Overcoming a depression.

[Wat dee]

absolutely .....begin by exercising , look at your diet , it can be that simple ..... meds should be your last resort ..goodluck !!

You are really not depressed if you have what it takes to exercise and "look" at your diet!

Go get the meds asap!

[davevi]

The longer I stay in Thailand the more I see a great need for support. Sometimes when we move here from our home country we end up isolating ourselves from the people and support systems that keep us attached to others, human, sane. It is too easy to become isolate here when this is not your home country. The number one issue I see is depression, followed by isolation and despair.

There is hope. We are the hope. Forums like this where we can reach out to one another and let someone else know that we are having trouble, struggling, and in anguish. This is the best thing to do for depression, to talk about it, share it, seek comfort and care in one another.

Depression is an awful state, but I feel the best thing to do is move forward, no matter how small that step, move forward, reach out for help, as some of you here are doing now. This is the best way to deal with depression if your support system has failed and you cannot get professional help.

For those in trouble who want professional assistance there are Clinical Psychology services in Bangkok (PSI) and Chiang Mai (Therapy Help Center). I'm not sure I'm supposed to list those, but there it is.

For those struggling out there, there is help. Take one small step forward at a time, even when you feel you cannot.

Seek help, talk about how you feel, find those who have been through this before and know the way out.

There is light ahead. Keep moving forward.

[shaurene]

You need to look deep into what could have caused your depletion, you have to find the cause to be able to personally do something about it, all the advice of diet, not drinking and exercise is a load of bull shit.

You have to get out of it, what caused it and why. If you are strong enough in your mind you can get rid of it.

Have a drink and go enjoy your self. No pills help you, to many side affects.

[Wat dee]

I was depressed. Maybe able to shower once every two weeks. Could not answer telephone for weeks.Cried alone. Talked by myself ,bad bad conversations. Drinking heavily and turning into extremely violent, dangerous ahole.

After nearly ending it all,a good Doc prescribed really good pill and it changed my life in days.

I know people mean well. But thinking positive,tom&jerry, books,exercising,diet etc. are rarely an option if you are really down.

Don't be afraid to get medical help.Drugs are good they can save your life. Side affects ? Who gives a shit! irregular bowl is better than extra hole in the scull.

Go get help. Do above mentioned things/adjust your life after that.

[KhnomKhnom]

If you are genuinely clinically depressed and not just feeling down for a week (or less), it is very difficult to dig your self out by your self, unaided.

That situation, your bootstraps are broken and all the claptrap about Just Pull Yourself Together is just that, claptrap.

There are psychologists and therapists in Thailand, some associated with the medical part of Mahidol University.... look at http://www.ramamental.com/sadd.html.

The added problem for Westerners is that Thai people do not experience depression in the same ways, see article, and you need a Westernized doctor to help. I recommend a careful medicinal, pills, strategy to lift you back up. I know that there are drugs that will, over time and with careful dosage and doctor oversight, WILL TRAIN YOUR BRAIN to be happier and more able to cope. That training is gradual but over a year or so, your chemicals in your brain will learn to make the meds stuff on its own and you WILL FEEL BETTER.... and get off the meds, too.

I know the prejudice against taking a pill for just any little thing, but in this case the third generation of meds are well tried and the fourth is around too. Get to a psychotherapist, test his/her attitudes about meds, and go with the one who has confidence in his research and his meds treatment. You can get better!

[benalibina]

Thanks for all the replies.

To start off...i am not into drugs and as far as alcohol is concerned, i am a social drinker only. No alcohol in the house, this because i do not need it nor long for it.

Have done alot of introspection related to my life and myself in the last years. Many times very confronting. Especially about the negative sides ofcourse. Some posters have mentioned...the underlying causes. I have tried to honestly search for those myself. Which natural, negative, aspects, instinct behaviour, have always come back from childhood onwards ? I have found those aspects. Only the....why....i am in doubt about that.

Other posters have written that only ONESELF can change it. I agree with that but i cannot finish it alone i have concluded. I need someone to help me overcome the last couple of hurdles. I do not prefer, ignorantly maybe, to use medication with that. The change must come from within, is best i believe.

Without feeling the need to go into, poster AOA mentioned my familysituation. It on 1 way for sure has not helped me but in another way it has helped to focus me to work on myself. This as on the other side nothing is forthcoming so this means now that only i can change it. For me the fight is worth it. Time will prove the outcome.

