Anti depression tips and techniques

[Rozgreenburn]

I am looking for ideas for natural anti-depressant tips. I have to change these every so often as they just quit working.
Another prescription is not my choice. I do all I can to keep prescription meds to a minimum.
Maybe I'll just quit paying attention to the world. I quit alcohol 6 months ago for no apparent reason and that should be beneficial too, but it can be difficult to gauge.

 

[Bullfrog]

Depression for me is a state of mind that can be changed although it's not easy. I've struggled my entire life and I'm still learning how to keep it under control. Key for me is recognition. If I can recognize when it's starting to pull me down, I can usually pivot my mind and stave off the worst of it.

What really has help me is to visualize depression as a little devil on my shoulder. I talk to that fucker when I start to get overwhelmed, and it seems to help. Depression, just like the mythical devil can't take hold if it's recognized and rejected.

The state of the world we live in gets me going too. Can cause me to spiral out of control if I don't recognize when it's starting. Stopping and remembering I don't control the world and shouldn't feel guilty nor the need to fix it. Then I remember the things I can control, like my reactions. I don't have to feel the way the world wants me to. I can be at peace if I choose to be. I remember I'm a fairly good person and deserve to treat myself with the same compassion I would others.

Peace is where it's at brother. Many things we can change and many things we can't, wisdom is knowing the difference. Once you accept the things you can and can't change for what they are peace is within reach. Peace and depression don't jive.

 

[notdezmond]

Diet, exercise and sleep are the three most important places to start.

I been depressed my whole life brother and I feel for you. Hopefully you can figure something out that works for you.

 

[Kanzeon]

Long, long history of depression. To the point where it's nearly beaten me a couple times. When people ask how I'm doing my typical answer is "Not dead yet," with the tone indicating whether I'm currently feeling like that's a good thing or wishing for the sweet embrace of oblivion.

Also I think it's worth pointing out that current events are absolutely a legit catalyst for depression. It's a natural response to the suffering that exists in the world. We're living in incredibly stupid times.

First, on the really bad nights or days when things look the bleakest, go buy some chicken for a homeless person or someone else that needs it. Instant win-win dopamine boost.

Second, don't drink. Saw you quit a while back, and it'll take a bit to create a new baseline, but it's worth it. Alcohol is a depressant. It makes depression more intense, and also makes it last longer. My depression now is significantly better than it was when I was drinking 3-5 times a week.

Caffeine can help. Shrooms and/or acid microdosed can help too.

Third, get moving. Yoga, lifting, rowing, whatever. Jiu jitsu is my happy place, the urgency of someone trying to break an arm or choke me unconscious tends to break my brain out of the depression rumination patterns.

Fourth: Laugh. Watch something that makes you laugh. Standup, old britcom reruns, whatever.

Essentially, you've gotta hack your brain chemicals. It sucks. Good luck!

 

[Bullfrog]

Diet, exercise and sleep are the three most important places to start.

I been depressed my whole life brother and I feel for you. Hopefully you can figure something out that works for you.

When I'm on a spell, eating and moving aren't easy things to do, all I do is sleep, for days sometimes. The sleep doesn't help either. The place I have to start is inside. Can't do anything until I decide I'm worth it.

That's where that little devil comes in. Figure I was born with him on my shoulder. He's been trying to ruin me ever since and he's the most ruthless little prick imaginable. When I was 2, I had a fascination with lighters and fire. I bet you can guess where that went. That devil been with me forever, been a non-stop train of disaster for 50 years. Seems I have to deal with him daily.

This has been a pretty recent revelation in my life, for me acknowledging it makes it a lot easier to kick those voices back down in the dirt where they belong.

Seems to be better for me mentally to believe I have a devil in my ear that to think I'm just an evil man and there's no hope for me. I can beat that devil, not so sure I want to beat myself up anymore, done that my whole life and it can't continue. When I can't come up with any motivation for some of the stupid, bad things I've done, what do you chalk it up to?

Caffeine can help. Shrooms and/or acid microdosed can help too.

I get why you'd recommend caffeine, can give you motivation to get up, but I'd have to disagree. That stuff is so addictive, it might not be deadly dangerous, but it changes your mood and thoughts. I lose all control, feel like superman when I'm on caffeine, literally like cocaine for me, get jittery, will not sleep at all. When it finally wears off, I feel like death, the urge to have more just so I might feel kind of normal is almost unbearable. Took some serious willpower to quit that drug, was the last drug that I quit before being drug free. Was easier for me to quit nicotine than caffeine.

One caffeinated soda and I'll regret it for 3 days. When regret starts up it's like fuel for that little devil. I've notice weed can sometime be a trigger too. Hopefully it'll keep getting easier to notice the negativity as soon as it shows itself.

