Coping with Depression

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I have seen a lot of posts about depression and people who are feeling suicidal lately on this website. I have suffered with depression continually, and sometimes have been on anti-depressants, which have helped in the past, when you need them you need them...

Depression, or the Black Dog, hangs around, sneaks up on you and from what I have read is pretty common to people on the spectrum. My son is currently being treated for depression and at times it is very hard for me to discern what is depression and what is complete frustration with the NT world.

Challenging your negative thinking is crucial, making yourself exercise every day even if you don't want, is also very important. Moods will pass, be patient, hopefully you will develop enough self awareness to realize, negative self talk is running through my brain again, switch gears now or at least say to yourself, 'oh right the negative tape is running again'....

There are about a bazillion websites on advice for coping with Depression, this one is pretty decent and sums it all up....and offers self help ideas.

Do not forget December and the holidays are a very hard time for people with depression, all this it is the holidays and be merry and be with friends and family and good times, is hard to take when you are not feeling so merry....and dealing with all these annoying humans who are charging around, doing their Christmas run up and being so cheerful.....I get a little more than a little grinchy every Christmas but I know it happens annually, I expect it and roll my eyes and say, right the worst holiday of the year is here. I will survive it, and I do.

helpguide.org

Thanks for posting this, you are right, it's a matter of discerning negative self talk and turning it into something productive, the first step is being able to recognize those negative thoughts, a good way to do this is to keep a track of them and write them down as they come up, this way you can respond counter productively to any negative thoughts that can arise.

Exercise also really helped me relieve any tension, depression or anxiety I suffered from, I started exercising to counter my depression but it really helped me more than I expected. I really hope your son improves and becomes a more positive person throughout this experience.

That little bit of zen bemusement and detachment. I like it. For example, if I get scared about something and then angry with myself because I think I should be past this, perhaps the AFOG approach, which stands for Another Freakin' Opportunity for Growth. And also permission to myself that I don't need to be perfect.

I have struggled some with depression, although I freely admit perhaps less than other people. I have not yet tried anti-depressants, but am now more open to the idea.

As I understand it, human biochem is complex and tends to be somewhat individual, and so, no doctor in the world can predict whether something like Zoloft or Cymbalta or Wellbutrin will work for a particular person or not. That for some patients a particular medication might work great and be a game changer, and for other patients, might not hardly do a thing. That in a very respectable sense, it is trial and error.
Treating depression can be hit or miss (2009 article)
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt163505.html

And I think it's an equally valid choice to see a regular doctor like an internist or family practitioner and request a prescription.

Try family you don't get along with and zero friends, and I have been there.

Actually, this year, within the last six months, I have kind of made a friend at a cafe with chess players. We enjoy talking with each other and have similar senses of humor. At this point, I'd say we're medium friends. Now, he's a devout and practicing Christian and I'm a good atheist/agnostic, so that's a little bit of a disconnect, especially this time of year!

What if you are able to recognize the negative thoughts.......and that they tend to be pefectly true. I don't really have a switch in my head that I can just turn off and the negative thoughts stop. Excercise, does not do a whole lot for me sure on a minor level it can increase your energy and make you feel slightly better but its barely noticeable.

So yeah I guess that sort of thing does not work for everyone.

Thanks for the good wishes for my son Wolfheart.

Getting the right anti-depressant is an art and if you have a decent doctor, hopefully they will get you there.

Try reframing your negative thoughts Sweet tea. Or google reframing. Or only give ten minutes a day to your negative thoughts, which is harder than it sounds, I have tried!

I am not a medical expert or a therapist, I just know what I know and what has worked for me. If anyone is feeling suicidal, then call 911, do not mess around, do not ponder it, get yourself help immediately.

Otherwise, one foot in front of the other, know your issues, learn to recognize your bleak moments, reframe it, go for a brisk walk, get on anti-depressants, and take care of yourself and keep a sense of humor at all times, if possible. My black sense of humor is usually what keeps me going in the worst of times....

I cannot stop negative thoughts from being in my mind, I cannot turn off my brain.......trust me I've tried, and it does not really help. There is no way I can force myself to think positively for all but 10 minutes of my day when I feel severely depressed. I know most of my issues but the knowledge does not seem to make them any easier to deal with. Screw anti-depressants, I tried that and it was one of the most horrible experiances I've ever had with a drug........As for the sense of humour I got that part down.