-shows/anime/comics that give you motivation like the above anons suggested.

Anomalisa. This film made me realise how leaving my boring and mundane life could open the possibilty for someone new to change my life.

I never got out. I keep coming back and it destroys all relationships and progress I've made

File: 1492867245384.jpg (137KB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

137KB, 1920x1080px

>>18275776
Other peoples happiness makes me sick, but happiness seems to be all people indulge in

Is happiness the only key to leaving suffering?

Even if I can overcome my personal issues, what about global injustices. How can we be happy when those issues have yet to be dealt with?

either a crush on a new girl or psychadelics

>>18275800
Sorry bout that. Hero worshiping works, Cap believes in God so... how about worshiping HIS hero? I don't know, just throwing out ideas.

>>18275810
>>18275821
So, seeing intense sparks of life can reinvigorate... as well as feeling sparks of love from someone else.
You're helping 'my plight' without realising it, thank you.

>>18275832
Lifting and exercise always works.

Overall i signed up for a 1st line psychologist.

For the breakdowns i mostly just listened to music. I remember a Steven Universe OST on mindfullness cheered me up once. Beyond that i just listen to my favorite songs until i stop being sad and start moving to the beat.

Oh yeah one thing that the shrink reccomended that really helped was to just talk a walk outside and really look around.

>>18275885

1. Happiness becomes available once you let go of your depression.

2. people indulge in candied happiness. mostly buying stuff thinking they'll be as happy as the people in the commercials

3. contribute. Hate the ridiculous amount of animal abuse in the argiculture industry? do research and go vegan

Hate the injustices happening to developing countries from the fashion industry? stop buying cheap clothing.

As you contribute you tend to do more research and in that you tend to start finding forums/chat groups of likeminded people where you can enjoy their company.

>>18275776
>>18275810
>Also the feeling of a woman being attracted to me
This kinda happened to me, except I didn't got bored I felt pissed off because depression took away from me a whole year of my life so I lost all social skill that was already very low when I left HS. So when a girl showed attraction towards me and I FUCKED UP HARD I was so fucking pissed off I said "fuck depression" and started literally ignoring the sadness and the hopelessness I've been feeling for the longest time. I still get the occasional days where I have no clue of why I'm alive and keep imagining ways I could kill myself but that just angers me even more.
Basically I changed depression for anger.

>>18276211
OP here, sounds like a worthwhile trade

>>18276335
Nigga she was all over me and I was like "What if she finds out about my depression? What if she's not really interested? What if she's just trying to humiliate me? What if? What if?" and THEN when I asked her out and tried to kinda sort things out she told me to FUCK OFF and that triggered the anger in me

>>18275776
It's been a little bit more than 8 years, i still have severe depression

Well it would have been a gun to my head had I access to one where I live.

But after 5 years of pushing it down the depression has become more of a permanent part of my personality, and I'm so desensitised these days that it doesn't overwhelm me as often.

So yeah, basically just had to live with it.

philosophy
high quality mental health care
the love of a woman
fucking some women
the help of my friends
the occasional help of my shitty family
the fact that severe depressive episodes usually have a beginning and an end

Antidepressants. They've changed my life, I can actually do things and don't feel like a piece of shit most of the time anymore.

>>18276402
for 1/3 of ppl this is true, 1/2 if you count placeebo. ssris and snris will delay ejaculation and decrease arousal

>>18276421
I know I got lucky. My libido is still high. But it's worth a shot, if it works well it's pretty life changing.

>>18276424
Yeah far as I know the antidepressants are safe, so theres not much to lose by trying. Id try *counseling* and following other physicians' advice (exercise, diet) first though.

>>18276401
I thought it was just me, but philosophy always soothes me like no other when I'm in an existential fit

>>18276444
limited perspective is one of the biggest problems with severe depression

Everything was painful and shit, so I forced myself into doing things I found the most difficult and painful. Developed some sort of masochism for it. Now I can do anything with no mental struggle about it. I changed my career path to try and find more things to challenge myself with and it's slowly running out.

To be honest, I'm still depressed as fuck, but at least I'm not pathetic.

File: 1391396459497.gif (178KB, 500x411px) Image search: [Google]

178KB, 500x411px

>>18275776
My uncle committing suicide shocked me out of wanting to kill myself literal hours before I would have done it. Hearing the news and seeing how it affected me and everyone that knew him was eye-opening. I know it sounds selfish, but I can't imagine the reaction to my suicide would be any different.

I went into therapy the next day, found support and new friends, and I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life right now. I visit his grave every August 27th.

>>18275776
My house burning down and the death of my father and brother.

But now I'm in a shitty situation again, and it appears there's no way out of this one.

>>18276630
>>18276591
My condolences, I feel like a pussy in comparison

>>18276591
Almost the same situation. I'm not 100% sure whether I would have gone through with killing myself, but my uncle committing suicide definitely got me out of it. I just started therapy a month ago, and am doing pretty OK now.

I resorted to suicidal memes, practiced selfishness until it became a way of life and my depression gradually turned into some nihilistic anger.

I'm still empty though, rather empty than sad nowadays. And my days of wasting away in passivity and melancholy have been changed with reckless activities and indifference towards danger and bad consequences. But it's still a change, I guess?

Currently taking antidepressants. They took the anguish out, but left me kinda unmotivated and apathetic still. It's better than feeling horrible constantly, but now I'm just feeling anxious about everything in my life and really pessimistic towards everything. I have a good job, but I'm not sure if I can work everyday from Monday to Friday without feeling utterly depressed while doing it. But I'll try, I guess. Might start studying at a prep course to get into university next year too, which would make me stay active and out of home from 7AM to almost midnight, so that's a way to get myself dragged out of depression. I'm just feeling afraid of feeling horrible most of the time, which would make me unproductive at my job and at studying. I don't know, I'm just not really sure how this shit will play out.

Changed my diet
Started daily exercise (HIIT and weights)
Committed to a very clear daily
routine that included sleeping 8
hours from about 11-7
Started reading philosophy and going to church
Stopped doing things I know are a complete waste of time

If doing those (or most of those) doesn't work, then your depression is 'real' depression and must be treated with medication and therapy

>>18276857
Do not compare apples to oranges. Everyone's situation is different. And you're doing better, I'd say that makes *me* the pussy. I didn't visit their graves for years until this year.

There are ups and downs. I have always lived through depression.
Ive felt really bad and when I feel good even then I don't fully recover, but i should probably give myself credit for adapting even the slightest bit to a happier life. There is always a lesson learned. As long as you don't hurt yourself or others there is always another day waiting to feel great.
Stress is probably a big factor to thinking suicidal thoughts, but I keep putting myself through motions til I believe in myself. It happens all the time where I am stressed for something or other then pull through stronger.

One advice I would give to anyone depressed is to get professional help as soon as possible. It's never too late, but the earlier you start the easier it will be I think.

I suffered from depression since late teens, even as a child I had some bad times due to both of my parents being depressed. I finally started using meds at 23, then started psychotherapy at 25 and stopped the meds at 26, that was year ago. I still have depressive episodes. But when they come, I know what's happening. I know that for some time I'm in that dark cave of depression, but I already know I will come out and fly in the clear sky. It makes it easier. And every time the episodes last shorter amount of time and are less severe. Maybe one day they will be gone. But even if they won't I know I can take them. That give you lot of power, when you know you will survive. You just have to believe that.

Trust me, I have been to the absolute bottom. The thing about depression is that you think you have it worst, you really believe that no one else has it as bad as you when you're right at the bottom. You don't see any hope. So you just have to tell yourself that things will get better, there is hope. At first you probably won't believe it, but you keep doing it and then you see that glimmer of hope and catch it. And after that any time it gets worse you remember: you've already caught hope.

>>18275776
therapy and friends, but mostly, time

Moving out the place where i was mostly depressed.

Therapy and meds did not help me at all, my psychiatrist treated me as if she was doing her homework or something, doesn't talk back, only asks a few questions then tells me to take medicine x for 2 weeks and meet her after a week to see if something changed (and nothing changed)
And a different psychiatrist told me that i should stop pretending to be a special snowflake and that i should take an IQ test to see if im legit dumb or something which didnt help either, had to just reunite with family members and think about myself and the things that made me depressed the most and tackle them.
I'm still somewhat depressed but its not as bad as it used to be

>>18276857
Don't. Everybody has struggles, and they're all valid. When you're depressed, comparing yourself to others just makes you feel worse. Just focus on your own life first.

Nothing.

15 years running. ECT is the next thing to try. Who needs memories anyway?

>>18277196
>15 years running. ECT is the next thing to try. Who needs memories anyway?
I've done it twice. Worked temporarily for me for a few months, but the depression slowly crept back. I'm doing ok now, relatively-speaking, but I had no issues with memory/memory loss.

Combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, reading the bible/philosophical works (in particular, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius), finishing school, meeting new people and support from my significant other.

