Depression

Hang in there, OP. Try to get into meditation or writing. Work on your inner life. Work on trusting that things will change and work out, despite the current state of the world. What can you do about it, really? All you can do is make something every day. Make your own world, in some small, tangible way, every day.

You still have the motley crew here.

Thank you, R1 ☮️

It’s best not to leave the house, OP. This is not sarcasm, but I’m an introverted homebody who finds great peace and contentment mostly away from people. I do get out and even occasionally have people over. But it’s always so much better when they leave.

I'm sorry, OP. I've been on anti-depressants for years, but this Trump thing has really added to my woes. I gained 20 lbs. because eating junk was/is my only pleasure in life, and I had all my plans made to leave the US -- but the woman who was going to adopt my dog so I could leave turned out to be more of a nut case than I (or the dog) could handle.

So here I am, waiting for my old dog to (finally) die, getting fatter every day, with no energy, no drive, no ambition. My motorcycle's engine was damaged by the shop, so they'll be keeping it awhile while they order and put on another one. IOW, I can't even go for a ride just for an escape.

I said it when he was first elected: that motherfucker is going to ruin my retirement.

We'll all be lucky to get through this with our sanity intact, OP. Just take it a day at a time and know you are not alone, not by a long shot.

Can you manage a phone-free, internet-free 24 hours for yourself? It can be overwhelming, this constant barrage of bad news, threatening forecasts, and bullshit. Give your mind a little break.

Get a pet Op. If you don't want a cat or dog, try a goldfish.

I've turned into a recluse. I try to leave the house as little as possible. only when I have to go to the supermarket or to the doctor or to the pharmacy. I hate the Sun and I hate life. and honestly throughout the history of the human species people have lived under conditions far far worse than Trump. but that doesn't make me feel any better.

What about a telemedicine appointment, maybe try a mild antidepressant? If you fill your prescription from Mark Cuban's online pharmacy, it gets delivered to you rather reasonably (time & expense). You wouldn't have to go out.

Depression is the only rational response these days.

That said, it’s important to fight back. On Saturdays, I force myself to go out if only for a few minutes. Buy a bottle of wine, peruse the Costco and Michaels offerings, buy some heirloom pumpkins.

If I just sit around on Saturdays, I feel worse.

I used to go to the movies almost every Saturday, but I’ve drifted away from that.

I take my cat out into the garden and putter around.

You don’t owe it to anyone to be “productive.” Do whatever you enjoy for at least a bit.

It’s important.

OP you sound like me and a few others here. I’m following the suggestions of indivisible: donate money-make calls to congress-show up at local over passes with signs but only when I can-I struggle with agoraphobia. Also I’m trying to accept that democracies don’t always last and in the immortal words of Patsy Stone: ‘’Nothing Is Certain’’

I’ve felt like that and the only thing that helps me is Adderall. Recommended by psyche. I don’t abuse it because I can’t see myself without that one pill in the morning and I don’t jeopardize it. It’s been years on the same dose. Even if it’s just placebo effect now I don’t care.

[Quote] Get a rescue pet Op. If you don't want a rescue cat or rescue dog, try a rescue goldfish.

Had to fix up that up for R7.

The things that cured my depression were "parts work" psychotherapy (actually what I did was a form of hypnotherapy called Ego State hypnotherapy, which isn't that common, but is similar in a way to Internal Family System therapy, which is pretty common these days - both are "parts work"), trauma informed body work, like Craniosacral massage and Kathy Kain's co-regulation approach, and IPF (Ideal Parent Figure protocol) attachment and trauma repair (this is a guided meditation approach to fixing long help perspectives on yourself and others). Any of these things will help you permanently , things like SSRIs are bandages

OP, some good advice in these posts. Take what works for you. I empathize with your situation, but I make myself get out of the house and I am about to take a break from the media. I have decent support in my life, but I just went back on Wellbutrin. I'm not going to let the crazy mo-fos currently running this country spoil what's left of my life.

Here's advice from Cher: "Snap out of it!"

I cannot imagine what that cost at R14.

Appreciate R13. Does that mean ‘’Oh dear’’ has retired or better yet- dead?

You're suffering from depression and Low testosterone. It really has nothing to do with Trump or the situation of the world. I agree with the poster who said you should reduce time you spend on social media,

I don’t watch any news, no SM except for this….you can’t get away from it if you are an intelligent, reasoning, sensitive human being.

Trump is a thief, liar, defrauder, rapist, insurrectionist, draft dodger, tax dodger, cheater... and probably a murderer. But he is 79 and dying. Every appearance is like his batteriex are slowly on the wane. Please stay around for the worldwide celebration of his death.

Yeah, he'll be replaced by Shady Chance. But he is even more unpopular all over the world, and will never be a contender in 2028.

R16 - enough to fix my depression and childhood trauma.

OP, I will suggest that you not use alcohol to help in anyway...it's a depressant and it will bring you further down. It may feel great in the moment, but it creates a repetitive loop and can lead you down a road you really don't want to go down, especially if you've been "blessed" with shitty genetics that many people have.

Try to find other ways to cope, if you can. Sometimes I pick a shitty show that has several seasons and use THAT as a habit to have on in the background and it creates a comforting routine that helps. That's just one stupid thing...pick anything that gives you even the smallest lift, smile, whatever and that you can do which creates a pattern that helps you feel a level of comfort and self-care. It may seems like a little, stupid thing, but it has helped me many times in the past. And it can blossom into further self-care routines which will help you feel better as well.

