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Coping with depression

4385 Views 47 Replies 33 Participants Last post by  Chr1stine
We all know that there are lots of factors that cause depression and one of them is Major events specifically with the on-going Covid isolation. There are few people I know personally that suffers from this problem currently. Can you guys share your ideas base on your experiences on how to deal with this feeling?
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Depression allows you to see the world more clrearly and there is no short term remedy for this feeling.If you have it mildly u wont even notice.
Listen to Wham's wake me up before you go go ten times in a row and you will feel better!
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There is no short term or one fix-it-all solution, because there are a myriad of different reasons one becomes depressed. And one thing people need to learn is that depression is not "feeling sad".

Inb4 people of MTF start giving "advice":


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We all know that there are lots of factors that cause depression and one of them is Major events specifically with the on-going Covid isolation. There are few people I know personally that suffers from this problem currently. Can you guys share your ideas base on your experiences on how to deal with this feeling?
I think that it is really hard right now. One thing that my group of friends have tried is finding something to do along with our virtual meetings, so instead of just meeting up on Zoom for "drinks", we are meeting up to play board games. To think one year ago that I would want to play a board game in person would have been crazy, but I'm loving the virtual board games and even looking forward to it ahead of time and thinking about strategies to stay busy. I think what I am trying to say, is just find something to look forward to. Also, if your country allows it, try to get outside for some physical activity, maybe tennis, outdoor singles seems pretty safe, or whatever you like and try to see your friends, maybe one-on-one outside if possible and then keep a good distance. It is winter now, but when I could, I would see them from more than 2 meters away. It increases safety and is there really a difference between 2 meters and 5 meters? Good luck to you and your friends, things are hopefully going to start trending better soon. :)
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Also, people shouldn't be shy about doing therapy. It works wonders even if you're convinced you "don't need it". Especially when you find the right therapist and therefore feel even more comfortable.

Snowwy covered it really well, any new hobbies will help enormously. It's especially easy to get into new things nowadays with so many paid and free online videos (YT has you covered on almost any and all topics). So learning at home is always an option!
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It’s tough and gets tougher with this long-lasting pandemic isolation especially when you live alone or are a lonely person.
I’m not here to give any solution (I don’t feel entitled to) but if the problem intensifies it’s probably best to simply consult a psychologist.
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I've never dealt with clinical depression, so I can't comment on that.

I will say that my overall mood is better when:
-I stick to a schedule and get adequate sleep.
-Limit drinking to a low or moderate amount.
-I'm physically active - tennis, weight training, elliptical, situps, stretching
-Keep in touch with friends (even via chat apps and the like)
-Don't go down Twitter rabbit holes (or really post on Twitter at all)
-Try to focus on being present/mindful at work
-Limit the amount of time I spend looking at my phone when I'm enjoying another leisure activity (TV, reading, playing with my kid, etc)

I realize this is nothing new or groundbreaking, but it's what works for me. Hope some of that helps.
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I've never dealt with clinical depression, so I can't comment on that.

I will say that my overall mood is better when:
-I stick to a schedule and get adequate sleep.
-Limit drinking to a low or moderate amount.
-I'm physically active - tennis, weight training, elliptical, situps, stretching
-Keep in touch with friends (even via chat apps and the like)
-Don't go down Twitter rabbit holes (or really post on Twitter at all)
-Try to focus on being present/mindful at work
-Limit the amount of time I spend looking at my phone when I'm enjoying another leisure activity (TV, reading, playing with my kid, etc)

I realize this is nothing new or groundbreaking, but it's what works for me. Hope some of that helps.
Fantastic post. :)
There is no short term or one fix-it-all solution, because there are a myriad of different reasons one becomes depressed. And one thing people need to learn is that depression is not "feeling sad".

Inb4 people MTF starts giving "advice":


I have a friend who is very obese, and I've seen perfect strangers come up to her and say, "Y'know, if you ate less and exercised more, you’d lose a lot of weight.” She says it happens all the time.

As for depression I can’t speak on it other than what I’ve read. Personally, (and not trying to make this political) I actually get very depressed over what Trump has done and is doing to my country.
We all know that there are lots of factors that cause depression and one of them is Major events specifically with the on-going Covid isolation. There are few people I know personally that suffers from this problem currently. Can you guys share your ideas base on your experiences on how to deal with this feeling?
My 2¢:
  • stop drinking.
  • stop doing drugs.
  • stop watching porn.
  • start eating mindfully (fresh fruits/vegetables), no junk food, no microwave ready food, no sodas, no sweets, avoid GMO, fast 16 h a day if you can.
  • go for a walk.
  • read a book.
  • find a hobby.
  • Turn off wifi at home or remove it from close proximity/at least turn it off when you sleep, smartphone too. Limit smartphone time/keep it away from yourself as much as you possibly can.
  • work out/play sports if you can/dare.
  • stop paying attention to TV/MSM/"news" (it's all propaganda 24/7, designed to make you feel fearful and powerless).
  • if you must wear a mask, change/wash it frequently, because it's petri dish of harmful bacteria.
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go to a psychotherapist. the best, albeit expensive, solution.
I hope I don't offend someone here, I'll just give my 2 cents and try to help too.