Thanks again.

[Emster23]

If it is true clinical level depression, then you need professional help. All those well meaning "Suck it up, get on with life, etc" suggestions are fine IF you don't have clinical level depression. Low level case of blues, yes exercise and all that help. The real deal is beast of different sort. The other suggestions would just push depressed further into depression (if possible): dumping guilt, inadequacy, sinner like "it's your damn fault you are depressed". This is a good site for some realistic information I found after Robin Williams suicide http://flavorwire.com/472027/robin-williams-and-the-myth-of-battling-depression

[JacChang]

Do not stay home, get off your computer, go outside where there is sunshine, and if possible a park. Go jogging, take a walk, buy something you like to drink/eat. Make yourself busy.

[petercool]

a post with no comment but just a quote removed along with its duplicate post

[pendingo]

Hi Benalibina. and Chad

Have you ever tried the Samaritans?

They are all over the world even in Thailand.

Here is their website in Thailand; http://www.samaritans-thailand.org/. Phone Bangkok:(02) 713-6791 24 hours 7 days a week.

There should be someone on the end of the phone who will listen to you who also speaks English and be able to help you.

I went through a very dark period in my life some years ago similar to what you are both going through now and even contemplated suicide.

These people were a great help to me and guided me through this time.

There have been some great suggestions from other TV members with regard to diet and exercise but the first step is being able to talk to another human being in confidence, first of all on the phone and then face to face on a one to one basis.

I wish you both well and anyone else on TV who is going through a tough time right now.

[Sheryl]

....Other posters have written that only ONESELF can change it. I agree with that but i cannot finish it alone i have concluded. I need someone to help me overcome the last couple of hurdles. I do not prefer, ignorantly maybe, to use medication with that. The change must come from within, is best i believe....

Fortunately there are soem very good Western counselors in Bangkok, please see the pinned Mental Health Thread.

While pyschiatrists do indeed tend to reach for the prescription pad, counsellors/therapists do not (and i nany case can't prescribe, would have to refer you to a doctor for that) They will not even suggest medication unless they really think it essential and even then will respect your wishes in the matter. Mainly they will work with you in a goal-oriented way (your goals) to help you heal yourself.

Go now while you have the resolve, as if the depression worsens it may become hard to.

The chemistry between client and therapist is very important so if you don't feel comfortable with the first one you see, don't give up, try another.

[scubascuba3]

Remember you control your mind, the mind doesn't control you. You can choose to not get depressed, don't let yourself. This may not work for everyone but you don't have to give in to it.

[NeverSure]

Remember you control your mind, the mind doesn't control you. You can choose to not get depressed, don't let yourself. This may not work for everyone but you don't have to give in to it.

I don't make a habit of calling things stupid on here.

So I won't.

There are some levels of depression coupled with some personality types who can pull themselves out of a situational depression.

It would be most unusual for someone who's mired in deep clinical depression to pull himself out of it. He's going to need help.

If the depression isn't so deep that you can do it, change your whole routine. Get up in the morning, take a shower and get out of the house and away from your computer. Take a walk and stop and talk to someone or pet a dog. Look around and try to enjoy the sights. Go to a mall and have coffee and smile at some people. Stay around people. Do something like golf or learn to golf. Take a class with other people. Join some groups.

If you find you can't do that, find a farang psychologist/counselor and get some help. Maybe you'll be referred to a doctor and even a psychiatrist for some meds.

But you have to do something, even if it is to make that appointment.

[cdmtdm]

absolutely .....begin by exercising , look at your diet , it can be that simple ..... meds should be your last resort ..goodluck !!

VERY very dangerous advice, without a doubt this can help but to suggest this can replace expert advice is madness - to suggest curing clinical depression can 'be that simple' is just apalling - see an expert.

There are hundreds of reasons why you may be depressed, you may not even be depressed at all ! Get help - its what the experts are there for.

oh yes thats right so they can medicate you ....what is your approach? sit on the sofa , watch bad news on tv , eat junk food , drink beer and take the prozac the expert gave you ... please explain how exercise and looking at your diet is very very dangerous ? your last line is a doozy ...why would the op post about being depressed if he was not depressed at all ?

attempting to take control of your own situation first is the logical approach , as opposed to an expert on prescribing meds ... your mind and body has the ability to cure itself given the right conditions...again Op exercise and diet is the first step !!

[mandee]

I'm not generally depressed but just finished watching the last of 3 Aljazeera documentaries on the Manila slums...I think I'm in a kind of despair.

