Work harder...

I have about ten things I have been trying in order to break through this 14 month depressive episode naturally.

I recently emailed my primary care doctor and told her I thought that the answer to my dilemma was to work harder, and do all those things more.

You know...like exercise, good diet, meditation blah. blah. blah.

My doctor wrote back a said she thought it was a great idea.

Okay. All of this came from feeling that the my health care providers have done nothing to help me, and that the only way I am going to get out of this depression is to assume 100% responsibility for my recovery.

In other words...do what most say not to do...take it on as my recovery and make it happen.

What do you think about this?

Hi,

My opinion is that it if a certain approach to combating your depression doesn't seem to be helpful that it actually makes perfect sense to try a different approach. I'm not saying that I'd necessarily rule out the possibility that utilizing the conventional approach to treatment that you had been utilizing will ever be of any benefit to you again or that seeking assistance from a professional at any time when you might feel the need for it isn't a good idea, but I think that if you have good reason to believe that you're not benefiting from a more conventional approach approach to treatment that might include psychotherapy and/or medication that looking for other ways to help relieve your feelings and/or symptoms of depression is a better idea than relying solely on approaches to treatment that haven't helped you up to this point. There are many tools available to us to help combat depression. Psychotherapy and medications are two such tools, but they're not by any means the only tools that can be useful in helping to relieve depression. And even though I wouldn't advise deciding which tools to use to help manage your depression without receiving input from someone with proper training (and I'm not saying that you're doing this, as I know that you wrote that you e-mailed your primary care doctor about this), I'd have to agree with you that we do basically have to take it upon ourselves to evaluate which treatment options might be the most helpful, to decide which treatment options to try, and to ultimately figure out which treatment interventions best help us to achieve our goals of mental well being. You might not necessarily find all 10 of the things that you're planning to do to help combat your depression to be helpful, but I think that it would definitely be worthwhile to try doing the things that you're planning on doing to see what might help you, and I wish you luck with doing those things.

Thanks for your insightful comments.

Hi,
it sounds as if you're taking positive steps to take control of your situation which can be very effective in many ways. It sounds very much like what I try to do.

I wonder though about the work and effort going into it, it sounds like hard graft.

I don't know what else is on your list, but does it include setting aside time to nurture yourself and be kind, even indulgent in small ways?
If not, maybe a little of this to balance the hard labour will allow your body a little rest and remind your mind that you are worthy of caring for.

Working harder and harder to chase depression away can be exhausting if no nurturing time is allowed.

If I am teaching Grandmother to suck eggs, forgive me.

Best wishes in your efforts and future health.

I spend (waste) a lot of time feeling sorry for myself. I like to read while soaking in a hot bath because depression makes my body ache. When I can afford it I do a little "retail therapy." I guess I have been pretty down on myself for "allowing" myself to become so depressed. I guess I feel like I don't deserve to be nurtured. You comment definitely is giving me some food for thought. Thanks. PS Obviously from my profile you can tell I love to swim. This would be something I would enjoy but since becoming severely depressed I haven't gone to the Recreation Center...and someone even gave me a gift card worth 10 swims. So I think I will push myself to go swimming...as once there I am certain I would really enjoy myself. Thanks again.

all the best.