friends help: How can you stop being depressed? - Help.com

well you gotta find something that makes you happy, doing a bit of exercise helps too. and also get some fruits! that’ll cheer you up a bit. and what do you like to do for fun? any vacations? dancing?

Get out and do stuff. Personally, I find that there’s nothing better than traveling and meeting people. Countryside is great, small town style, ’cause it’s slower paced.

so you just travel anywhere? no permanent home?

cero wrote:
so you just travel anywhere? no permanent home?

Basically. Going on 3 decades on the road. Rubbertramping RULEZ! This puppy is very familiar with depression and dealing with it effectively. Thing is, if a person can shape his/her life ‘around’ the depression, by which I mean living a lifestyle which ameliorates it, living can be a lotta fun.

mmk this might get you out of the depression! DANCE TO THIS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1c2Kz…

WHAT how do you do that?? do you live someplace for a bit, then move again?

cero wrote:
mmk this might get you out of the depression! DANCE TO THIS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1c2Kz…

WHAT how do you do that?? do you live someplace for a bit, then move again?

I have now, officially, lost what little was left of my youthful innocence. D*mn you DUCKMAN!!
I live outta vehicles and never stay too long in any one place. In a slide-in 9 1/2′ truck camper at present.

so…. how are you getting internet? how do you get cleaned up?? i could never do that!!

and did you say THREE decades??? so since before you were even 18?????

10 Tips to Avoid Becoming Depressed:

Is it possible to avoid depression? What is the secret of cultivating happiness and avoiding periods of unhappiness? To a large extent, we determine our own frame of mind; we shouldn’t feel that we are a helpless victim to depression. Depression is something that we can avoid by cultivating the opposite – happiness.

Here are some tips for avoiding depression

1. Offer goodwill to Others.

If we seek to make others miserable how can we expect to be happy ourselves? If we offer goodwill to other people this creates a powerful positive energy. Focusing on other people’s good qualities can definitely help improve our own state of mind. There is a principle that what we give out, we get back. Therefore, by offering positive energy to, at some time, we will also be the recipient.

2. Learn to Detach from Thoughts

Thoughts play a very significant role in determining our state of mind. If we pursue negative thoughts then we give them greater power and influence over our state of being. However, it is possible to decide which thoughts to allow and which to reject. We have to learn to be vigilant and prevent negative thoughts from taking hold. As soon as we become aware of negative thoughts we should let go of them. We can imagine that we are throwing them out of our mind into a cosmic dustbin.

3. Keep Busy.

If we struggle to detach from negative thoughts we should just throw ourselves into other activities. When we get involved in other activities that we enjoy it takes us out of ourselves. Activity forces us to do something constructive, and does not allow us to dwell on our depressed state of mind.

4. Avoid Feelings of guilt.

If we have made a mistake, harbouring feelings of guilt will not help alleviate the situation. In particular, we are seeking to avoid feelings of guilty for minor events of no significance. Often we have done nothing wrong, but, others seek to make us feel guilty for their bad fortune. Instead of feeling guilty we should seek to concentrate on doing the right thing.

5. Live a Balanced Life.

In life we need to make room for different aspects. If we focus all our time and energy on work then we will have no time for relaxation and cultivating other aspects of our life. If we pursue an unbalanced life unhappiness is more likely to occur.

6. Don’t Base your Happiness solely on other people.

If we expect to gain happiness from another person, at some time, we are bound to be disappointed. If bad relationships end, we should see it as an opportunity to move on. It is no use dwelling on what might have been. It is also a mistake to feel that we can change somebody to match our preferences. If we seek to change a person fundamentally we will just feel frustrated when we fail.

7. Share Problems

Good friendships can offer tremendous help. Especially, if we can have 1 or 2 friends who are able and willing to listen to our problems. Our friends will not be able to solve our problems. However, simply having someone to talk to and share difficulties is a tremendous help in being able to work through our own problems.

8. Cultivate Happiness.

To avoid depression we have to focus on the alternative which is happiness. The problem is that when we are depressed, the idea of happiness seems a million miles away. But, sometimes if we can force a smile or try to be insincerely happy, we can trick the mind and force happiness to descend; and after a while we start to achieve real happiness

i see 8

cero wrote:
so…. how are you getting internet? how do you get cleaned up?? i could never do that!!

and did you say THREE decades??? so since before you were even 18?????

I’m visiting the parents and getting the net there. Gonna be taking off in a couple and then it’s free WiFi at the libraries. I also believe that cleanliness is a state of mind, not a state of being. Therefor I’m alway.. yeh, not quite 3 decades, more like 27 yrs.

so how do you get money for things?

cero wrote:
i see 8

This isn’t gonna get into the whole gal vs. guy math thing.. is it?

