How I understood and then escaped

Beachlover that is great to hear! Anything that is this simple that can distract you from your depression and suicidal thoughts is a good thing! I hope it continues to help you. Keep us posted.

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Holy crap vital. I read what you wrote again after not really reading it thoroughly when I first read this. You are VERY intelligent and a GENIUS. You're right. Therapy hasn't helped me so much. Yes maybe challenge my thoughts from time to time but my depression got worse.
It's ALL about action. It's all about making conscious decisions for a depressed person to get better.
I have been just getting by. I felt no pleasure from life anymore. I've been trying SUPER hard to try and have HOPE and POSITIVITY.
I have definitely been procrastinating that's a fact. It's all because I'm waiting until I get fear that I need to do it, that's why I wait till the last minute to do things so I can finish it vs. doing them on my own will.
I've been snapping for the past 30 minutes and I feel joy and empowerment from the snaps. I feel like I am emotionally getting better. My mind is not on suicidal thoughts but more about, wow, I make lots of decisions in such a short period of time. I absolutely think this will work.
I am serious.
What is pretty difficult is remembering to this at all times but I'm desperate for help. So I will for sure keep the Snap Club in mind as much as I can.

I am also getting medication for the first time soon so I hope that will help also.

I just want to say you are a genius. Not even therapists know what you know. They're trying to do what they can to help but they don't know that a depressed person is on autopilot each day and not motivated to do anything.
Snapping before making a decision is so empowering and makes me feel joy.
Thank you. This Snap club should be published and be turned into an activity that all therapists tell their clients. It's crazy.
You're a genius.

(I'm snapping before hitting send )

Hi Beachlover!

I am SO happy you're feeling better. I can tell that you're REALLY feeling those SNAPs and you can already feel your depression dissolving. I am so happy for you. Don't worry about it if you forget for a while. I forget too, but I just let any bad thought or feeling remind me - Oh yeah, I don't have to do that anymore. Keep in touch if you have any questions.



- vital

I agree with beach lover. It really does help. My thinking paterns are becoming more positive and when a negative one slips in i can naturally snap out of it! You are a geniou vital. I wish everyone new about this. Thankyou so much for coming on here with the perpose of helping others.

To have some fun with the magic of snapping, I have collected almost all images of people in the act of snapping their fingers that I could easily find in google.

What are these people feeling? Vitality and empowerment or depression and helplessness?

SNAP CLUB

you be the judge.

Happy Thanksgiving. - vital

vital, this sounds revolutionary and amazing. i am going to try it

I'm going to try this too!

Vital, you mentioned you are also taking supplements - what are you taking and how much?
I've been taking omega 3 fish oil with added vitamin E.

Welcome SmileHere

The supplements that I take are mostly recommendations from "The Ultramind solution" by Mark Hyman and from Andrew Weil's books and web sites. I've listed the quantities and brands below. It seems like a lot, but much of it is in a multivitamin. My current diet is low carb, mostly plants, not quite vegetarian. In summary, I take a multivitamin, Omega 3, B vitamins, D, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, L-Tyrosine, and various anti-oxidants.

- vital

med.nutype----med.nutrient-----------med.amount--med.unit---med.brand----------
amino acid....L-Tyrosine...................1000..mg.........GNC................
amino acid....L-Tyrosine...................1000..mg.........GNC................
vitamin.......Vitamin A...................18000..IU.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Vitamin C.....................250..mg.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Vitamin D3....................400..IU.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Vitamin E.....................100..IU.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Thiamin.......................100..mg.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Riboflavin....................100..mg.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Niacin........................100..mg.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Vitamin B6....................100..mg.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Folic Acid....................400..mcg........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Vitamin B12...................100..mcg........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Biotin........................100..mcg........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Pantothenic Acid..............100..mg.........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Calcium........................50..mg.........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Iron...........................18..mg.........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Phosphorus.....................30..mg.........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Iodine........................225..mcg........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Magnesium......................40..mg.........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Zinc...........................15..mg.........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Selenium.......................50..mcg........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Copper..........................2..mg.........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Manganese.......................7..mg.........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Chromium.......................25..mcg........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Molybdenum.....................15..mcg........Whole Foods........
mineral.......Potassium......................10..mg.........Whole Foods........
compound......Inositol......................100..mg.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Choline........................50..mg.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......PABA...........................30..mg.........Whole Foods........
food..........Betain HCL.....................25..mg.........Whole Foods........
amino acid....Glutamic acid HCL..............25..mg.........Whole Foods........
food..........Rose hips.......................5..mg.........Whole Foods........
vitamin.......Vitamin D3...................1000..IU.........GNC................
food..........Probiotics......................1..tablet.....365................
mineral.......Calcium.......................500..mg.........The Vitamin Shoppe.
mineral.......Magnesium.....................500..mg.........The Vitamin Shoppe.
amino acid....Acetyl-L-Carnitine............750..mg.........The Vitamin Shoppe.
amino acid....Acetyl-L-Carnitine............750..mg.........The Vitamin Shoppe.
anti-oxidant..Resveratrol...................250..mg.........Reserveage Organics
anti-oxidant..Alpha-Lipoic Acid.............300..mg.........The Vitamin Shoppe.
anti-oxidant..Alpha-Lipoic Acid.............300..mg.........The Vitamin Shoppe.
herb..........Eyebright.....................800..mg.........Nature's Answer....
vitamin.......Folic Acid....................800..mcg........The Vitamin Shoppe.
amino acid....Acetyl-L-Carnitine............750..mg.........The Vitamin Shoppe.
amino acid....Acetyl-L-Carnitine............750..mg.........The Vitamin Shoppe.
food..........Probiotics......................1..tablet.....365................
oil...........Fish Oil.....................1725..mg.........Nordic Naturals....
oil...........Evening Primrose Oil..........500..mg.........Whole Foods........
amino acid....L-Tyrosine...................1000..mg.........GNC................
amino acid....L-Tyrosine...................1000..mg.........GNC................

