[NF] 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 I also become very withdrawn, i don't say as much as i normally would, and i can't focus on anything, except for negative things in my imagination.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!

 

[Atomic Fiend]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

QFT.

 

[ladypinkington]

Ah- when I am depressed- I go into what I call the ABYSS OF DESPAIR.

Just what is the Abyss of Despair-
it is when you lay in bed all day with your clothes on and you are paralyzed by your overwhelming emotions- so much so that you become numb and unable to do anything. You think of what is upsetting you from every single possible angle overanalyze the hell out of it and then you start on a downward spiral where everyone and everything is against you and how everything is going down to hell and why is it so hard to be me.

You stay in there until someone pulls your butt out and makes you talk about what is going on with you- why you are upset and etc. This person must remind you of the good things- and how the world may be against you but they are not and beat into your head positive thoughts. Being held helps me come out of it as well.

A lot of times- most of the time the trip to the Abyss is the result of frustrating/hurtful social interactions- and so I need a positive social interaction to really get out of it.

Another thing that helps me come out of the Abyss is by taking the Depressed Persian Tow Truck Man remedy where you look at the news and what is going on with the rest of the world- people struggling and going through more unfortunate things then you are going through and get humbled
and start counting your blessings instead of counting your woes.

Depends on if the paralyzation happens in a room with a t.v. or not.
Even if so I still need someone to talk to about it with.

So I don't know that I deal with depression- because the few times it overwhelms me -I don't do anything- I am paralyzed and numb.
It doesn't happen often and when it does it is actually pretty easy to get me out of it- I have to talk about what is going on with me and feel understood and be reminded of the positive but I will not actively seek it- it has to be forced out of me.

Thank God for the butt-kickers is all I have to say,lol.

 

[Domino]

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?

I kill. And kill and kill and kill til killin' is no longer possible. And then I kill some more!

Or I read. You know. Either or.

 

[disregard]

1. Daily exercise in nature. After about a half hour, your mind clears and one enters a state of inner calm.
2. Daiy meditation. For those not skilled in the art of meditation, reading will suffice. The point is to focus the mind and usher out all clutter.
3. Daily meaningful communication of ideas, expressions, sentiments, whathaveyou with those in your community of choice.
4. Proper nutrition & sufficient sleep helps.
5. Daily study of the Tao. It puts things into perspective and takes one outside of one's ego and petty emotions.

 

[cheap]

"Abyss of Despair" is a great way to put it! It actually made me smile

I take a lot to heart and will let it stay with me for as long as my heavy sentiments need to in order to naturally calm down and pass away. I distract myself with nothing, no humourous happier people when I am depressed. I want to do is absorb, analyze and elaborate on everything in my journal that derives from this one accumulated experience which broke the camel's back, extracting every bit of emotional juice possible from it in order to perceive a meaningful reason for it. Basically, I dwell within myself and embrace the negative energy, it grounds me, makes me feel like a real person. I often learn a lot while I'm depressed, about myself, about which subsequent positive outlooks gives me most hope.

Maybe this means I won't get drained as easily if I ever have to be there for depressed people later on in life, I would consider that to be a blessing.

I figure that being attracted to melancholia is normal, I find it beautiful, but being happier depressed? It has much to do with feeling more compassionate in such states, without suffering we wouldn't stress ourselves over the importance of empathy. I'd love to be able to rejoice in other people's jovial joy more often, even though *too much* laughter drains and dampens my spirits, deep down I'd like to think, I mean I know I would rather they be happy.

Another thing that helps me come out of the Abyss is by taking the Depressed Persian Tow Truck Man remedy where you look at the news and what is going on with the rest of the world- people struggling and going through more unfortunate things then you are going through and get humbled
and start counting your blessings instead of counting your woes.

 

[Skyward]

I seem to feel in a constant state of melancholy, the feeling of your heart being slightly heavy. But I can tell when I hit a depression when I just become sunken, it feels as though my heart had a large weight tied to it.

Ive only been in a noticeably deep depression once, and I'm thankful for that. It was due to my own blunder that hurt someone I cared for deeply. I was only a little depressed over the mistake until I actually learned how deep it stabbed them. That's when I crashed.

-----
I know I'm depressed when I gravitate to more black music, such as Dimmu Borgir. (YouTube - Dimmu Borgir - The Serpentine Offering)

My 'Depression Themesong' is 'Clayman' by In Flames (The band has a lot of great upbeat songs... granted its deathmetal. The Clayman CD in particular)
YouTube - In Flames Clayman rare
http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/In-Flames/Clayman.html
-----

What helped me through it was the understanding of a couple friends of mine. They helped me get a hope for the exit, which is the biggest step for getting out. (You have to want to leave before you can... or your friends can make you want to leave, kind of like bouncers.)

 

[quietmusician]

Ignore it until I can't.

 

[the state i am in]

withdraw. kick the jukebox until it spits out the right song (if there is one). write, write, write. i have been trying to do a better job not avoiding and ignoring my feelings when they are bringing me down. plus, the ascent out of the abyss is one of the greatest most triumphant feelings on the planet. to me, it IS usually Ni that helps me out, somehow using Ti and Ni i have this profound realization that is so cathartic and freeing i feel perfect for a bit, ecstatic and free

 

[BlueScreen]

I tend to explore it, until I get what is going on. The act of studying myself and being honest with myself often brings me out of it also. I think that's more type 4 than NF though. Maybe being ENFP makes it less hazardous to do.