BigWilly! wrote:

cero wrote:
i see 8

This isn’t gonna get into the whole gal vs. guy math thing.. is it?

it just might bigwilly. it just might.

AND OMG! you’re a stripper! that’s how you get money!!

cero wrote:
so how do you get money for things?

Used to fruit pick (up to $300+ in 5-6 hrs), treeplant, gold prospect. Now it’s disability and gold prospecting.

cero wrote:

BigWilly! wrote:

cero wrote:
i see 8

This isn’t gonna get into the whole gal vs. guy math thing.. is it?

it just might bigwilly. it just might.

AND OMG! you’re a stripper! that’s how you get money!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhPcjb…

OMG LOL

and what is this fruit picking business? what is it and how do you get into it??

cero wrote:

BigWilly! wrote:

cero wrote:
i see 8

This isn’t gonna get into the whole gal vs. guy math thing.. is it?

it just might bigwilly. it just might.

AND OMG! you’re a stripper! that’s how you get money!!

do you want 2 tips ?ok:

9. Think about the big picture – As Carl Sagan made evident with the Pale Blue Dot, we’re insignificant creatures living in a vast universe on a tiny planet. In the long run, everything we do will probably be forgotten. Some might find this depressing, but it shouldn’t be. It means that all our problems are illusory. In a million years no one will remember what you did or didn’t do. What matters is the present moment and enjoying every second of life that we’re blessed with.
10. Do something to help yourself – Above all, the best way to stop feeling depressed is to take action. What is your biggest problem? How can you alleviate it? Once you decide to stop moping and start moving forward you won’t have time to feel depressed. Action will occupy your mind and give you something to look forward to. Once you get some results, you’ll build momentum and positive thinking will keep getting easier.

cero wrote:
OMG LOL

and what is this fruit picking business? what is it and how do you get into it??

Depends on where you live. I picked in the Okanagan valley in B.C., Canada. Worked on orchards and basically just walked up during picking season and asked if they needed pickers. Don’t know ’bout where you are.

:O how do i find these orchards and farms!!

and treeplanting and gold prospecting, how did you get into that?

this is amazing - you’re helping me and i didn’t even make this post!

cero wrote:
:O how do i find these orchards and farms!!

and treeplanting and gold prospecting, how did you get into that?

this is amazing - you’re helping me and i didn’t even make this post!

It really depends on where you live. What kind of agriculture takes place determines what jobs are available. A lot is temp work (migrant worker), which is perfect for a nomadic lifestyle. The prospecting/treeplanting was through meeting people during my travels and trying it out. As an antidepressant, traveling and meeting new people has been effective.. and new job opportunities arise, some of which one would never really think of.

thanks, now i have all this to look into

cero wrote:
well you gotta find something that makes you happy, doing a bit of exercise helps too. and also get some fruits! that’ll cheer you up a bit. and what do you like to do for fun? any vacations? dancing?

Yes I try.. I do artwork quite often cuz I enjoy drawing. I like a good workout regularly every week. I mean I’m not depressed every moment, I have some good times but this year has been really hard for me. I’d have a few fine days and then a slew of depressing days. I’ll be on vacation in about a month but I’m always down in my reality. I’ve never been a really happy person to begin with.. I’m a melancholy type. Not sure what else I can do for fun, usually I’d like to go out with people for drinks etc but that only happens once in a while. With my friend gone it’s gonna be even less that. I don’t know what else I can do for fun really…

sounds like it may be pretty normal to me to have those ups and downs like that. do you know a reason what’s got you so low?

cero wrote:
sounds like it may be pretty normal to me to have those ups and downs like that. do you know a reason what’s got you so low?

There are quite a few reasons really.. My work has always been my main focus and I haven’t had a relationship for a long time. I had a very good year last year with work and during that time I developed a serious crush on a guy that I never could seem to get to know. I think deep down I wish very much I could be involved with someone but it never happened. So when the work died down this year, I feel quite empty and can’t seem to think that work is as important anymore.. I mean it is but there’s more to life than that. And now my friend’s going to move away and I feel like everything I’m used to is changing.. I feel lost..

oh change happens, it’s ok, i think if you give it some time you’ll feel better. and don’t worry so much about not being in a relationship, there’s people out there to meet and i’m sure you can always find someone online. sounds like you need to find something else to do since work has left a void. any hobbies? maybe you could learn to paint or do some crafts

The thing is, I’ve never worried much about not being in a relationship..I’m not desperate and I turned down a lot of people but I always think that it’d be really nice to be with someone I’m truly happy with.

Most of my work is my hobby :S I enjoy doing some stuff but after it’s done, I still feel that life is pointless..