ways of coping with your depression and building self esteem

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Medications and psychologists did far more harm to me than good. Learning about me having autism and finding that I can still capitalize on my strengths and mitigate my weaknesses has helped me combat depression. Also, drinking green or white tea works wonders for me. Strangely, medications simply numbed my emotions, nearly making me psychopathic, while natural L-Theanine has actually helped me improve my mood and concentration, probably because I've found my own "therapy".

I also listen to a ton of my favorite music and write music to release my angst. Having found true faith after having man-made faith shoved down my throat for years, which I later rejected thankfully, has gone further than anything else.

Focusing(book by Eugene T. Gendlin) saved my life.

It helped me handle my deep depressions. Now I am fine most of the time.

I've taken medications before for depression. I broke down when I first went to college, and had to withdraw and get treatment. While they worked well, I mostly recovered and I found I don't like who I am on them. They make me a bit too confident, so when I say something wrong that hurts someone, I don't care. So yeah. I have my ups and downs, like any normal person. Lately I've been down a fair bit. What seems to help me is to put on some music and dance to it. The adrenaline tends to snap me out of light depression quickly.

This one really got me.

What if people could find out just by looking at me.

I've been kind of paranoid ever since people "accused" me of having "bad coordination".
Yet my family have adamantly claimed that I'm not disabled.

What about invisible disabilities?

The mind boggles.

Maybe, given my experiences, I'm taking this way too personally.


The thing is, I have no one who'll take me seriously or listen to my issues at all.
If I do admit any difficulties, they'll just want to label me again.


Also some of the problems listed on here seem really mild and trivial compared to some of the ostracism I've been through. Manicures and texting...these aren't important to me, they aren't even part of my life.

They're problems that people have when they have lots of friends around to share them with and aren't agoraphobic. Then can go out and meet up easily, it's not a big issue for them to use public transport or go shopping: they just go and can keep up easily with fast paced social interactions.

I may feel lonely, but on the plus side, if I'm not in a relationship with anyone, I can't have relationship problems!

And if there's no-one to text me, there can't be texting problems!

"Only a life lived for others is a life worth living." -Einstein
Find a purpose so you can feel a sense of selfworth. Charity work could be good.

I used to feel really sad all the time and was diagnosed for depression. At that point I forced myself to get better, because it meant eating less pills in the morning. (none now, thankfully).

When ever I was going to get depressed again I always thought "Why should I waste my time crying when no one is doing the same for me? I could be doing something else, but here I am, crying like a baby." It may not work for others but it works for me. Feeling sorry for yourself just isn't productive. Gosh I sound robotic but, well... it isn't!

When I'm depressed, I usually find it helps to organize something (even if it's just a drawer or cabinet) or listen to a favorite movie of mine while creating desktop wallpaper. Both activities make me feel I've accomplished a little something.

I realise this is going to sound absurd and all but, I've often found that exercise tends to help me in terms of dealing with Depression..Actually, I'm not as energetic as, once I was in times of ancient past though, whenever I do my daily walking I'm able to take my mind off things or people for that matter which, rather make me feel less than human.
Another coping mechanism for myself, comes in the form of humor.Often, I'd read something funny or even watch something hilarious on Comedy Central and that would help me to not feel so disenchanted.. Honestly, I often find it hard to say as and Aspie I have Depression for, there have been times being around other Aspies I'd actually feel as if I was being ostracised.Yes, by my own kind of all things.Still, I suppose some people in the spectrum merely don't wish to acknowledge such about his/her self or choose not to be a friend to someone struggling with Depression..

Anyways, I'm glad that this particular forum is not critical nor hateful..

I feel similar.

I just returned from visiting relatives in Auckland, and I already miss them. I didn't realise how isolated and lonely I felt living by myself, and how much my personal activities (such as playing games) was in compensation for that.


Anyway, my advice for coping with depression was given to me by a patient and wise Psychiatrist:

Bright Light
Physical Exercise
Good Experiences
Avoid Toxins (especially toxic people)
Good Nutrition

A related issue is sleep. 8 hours of Deep Sleep is ideal, but with depression some of that deep sleep is replaced with lighter, dreamier REM sleep. Good sleep hygiene is important, and exercise helps.

Personally, my biggest issue is a lack of Good Experiences. Nothing to do and no job makes this aspie sad...

f**k...self esteem...should get some of that. I'm pretty sure i have depression.

Why bother? Visualizing the positives never results in their materialization, yet imagining the worst somehow always ensures it will transpire in reality. God is a God of hate, out to destroy whomever he can, taking the pure, innocent and decent and turning us into failed pieces of sh*t.

I tend to deal with my depressiob by going for lengthy walks as, I'm able to get all of the stress for that particular day out of my system.Yes, I'm constantly tormented by various things and all yet, I try to keep myself level by not letting myself become too wound up as, I've seen from being around someone whom has atypical autism, this person went into an explosive tantrum of such..Honestly, I try to remain contented to not let that happen by always keeping a check on my stress level, if that makes sense..Well, I'm not really sure what else to say at this time except, may everyone be able to find some serenity..

I have plenty to be depressed about. I'm unemployed and have near-zero work experience and no skills to speak of. I can't drive. I'm a college drop-out. No matter what I do, I can't find a job. I have no hope for the future. My problems probably dwarf everyone else's here.

music does help. To me the song "Walk" by blind melon does the trick, if even for a while.

Someone said listening to music is just a smokescreen. It i'sn't. Depression is the smoke screen.

Remember; being on the autism spectrum comes with depressions. They will flare up and go away again. THEY WILL PASS! You are not the only one who feels this way.

I used to be depressed for days or weeks. Untill one day i thought; what if depressions are not bad but rather useful to reload your battery? I stopped fighting them and did the opposite. It worked for me. Whenever I feel sad, I no longer say I shouldn't be sad. When I am mad I let myself be mad. I even exaggerate it. When I'm a bit depressed I cry and cry and tell myself I'm the biggest loser on the planet, nobody could ever even be around me and I'll start to beat my pillow and get myself all worked up.

There always comes a point in which I see how bad Im overreacting... There's no WAY I'm the biggest loser in the world... people aren't actually going to die just by being around me. Then the satire of it all will hit me.

Since I've been doing this my depressions don't ever last more that a day. And I get more energy because feeling silly and even laughing at myself is a lot better than just coning out of a depressed episode.

Im not saying this will work for everyone but it does for me!

Focus on the things you can, not on the things you cannot.
Don't dwell on the things you can't have.
Everyone is different and nobody is perfect.

'You can't always get what you want, but you get what you need'
The Rolling Stones

[url=http//:cumuluscounselling.blogspot.com/]talking to someone helps too[/url]

I try to deal with my depression as best as possible though, I'll admit I'm no expert at it but, I still keep my head up even at times I've felt like a lost soul trying to find his way back home...