I am depressed page 3

[Jena]

Good grief - that sounds pretty horrible! I think the withdrawal period from anti-depressants can be quite bad for some people. I really don't want to go on them, but man, it is going to take some resolve on my part.

I understand, it has taken a lot of resolve just to not start them again to combat the dizziness. I have heard from some people that tapering off helps a lot and I have heard from others that it doesn't really matter. I quit cold turkey, which may have been a poor choice. I also did so without consulting my doctor, but then I figured this is the same doctor that insists I eat a diet rich in whole grains, so... If you do decide to go on some form of anti-depressants ask your doctor about one with a short half life which reduces withdrawals. I was on Zoloft which is apparently one of the hardest to detox from. And trust me, it stinks! Good luck. Feel free to message me with any questions about my anti-depressant experience.

[bloodorchid]

hi jammies, i feel your depressed and anxious pain :/

here is a list of what makes me feel better;

cutting out a good majority of my grain consumption helped a lot, and i take a full spectrum multi
getting plenty of sleep. i go through periods of some type of insomnia and when i get overly tired the depression snowballs.
funny things. seriously, laughing at stupid stuff helps so i have links like buzzfeed and rage comics to routinely read
for anxiety episodes.. all i can do for mine is keep my mind as occupied as possible til it ends
loving on my dogs and letting them roll around on me

i've been on low dose zoloft for a year or so and i recently discovered that it is what is keep my anxiety down. i'd been feeling better and letting my doses slip til i had a panic attack. i took a dose after it was over and my panic went away, so i'm not as better as i thought in that regard

i sincerely hope you find something that helps you, and soon

[bdilla]

I second the notion of keeping yourself occupied. Depression works with your mind to create a vicious cycle. The worst thing you can do is wallow in it and let it take over you.

I've been in and out of depression for a while, too. About the only thing that helps me is being productive or kickin it with a single chick. Often times, I'll read something new, teach myself something. Try to learn a new language. I'm currently working on French. I'll try to work on some beats or write some new songs. Maybe draw, study for school. Exercise helps, too.

I know how you feel. Depression sucks dick. Good luck. You'll be okay.

[j3nn]

What is your carb intake like? Some people experience depression from carb restriction even after being low-carb for long periods of time. Some of your symptoms suggest thyroid issues, but i don't know if you have tested that. I'd modify your diet to include or exclude certain foods to see if there's any improvement. One of the biggest reasons I wouldn't go too low carb is due to the many horror stories I have heard from people who developed depression and thyroid dysfunction after long-term carb restriction.

With that said, I have no idea what your carb situation is but just thought I'd put it out there.

[BestBetter]

If anything, I think it's obvious with all the sympathy outpouring that you're not the only one - a lot of us experience something similar at some point, and sometimes just knowing you're not alone can make it a little easier to deal with.

The problem with something like depression is that there could be so many causes, so doing what worked for one person might not help at all. But that just means that you can't give up if the first thing (or hundred things) you try doesn't work.

I've gone through some pretty intense anxiety and depression. tried a lot of stuff, and ultimately what's working for me is something that you'll probably not like the sound of, but I'll throw it out there, anyway.

What I tried that worked temporarily:
1) Phenylanine + Tyrosine (a precursor to dopamine and to phenylalanine, respectively)
2) Sam-e

What I tried that seems to have made a huge difference and has been consistenly working for the past 2+ months:
-Eating high carb, high sugar.

I initally decided to start experimenting with my diet, because even though for a long while I felt great eating low carb primal, over time, my fatigue and depression very slowly got worse...I started having anxiety attacks that required xanax (which was a new thing). I realized after a while that in certain ways I wasn't thriving, and I needed to figure out if it was or wasn't related to my diet. Just adding in a little more carbs (like 150g/day) didn't make any difference for me. It wasn't until I did a total 180, trading high fat for high carb that I noticed some pretty immmediate positive effects:
1) Fatigue greatly reduced
2) Motivation to actually do things again
3) A complete 180 in my personality re: depression and how i handle stress. No longer did I fall into a pit of despair if some little thing didn't go right - now every problem just rolls right off, and I feel more stable than I've ever felt in my life.

It's possible I may need to do some kind of seasonal cycling of macros, but right now this is working really well.

I also have had hypothyroid symptoms my whole life (cold extremities, very low body temp, etc...) and unfortunately, eating high fat/low carb can suppress the thyroid, making the symptoms even worse.

[Fiji Chris]

I can't help but notice autoimmune arthritis in your sig. Suffering from the same thing here. I truly believe primal helps reduce the physical joint inflammation associated with disease cell loads but they still play havoc with your central nervous system. Just like having a flu without the physical symptoms it is easy for things to tax your mental health quickly. Autoimmune stuff is a complicated beast, primal living helps enormously but I can't help but think there is more to it. Bula from Fiji

[JamesS]

What I tried that worked temporarily:
1) Phenylanine + Tyrosine (a precursor to dopamine and to phenylalanine, respectively)

Phenylalanine is the precursor for tyrosine. Tyrosine then forms in to DOPA, which converts in to dopamine, which converts in to norepinephrine that finally converts in to epinephrine.

2) Sam-e

You might want to look in to trimethylglycine (TMG), derived from beet leaves, instead. TMG is 3 times more effective than SAMe and about a quarter of the cost. TMG donates a methyl group forming dimethylglycine (DMG), which then donates a methyl group to form SAMe. The loss of another methyl group forms glycine, which raises gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) levels in the brain, which helps to control anxiety as well.

[JamesS]

I can't help but notice autoimmune arthritis in your sig. Suffering from the same thing here. I truly believe primal helps reduce the physical joint inflammation associated with disease cell loads but they still play havoc with your central nervous system. Just like having a flu without the physical symptoms it is easy for things to tax your mental health quickly. Autoimmune stuff is a complicated beast, primal living helps enormously but I can't help but think there is more to it. Bula from Fiji

Chronic pain can definitely cause depression by leading to suppression of the adrenal glands and/or the thyroid.

People with various forms of arthritis will also often resort to drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which also cause depression by reducing prostaglandin levels. Examples of NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, etc.), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Anaprox, etc.), celecoxib (Celebrex), etc.

[Owly]

What is your carb intake like? Some people experience depression from carb restriction even after being low-carb for long periods of time. Some of your symptoms suggest thyroid issues, but i don't know if you have tested that. I'd modify your diet to include or exclude certain foods to see if there's any improvement. One of the biggest reasons I wouldn't go too low carb is due to the many horror stories I have heard from people who developed depression and thyroid dysfunction after long-term carb restriction.

With that said, I have no idea what your carb situation is but just thought I'd put it out there.

Hmmmm, yes, going VLC really exacerbated things for me when I tried it. I wouldn't say I eat high carb/sugar, but I find I feel better when I am in the 100-150g range.

[jfrendek]

I stay in ketosis most of the time but my depression comes from the master source. Life!