Lived Experience Forum

[Cin]

I am struggling with severe depression atm and I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I eat well exercise most days take my antidepressants.. I have appointments with  a psychologist and psychiatrist coming up.. I also have family support. Please help if you can. 

[Oaktree]

My psychologist suggests sitting in any sunshine around for at least 15 minutes a day if you can. Maybe get up and get dressed including shoes even if you have nowhere to go and try not to sleep during the day. I find not sleeping during the day almost impossible when feeling depressed but you could strive for improvement in that area. I hope that you feel better soon.

Meggle

[Flax]

Winter can be quite a struggle for many people suffering with depression. Just getting out of bed can be an effort. Light therapy may help if you have the winter blues, also called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Sunlight or just a small walk in the mornings can help regulate the body clock and improve energy during the dreary months. 

🌻

[wellwellwellnez]

First things first. If your doing all those things, remember to give yor yourself well earned pat on the back. I'm not a depression expert but from a recovery oint of view it seems like your ready for something next level. First time I've met you but I'm so proud. And, equally excited.

The only thing I don't see on your list is some sort of deep mindful stuff. My guess is you've dabbled but you've yet to have a defined, let's say "cognitive/counter-cognitive"(I just made that up), system.

I say I'm not a depression expert but I have been pretty "low" more than once. The last time I was low for a long time my way out (or up, or in) was evolving my meditation. Thich only happened because I coincidentally had health problems making it hard to talk. After spending a time in listening-mode I found my sensory capacity increased in a way that it made it easier to seek out and repair wayard reward-mechanisms. That's my two cents for free.

Do what works for you. From what I can see you've laid some great foundations.

[Cin]

Thanks for your reply.. I'm looking into  cognitive therapy but I am really out of my depth in understanding how it all works?

[Flax]

The list of therapies is quite scary. Your health professional will be able to advise you on the best approach but Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) combined with mindfulness is the current preferred treatment for a range of MH problems, notably depression and anxiety. CBT combined with medication is standard, but depending on your personal circumstances, there may be alternative therapies that can help.

It does get very confusing and overwhelming with so many therapies and medications available. From experience, best to go at your own pace and try not to get too distressed by the jargon...you might like to try some online CBT that can give you an idea of what the therapists may discuss. Knowledge is empowering, and MI issues can make you feel powerless.

A useful website for online CBT that is free and has helped me get through difficult times is the ecouch (run by the ANU):

https://ecouch.com.au/ 

I hope this helps. 

🌹

[Cin]

Thank you yes I appreciate your help 🙏

[Gwynn]

Don't sell yourself short - you're already doing a lot of things that will benefit your mental health and you're already doing a lot for a person with major depression in the middle of a pandemic. You might like to try https://thiswayup.org.au/ 's "Mindfulness-Based CBT for Depression and Anxiety" short course. That will give you a brief rundown of CBT and a taster of mindfulness.