Apparently MDMA/ecstasy is now being explored for use on depression. Some recreational drugs and up being adopted in medicine. — Andrew4Handel

Ketamine is a drug that I haven't tried but making the news recently. I don't have enough money to visit a ketamine clinic, and my psychotic disorder would prevent me from trying it in controlled settings. Oh well. I guess it's more SSRI's for me.

I wish I could capture that wonder of life again. Do you feel that sometimes when you rummage around in your own time machine that is your brain? — Posty McPostface

I like the notion of the brain as a time machine!

I don't know if I want to recapture the wonder of life or rather create a new more realistic wonder.

I am never going to appreciate presents like I did as a child. But I suppose that you can recreate similar experiences, treating yourself, buying yourself gifts, trying to recreate the attitude, trying to be more childlike impulsive and less cynical.

If a depression is largely biological then it might require brain intervention more than behavioral intervention. If your childhood felt good then maybe adulthood is too much a disappointment?

I am quite sympathetic to the Freudian unconscious. I think we might repress or forget the source of our mental distress and have repressed anger etc. For example my parents were not affectionate and so I did not expect it from them so now I am closed off emotionally. I feel uncomfortable with affection and feel I don't need it. I am quite certain that a lot of events from childhood have affected my psyche where I find it hard to renormalize my world view. I think it is going to be hard to ever get my self esteem back.

I don't even know where to start — Posty McPostface

Have you tried writing about your feelings and analyzing them that way?.

I don't know if I want to recapture the wonder of life or rather create a new more realistic wonder. — Andrew4Handel

Is this another way of stating disenfranchisement with adult life?

If a depression is largely biological then it might require brain intervention more than behavioral intervention. If your childhood felt good then maybe adulthood is too much a disappointment? — Andrew4Handel

Indeed. Adult life has been nothing but pain and sorrow for me. I want to go back!

I am quite sympathetic to the Freudian unconscious. I think we might repress or forget the source of our mental distress and have repressed anger etc. For example my parents were not affectionate and so I did not expect it from them so now I am closed off emotionally. I feel uncomfortable with affection and feel I don't need it. I am quite certain that a lot of events from childhood have affected my psyche where I find it hard to renormalize my world view. I think it is going to be hard to ever get my self esteem back. — Andrew4Handel

What's self-esteem? I have a notoriously low self-esteem.

Have you tried writing about your feelings and analyzing them that way?. — Andrew4Handel

I have tried that. Nothing seems to want to surface. I feel like I might be repressing a lot of crap. I don't know how to access it.

my psychotic disorder would prevent me from trying it — Posty McPostface

I can't comment on psychotic disorders because I haven't experienced them so I am not sure what advice could be given there. I can kind of rationalize depression anxiety as rational disorders but am Not sure what could cause things that give wild mental states, hallucinations and so on.

It is probably worth just continuing different treatments. It disturbs me when people stop medication even though it was helping them and I am reluctant to completely stop myself because they might still be doing something substantial whereas some peoples mental health rapidly declines because they refuse to take medication.

I don't know of anyone who has "recovered".

They only cope. They do not recover.

It is probably worth just continuing different treatments. — Andrew4Handel

I've tried so many. Dunno what's left to do about the depression. I even tried disidentifying with my depression, to no avail due to its intrinsic nature.

They only cope. They do not recover. — hks

Indeed. So, how do you cope with depression then?

Is this another way of stating disenfranchisement with adult life? — Posty McPostface

I think the wonder of adulthood is different than the naive wonder of childhood. Life is usually never perfect and as an adult you can see lots of things that need altering or improving. If society is getting you down then there might be some actions you can take even though it seems like a David vs Goliath struggle.

You might need to search around for new things to interest you.

Have you tried any changes to your diet and exercise habits?

Anything is a lot to ask for someone who may feel like they are trapped in the bottom of a damp well, wrapped in a straitjacket with a bag over there head.

I simply do not get depressed. I was born with enough brain chemistry that depression does not affect me. This makes me an eternal optimist. And as a child my Catholic religious background taught me to love God (the God of St. Peter, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John) and not blame God for anything. In my latter life I have become a Deist and thus God is not to blame for anything and we should thank God for everything we have. Life is better than death. And death is inevitable so you might as well enjoy life for however long it last.

I've tried so many. Dunno what's left to do about the depression. I even tried disidentifying with my depression, to no avail due to its intrinsic nature. — Posty McPostface

I have tried various things but I am still trying something new at the moment . I feel like the right therapist might be able to delve deeply into your mind and give advice that way. I don't think anyone here is likely to give you better advice.

I have tried that. Nothing seems to want to surface. I feel like I might be repressing a lot of crap. I don't know how to access it. — Posty McPostface

I don't find writing helpful at the moment although I am considering writing something fictional as therapy. But it does help some people.

In my case I feel I know a lot of what is causing my issues and spend a lot of time thinking about it. But in a way I also feel nervous at writing about my issues and exploring them to closely so fiction might be a disguised way of exploring an issue.