Thanks, Vital!

Wow, you take quite a lot. Did you ever have any negative reactions to the supplements? (I've had, to magnesium/zinc in the past - then I started eating meat, like a doctor recommended)
I'm thinking at least some of your energy/vitality may come from the supplements/nutrition?

As for the SNAP club, I've managed to get up a bit earlier today with the help of it (I 'snapped' and chose to lie in and just tossed and turned in bed quite a few times before that lol) I find it quite mischievous and playful, maybe that's the point? We'll see how it goes... Thank you for sharing it!

Hi SmileHere!

It does seem like a lot, but a lot from the list is just the contents of the multivitamin.

I've never had a negative reaction to supplements, but that is a great point for anyone else reading this. My understanding is that you should not really exceed the recommended amounts on any of these supplements. Something that may be good for you in the right quantities might be not so good for you if you take too much.

As for SNAP CLUB, I think it's a wonderful sign that you're being playful and creative with it. I feel that too. I am almost guaranteed to be smiling when I SNAP, even for the smallest thing. I have a feeling of pure joyful power and playfulness and creativity even for my small nonsense decisions. It's partly also a HUGE relief. Every time I do it, it reminds me that I have somewhere to go if things go bad, that I don't have to suffer as I used to ANY MORE.

- vital

I'm intrigued by the information here. I really like the idea of how snapping makes you feel like you are more in control of your life. I actually can't snap my fingers (haha) but I may give this a try!

Hi lostfeeling25,

Not to worry! I'm sure that any suitably bold emphatic gesture will work for you. It might even work especially well if you invent your own gesture.

- vital

Hi everybody,

I've just noticed that Ellen Langer (Harvard Psych. Dept) and her colleague have rather strong evidence that just making decisions has a very substantial positive effect on health from a study dating from the 1970s:

Ellen Langer: Read Chapter One

Nursing home residents who made more decisions were much healthier after the study and less than half as many died as in the control group!

I think this may be related to what's happening in this thread!

Here's a recent interview which also refers to "the plant study":

http://www.npr.org/2012/08/02/157809...to-beat-stress



- vital

I am actually quite excited to try Snap Club, and I haven't been excited in a long time. Although I haven't tried it yet, it sounds like it could really work and maybe even be a cure for depression. I feel that Snap Club will go down in history. Thank you for your insight and making me realize things about myself that I didn't realize in an hour session with a 'professional'. You, my friend, are a true hero.

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interesting read

[QUOTE=Beachlover527;4114413]Holy crap vital. I read what you wrote again after not really reading it thoroughly when I first read this. You are VERY intelligent and a GENIUS. You're right. Therapy hasn't helped me so much. Yes maybe challenge my thoughts from time to time but my depression got worse.
It's ALL about action. It's all about making conscious decisions for a depressed person to get better.
I have been just getting by. I felt no pleasure from life anymore. I've been trying SUPER hard to try and have HOPE and POSITIVITY.
I have definitely been procrastinating that's a fact. It's all because I'm waiting until I get fear that I need to do it, that's why I wait till the last minute to do things so I can finish it vs. doing them on my own will.
I've been snapping for the past 30 minutes and I feel joy and empowerment from the snaps. I feel like I am emotionally getting better. My mind is not on suicidal thoughts but more about, wow, I make lots of decisions in such a short period of time. I absolutely think this will work.
I am serious.
What is pretty difficult is remembering to this at all times but I'm desperate for help. So I will for sure keep the Snap Club in mind as much as I can.

I am also getting medication for the first time soon so I hope that will help also.

I just want to say you are a genius. Not even therapists know what you know. They're trying to do what they can to help but they don't know that a depressed person is on autopilot each day and not motivated to do anything.
Snapping before making a decision is so empowering and makes me feel joy.
Thank you. This Snap club should be published and be turned into an activity that all therapists tell their clients. It's crazy.
You're a genius.

