How to deal with depression?

I've always had problems with depression, never quite managed to adapt to the harsh conditions of this world. And although I'm someone who's in touch with nature and at peace with myself to some extent, it is impossible to ignore the darker side of reality.

We're slaves to a body (hunger, disease, pain), we're exposed to a 'modern' society that hysterically laughs at those who try to live and think freely, we're being exploited by huge special interest groups and corporations. We're being genetically manipulated and re-programmed through food, water, consumables, electronic devices, radiation, and so much more.

People, and the world around me, are really pushing me towards insanity, desperation, helplessness, and towards violence day by day.

I'm sure so many of you have felt like I do today, maybe some of you still do. The truth is, we all have some darkness within us, but what do you do to prevent it from taking over your life? How do you keep balance?

Thanks for your time.
Peace,
-Alex

 

take joy in your own life and stop spending so much time worrying about what everyone else is doing.

you don't have to 'ignore the darker side of reality', but you have to be realistic about what you can do about it.

regular sleep and exercise, and a healthy diet, go a long way when battling depression.

 

It sounds like you are a deep thinker.

If you're serious about the violence comment, seek professional help.

 

Others can't really push you into the darkness - you have to allow yourself to be pushed.

 

The way to balance it is to be the master of your own mind. Not the other way around. Discipline yourself not to think about it. Depression can get those thoughts going. Treat the depression. Get out of the head. Do something physical. Do something for someone else in order to take the focus off yourself.
I believe in a basic good and evil. Yin, yang whatever relates to you philosophically. Make a decision to fill your life with positivity just for a day. Refuse to think about this just for a day and see the difference.
Taking a good quality St Johns wort herbal tab (Do not mix with pharmaceuticals) That will relieve your depression and anxiety and the thinking will change I promise you. PM me if you like, I can make some more step by step self help guidelines for you. The very worse thing you can do is stay isolated and continue dwelling on this stuff. Personal experience my friend. Been where you are at.

 

Very sound advice here too. Sorry eggs, was going to quote you first.

 

There will be less depression in the world once civilization is brought down.

 

i've read promising things about st john's wort, but like rosehippy said, don't mix with pharmaceutical anti depressants. same thing with 5-HTP. look it up online, it can really make a difference.

 

First off, depression is a term that has a multitude of meanings.
You need to find out if your's is a clinical depression with an organic basis, triggered by your environment ( read family) or a sane and valid reaction to a world gone mad. Ours is the most vicious species on this planet and anyone who is aware of what's going on in the world these days has every reason to be depressed. Having said that, I'm not saying we're all all going to hell in a hand basket. If not enough people get depressed about the state of the world there won't be sufficient force behind necessary change.
Clinical depression, on the other hand, can have an organic basis that can be corrected by diet, anti-depressants ( herbal or orthodox - but don't ever mix them!) . Other causes are a malfunctioning thyroid gland. This is the first thing I'd have tested as the cure is always effective and has few if any side effects.
If however your depression is due to trauma in your early life or current family dramas professional help could be needed. Alternately a discipline such as yoga or martial arts often removes depression but such methods are slow and require a lot of self discipline so it's best to get depression levels down before starting on such things.
Marijuana can held with some forms of depression but is can make other forms worse so go carefully on that one.
Whatever you do avoid fundamentalist religions offering you a cure. And that's another topic.
I've just re-read your :-"We're slaves to a body (hunger, disease, pain), we're exposed to a 'modern' society that hysterically laughs at those who try to live and think freely, we're being exploited by huge special interest groups and corporations. We're being genetically manipulated and re-programmed through food, water, consumables, electronic devices, radiation, and so much more."
We may be at times be slaves to our body but we can also find solace in our sensuality if we're being supported by a loving relationship. This doesn't necessary have to be a one on one sexually based relationship either. It could come from an unexpected source such as a dog or a totally unexpected quarter so try and remain open to the possibility. And yes, modern society does laugh hysterically at those who try to live and think freely but this isn't new. The Roman Catholic church tortured and burnt millions during the Spanish Inquisition for thinking freely. The easiest thing in your list to avoid is being exploited by huge special interest groups and corporations. Simply don't buy into their 'bargain'. A positive move you could make in that direction is to join a group such as ACTUP who thumb their noses very effectively at the corporate world.
One of your sentences I'd like to argue with at length but this isn't the place to do so. You say :-"We're being genetically manipulated and re-programmed through food, water, consumables, electronic devices, radiation, and so much more." Some of that is true, some of it is not. The important thing to remember is that powerful movements are taking place to oppose many of these influences. To learn more join your local Green party or similar. You'll be amazed at how strong the upswelling of opposition to such manipulations and 're-programming' is. One thing does worry me in your wording though, it's your use of the term 're-programmed' which has me suspecting you may be seeing things from a slightly paranoid perspective. Anyhow, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean somebody isn't out to get you.:2thumbsup:
Anyhow, good luck and try a joining ACTUP or The Green Party for starters then get a professional diagnosis to learn exactly what you're dealing with.
And yes, the human race is by and large insane, myself included but that's not reason to torture ourselves. Good luck and get back to us soon.

