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OP. I’ve been through this. Before taking anti depressants get your vitamin D levels checked . I was low on Vitamin D and just bumping that intake helped changed the day to day mood and outlook. Also if you have a friend or anyone else with whom you can just have regular conversations that helps too. Feel free to DM
OP here. Quit PwC without a job lined up and just put all my energy into my physical health and started doing mindfulness meditations.
I have a new job and I’m trying my best to build up some resilience before I get more responsibilities, but I feel like ultimately if I was able to keep healthy and keep work under control I can be happy.
I have. Key word is treated, not cured. But I strongly believe pills are not the solution. I battle both depression and anxiety and have found things that work for me. My biggest problem with anxiety was public speaking: my voice would quiver and my body would just shut down. It’s humiliating. Its ruined my presentations in school and now I’m dreading my life long friend’s wedding as he chose me to be his best man. I know I’ll have to give a speech. I’ve found that it gets better only as I do it more often. So for me it’s about practicing being uncomfortable. But I feel like I’m ranting here. I could go on but to summarize: I think that if you really analyze yourself enough you can eventually find the root of what is causing your anxiety and stress and treat it yourself.
Sorry- DM me again I deleted it by mistake!
I think the question of whether or not you can manage your depression/anxiety naturally depends greatly on where you fall on the severity spectrum. I had a child diagnosed with a genetic condition many years ago that pushed me into a deep depression. I would not have survived that acute phase without medication. That was many years ago and now I am able to manage my depression and anxiety naturally via exercise, meditation and supplements (mainly B12).
^this. Medication doesn’t have to be forever and if you feel like you can’t manage your anxiety / depression with healthy living alone, I would suggest considering a very low dosage (obviously talk to a doctor)
It can be a tool to help get yourself to the other side.
Good luck friend .
Rising Star
I think it really depends on the situation. My anxiety and depression was caused by work. So more on the burnout spectrum. Removing myself from the situation gave me the physical and mental space to work on my issues with a counselor. I was making next to no progress with the counselor while I was still in the situation.
When I went back to work, the anxiety and slight depression came back. Not nearly as bad as before, but it was there. Now, did I not take enough time to work it out, was the work situation just not okay for me? idk. But I do know that I'm removing myself from this particular work situation for good, because mental health is too important.
I'm sure there were other contributing factors,but as long as I'm not in a overwhelming situation triggering a more severe reaction, I feel like I can step away and find other ways to deal with it (extended time off, therapy, mindfulness, etc).
The sooner you address the issue with alternatives, the easier it is to assess what might work vs what might not.
I've been been off and on them since I was diagnosed with post partum with my first child. I tried the natural route and it worked, then life changed.
I've gradually come to accept I need this medicine and I will need it for the rest of my life, but I also have other medical issues that are also life long and require medicines and Dr and everything so I've come to the realization that yes, the natural route can work if you work hard at it and maintain it, but as soon as life throws long term curve balls... I wasn't able to keep it up.
Rising Star
Yes! 👏. My personal struggle right now is trying to figure out what is "best" for me. It truly is an experiment. This sort of worked, but is there something that works better. Questioning is this how I should feel. I'm glad to see people being more willing to seek help, myself included.
i think some don’t realize the impact of a healthy diet. i have caused myself so many caffeine and sugar induced panic/ anxiety attacks and as much as i love coffee i’ve switched to decaf. i send myself into downwards spirals and dig myself back out every time through getting back on track with a clean diet, workout, and often journaling or just keeping an agenda to stop feeling like i’m wasting my time or spinning out of control.
Here is what worked for anxiety in the following order:
CBT
Healthy diet - no processed foods
8 hrs of sleep
Meditation
Daily affirmations
Exercise
Cannibis
All of these things minus cannibis (makes me more anxious)
But mostly CBT and sleep.
Pro
Wow I’m so surprised and thankful for the responses and for everyone taking the time to share your experiences!