[Liquorice]

Depression is a state of mind that only you can change.

Some years ago, I lost my Mother to a sudden and unexpected massive heart attack. Then my best friend dropped dead of an aneurism, followed 5 days later with my Fiancée killed in a car crash.

For 4 weeks I sat in a chair watching TV. I can't tell you what I was watching, I just stared. I sometimes didn't eat for 3 days, slept when I fell asleep, there was no day, no night. I showered and changed clothes when I could smell myself. I didn't go out, I became a recluse.

I knew I needed help, but couldn't motivate myself to do anything.

Eventually with the help of my daughter, I went to see my Doctor. I was suffering with Traumatic depression, of course I really knew that for myself, but I couldn't break the cycle alone.

My GP was extremely patient, offering anti depressants and/or sleeping tablets, even Counselling, but explaining the positives and negatives of these kind of treatments. The best advice he gave me was to exercise, find things to do, things to distract my thoughts and change the state of mind.

I refused any medication and although I really didn't feel like doing anything, I forced myself into activities.

Getting out of the house and going for a walk, shopping, cycling was the easy part, it was when I sat at home that the mind would once again go into this numb state of lethargy. I started to decorate just to keep my mind active, turned the TV off and set times for going to bed, tired or not.

It worked. It got me out of that shell and I could see the light again. I was able to grieve for my losses the same as anyone else would. I realized I had Family and Friends who still needed me, still depended on me. Although I never felt or contemplated suicide, motivation was the biggest problem.

My advice is to motivate yourself, not easy when your feeling low, but find something to do, even if it's only going for a walk. Once you start to become active again the state of mind self heals itself. I've never suffered with depression since. Think of those around you and how it affects them.

Good luck, you can overcome anything with self determination.

[Pii Kate]

Have you been depressed for more than one year?

Do you have a family history of depression or suicide?

Did a recent incident precipitate your depression? Divorce, loss of job, etc.

Situational depression is a normal response to recent difficulties but it should not last for more than a few months to a year or so. This is managed well with many of the suggestions mentioned, exercise daily, good diet, no illegal drugs, alcohol. Change people, places and things that contribute to your depression. Get out and be around people. I meet all kinds of people in line at the store, post office, riding a songthaw. Some have become friends.

It is reckless to tell someone not to take meds for depression. If you answer yes to my first two questions, you may benefit from short term medicine therapy combines with talk therapy and exercise.

I suffer from chronic depression and have practiced what I preach and have benefited greatly from exercise, diet, etc. but sometimes I need medication to get over rough patches. Many seem to think of depression as a woman's problem I admire your efforts to get well. Good Luck.

[dotpoom]

Please be careful with all the advice been given, all very good stuff I'm sure. But the average Joe when told about depression thinks that it is about just feeling very down and he thinks "I often feel like that, no big deal". Clinical depression is a very different thing and whilst in the middle of it I doubt if one could muster up the enthusiasm to even get out of bed...never mind doing exercise and watching your diet...if one can do that then it is not half as bad as it could be and one might indeed have a good chance of recovering taking those steps. Please consider taking professional advice if the though ever comes that leaving it all behind might be a good option. We are talking about life and death here....too serious to depend on a forum for the solution.

[Liquorice]

How do you take medication or seek Counselling when you feel that low, nothing seems to matter.

You may overdose, forgetting you already took your meds, and how do you remember the appointment with the Counsellor?

The first step is to get off your arse and do something yourself, only then can you start to get back to reality.

[Sheryl]

Please be careful with all the advice been given, all very good stuff I'm sure. But the average Joe when told about depression thinks that it is about just feeling very down and he thinks "I often feel like that, no big deal". Clinical depression is a very different thing and whilst in the middle of it I doubt if one could muster up the enthusiasm to even get out of bed...never mind doing exercise and watching your diet...if one can do that then it is not half as bad as it could be and one might indeed have a good chance of recovering taking those steps. Please consider taking professional advice if the though ever comes that leaving it all behind might be a good option. We are talking about life and death here....too serious to depend on a forum for the solution.

Exactly. We have this problem every time someone posts about depression. Well meaning people who have no idea that this is not the same as the low moods that all people have from time to time.

[BlackJack]

could be organic

bi polar

anything

alcohol

chemical

duration ie how long have you suffered depression

could be the wife or child or partner or affair or work or the noisy bar next door

check things out first

[frank0424]

Take it one day at a time Something thats simple but important.

