[alk2601]

I was diagnosed with depression at age 13, which has been exactly half my life. Because I was so young and had little support at the time (and the therapists and medication I used were minimally helpful), I never developed good coping skills. I was able to graduate high school and college and hold down jobs, but only if I turned to other things to "manage" the depression, such as self-injury, disordered eating, and various forms of substance abuse. I tend to rotate between these things, and don't feel like I can function in life without turning to one of them. I have okay coping skills for regular stress, but those strategies don't help with depression. For example, reading and video games can be a good escape from regular stress, but when I'm feeling depressed it's too hard to concentrate enough to stick with the book or game.

How does everyone else cope with depression without turning to self-harm or substance abuse? What gets you out of bed every day? How do you force yourself to concentrate and get things done during the day? How do you push through the emotional pain and/or total apathy? I don't even have a clue where to start, other than to keep doing what I've always done.

[favoritefountain2]

Hello Alk2601,

First - have you considered going back? Therapy techniques and medications have greatly improved, and you might find better success.

As for what gets me through the day? I don't like quitting. I know I'll feel worse, so I end up getting up. I know it isn't helpful, but I was told every day from when I was six to when I was 26 that I was a failure and would fail even if I hadn't failed yet. As a result, I have become unbelievably stubborn about things. But that's a mental illness all on it's own. Still, it is what drives me through

[BenAztrow]

favoritefountain2 , good tips

[regretful]

Pushing through the days is exactly the way to phrase it. Depression "hit" me first in my late 20's, and again in my forties. What gets me through these days is, honestly, to consider some of the blessings that I have in my life. At times, it gets to the point of being grateful for simple things like food, shelter and clothing, you know, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs...Lately, I've been doing a lot of that "counting". For me, it's better than self-medicating with alcohol, which I used to do to excess. I fill my time with some activity - anything - something as simple as making my bed can be helpful. I work from the simple to the more complex, and as silly as it may sound, I "congratulate" myself on the job well done when I accomplish a task.

Presently, I take a low-dose anti-depressant (Viibryd). I've gone back to really looking at my thoughts and the words that I use to express those thoughts. It's a basic Cognitive-Behavioral technique. When I don't do that, I find myself much more depressed.

I wish you well in your struggle...I wish all of us well.

[Altered Moment]

13 is when it started for me. For many years I used substance abuse to cope and it worked until it didn't. I have been clean and sober twenty years so I don't have that any more. When I am doing real good or even moderately depressed I have very healthy coping skills and handle stress very well. Many years of therapy, aa's twelve steps, Alanon, meditation, CBT, journaling, exercise, working, reading, have all given me great coping skills. But to be totally honest, when I go into a deep depression, I just don't function much at all until it's over. Currently Fetzima has kept me from diving into one which would normally happen this time of year.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[vital]

Originally Posted by alk2601

How does everyone else cope with depression without turning to self-harm or substance abuse? What gets you out of bed every day? How do you force yourself to concentrate and get things done during the day? How do you push through the emotional pain and/or total apathy?

What works beautifully for me is "SNAP CLUB" described here

http://forums.psychcentral.com/depre...n-escaped.html

See #74 in the thread for what I think is the best general plan.

- vital

[alk2601]

Thanks for all responses. I guess it's nice to hear that I'm not just a weak person for struggling to cope properly.

[Hellion]

Well I don't...cope with it without those things, really.

[ajohnson45]

When I see my crush in class I look away or in the halls if someone makes eye contact with me I just look at my phone. Basically computers and other electronics are like my pacifier though. Without them I would be much worse and I am pretty depressed as it is.

[gayleggg]

I don't cope very well but the main thing I try to do is break things down into small tasks that I can handle. I get into trouble when I try to look at the big picture, so I try to focus on only what is going on at a particular time. And I sleep a lot.