If possible, I clean my house. I seldom get depressed, or anxious, but I find that the combination of exercise, keeping busy and creating order makes me feel better.
I’ll try again later… 4 times I have tried to post.
“drink vodka”
I do that for stress/anxiety
"Listen to Blues. The most down and dirty woman done me wrong life sucks gonna eat a shotgun Blues there is. For some reason it has the opposite effect on me and it makes me happier. "
Yup…and sometimes I go full tilt on the 60’s antiwar music.
I watch comedy movies.
I am Op.
I didn’t think anyone would even respond to this post.
I know people who crawl in bed and sleep.
Others read.
Others eat.
Others become “Bob Villa”…remodel their houses.
I feel really bad for long term chronic depressive people, there is no easy answer.
And for bi-polar individuals…Hang on, find the right combo.
I have chosen to believe mine is the “anger turned inward” form of depression. I drink vodka for anxiety… Then I read this …9 things I wish people understood about anxiety - Vox
Okay…something to think about.
I am 37 years-old. I have been depressed for as long as can remember. Perhaps there was a point 25+ years ago when I was not actually depressed but just anxious.
So, when I’m depressed I do whatever I have to do every day to live- eat, sleep, work, brush my teeth, shower, look after my kids, read stuff here, etc. Sometimes I get up and bake a cake or something. Sometimes I stay in bed.
Right on! So here’s what I did back in the day - Fantasized about (not contemplated) suicide on a daily basis for a couple of years, got counselling during the same time, and then a prescription for anti-depressants shortly after. I’m basically out of the hole now.
I write a lot of code. When my dad died I wrote a working HCS08 emulator. Fun times.
Foremost, I remind myself that I really do suffer from diagnosed depression, that I do feel lousy and it’s not just my being lazy or feeling sorry for myself. I remember the good periods I’ve had which have shown me I have at least the potential for functioning well and being happy. If it’s a gloomy gray day I turn on my lamp with the yellow bulb to make the light in my room cheerier. And I make a no-obligation 2-Do list: stuff I could accomplish no matter how minor, and then I do what I can. At the end of the day I can check it and say “OK, at least I got these done”.
I have clinical depression, so it’s a daily thing lurking in the background even with medication. On the bad days I:
Make myself tell my husband
Fight the urge to run away and be isolated, since being alone always makes it worse
Cry if I need to
Try to keep occupied. Sometimes it works. Usually I spend the time trying to decide on something to do since it all sounds terrible.
Wait
On days where it’s just a mopey kind of day:
Listen to music!
Try not to be self-conscious about bopping to the music!
Go for a walk, or at least sit outside and get some air
Play games or read
Try to figure out if doing something alone will help or if it’ll turn it from a funk into a bad day
Thank you!