Wake up and first thing is to go for a walk.

Dont forget to keep breathing. In and out of your nose- this way you are basically meditating.

Dont fight with the monkey that is chattering in your head. Let it chatter.

Our thoughts are just thoughts. They cant hurt us.

Best wishes mate.

[The Deerhunter]

Remember you control your mind, the mind doesn't control you. You can choose to not get depressed, don't let yourself. This may not work for everyone but you don't have to give in to it.

Absolute rubbish advice for someone with real depression. See the reply about "trying to run with a broken leg". Most of the people who say these things have never had real depression. They probably think they did but as they self-diagnosed, they were wrong!!!!!!!!!!!! Get help.

[inbangkok]

Lots of misinformation in this thread. Sadness and depression are very, very different. If you are suffering in a period of sadness, obviously you can get yourself through it. If you are suffering from clinical depression, it is highly unlikely and can be dangerous in the long term.

[inbangkok]

Thanks for all the replies.

To start off...i am not into drugs and as far as alcohol is concerned, i am a social drinker only. No alcohol in the house, this because i do not need it nor long for it.

Have done alot of introspection related to my life and myself in the last years. Many times very confronting. Especially about the negative sides ofcourse. Some posters have mentioned...the underlying causes. I have tried to honestly search for those myself. Which natural, negative, aspects, instinct behaviour, have always come back from childhood onwards ? I have found those aspects. Only the....why....i am in doubt about that.

Other posters have written that only ONESELF can change it. I agree with that but i cannot finish it alone i have concluded. I need someone to help me overcome the last couple of hurdles. I do not prefer, ignorantly maybe, to use medication with that. The change must come from within, is best i believe.

Without feeling the need to go into, poster AOA mentioned my familysituation. It on 1 way for sure has not helped me but in another way it has helped to focus me to work on myself. This as on the other side nothing is forthcoming so this means now that only i can change it. For me the fight is worth it. Time will prove the outcome.

Thanks again.

If you are suffering from actual depression, you should not be drinking......even socially. Every psychologist and psychiatrist in the world will tell you that.

[mrfaroukh]

Start exercise, yoga, meditation. Keep happy and smile all the time. If you are not happy where you are right now, take a trip and get away from that enviroments. Keep away from negative people. Don't give a damn about what people talk about you, it is their problem. May be we could tell you more if we knew why you got depression.

[Aussieroaming]

Depression is a dangerous insidious disease that you would be wise not to under estimate. Some people fall into depression due to persona issues in their life but some people who seemingly have it all, money, happiness, success just to name a few things also suffer depression.

The worse thing about depression is that you the sufferer may not recognise the symptoms or you will not acknowledge them when you are suffering from the disease. It is easy to see depression for what it is when you are in relapse but it can sneak back up on you while you are not aware.

The best thing you can do is try to recognise the early symptoms and get help quickly if you see them re-emerge or if your friends and family start waving the flag in front of you.

[Jaggg88]

absolutely .....begin by exercising , look at your diet , it can be that simple ..... meds should be your last resort ..goodluck !!

Good advice but don't be afraid to seek medical help if you don't improve. Depression is a horrible illness and you will recover more quickly with help from loved ones. Remember its good to talk. If you know the underlying cause of your depression this can be addressed but often there is no known trigger/cause. Good luck and stay strong and positive.

[laobali]

Before you diagnose yourself with depression, or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by ass- holes. - Sigmund Freud

And where do you go if you find that you really are?

[Kitsune]

Overcoming a depression can be done without any professional help, many people do that all the time. Whether that is wise is another thing and also depend on the cause of the depression. Some people are naturally chemical imbalanced for others it is reaction to a stressful situation.

Medication to help you through it can be a good thing, as long as it is not the only thing one does to fight a depression. One of the most important things is to try and keep active with exercise, activities and work. Once people fall in a black hole and only lay in bed it becomes more difficult to fight a depression.

This is a very dangerous statement.

Depression can come from a lot of different factors.

Example; Lyme disease; A lot of Lyme disease patients suffer from depression because of the Borrellia.

You have panic attacks, anxiety, you feel cut-off from the world, you cannot relate to people anymore and become autistic, you have dementia, you are suicidal and it's all because of one little bacteria eating your juicy brain away.

Exercise work or activities won't help

if you don't treat Lyme you can end up killing yourself