I signed up for therapy earlier this week, and am looking at what aspects of my life need to change in order for me to keep moving forward (rather than huddling in a blanket fort in bed just wanting to sleep)
Personally take Zoloft and plan to be on it forever but also go to therapy to work on different strategies to reduce stress. Used to eat paleo (now eat some legumes and some Greek yogurt so technically not paleo) and try to have a set workout routine. Overall I think all of it is helpful but found the medication to be the biggest factor for me.
I avoid taking medications that can cause dependencies or would require me to take them long term at all costs, so I'm right there with you.
TL;DR: I fight depression with finding challenge in life (work, set goals physically, etc.) and therapy.
I've battled depression since I was a teen. College was pretty rough too, but I've overcome (but still battle sometimes) my depression through primarily two ways.
1) I found a challenging and rewarding career. I'm not saying that it's the healthiest replacement but that's what works for me. Don't focus on the past, focus on how good life can be when you start building towards something - a career, a family, physically fit, whatever it is that makes you happy.
2) Therapy. I actually have been wanting to start up again bc having a normal cadence is really helpful bc whatever happens you know you have someone to discuss with if something crazy happens, you start feeling some of the same things again, etc.
Yes. Agree with a lot of the comments above. Healthy lifestyle, meditations, planning/making lists all help. Obviously you can’t avoid it all. And some of it is healthy and productive. But try to get to a balance.
Counseling helped me stay off meds. I need reminders of healthy habits, or ways of dealing with the intensity. I have anxiety and it doesn’t go away. It pushes me inward. Counseling has helped me accept that in a way opposite of how consulting made me feel. Exercise - good long distance running or something like an hour or two of focus somewhere else. Other distractions - hobbies and family.
Good luck! Everyone is different but you’ll find your balance!
Yes to all these things, and as a consideration: find a therapist who can make a plan for you that involves medication being temporary. I had the same hesitations and ultimately got through it on my own, but my therapist described medication as “a few week course of antibiotics.” You may need the medication to see a path forward during a particularly rough patch of life. But once you’ve cleared up enough sadness to fight your way through, you can get off the meds... just like you don’t need the antibiotics to boost your immune system. This therapist can’t also help you choose one with lesser withdrawal symptoms. It’s possible with planning and a really REALLY good therapist.
Highly recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Without-Freud-Prozac-Approaches/dp/1447211464
Beta blockers also help with your fight or flight aspect with social anxiety :)
OP, it took me years to get over the debilitating paralysis of depression. It was a combination of 7-8 of sleep, hiking every other weekend, settling small goals, daily affirmations, journaling my thoughts (most important for me), spending less time on my computer (less porn as well), and volunteering more often. I also lived in a very social city with a lot to do so some days I would just walk around, enjoy the city, go to a few different bars for a drink (possibly a bad idea for some). I also gave myself larger goals to focus on such as scoring well on the GMAT, getting into b school, making progress in my extracurricular activities, spending more time with my friends, etc.
I still feel depressed from time to time, but it’s no longer the laying on the couch in fetal position all day recognizing my day is lost at 11 am type of depression. It’s more so me recognizing I’m down for 12+ hours and taking the same steps as above. Fitness, expressing gratitude, and hanging out with my dog help the most today.
I don’t believe you’re supposed to be on them forever, although it probably depends on your issues. But the therapists I’ve seen all prescribe meds and also work with you to build the lifestyle and mental changes you need in order to overcome depression. Eventually you wean off of the meds. They’re basically training wheels for your brain, so it learns what chemicals it needs to produce that it wasn’t before, and how much you need.
Yes. Exercise first thing in the morning and make sure you take time to relax at night. Refuse to take medication for anxiety and dep
I was on them for a short while and am now working really hard to live a fulfilling life without them. Key to me was / is therapy. My therapist and I have worked to identify triggers that are not obvious but are in fact signals that something isn’t going right in my life. For example, my depression manifests as an eating disorder. I simply stop eating and stop considerable amounts of weight. If I notice myself starting to restrict food, I sit myself down and say “ok, what is off balance in my life?”