How did you overcome a tough period in life?

#51
#51
I've went through some tough times before.

I tried alcohol, became a borderline alcoholic, and it definitely did not improve anything.

Things that pulled me through:
1. Good friends. Getting together with friends, having fun, allowed me to forget about the things that were bothering me.
2. Stay active and busy. Immerse yourself in something, be it exercise, a hobby, something.
3. Change your environment. Get out of the house, even if you have to force yourself to.
4. Get a puppy. Weird thing to say maybe, but my dog has brightened up my life and brought a lot of joy to it.

Pull through. I've struggled with depression on and off throughout my life (even when I didn't have reason to be depressed). You can do it, amigo.
 
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#53
#53
Adam2014 said:
Hi Everyone,

This is my first time posting in the off-topic forum, but I have a question for all of you. When is a time that you conquered a tough period in your life? I am struggling with some awful depression right now and nothing seems to be working. I guess I was just wondering if any of you had some advice?

I hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday.
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Been there, and still dealing with it. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Takes a strong man to admit when they need help.

I am seeing a therapist (might take a few tries to find the right one for you) and started to strengthen my relationship with God. For me, it's just a daily reprieve.

Wish you the best. Depression is a bitch.
 
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#57
#57
Also, pro tip...the grand canyon really isn't worth it unless you're gonna do a helicopter tour or hike down a decent distance into it. At least go far enough to see the Colorado. The rim isn't exactly stunningly beautiful. The canyon is enormous but it doesn’t hold a candle to the rim view at Bryce Canyon, so just go there if you want to drive up to a great view.
 
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#59
#59
I’m sorry you’re in this situation. I can empathize 100% as I am in the same boat. I have an alarm set for 4 hours from now and I have been lying here awake for hours. It’s a nightly routine to the point that when I have a night that I fall asleep it’s an achievement for me. Small things matter as people have stated above. Today I didn’t have to work and my first small victory was taking a shower. Sounds dumb, right? My second small victory was getting in my truck and driving to see family, which I had to force myself to do. Not because I don’t love my family, but because of the anxiety it causes to just get out. And the depression I have stems from the anxiety making me feel like I’m so tired of coping with it. I have been fighting it for years. One day at a time sounds so cliche, but it is really the only way I’ve managed. It’s a cycle of telling myself just get through today. Some days are better than others, but even the good days are soured by the underlying thoughts of the next bad one. I’m not sure why I used your post to vent, I guess in some way I just want you to know you aren’t alone.
 
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#60
#60
I’ve found that simply talking or venting is therapeutic, even if it’s just a post to a message board, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Also it’s important to let sh!t go. Don’t hold grudges. Don’t hold on to things or people that don’t want to be in your life. Forgive people, even if they don’t/won’t/can’t forgive you. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own happiness so it’s ok to be selfish at times.
 
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#61
#61
Adam2014 said:
Hi Everyone,

This is my first time posting in the off-topic forum, but I have a question for all of you. When is a time that you conquered a tough period in your life? I am struggling with some awful depression right now and nothing seems to be working. I guess I was just wondering if any of you had some advice?

I hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday.
Click to expand...
Stay active. Tons of science behind getting your body moving and effectively managing depression.

A good therapist is key, but they don't do the actual work. You do. If you aren't ready and prepared to do the work, you are spending a lot of money for less than desired results. I was hospitalized twice for depression and it was only after those times did I understand it wasn't my therapist nor was it the relationships in my life. It was my own problem. Whatever has gone wrong, you have to look honestly at what role you played in it. Own it and then get busy working toward a solution. Therapy is merely a tool for YOU to use. It may be your role was minimal, yet the impact on your life is huge.

Sometimes meds are needed, if you get a script, take as directed. Meds (hopefully) are a short term thing until your brain chemistry gets back in balance.

You said you aren't religious. OK, but talking to a pastor is still a good idea. You might be surprised by the strength of the prayers of others on your behalf.

Don't self medicate with recreational drugs or alcohol. You need your body as clean as possible. Also get your diet as clean as possible.

Don't isolate yourself. It is easy to just hide out, but that can lead to feeling worse.

Try some new activities. If you've never gone hiking or fishing or whatever, go for it. I would not suggest anything that is an adrenaline rush like skydiving or something like that.

Find some really funny stuff to watch or listen to. Turn on some upbeat tunes. Spend time in rooms with positive colors (usually pastels) and avoid dark rooms or negative colors. (red, etc)

Bottom line is you have to do the work. And it is work. Seek out the root of the problem while treating the symptoms. It may be the root of the problem was a long time ago, but something recent tipped that domino.

Here's one that some may scoff at, but it helped me recently. QNRT. It seems weird and kooky, but it did me a lot of good.

Above all, don't give in to it. You have a choice to fight it.
 
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#63
#63
Adam2014 said:
Hi Everyone,

This is my first time posting in the off-topic forum, but I have a question for all of you. When is a time that you conquered a tough period in your life? I am struggling with some awful depression right now and nothing seems to be working. I guess I was just wondering if any of you had some advice?

I hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday.
Click to expand...
You hanging in there buddy?
 
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#64
#64
Adam2014 said:
Hi Everyone,

This is my first time posting in the off-topic forum, but I have a question for all of you. When is a time that you conquered a tough period in your life? I am struggling with some awful depression right now and nothing seems to be working. I guess I was just wondering if any of you had some advice?

I hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday.
Click to expand...

As usual im a little late to the party..

But OP if yourr traing this myself andy family wet through some very dark times. I cant go into details but i can tell you two things helped my child and myself keep from giving up.

First- you have heard this but applying it to our own life proved calming....

This Too Shall Pass

It will. I can promise you.



Second- there is a series of books that i love and passed these on to my child. In one scene of a book the protagonist was stranded and had to get back home..
Their approach was simply to focus on ine foot in front of the other. Tomorrow didn't matter, 10 minutes in the future didnt matter..
All that mattered was to always take the next step..
 
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#65
#65
I'm a little late it seems. however, I can relate.

I lost my dad on 10/28. It has been pretty brutal. Most of the time I am fine, however, I have moments when it really hits me hard. Especially around the holidays.

What has helped me so far:
-Talking it out
-The day we buried him, the Braves won the series, so in the grand scheme of things that is small but still helped
-Not being afraid to cry it out. Sometimes, you just have to get it out
-Telling Dad stories
-The step-kids

Just really trying to figure out what the new normal is has been the biggest challenge.

Crazy as it may sound, positive direction with football has helped as well.

It may seem like I am throwing random ideas out right now, but hell that's how I have dealt with it.
 
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#66
#66
GASOUTHERNVOL said:
I'm a little late it seems. however, I can relate.

I lost my dad on 10/28. It has been pretty brutal. Most of the time I am fine, however, I have moments when it really hits me hard. Especially around the holidays.

What has helped me so far:
-Talking it out
-The day we buried him, the Braves won the series, so in the grand scheme of things that is small but still helped
-Not being afraid to cry it out. Sometimes, you just have to get it out
-Telling Dad stories
-The step-kids

Just really trying to figure out what the new normal is has been the biggest challenge.

Crazy as it may sound, positive direction with football has helped as well.

It may seem like I am throwing random ideas out right now, but hell that's how I have dealt with it.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about your dad man.
 
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#68
#68
GASOUTHERNVOL said:
I'm a little late it seems. however, I can relate.

I lost my dad on 10/28. It has been pretty brutal. Most of the time I am fine, however, I have moments when it really hits me hard. Especially around the holidays.

What has helped me so far:
-Talking it out
-The day we buried him, the Braves won the series, so in the grand scheme of things that is small but still helped
-Not being afraid to cry it out. Sometimes, you just have to get it out
-Telling Dad stories
-The step-kids

Just really trying to figure out what the new normal is has been the biggest challenge.

Crazy as it may sound, positive direction with football has helped as well.

It may seem like I am throwing random ideas out right now, but hell that's how I have dealt with it.
Click to expand...
I'm very sorry for your loss.
 
#69
#69
Wireless1 said:
Adam, from the number of replies that you can see many people care about you, and we're all pulling for you Your statement about not being religious might point to one area for you to seek. I had a professor that stated that the product of religion was Hope. Hope is what drives us all, so I'd encourage you to find your hope. You'll never find it in a bottle, or pill but you will when you seek it on a spiritual level..... and of course as has been mentioned hard labor cures many emotional ails.
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You cannot say that with that level of certainty. And I can say that because I found the greatest peace when I stopped worrying about all that type of stuff.

So might be true for you....but it's not for everyone.
 
#70
#70
To answer the OP, I would strongly suggest you talk to an actual psychiatrist, maybe even try a few, and also get a check up because your depression could have some medical causes. I had depression bad for several years and the combination of talking with someone to work out my issues and going to a few doctors got me through it. I echo some of the other suggestions, like exercise and getting outside. I definitely would not recommend any kind of self medication i.e. alcohol, etc. I tried that and all it does is mask your problems and create new ones.
 
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#72
#72
I went through many tough periods with my wife………….I just tried to smile and made sure we always had plenty of Pamprin.
 
#73
#73
Adam2014 said:
Hi Everyone,

This is my first time posting in the off-topic forum, but I have a question for all of you. When is a time that you conquered a tough period in your life? I am struggling with some awful depression right now and nothing seems to be working. I guess I was just wondering if any of you had some advice?

I hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday.
Click to expand...
Go spend some time volunteering at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. It will help to put your own personal problems in perspective. Often your problems will seem small compared to the people you will help in places like this.
 
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#75
#75
n_huffhines said:
Also, pro tip...the grand canyon really isn't worth it unless you're gonna do a helicopter tour or hike down a decent distance into it. At least go far enough to see the Colorado. The rim isn't exactly stunningly beautiful. The canyon is enormous but it doesn’t hold a candle to the rim view at Bryce Canyon, so just go there if you want to drive up to a great view.
Click to expand...
It's always been worth it for me. Getting down into the canyon is where the real beauty is. I really recommend spending the night and being able to watch the light change
 
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