NFs: How do you deal with depression?

[DigitalMethod]

I'm just curious about how NFs deal with depression in their life. Basically, what are the symptoms (how do you know you are?), how you deal with it, what seems to help, and what was the cause?

[scantilyclad]

I have a lot of trouble dealing with depression, i had to take medication for a long time, but now i'm learning to deal with it without medication, and it's highly difficult. I've learned that i have to stay positive to keep myself from getting in a rut and i have to work through the things that typically cause my depression like...making decisions/choices and doing more things than i can handle. I also have to keep myself from having negative thoughts and visions about my future. If i feel like i'm failing at life and that it will no longer amount to anything, then my depression becomes overwhelming and i can't deal with life in general anymore.

As far as symptoms go; i know i'm starting to get depressed when all of my thoughts and feelings are very negative. I feel worthless and i feel like no one cares. I start eating and sleeping more and i have great difficulty bringing myself to do regular things, like..taking a shower or cooking dinner. I also become very withdrawn, i don't say as much as i normally would, and i can't focus on anything, except for negative things in my imagination.

SUCKS!

[Silently Honest]

This is a difficult question because when I'm depressed I cannot think clearly at all. All I feel like doing is sleeping and being left alone, I'd forget to eat if I didn't live with someone. Whenever I fall into a depressive state it would be wise just to leave me be, or perhaps not. I'm not too sure because my state of awareness is crap during those times. I've been known to become physically ill when depressed also, in fact almost every time I've been depressed, I've become physically ill because of "emotional distress" as I've been told it is called by many physicians.

The only thing that's ever worked for me is leaving a situation completly, if it's a situation that you can leave.

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by DigitalMethod

I'm just curious about how NFs deal with depression in their life. Basically, what are the symptoms (how do you know you are?), how you deal with it, what seems to help, and what was the cause?

Symtoms: Missing the "spark", "bounce," whatever you want to call it that drives me to do everything. It's pretty easy to tell.

Deal with it: Go hang out with happy people. I hate letting anyone know there is something wrong with me because I feel like a complainer, plus I tend to take on some of the attitudes of the people around me, so those two together help a lot..."acting" happy (not rolling around in the depression) and being in a happy/energetic/whatever enviornment.

Eventually, though, that is only a temporary fix, and the root of the depression may have to be examined if the depression is long-term.

Cause: A big one is things not working out the way I want them to when there is the potential for them to be. Bad things happening to good people. Umm...sitting still and studying alone for too long...and others

[Flush]

Originally Posted by Silently Honest

This is a difficult question because when I'm depressed I cannot think clearly at all.

That's odd, when I'm depressed I feel that I think extremely clearly.
I have very dark thoughts going through my head, and I see all the bad and ugly things in life instead of the beatiful things.
When I'm happy it feels like I ignore the crappy things about life and society, and I often feel bad about it. Sometimes I feel so bad that it causes a depression.

How do I deal with it?
I write a lot. I spend much of my time writing, and eventually it will get better.
I don't go out and have a good time, because I don't want to. I would just be in my own world anyway, which will most likely make my presence a burden.

My english is pretty bad, so I can't express my thoughts the way I want to.

[Lookin4theBestNU]

I actually learned through studying MBTI that I am going to go through "downtimes" and it's natural to my temperament. I accepted that and get through those periods now with relative ease. I journal/blog to gain perspective. I used to get overly depressed when I was younger and actually found that one of the major causes was losing perspective! A propensity for blowing things out of proportion coupled with an aversion to asking for help makes me stay alert to warning signals. For me these are: being completely and totally down on myself and withdrawing from others. I have to be very careful too when I plan something and I fail. I take great pride in things I set out to do....losing confidence can set the stage for the negative self talk. This negative self talk is always with me honestly though I am not sure if other NFs have the same experience. I am better some days at keeping it quiet then I used to be. I am also self-aware to the point that if my tactics for avoiding depression do not work I am quite willing to swallow my pride and take some low-dosage anti-depressants.

[cafe]

I don't usually realize I'm depressed until I start to come out of it, unless it's a pretty major depression. What tends to ebb and flow are my energy levels. If they get low enough I start to have difficulty keeping up with things and then I start to get down on myself and it goes into a cycle that's hard to get out of. My moods appear to be very influenced by the season and the weather. Winters are especially hard.

I deal with it by accepting that I'm just that way, cutting myself some slack in the hard seasons and trying to make up for it in the good ones. I make a conscious effort to cultivate a positive outlook. I don't think you can mind-over-matter a major depressive episode, but I think it can maybe help you keep out of them a little longer and get out of them a little sooner than you might otherwise.

I'm also very fortunate to have a husband who keeps me laughing. I think he spends a decent part of his work day thinking of dumb jokes to tell me when he gets home. Somehow that helps.

[Griffi97]

Originally Posted by cafe

I'm also very fortunate to have a husband who keeps me laughing. I think he spends a decent part of his work day thinking of dumb jokes to tell me when he gets home. Somehow that helps.

Tee hee, you are very lucky.

[anii]

Exercise is one of the best antidepressants around. If I can do it out in nature, even better.

[Sarcasticus]

Originally Posted by anii

Exercise is one of the best antidepressants around. If I can do it out in nature, even better.

QFT.