Sometimes it helps me to visualize my depression as an entity that I must vanquish. Before my depression renders me a lifeless shell I must weaken it. But how? It is my belief that any negative “force” in life grows bigger and unmanageable if we feed it. Depression needs fuel to keep it going. This analogy can work if we examine which of our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and actions provide fodder for the beast of depression. If we cease to fuel the monster it will die or at least be diminished to a size which we can more easily handle.
Here are some ways to deprive your depression from gathering strength:
1. Deprive your depression of purposelessness.
Certain phrases stick in your brain as in “I have no purpose” or “life has no meaning.” Depression is whispering these incantations in your ear. If you listen you will be lured in to believe. Once you believe you will make these otherwise throwaway thoughts your mantra. Starve your depression by not listening. The obvious rebuttal is that you DO have purpose. Maybe you haven’t found it yet. Perhaps it is difficult to enact your purpose. But you do have one.
How does one find purpose and meaning? Explore your gifts. Create. Build. Share your talents and gifts with others. Teach. Mentor. Volunteer. Be still and listen to your gut. What is it telling you that you have always wanted to do? Look at the people who have made the greatest difference in the world. Usually these are people that have been broken many times over. But in the end they challenged the belief that they didn’t matter. They found meaning beyond the pain and suffering in life.
De-fuel your depression by believing that you matter and have a purpose.
2. Deprive your depression of biological vulnerability.
It is my belief that an entrenched depression needs biological help. Sometimes we give our depression fuel by neglecting our physical body. When we feel physically unwell we are automatically more at risk for developing depression. In many instances an untreated medical condition can not only exacerbate depression but be a causal factor. An untreated thyroid condition, diabetes, and heart disease are just several medical conditions which are associated with depression.
Then too, there are elements of our lifestyle which can contribute to growing depression. When you don’t get the vitamins and nutrients you need from food and supplements depression can grow. Certain vitamin deficiencies such as a Vitamin B-12 deficiency have been linked to depression. Not sleeping well can be another factor in increasing your risk for depression. Individuals who do not get any exercise are also sitting ducks for depression.
De-fuel your depression by giving your body what it needs. See your doctor about how to treat any medical conditions you may have. Be diligent about eating right, getting a good night’s sleep, and getting some daily exercise.
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Hi Merely Me and all, great Article ! I think Sugar/Junk Food is a great fuel - er of Depression and needs to be avoided. When we become depressed, we crave the hit that Sugar gives [for a while, before the crash]. I think that defuelling Depression takes Self Discipline and being Pro active in our own Mental health. This is difficult just he way an athlete has to train. We need to avoid toxic people, alot of late nights, exaustion, tiredness, over stimulation, stress [easier said than done] but
I think we need to know when to pull on the brakes.
Eating healthily for me is a big one as I live alone. I take supplements too.
Something I'd like to add to that list of fuelling depression is COMPARISONS - that is comparing ourselves to others. Ive done it all my life. Its a futile exercise and leads to Depression. If I had her Education, his intelligence, her confidence, his charisma, her lack of anxiety etc etc., nobody knows whats around the corner for anyone else and everyones life looks greener pasture.
Ive also found that developing a spirit of Gratitude for what I do have is a de fueler of Depression.
Today I am grateful for the people on DC who are supportive and brave enough to share their experience and pain in order to help others in the same situation.
Don't say sugar Rose! I say it is a major food group. lol I love sugar and the carbs. I will have to change. My gallbladder told me so.
Comparisons...John just wrote about that not so long ago. Did you read his article? With comparisons...I usually am sad about comparisons with myself as in...gee...I used to be able to do this or that...and now it is really hard. I have always been pretty good about not comparing myself to others because..everyone is so different. Some days I would like to trade brains just to see what that would be like but...I am stuck with being me. Might as well...get used to it. :>)
Here is a comparison here...I used to be able to remember things...wanted to comment more about what you said but...my mind is a...a...uh...whatchumacall it...sieve? collander? see?
Now what were we talking about?
Merely Me I didnt infact read Johns article, must do. Comparison is Depressions best friend, as is isolation when were not feeling good. I'm not talking about
the enjoyment of some of us introverts being alone. I mean just Duvet Diving and
going underground when Depression strikes hard. Its hard to lift up the phone.
Thats where having a few good friends who understand is far better than having
100s on Facebook. I can relate to the brain fog... i forget peoples names when
Im introducing or trying to remember who sang a song or who wrote a book and
Im now starting to look for my reading glasses when wearing them !!!!
My Grandma did the very same. lol.
Here Rose before I forget...here is John's post about self esteem and comparing yourself to others.
Yeah...I am doing the forgetting the glasses thing now...sometimes I have one pair on my face...and am wearing two pairs on top of my head. Names of people and movies and...common objects sometimes escapes me. It is a funny thing when I am trying to describe a movie I saw...
"You know that movie with...with that guy who was in...that other show I can remember with the girl with the red hair...yeah that one."
Post it notes have become my friend. I have some pretty pink ones...helps me to remember what I need to remember...which is a lot.
Yes Merely Me, those Post it notes are a lifesaver. I used to put them up in the
Bathroom, written on them 'I am a worthwhile person, worthy of respect' things like that, now I use them to remind me to get Milk. Which, I went to the Supermarket to get especially today and came home without...... see what I mean ? its called getting older. Thanks for the link to johns article. Starve the Big D of Fuel thats what I say.
Rose, I read a magazine article this week that said not only to put up "nice to self" notes in your home, but make a few extra and stick them on the mirrors in public restrooms. What I have done is take an old too-pink lipstick and used it to put a face-sized heart on the mirror where I apply my makeup every morning. So when I look in the mirror, I am looking right at this symbol of love. Also wrote LUV YA above it. A good way to start the day.