My new outlook seems to be having an impact on my surroundings. Had a co-worker ask if I got laid a couple weeks ago, my mood has been better. I feel more in control.

 

[Jaybirdsmoke]

My pets and my fishing pole are what snap me outta feeling depressed. Also staying off of social media and not consuming mainstream media! Keep talking about how you feel, we are only as sick as the secrets we keep!

 

[Cradle of Mirth]

For me just putting a new pheno into the vape rotation, with different entourage effects for tollerance, uplifting/euphoria typically sativa leaning, tends to keep the doom n gloom and unhealthy pharma scripts at bay for the most part. Coupled with an activity like feeding wildlife, helping others, planting trees, or going fishing, anything to keep state of mind focused on the little details in life that keep me in the moment and not anxious either.

St John's wort is useful consistently taken but nothing compared to cannabis, and have to avoid eating a lot of food containing tyramine like chocolate and bananas...nootropics can be useful. If it's serious depression micro dosing some boomers a week or two helps me through... consistent diet and exercise for sure helps as the microdose usually get me back up and motivated to move around but rarely need that as cannabis is enough to get me hiking or making something that wears me out.

Scent association...using specific essential oils and smells when doing things that make you happy or celebrating something. Grab that scent when feeling down. All herb does that for me , big win

Most of all, having my furry lil friend with me always is the best medicine, companionship #1

 

[Rozgreenburn]

Great thoughts! My sleep, diet and exercise are just fine. Maybe I'll stop watching world events and the news. I'm wondering about making RSO with a CBD strain. My regular RSO caps kinda slow down the old thought processes.
I've been saving a pint of purple glycerin from a mushroom run a few years back. I was saving it for a visit with my brother but, my needs take precedence.

 

[Kanzeon]

I get why you'd recommend caffeine, can give you motivation to get up, but I'd have to disagree. That stuff is so addictive, it might not be deadly dangerous, but it changes your mood and thoughts. I lose all control, feel like superman when I'm on caffeine, literally like cocaine for me, get jittery, will not sleep at all.

That's why I said it can help, not it will. Caffeine is an integral part of my anti-depression routine, without it I'd probably murder someone every day. The question was "I'm looking for anti-depressant tips," not "I need a silver bullet to beat depression." My tips aren't going to be your tips because I'm managing different depression.

I'd also guess you're talking about low quality caffeine from coffee or soda instead of tea, which has the synergistic effect of the amino acids (theanine) and other compounds in tea that also act as anti-anxiety and antidepressants. The difference between the two is essentially like drinking water with thc isolate added to it and comparing it to blazing fresh flower. Being tea drunk is a nice break from depression. There's a reason I've got an eighth of my body weight in teas in my living room.

Tea caffeine beats coffee caffeine for mental health every day.

Also, like, I'd imagine time with loved ones can help depression. I just don't have any alive or on this continent.

 

[Senokai]

For mental health issues, I have found ketogenic reset diets can help mitigate symptoms. Mainly because this repairs the gut and the gut holds/produces 80% of the bodies Serotonin. From a metabolic standpoint I was absolutely wrecked. Insulin resistant, leaky gut and MTHFR and COMT gene mutations. A keto reset along with carnivore diet and avoiding inflammatory foods (MTHFR, folic acid) turned a lot of the issues I was experiencing around.

A couple links to research and see if they fit what's going on:

 

[Mizzo81]

For mental health issues, I have found ketogenic reset diets can help mitigate symptoms. Mainly because this repairs the gut and the gut holds/produces 80% of the bodies Serotonin. From a metabolic standpoint I was absolutely wrecked. Insulin resistant, leaky gut and MTHFR and COMT gene mutations. A keto reset along with carnivore diet and avoiding inflammatory foods (MTHFR, folic acid) turned a lot of the issues I was experiencing around.

A couple links to research and see if they fit what's going on:

Agreed it’s amazing the healing that happens when you eliminate so many things from your diet. You start to feel like you’re running on all cylinders again.

 

[Chefdave]

I think it's great that younger people are talking about mental health. Especially the men, in my time as a young adult , as a male, it was almost taboo to talk to friends or even family members about mental health and it's effects on self and others. I think we as a society have come a long way in communication of these issues. I suffer as most people do with some mental health issues, but feel now is so much more understood and accessible for help ,than 30 years ago when i was a young adult. Just what was on my mind.

 

[Chefdave]

Long, long history of depression. To the point where it's nearly beaten me a couple times. When people ask how I'm doing my typical answer is "Not dead yet," with the tone indicating whether I'm currently feeling like that's a good thing or wishing for the sweet embrace of oblivion.

Also I think it's worth pointing out that current events are absolutely a legit catalyst for depression. It's a natural response to the suffering that exists in the world. We're living in incredibly stupid times.