(I'm snapping before hitting send )[/QUOTE

I think assertiveness, mindfulness and self care and empowerment are ways that can help people with depression. While action is what matters most in making positive change, beliefs, thoughts are also influential. So addressing, challenging unhelpful negative limiting ideas is important as well adopting new positive behaviours. I have great difficult making decisions when anxiety and depression are severe. I want to feel more in control and optimistic about things but currently in difficult dark place. How did you find out about this Snap Club Vital? I think it might help people feel less stuck, hopeless and vulnerable. I want to give it a go too. I guess its like a lot of things it takes some time and practice to start to feel the benefits.

I don't think this us going to work. I haven't spoken to any girls I have been interested in for 2 years now out of depression and anxiety and more things. I feel almost entirely disconnected from the teenage female gender. I'm too self conscious to snap my fingers or do anything someone could see me doing. I'm so screwed up there seems to be no way to fix me.

Couldn't hurt to try? And you can snap or do any gesture you want so you can make it less obvious or you can do it mostly in private at first and see if you can build up confidence to do something public.

I don't think anybody is beyond repair! Just hang in there.

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[QUOTE=Creative1onder;4140778]That's great to hear Creative1onder . You should be able to feel something quite soon after you try it, probably on the first day, maybe immediately. It helps to enjoy the snaps and to notice that you are enjoying them, it helps to be playful and invent your own silly things to decide. It helps to use each snap as a bell of mindfulness. After a while, you may feel that the snaps are sacred. They bring the true inner you to the now. A union of mindful awareness, empowerment and vitality.

I invented SNAP CLUB myself, Creative1onder, after trying to understand what was going on in my own head. I think it works because I'm actually right about the root cause of depression as explained above. I'll probably write this up soon. I like to think that Forrest Gump could have found snap club too:

Forrest Gump: "They told me to snap out of it."
Forrest Gump: "I didn't know when to stop, so I just kept snapping."

SNAP CLUB

SNAP! -vital

But it has been so long.

I know how it is.. I've been in a rut for 10 months now but I refuse to give up and I am snapping and doing anything I can to get back to normal! I believe it will happen if I keep trying.

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I am going to give this a try. I can't go on like this anymore. Oddly enough I am already a finger snapper when I walk down the hallways at work, cooking, hiking, walking, etc...

It's not going to happen. No matter what I decide to do I have too much self hatred. It will never change. I know deep inside I am going to be alone for the rest of my life. It is so sad but it is true. Every time my mom talks about how she wants my brother and I to get married eventually it hurts because I know I will never experience this or ever be in a relationship with a girl. Almost every other person in my school will eventually but I will permanently be alone.

Hi everyone,

The following is what I personally think is the best plan is for dealing with
depression. I'm putting it here so I don't lose it in the forum.

1. Deal with any physical/nutritional issues

There are a surprisingly large number of common medical or nutritional
issues that can cause depression including Vitamin B12 or D deficiency,
hypothyroidism, heavy metal toxicity, pre-diabetes, infection, gluten
allergy and omega 3 fat deficiency. If you have any issues like this,
antidepressants aren't really going to help and you need to get to the root
of the problem with a Medical Doctor. For references see this talk



and the book "The Ultramind Solution" both by Mark Hyman. For inspiration
about what this step can do for you, see the following post from the
"depression success stories section"

http://forums.psychcentral.com/depre...r-give-up.html

2. Try all of the safe healthy ways to overcome depression first.

Often the first thing that happens to a person if they complain that they
are depressed is that they are given a prescription for antidepressant
medication. However, antidepressant drugs are toxic substances, have
potentially serious short and long term side effects, lead to dependence
and can be very difficult to withdraw from. Also, antidepressants usually
don't work:

Why Antidepressants Don?t Work for Treating Depression - Dr. Mark Hyman

Because of that, it seems much better to first try all of the safe, easy and/or healthy
ways to overcome depression. This would include exercise (always great for you), SNAP CLUB
as described here (easy and fun to try), improving your diet (always great for you),
meditation (always great for you), talk therapy including CBT, light therapy, mind training,
being more social and others. I particularly think that SNAP CLUB is good to try
because it is, I believe, really directly getting to the psychological root
cause of depression.

3. If ALL of the above fails and you are desperate, go to the next steps with
a Medical Doctor. I suspect that in almost all cases of depression, some
combination of 1 and 2 above will work. However, this is only a guess on
my part. There are cases that I believe (on this forum and elsewhere)
where antidepressant drugs work dramatically well and cases where they
work dramatically well, but only after years of trying to find the right
drug or drug combination. If nothing really works in steps 1 and 2, you may have to try this.
I have heard similar testimonials from people for who ONLY Electroconvulsive
Therapy worked. The TED talk by Solomon describes a case where nothing worked
except for a cyngulotomy (a brain operation).

- vital

Hi everyone,

I'm really feeling and enjoying my snaps more than ever before. I love the idea that snaps are joining my inner vitality with present moment awareness where a SNAP is like a "bell of mindfulness" as in Buddhist meditation practices.

SNAP CLUB



I'm still doing yoga and walking and some other exercises. Even though I'm not depressed anymore, I might add a sitting meditation and try light therapy in 2015, just to have the experience. This is a nice calm time of year for me to get lots of work done and think about the new year. I hope that 2015 is wonderful for all of you also.

- vital