Donna
Go for it girl. Go buy , treat yourself to a big heart shaped mirror and put pink fairy lights around it. Bring out the child in you and do all the things you want to do, whether its considered childlike or not. I think your great, I love the message written above the mirror too !!
Rose, I agree with you. Sugar is my worst enemy when I am depressed. I crave it to the point of feeling ill if I don't get sweets. It is only in my mind I know, but I am having a terrible time kicking this awful habit.
Also the comparing myself to everyone else. I don't know why we do this but I have done it all my life as well. We never meet up to the other person, never. So, why does our brain feel the need to play this dirty trick on us over and over again?
Evil, rotten brains anyway!
I forget peoples names when introduces, almost immediatly. I'm so nervous, the name goes in one ear and out the other and its gone.
I also have terrible time with brain fog. Some times I can't even spit the words that I am trying to say, out of my mouth. They are stuck.
I have to keep a "paper brain" with me all the time, to remember things I need to do. I have to jump up and write them on the paper brains I have around so I will not forget them. If I don't go write them down right away, I will forget them.
I used to have a post-it-note in my bathroom (inside the medicine cabinet) where I could see it everyday that said, "You Suck - Fix Yourself!"
Hi Rena, you sound just like me. With me when I try to talk sometimes my mouth is so dry I can hardly talk. It's the medication that does that and the memory problem most people with depression and other's have the same problem. If I don't write it down I also will forget so the paper brain, great name for it I have one too.
The Few,...The Prowd,...Yeah for the disfunctionally organized!
If it weren't for my "Paper Brain", and my wall calendar, I'd be lost.
P.S. What's up with you and Saturdays? I'm sorry that today has caused you so much anxiety. Is there anything you can do to fill up your time on days like this? I am a rotating shift worker so no particular day is a bad one for me. Is it because things are closed? Do you have people visit you on Saturdays? What gives?
Thank you for writing. No I don't have anything to fill my day on Saturday. I am receiving SSDI and have $5.00 to my name until Wednesday. Also my sister
relinquished my dog back to me. She had been taking care of him because the apartments I'm staying at require $295.00 deposit and an increase of rent $25.00 for having a pet.
The reason she had to give him back to me was as he got older going on 5 and neutered, Her dog and mine no longer got along. Also he started nipping at people he didn't know. Not maliciously but trying to protect her. He never bit anyone just
nipped at them and she couldn't take a chance of someone taking her to court over it. So now I have him and since I am moving on the 27th of this month and the apartments I am going to allow's dog's, with a Dr's excuse, I will be fine with him being here until I move. I love him being here even though it is an extra expense.
Also I have been feeling sick for the last two months, nausea. I've been to my PCP and a gastroenterologist and no one can find out why I stay so sick all the time. Not even medication helps, and I've tried them all.
All of this comes down to stressed all the time.
Well sorry I went way off the subject. But I use to hang out at my sister's on the weekend and stopped because I had to leave my dog at home. He really is too spoiled lol.
So why don't I like Saturday's? There's allot of reasons all rolled up into one.
I'm glad that you are moving to a place that will allow your dog. Pets are such a good thing. I have three little dogs that are spoiled rotten as well. They are so theraputic when I am feeling my worst. They give you unconditional love and never judge. What kind of dog is yours? Mine are 2-pomeranians and a chichiwawa. I love them all.
Can you spend some time on Saturdays taking your dog out for walks or to a park. Maybe this would be more positive time for you and not cost a dime.
I have trouble with nausea as well. Mine is caused from the medications I take for RA. I really feel for you.
Take care of you and your baby!
Hi Rena, my sweet baby is a Maltipoo. Part Maltese and part poodle. He is 5 going on 2 lol. Quiet the hand full. I'll put his picture, thought it's not up to date, on my profile.
At least you know why your nauseated at least that's a small plus for the pain you go through with that disease.
Pat
Romeo is an absolute doll! How cute.
I bet he is a ton of fun. My furry little girls are Dezi, Pearl and Rita. Have a great day!
It was very nice talking with you too. It is nice to be able to communicate with people here and not have all the anxiety. I am much more relaxed here than face to face conversations. I don't do very well with those usually.
Have a nice day and give Romeo a pet for me!
Hi Rena, I forgot to tell you why I can't take Romeo for a walk. I can't afford the medication that prevents ticks and fleas. I don't want to take any chances.
I'll give Romeo a big kiss for you
Have a good day what's left of it.
I'm going to try to go to my support group tomorrow.
I wish that I had a support group in my area to go to. My therapist is trying to talk me into coming to a meditation class that she teaches every fall. Have you ever tried anything like that? I have never tried any type of class like that. I always worry about fitting in or making a complete idiot of myself.
Have fun at your support group tomorrow.
I think of joining a meditation class. First I got to find one and second if I can afford it. There are tapes for people who want to meditate.
Have a great night.
Hi there, I totally agree with you. How come our Brains dont learn that this system of thinking perpetuates Depression. The Comparison Trap !
Also the 'If only I had done this.. that...' or 'I should have done this that' all these fuel Depression. Comparing the hardest. Ive more or less cut out the 'if onlys' and 'I should have' because, being in the past, there's nothing I can do
but the Comparison trap is still a hard one to climb out of.
I agree. Our brains are like bad politicians who tell us lies about ourselves. I am trying to learn how (suggestions from my therapist) to learn to feel and be in tune with my body and not my mind. We need to listen to our bodies more. They don't tell us lies!