 

Yes, Eggsprog ( what a name - - the mind boggles) Regular sleep, exercise & diet can help but sadly, in cases of organic clinical depression and some other types, the sufferer simply can't get moving or correct disturbed sleep patterns without overcoming the depression first. Sometimes a low dose of antidepressant ( please no lectures from anti - orthodox herbalists et al) can get a person moving but not always. Diet can help but in cases where the depressed can't afford decent food or simply aren't able to get out into the world and buy it, let alone cook it, you're back to square one. Hate to sound somewhat negative but what should be avoided here is any assertion that might make the depressed feel responsible ('guilty') for their own condition.
One aspect of depression I don't think has yet been covered here is work inducessed stress breakdown, a sadly more common cause of depression in today's work environment where people are supposed to be devoted to their employer 24/7. In and of itself this is a form of corporate madness that should be banned.

 

where did you see me trying to make anyone guilty for being depressed?

you come off as very 'holier than thou' and your posts read a lecture.

 

I didn't, but there's a fashion abroad in self-help circles that convinces those suffering from a condition they are themselves the source of that condition and should be able to think themselves out of it. When this fails they blame themselves. Louse Hay specialised in this kind of approach with a large number of her disciples going so far as to convince people affected by HIV that through 'self-improvement' would come a cure. When, as was inevitable, they didn't cure themselves many blamed themselves with tragic consequences.

Your impression, not my intention. Besides, I'm about as un-holy as you can get.

 

cure for society: get the fuck out of it. Don't watch the news. Don't eat the food. Grow your own or buy local. This help connect you with the planet and with people. Don't drink the water (filter it). Be deliberate about making connections with your own soul and tune out the negativity around you.

And a suggestion for depression: exercise. Run. Do yoga. It disciplines your mind and body and helps produce seratonin and dopamine. Be productive. Fill your days doing things that make you happy. Find a hobby. Spend some time in the sun to get the vitamin d going. Do volunteer work. Spend time with people less fortunate. Train your mind to focus on the positive instead of the negative. Consider all the things in your life you should be grateful for. Do this daily.

 

That's all sensible advice but there's one problem people suffering severe depression have and that's the intense difficulty they have in even contemplating such actions, let alone attempting them. In such cases professional help is needed. I have no idea if the original poster is in such a situation but anyone who is will find the idea of yoga, exercise, volunteer work etc a mountain too distant and too hard to climb. OK, if they overcome severe organic depression with help then everything you suggest will benefit but for some it's too hard an ask until they can at least glimpse light at the end of the tunnel first.

 

Or... If depression is from being lonely/rejected you could just ask to talk to a person other than a troll. I found several such people over IRC chat.
But I do not recommend the method I (unintentionally) used to find them... Because I also was humiliated by jerks pretending to bend my thoughts towards horny, and then start a fight (Which included over 5 different Admins which is always a great idea ) and then utilized the admins kick list to further turn the joke not funny. Meeting a (seemingly) caring person who is nice to you for no reason other than to help you, who also makes you become sexually attracted to them, and then reveals that they are not only the opposite gender, but then asks (I will not put my comment here), and having that happen to from 4 people at once and being hacked by all 4, was not worth meeting 3 caring females and 2 non horny males also under 21. But another bonus is they are all programmers.

But really other than talking to someone in a similar situation or is willing to listen and not judge it's not going to get any easier any faster. I didn't even think non horny heterosexual men under 21 existed online. But 2 of them helped me not kill myself in under 20 seconds after posting in an off topic thread. And afterwards revealed that they too were in a situation, but if you do want to kill yourself ultimately no-one will help you but yourself.
But there seriously are lots of people out there who just want to hear your story and try to help without judging. Or am I a dying breed? (I sure as hell hope not!)

 

Hello dude i understand you want advice from good old hippies im 20years old sorry but i share the same thoughts with you... but yet there is no need to depressed here is the thing. If you got in touch with the nature you must have seen its beauty its where we truly belong dont let ANYTHING come over your love for the nature its out there all this beauty. Yes myself too i feel like a complete stranger in this world i am in right now cities buildings commercials ETC bla bla... I dont understand most people why they act in certain way greed,dishonesty,using someone. Why is the dominant worldview is like that most people are ignorant BY CHOICE.But there are people out there who share the values as you who are not ignorant like the old hippies you are asking here You are exposed to the modern society yes but you dont embrace it you dont have to STATE OF NATURE IS always there you dont need to trapped in the society dissolve from the society than none of these can affect you. The things you say are general rules of the society but there are beautiful experiences to be lived in our human experience never lose faith in them the nature's beauty love is all around you within yourself. Yeah the world is in a fucked up situation and the majority is sucked in to it just accept it the time will come where they pay for their destruction agaisnt humanity, nature and our beloved friends animals... and whatever they interfere and fuck up. Good luck my friend i hope your soul finds the light

 

The central problem is we're all going to pay for it.
My heart though goes out to anyone young. I'm old enough to know I'll be leaving the planet just before the shit really hits the fan. Recently a friends children 5 & 7 years old were talking with me about what's going to happen when global warming really gets going. I found myself either lying or attempting to paint a dishonestly optimistic picture. So, unless depression is organic (look it up) if you really know where our species is headed, being depressed is a perfectly natural reaction .