Whenever people tell me they are depressed, I can't help but think about my grandparents (R.I.P.) and how they never got depressed, simply because they didn't even know what depression was. They just worked, took care of their family and that was it. Sometimes I think just having the word "depression" around puts some people in it or makes them think they are depressed, which digs a deeper hole. Anyway, not saying it doesn't exist or people don't get depressed, just leaning toward that the more you think about it, the bigger the chance you'll feel like shit.

The things that I believe work for most poeple in such situations are:

1. Work - most people I know who are having depression problems are either not working or not actively working (freelancing, in the middle of switching jobs, etc.)

2. Walking - being outside, even if you don't play sports, you can walk. Walk to the store instead of driving. Walk to an ATM that is 10-15 mins away from where you live. Don't stay in one place.

3. Get together with simple, old-school people - life isn't that complicated in the end. Most times we make it complicated. There are people out there who you know and are living a simple and most likely happy life. Do something with them.

4. Think about and appreciate the good things you have in your life - more often than not there's plenty of them.

5. Think about and acknowledge how many people on this planet are having it worse than you are. No roof, no shoes, no food. Most times the problems that we have are nothing compared to this.

That's my take on this, hope it helps at least a little bit!
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maybe you have High Emotional Intelligence. It could explain a lot about your inner life, especially -like you said- with the on-going Covid isolation.
You know, I hope I don't offend someone here, I'll just give me 2 cents and try to help too.

Whenever people tell me they are depressed, I can't help but think about my grandparents (R.I.P.) and how they never got depressed, simply because they didn't even know what depression was. They just worked, took care of their family and that was it. Sometimes I think just having the word "depression" around puts some people in it or makes them think they are depressed, which digs a deeper hole. Anyway, not saying it doesn't exist or people don't get depressed, just trying to say the more you think about it, the bigger the chance you'll feel like shit.
There definitely were simpler times, I'd agree with that!

Most people would 'mature' way sooner and probably be forming families by their early 20s while already working full time jobs. I can see how this would leave no time to even process stuff outside of that all-encompassing life routine.

My grandfather was such a person too. He loved his family, but his work was such a huge part of his life and was constantly looking forward to 10 different new projects, I don't see how he could ever feel depressed. Even when he lost his job due to the last military government in Argentina, he quickly jumped to something else with the compensation money he was given and just carried on with his life. No time to stop and grief about anything, I guess. ?

Really miss the man.
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Keep yourself and your mind occupied doing activities and hanging with people you enjoy/like. Cheap solution, but I am not sure if it is easy to execute because I don't have anxiety.
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I hope I don't offend someone here, I'll just give my 2 cents and try to help too.

Whenever people tell me they are depressed, I can't help but think about my grandparents (R.I.P.) and how they never got depressed, simply because they didn't even know what depression was. They just worked, took care of their family and that was it. Sometimes I think just having the word "depression" around puts some people in it or makes them think they are depressed, which digs a deeper hole. Anyway, not saying it doesn't exist or people don't get depressed, just leaning toward that the more you think about it, the bigger the chance you'll feel like shit.

The things that I believe work for most poeple in such situations are:

1. Work - most people I know who are having depression problems are either not working or not actively working (freelancing, in the middle of switching jobs, etc.)

2. Walking - being outside, even if you don't play sports, you can walk. Walk to the store instead of driving. Walk to an ATM that is 10-15 mins away from where you live. Don't stay in one place.

3. Get together with simple, old-school people - life isn't that complicated in the end. Most times we make it complicated. There are people out there who you know and are living a simple and most likely happy life. Do something with them.

4. Think about and appreciate the good things you have in your life - more often than not there's plenty of them.

5. Think about and acknowledge how many people on this planet are having it worse than you are. No roof, no shoes, no food. Most times the problems that we have are nothing compared to this.

That's my take on this, hope it helps at least a little bit!
That was very kind of you.
Nope, it didn't offend but in fact, It really helps a lot to me. Thank you for this, I'll try to follow your steps and share with those who need it most.
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on-going Covid isolation
You'd better get used to it beacuse it's not going anywhere.
idk, maybe some hobbie/job to stay invested most of the time.
You'd better get used to it beacuse it's not going anywhere.
Yes, I'm trying to. In fact that I decided to quarantined myself and no to TV. I spent my time at my home reading books or randomly found on the internet. I found this article and it is pretty interesting COVID-19 — Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness I hope you find it interesting as well.
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