First, on the really bad nights or days when things look the bleakest, go buy some chicken for a homeless person or someone else that needs it. Instant win-win dopamine boost.

Second, don't drink. Saw you quit a while back, and it'll take a bit to create a new baseline, but it's worth it. Alcohol is a depressant. It makes depression more intense, and also makes it last longer. My depression now is significantly better than it was when I was drinking 3-5 times a week.

Caffeine can help. Shrooms and/or acid microdosed can help too.

Third, get moving. Yoga, lifting, rowing, whatever. Jiu jitsu is my happy place, the urgency of someone trying to break an arm or choke me unconscious tends to break my brain out of the depression rumination patterns.

Fourth: Laugh. Watch something that makes you laugh. Standup, old britcom reruns, whatever.

Essentially, you've gotta hack your brain chemicals. It sucks. Good luck!

Hey brother from personal experience I'm going on 6mo no drinking and has changed my mental outlook and physical ability to nothing but positivity, I don't know how I survived and at times thrived on alcohol. Glad at least for today it's not in my life.

 

[Senokai]

Agreed it’s amazing the healing that happens when you eliminate so many things from your diet. You start to feel like you’re running on all cylinders again.

Its very much the truth. Diet is the most impactful factor to improving health. I can say from my own experience folic acid does a ton of inflammation from a nervous system perspective. I cant eat anything "fortified" or "enriched" with it. Otherwise I get issues like clockwork 36 hours after eating it.

 

[BH]

Its very much the truth. Diet is the most impactful factor to improving health. I can say from my own experience folic acid does a ton of inflammation from a nervous system perspective. I cant eat anything "fortified" or "enriched" with it. Otherwise I get issues like clockwork 36 hours after eating it.

It’s crazy when u withdraw and remove like sugars and many preserve once u even taste a lil bit of such it taste overpowering and bad. soo thankful I switched my diet around and focused on healthy gut and reduction in sugars and promote diet for veggies and good gut choices

 

[DemonTrich]

Micro-dosing on shrooms has had beneficial results from LOTS of people. I'm talking daily micro-dosing, not eating 1/4oz and tripping balls.

I can link you with a few threads if you like. I also have a guy who makes these (see pic), Psilocybin only in tablet form. He said 1 tab is = to about 1/4oz dried shrooms. Obviously you wouldn't be able to micro-dose with that (unless you crushed to powder, weighed, did a little math to figure out a micro-dose weight).

 

[DopeDaniel]

Container meditation is a guided imagery technique that helps people create a mental space to store distressing thoughts and feelings. It can help people with anxiety and depression feel more relaxed and stabilized.

How it works

1. Imagine a container that can hold difficult thoughts, feelings, memories, or images.
   
   
2. Visualize putting your distressing thoughts and feelings into the container.
   
   
3. Imagine sealing the container with a lid or lock.
   
   
4. Practice opening and closing the container in your mind's eye.
   
   
5. Choose when to open the container to sort through your thoughts and feelings.

 

[Senokai]

Another really compelling podcast on practical health improvements.

 

[Willie]

For mental health issues, I have found ketogenic reset diets can help mitigate symptoms. Mainly because this repairs the gut and the gut holds/produces 80% of the bodies Serotonin. From a metabolic standpoint I was absolutely wrecked. Insulin resistant, leaky gut and MTHFR and COMT gene mutations. A keto reset along with carnivore diet and avoiding inflammatory foods (MTHFR, folic acid) turned a lot of the issues I was experiencing around.

A couple links to research and see if they fit what's going on:

Just started a keto diet a little more than a week ago. I need to bring my blood sugar down. Seems to be working on that end but still not in ketosis Should be any day now. I also fast 16 hours a day. I either bring it down or I'm getting pills for it. I don't want any more pills than absolutely needed. Not like it's the 70's or anything...

Interesting diet actually and a really broad subject to boot. Seems to work for a number of different things. And you can eat all kinds of good stuff......like meatballs, lol. Hey they are zero carbs if you leave out the bread crumbs, onion, and milk.

 

[Senokai]

Just started a keto diet a little more than a week ago. I need to bring my blood sugar down. Seems to be working on that end but still not in ketosis Should be any day now. I also fast 16 hours a day. I either bring it down or I'm getting pills for it. I don't want any more pills than absolutely needed. Not like it's the 70's or anything...

Interesting diet actually and a really broad subject to boot. Seems to work for a number of different things. And you can eat all kinds of good stuff......like meatballs, lol. Hey they are zero carbs if you leave out the bread crumbs, onion, and milk.

Thats fantastic! It usually does take a little while to switch to fat burning mode but once you get there the body has a muscle memory and each time you get back there it is easier. Having a good sea salt is key with keto diets as you will need to make sure you have the electrolytes covered.