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My Cure for Depression

Typology

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...if you will.

I'm going to throw this out there now and let people kind of mull over it as they see fit. I'll probably add more later but for now I'll just put this up.

In order of importance...

1. Consistent 7-8 hours of sleep with consistent sleep schedule. What I usually do is a 12-7:30 type of schedule with minor descrepencies* depending on how early or late I have to wake up the next morning.

2. Exercise. I'm not talking walking for twenty minutes every day from point A to point B, but legitimate exercise to the point of exhaustion. The best part about this aspect, probably my favorite, is the variability of the options that you can use to fulfill this. You can lift weights, go for a jog, go for a bike ride, play basketball, ultimate, etc. It's not always limited to one thing, and it's generally advised to change it up so you don't become accustomed to doing the same thing.

3. The easiest one of the three, even thought it may cost you a few dollars, is an Omega 3 + 6 fish oil supplement...it kind of ties the other two together into a calm and relaxed package. Good for the heart too, so that's a plus.

But yeah, that's what I have found that seems to work very well for me, but you definately have to do it on a consistent basis to really get everything you can out of it.

Thoughts and opinions are definately encouraged!
 

Fecal McAngry

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5000-10000 IU/day of Vitamin D3 in gelcap (not tablet) form...

OR

exposure to intense sunlight while mostly naked for 15-30 mins/day...
 

Moiety

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This is a solid method for sure. It really does work. I've done all of those and in just one week one feels a whole lot better.
 

Fluffywolf

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I have very irregular sleeping patterns and lots of lack of sleep, I don't really exercise. And I don't pay attention to my diet either. Yet I'm not depressed.

Just saying, if these changes could battle depression, why am I not depressed? I think there's much more to depression, and although these methods may lighten or remove most of them, there is clearly more to it than that. Unless I'm just incapable of being depressed for some reason. :p
 

INTP

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Purified fish oil is far better, and krill oil may be better still.

are you 100% sure that you know whats your talking about?

little that i know about this, it seems that hemp oil is better than fish oil

Hemp Oil

Inferiority of Fish Oils

This was pretty interesting:
Because our brains are made of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, many assume that the only way you should obtain these is by eating such things as fish, which have the long-chain fats. Such plant sources as hemp seed oil, coconut oil, and flax seed oil are made up mainly of medium-chain fats, which non-vegetarians quickly point out. However, when long-chain fatty acids are eaten, they must be emulsified by bile salts in the small intestine before they can be absorbed into the body. Short- and medium-chain fatty acids are absorbed directly through the portal vein to the liver, where they are immediately available to the body.
 

Moiety

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I have very irregular sleeping patterns and lots of lack of sleep, I don't really exercise. And I don't pay attention to my diet either. Yet I'm not depressed.

Just saying, if these changes could battle depression, why am I not depressed? I think there's much more to depression, and although these methods may lighten or remove most of them, there is clearly more to it than that. Unless I'm just incapable of being depressed for some reason. :p


Your logic is very flawed for an INTP. A -> B is not the same as A <-> B.

Otherwise people who didn't do all three would be depressed, yes, which everyone knows is NOT the case :p It's simply a matter of the body responding to this sort of stimuli positively when one IS depressed.
 
P

Phantonym

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But yeah, that's what I have found that seems to work very well for me, but you definately have to do it on a consistent basis to really get everything you can out of it.

Yes, I agree with this. It's working for me as well, not exactly as a "cure" but they do help in some ways, so I can vouch for it. Consistency is the key. :yes: Reviewing one's diet in general might be a good idea as well. I've gotten good results from it. Keep up the good work! :)

Just saying, if these changes could battle depression, why am I not depressed? I think there's much more to depression, and although these methods may lighten or remove most of them, there is clearly more to it than that. Unless I'm just incapable of being depressed for some reason. :p

Yes, of course there's much more to depression, you know better than that. :D And there are many different variations and levels of depression. This method isn't really the "cure" for depression as the issues causing the depression are not addressed. The OP wasn't exactly particular about whether this is the only thing they're doing or is it something that is done in support of some other methods. But it might help to maintain some kind of positive balance for people who really are depressed when it's done in support of other methods as well.
 

Loxias

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I have very irregular sleeping patterns and lots of lack of sleep, I don't really exercise. And I don't pay attention to my diet either. Yet I'm not depressed.

You might have DSPS (Delayed Sleep Pattern Syndrome).
Check this site, the software for sleep charting is pretty awesome.
 

Fluffywolf

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Your logic is very flawed for an INTP. A -> B is not the same as A <-> B.

Otherwise people who didn't do all three would be depressed, yes, which everyone knows is NOT the case :p It's simply a matter of the body responding to this sort of stimuli positively when one IS depressed.

Actually, the logic wasn't flawed in its intention, intended as a mockery of the OP's post. I just didn't want to be blunt about it. Just wanted a simple point across without anyone feeling hurt over it. :p

I was just adding a dimension to the topic, since the topic states that this is a cure for depression.
That this can help with depressions, I've no doubt. But that this can help with everyones depression is a wrong assumption.

If this was a surefire way to cure all depressions. Such easy to follow physical guidelines. Then it's like saying, if you're depressed, you're stupid. Because it's easy not to be depressed. Doesn't quite work like that, though. So if you spotted the faults in my logic, why did you not spot the faults in the OP's logic which resulted in my faulty logic. Which I intended anyways. :p

But anyway, didn't want to drag it out in a large discussion. So I'll stick with my previous post which was sufficiently thought provoking. :p
 

LeafAndSky

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Yes, starting to exercise kept me off meds during a touch-and-go hard time, and it can still keep me balanced. I've stopped exercising and have seen/felt the difference. I have a family history.

I would recommend it to anyone -- and I regularly do.

My exercise is mostly done outdoors, though, so sunlight might have to be factored in.
 

Fluffywolf

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There's actually something else that bothers me.

In the context of this topic. It doesn't seem to matter 'why' someone is depressed. Whilest to me, the 'why' seems to be the single most important factor in battling the depression. Any action taking like the ones above, does not deal with the core problem why someone is depressed. So how can it cure the depression?

Or am I wrong in that assumption?

I don't think I've ever really been depressed as some people get depressed. I've been distressed before, but I think that's something else.
 

LeafAndSky

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There's actually something else that bothers me.

In the context of this topic. It doesn't seem to matter 'why' someone is depressed. Whilest to me, the 'why' seems to be the single most important factor in battling the depression. Any action taking like the ones above, does not deal with the core problem why someone is depressed. So how can it cure the depression?

Or am I wrong in that assumption?

I don't think I've ever really been depressed as some people get depressed. I've been distressed before, but I think that's something else.

'Why' is a very good thing to figure out. If you can. But things run together. Like, I had a counselor tell me that my initial episode was situational depression that, because of family history or likely genetic predisposition, spiraled into something more serious. It might not have gotten so serious, had the situation been nipped in the bud, but I was young and stupid. ;)

Actual clinical depression feels worlds different than sadness, funk, etc.
 

Kasper

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I was just adding a dimension to the topic, since the topic states that this is a cure for depression.
That this can help with depressions, I've no doubt. But that this can help with everyones depression is a wrong assumption.

Amen and

There's actually something else that bothers me.

In the context of this topic. It doesn't seem to matter 'why' someone is depressed. Whilest to me, the 'why' seems to be the single most important factor in battling the depression. Any action taking like the ones above, does not deal with the core problem why someone is depressed. So how can it cure the depression?

Or am I wrong in that assumption?

I don't think I've ever really been depressed as some people get depressed. I've been distressed before, but I think that's something else.

Amen.

Sure there are certain things people can do like those points mentioned in the OP, simple things that can be quite effective, but they are not the 'cure' for depression, for some people those elements can be present and yet depression still coexists and for some the depression will not subside until the root causes are dealt with.

CzeCze posted a cool shortlist once of things that someone who is depressed could do to help them cope, but none of these things will pull someone out of depression unless it's something like seasonal affective disorder type stuff.


ETA, here's CzeCze's post:

Depression - existential or clinical?

I always say start with the basics and see how life is like from there.

Sleep well, eat well, drink plenty of fluids, get enough sunlight and excercise. Stay away from too much: coffee, nicotine, sugar, alcohol, anything addictive.

Step two:

Cut out toxicity from your life, including the sources inside you.

Step three:

Find things and people that activate you and make you joyful. That make you feel like the person you want to be or give you the hope that you can get there.

And definitely, avoid being an automaton. Don't go on autopilot or deaden yourself as a coping mechanism. And be a good person, truly kind, honest, not vindicative, or malicious, let go of pain from situations that are no longer in your control or in the past (which is also out of your control)

Demand the best from yourself and from others and be ready to step up to the plate.

Hope that helps!
 

Moiety

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Actually, the logic wasn't flawed in its intention, intended as a mockery of the OP's post. I just didn't want to be blunt about it. Just wanted a simple point across without anyone feeling hurt over it. :p

I was just adding a dimension to the topic, since the topic states that this is a cure for depression.
That this can help with depressions, I've no doubt. But that this can help with everyones depression is a wrong assumption.

If this was a surefire way to cure all depressions. Such easy to follow physical guidelines. Then it's like saying, if you're depressed, you're stupid.

No, because knowing the path and walking the path are two different things. When I've felt depressed I did know all these things but I just didn't feel motivated enough to do them. It wasn't stupidity of course.

But sure enough, very slowly I started unwillingly taking these steps. Exercise in particular was a huge help. I hate exercise tho, but immediately started noticing improvements.
 

Kasper

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3. The easiest one of the three, even thought it may cost you a few dollars, is an Omega 3 + 6 fish oil supplement...it kind of ties the other two together into a calm and relaxed package. Good for the heart too, so that's a plus.

Any recommended alternatives for fish oil?
 

Typology

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I don't think I was entirely clear about the intended meaning behind the title of the thread. When I say 'My Cure,' what I mean by that is that it has worked for me as of late. Of course there is no single cure for depression, as every case has it's own individual factors that can cause various forms of depression. I put this thread out there to bounce this idea off of everybody, and maybe give other people another option to try or add to their lifestyle and see how it works for them.
 

Ivy

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These are good recommendations. They will probably help a pretty large percentage of people with depression. Like others have said, depression is a complicated illness with a complicated set of causes. Some people might have the symptoms of depression because of factors that can be fixed by these interventions, but if they have an actual factual brain chemistry issue this might not work as well as antidepressants would.

Trinity: hemp oil is a really good non-animal source of omegas. So is flaxseed oil.
 

Fecal McAngry

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are you 100% sure that you know whats your talking about?

little that i know about this, it seems that hemp oil is better than fish oil

Hemp Oil

Inferiority of Fish Oils

This was pretty interesting:
The conversion rate for short chains into more effective long chains is variable and low; taking long chains directly is far more effective for body comp, mood and to control inflammation.
 
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