In the end either you can cope with your life or you can't and it feels almost like a lottery. Don't feel to bad about it.

I think the wonder of adulthood is different than the naive wonder of childhood. — Andrew4Handel

Yes, true. My own remedy to that solution is lacking. I ruminate a lot, as you might have guessed by now.

Have you tried any changes to your diet and exercise habits? — Nils Loc

Too depressed to take the steps to implement any changes at the moment. I got stuck with wallowing.

Anything is a lot to ask for someone who may feel like they are trapped in the bottom of a damp well, wrapped in a straitjacket with a bag over there head. — Nils Loc

Agreed. That's one predicament to get stuck in.

I simply do not get depressed. — hks

Hmm, good for you then. So, what else can you share with us that has helped you? I like to think that life can persist after I'm gone. Maybe someone will be better able to appreciate life than I do now.

I have tried various things but I am still trying something new at the moment . I feel like the right therapist might be able to delve deeply into your mind and give advice that way. I don't think anyone here is likely to give you better advice. — Andrew4Handel

:up:

Thanks.

:smile:

I don't find writing helpful at the moment although I am considering writing something fictional as therapy. But it does help some people. — Andrew4Handel

Again, I'm quite too depressed to engage myself in such a healthy pursuit.

In the end either you can cope with your life or you can't and it feels almost like a lottery. Don't feel to bad about it. — Andrew4Handel

Yeah, what's left for some of us is just to cope. I'm setting my expectations ultra-low nowadays.

Are you careful about nutrition? Do you get enough exercise? Enough sleep? I find that a good long bikeride almost always fixes me up. Tire out the body, take a hot bath, and then lie down for a nap. If you aren't working out your heart and lungs, then your bad feels could be asking you for something like that.

Also, how does THC affect you? I find that it always makes things interesting. In low doses there is not much anxiety, if that is a concern. I don't use it often, but it's great as a way to break out of a rut and see the world with a cat's curious eyes again.

I've been through some dark moods that had no obvious reasonable cause. Eventually they lifted. I'd say the key thing is to hang on and experiment.

You must identify what is causing you to be depressed, and then solve the issue(s). There is no other way.

My opinion: it sounds like you have no purpose or set any subjectively meaningful goals for yourself.

This means you haven’t done enough self analysis and don’t really know what makes you tick. Or you don’t know a plethora of facet of yourself. You need to find what you are best at, and share it with the world. This is the only way you will feel valuable and thus worthy of success, happiness, joy, bliss, etc etc. this means your best efforts are now aligned with what you define as the maximal good... what will to propel you out of bed every morning with eternal vitality. Value this way transcends suffering because it is maximally good and altruistic. It is paradoxical. This produces experiences of beauty and joy. Only good things will happen if you make the decision to commit to willing the best life for yourself and your friends and family and the world. Your access to such miraculous plateaus, as a creator of this supreme manifestion of being, is within in you. This is why you must know thyself. Leap of faith-type moral diplomacy is necessary, as you are doing your completely honest best to perpetuate the manifestation of this potentially magical being-with-others as they could. You don’t know strong you could become.

Chronic depression is a biochemical disease. Like any other disease it requires medication.

The only medication I require is hay fever tablets. I take these fairly often because I am also allergic to cats, but I love my kitty. Their added benefit is that they act like sleeping pills so they help me to get to sleep immediately after work.

Sometimes if I drink too much wine I need a couple of aspirin for headaches. Headaches are caused by the toxic alcohols in wine and beer. Rum can cause headaches too. Multiple distillations such as with moonshine (Everclear) removes all the toxic alcohols in booze.

That's it, for me.

I’ve never had depression but have had anxiety disorder in the past, with inexplicable panic attacks and the rest.

Depression can be managed or cured, I believe, but it takes some discipline. Emotions help regulate energy as circumstances require, so the first place to start would be to work on rebalancing the body’s energy and endocrine system. This would entail adopting a healthy diet and getting enough physical exercise. On top of that, mindfulness discipline and meditation can help to quiet the ruminating mind. Any task-positive activity can help with this as well, ideally an absorbing activity where a so called ‘flow’ state can be achieved. Being idle and ruminating is probably the worst thing to be doing.

Also, I learned recently that psychedelics can effectively treat depression. Unfortunately they’re illegal though. It’s believe that they can help to breakup mental patterns (including depressive patterns, apparently).

Friend, this will cure your depression (or at least rejuvenate your sanguinity):

Also, how does THC affect you? — macrosoft

Mostly paranoia and anxiety. I don't like how THC affects my mood. I always been that doom feeling like I'm doing something wrong.

You must identify what is causing you to be depressed, and then solve the issue(s). There is no other way. — matt

Heh, easier said than done. Thanks anyway.

Depression can be managed or cured, I believe, but it takes some discipline. — praxis

Yeah, if there's one thing that I need to work on is self-discipline. I'm hopelessly deficient in that.

Hope your anxiety has subsided. I can't stand being anxious and would take depression any day over anxiety.

Here's one for you: