What is your best advice to someone struggling with depression?

[princeofromance]

[SamWinchester058]

It depends... are you controlling the controllables? Have you recently had your blood analyzed? Eating well for 60% of your meals or better? Exercising daily. Taking vitamins. Getting sunlight exposure? It's true that depression does make find motivation harder but these items listed above can be slowly built into a routine. Exercise being the primary selection from the list above. Especially for men. I have suffered from life long depression. I recently quit drinking and have been pushing a health routine hard. I've started feeling better.

[AaronKrieger]

Start small in improving your life, but I do heavily suggest reflecting on your habits and thinking about how they affect you. From there, try changing them one at a time.

For example, a lot of people think hitting a heavy bag is a good way to let off steam, but it actually reinforces in your head that you should hit things when angry. Small things like that do matter.

[Simslover92]

As someone who was clinically diagnosed with depression, the only thing that will help is a willingness to want to get help. Surround yourself with the people that love you. Go to therapy and try to get on medication. All these things will help but it starts with the will to want to be better. That takes a lot of time to get to that point but once you're at rock bottom, the only way is up.

[MemeSupreme]

if you mean the disorder then literally meds and a therapist. they'll help guide you

but if you're like going through a period of it, then honestly just go through it. process everything and slowly rebuild your life back up (which ik is hard)

[Sonorous]

I'd say to not try to categorize it. The key to becoming more normalized is to start acting & living like you're not what you don't want to be. Non depressed people don't even think of themselves as depressed even if they might exhibit signs. They'd just say they'd feeling down or feeling sad & then they'd do things to change it.

[AndrésC64]

I'd say the first thing that you should do is talk to a professional. As you might expect, they will ask lots of questions They can then give you a diagnosis and a plan of action. They may suggest therapy, medication, some combination of those two. Maybe something else. But don't worry about either one, I've done both. 😬

[Geo1970]

Stay away from anti depressants, make sure that you are filling your days with as many stimulation, both mentally and physically and spend more with positive people.

[Nikki1989]

Depression saps motivation, making self-care feel monumental. Start small.

[MrChinaski]

To quote Winston Churchill, a lifelong depressant: If you are going through hell, keep going.

[NathanDavis]

allow yourself to seek help

[NathanDavis]

and allow yourself to get help when it seeks you...

[FunkyMonkee]

CUT IT OUT!!! RIGHT NOW!!!

[WhitneySnow]

Get therapy

[MrChinaski]

There is some evidence cognitive behavioural therapy has a small positive effect. Mostly the meds work by flattening affect, ie you lose the sad but also lose the happy.

[WhitneySnow]

@bddddd talk therapy with meds is really effective

[MrChinaski]

Well I agree it is worth trying. It works for some and not for others, is my reading of the science.

[WhitneySnow]

@bddddd true

[AndrésC64]

Absolutely. Talk to a professional.

[RedInnocent69]

Beats me. Really depends on the person, I exoect