I was diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety and OCD eight weeks ago. I already feel a lot better - I am on quite a high dose of sertraline (150mg), I have 2 sleeping tablets a night (as had insomnia as part of my depression) and I take diazempan in my lower moments. However, the medication does help, and i think accepting I have an illness and need to recover from it has also been on benefit - I carried on working for the first 6 weeks after diagnosis, as I didn't want depression to 'win' but after basically planning my suicide, I decided to go with my doctors advice and take time off work, and the difference in two weeks is massive. I still have bad days/hours/minutes, but I feel much more positive. I make sure I go for a walk every day, I do chores as much as I can, I relax, listen to music, watch easy TV, turned my work phone off.

tldr - medication and rest

>>18277244
>and support from my significant other.
I think many of us in this thread are single. Thanks for the reminder.

>>18277522
God, I feel so fucking lonely. The worst thing is that I know I won't be involved with someone romantically anytime soon.

>>18275776

Hypomanic episodes.

I have bipolar. If you've been diagnosed with major depression but you've had periods of time in your depressed life where you've felt GREAT or been convinced you're cured/it's over? Probably not, it's likely bipolar.

I get paranoid when I'm not at least mildly depressed, because I don't trust myself when I feel good.

Just my two cents.

>>18277056
That sounds like everything I need to do, tell me more about the exercise, what kind of HIIT do you do and what kind of weights do you run? I want to invest in some, I've got a small pool for swimming, an exercise bike, and a treadmill

honestly?

i got angry, and mean. came to understand that i really was alone in my struggles, and no knight in shining armor was going to come along and save me. even though this was the case, i decided that instead of giving up i would prove to myself and the world that i was strong enough exist and even live life on my own terms.

no asking for permission, no apologizing for being different. i worked hard for myself knowing that no one else would. it worked and i'm still struggling along, constantly pushing myself outside my comfort zone. now i'm working on getting back to being nice while keeping all the positive aspects of the mean "fuck you idgaf" attitude.

maybe this seems stupid or cringey but it's what worked. my progress has been nothing short of miraculous, and i'm lucky to be alive :)

>>18276371
This exactly happened to me like three times, I don't know how but there's always a girl who's interested in me and that makes me gain interest in her but somehow I fuck things up, I don't know if I'm to clingy or maybe I'm just boring but one way or another all the girls in my life leave and it hurts like a shit every time, need advice anons please

>>18275776
Besides talking with the voices in my head, lying down in the middle of a field or lawn and looking up at the stars and moon, if you look at it long enough, you'll find the secrets of life, trust me, it works.

Heavily destract yourself till it feels normal not to think of being depressed. I got lost in video games, working out, writing song lyrics, shitposting on the internet and even smoking cigarettes. Everyone's different. Either kill yourself or look for a way out of that mindset.

>>18277569
>The worst thing is that I know I won't be involved with someone romantically anytime soon.
So use this time to get prepared for when you will. I spent a lot of time reading pickup artist shit when I was foreveralone and ended up using the skills to bed a woman who came into my life unexpectedly. I'm still horrible with women but at least I'm not a stuttering confused mess interacting with them now.

>>18277692
>what kind of HIIT do you do
When I started I did pool sprints. I'd swim a lap as fast as I kid, wait a minute, and do it again.
Now I don't have access to a pool so I've started doing sprints on a treadmill (I'd do it outside by I completely destroyed my ankles in high school and any kind of outside running usually ends in them getting rolled or dislocated). On the treadmill I'll run 25 30-second on, 30-second off sprints.
>what kind of weights do you run?
Started with a push, pull, legs routine, and I've now moved onto 5/3/1 BBB.
Buying weights is really expensive, but if you're going to do the most effective routines all you'll need it a bench, a cage, a barbell, and some dumbbells. Don't go for machines or anything extravagant.

>>18277874
Hit me up your information senpai, where I can find those lines and advice for this kind of subjects?

i've had at least 5 severe depressive episodes in the last 4 years. hospitalizations and suicide attempts all that fun stuff

basically,

-meds do not help
-they make you feel worse
-do not take them
-exercise
-eat healthy
-try to socialize
-don't stay in bed too much


basically, keep active. this alone doesn't work for me because my depression is mainly genetic so i just have to let time do its thing until the episode is over. sometimes they're over a year in length but u gotta keep on truckin

>>18275776
You know how depression feels like banging your head against an impenetrable, unmovable wall?
Well if you bang your head hard enough against that figurative wall, you'll break out onto the other side.

Depression can only be beat with pure determination, you need disregard everything telling you that you'll fail and revolt against the entire world, it's not even important what you do, just do it with the motivation of a ubermensch.