Op I just discovered ‘’AARP Senior Planet’’ It’s free online classes everyday of all types -exercise-special interests-support-technology help-aging-on and on. Maybe check it out and try ONE CLASS and see if it helps-I like it and it’s easy to connect.

Thanks R23. You sound like a regular Mary Sunshine.

R19 But what's essential? and what is enough? And what should one watch

are the people constantly looking at their phones more intelligent, reasoning, sensitive or connected human beings than those who spend little time on social media?

I'm so low energy I can go months without showering and even longer before I do any laundry. To the untrained eye, I apparently appear 'normal' of course being a pseudo-hermit means not many people see me except if I'm at a medical appointment or can't get groceries delivered. Strangely, I'm able to travel and do so extensively. In the last 3 years I've been to 27 countries on 6 continents. This has been going on uninterrupted since about 2008 when I was 45 and I see no reason why it will ever change, and yes, I'm on 2 anti-depressants and 1 anti-anxiety med. And yet at some level I'm content, so go figure.

Stop letting Trump control your lives. The pendulum always swings. Calm down, deep breathe, go outside.

I quit drinking a few months ago because it was getting out of hand. Getting drunk every night to escape our national nightmare isn’t a viable solution. I’m going to ask my doctor for a second antidepressant. Maybe it’ll help.

R27 Rosie O'Donnell should take your advice

Don’t assume there’s only one way to be happy. Personally, I’m retired, have maybe 3 close friends, and read all the time. I’ve never been happier. But I’m well aware that my life would be hell for somebody else.

I’m dealing with most of the same stuff as most of you guys. I am at a point now where I am so exhausted that sometimes I cannot speak, literally cannot speak. There are days when I can't get out of bed. Raising my arms to wash my hair in the shower is too exhausting for me. I can't even do that.

I have heart palpitations. I can't concentrate. I forget things. I get confused.

I don’t know, maybe it’s low T or a vitamin deficiency or something? All of it falls on deaf ears with my PCP. I guess 50 is just the new 90 for some of us.

Get a rescue goldfish

Have you considered an online knitting group, OP?

OP, please speak to a doctor. Depression is common as we get older, and these days, with the chaos all around us, it's that much more exacerbated.

A doctor could help find you the right balance of meds and/or therapies.

You're taking the first step in acknowledging your depression. Now don't ignore it.

get help OP. medication is not forever. just to get over this hump.

Mug cradling helps.

It's hard to find normal when you're living in a situation like this, isn't it? We just made it through a global pandemic and now this.

I've been living with moderate to severe depression my entire life. It can be managed but we're all different and you have to find what works for you.

As someone with an uncle who didn't survive Dachau, r29, I will never fault anyone who got out in time.

OP, a LOT of people are going through it right now, even younger ones.

Things in America have changed remarkably, and it’s vital to understand that things are NEVER going back to what we were accustomed to previously, before the banality of avarice & little to no empathy, permeated every aspect of life. Things have shifted towards the right, so even if things shift left again, it won’t be the same left that it was before all of this. Yes, we’re currently seeing some of the worst characteristics of humanity, however, there are still kind, loving & compassionate people in our midst, & we must somehow try to find them & form connection.

Do everything humanly possible to engage in self care so that you remain or become fortified. Understand that despite your best intentions, not everyone will appreciate you, and will even objectify you as someone to pity or who mill mark you as a target for their disdain, because you feel your feelings, & appear vulnerable or weak.

You’re not weak.

You’re human, and right now, the world is overwhelming.

I write these things to you, yet also write this for others, including myself.

It’s a struggle right now, but we can all make it through this and we will eventually adapt. ❤️

Depression needs treatment, OP. Get it. I did, and despite my ongoing anxiety attacks about external and personal matters, I'm living much better.

Then come back to your life and us.

OP, I'm 38 and I've been depressed since I was 13. Getting on meds was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. You should talk to your general practitioner for meds for the short term and then work on getting a diagnostic evaluation done. It really opened my eyes to the specifics of my depression and anxiety. Then work on getting a psychiatrist for meds and a therapist for talk therapy. Find one that is sympathetic, empathetic and tough. You will start to recognize that not everything your mind tells you is real. It often wants you to make the wrong decisions to feel "safe".

Hang in. Sending love. Might be hard, so many sending hope to you, but you will overcome this!

Turn off the goddamn MSNBC already.

OP may have been more just sharing/unloading and less seeking advice. The advice here is collectively good though.

Another low cost thing to add …AI therapist/life coach sort of entities are getting quite good at this stuff. It’ll check in, ask how you’re doing and feeling, remind you to drink enough water and move around a bit more, encourage you to locate a task you can do (like just do the kitchen/dishes for 1 hour if you tell it that your whole house is a mess).

The serenity prayer is beyond cliche but I still pick it up mentally several times a week and apply it to things I’m struggling with, psychologically.

You’re definitely not alone.

I'm on 15 mg Lexapro. Gonna increase it to 20 mg next week. 10 mg had no effect on me. I still had really bad depression and anxiety. Hoping 20 mg is better for me.

R45, meds can be a bitch to figure out. But totally worth it to keep trying. Hang in there.

R45 20mg of Lexapro is the “Who died?” level. It will help.

[quote]Another low cost thing to add …AI therapist/life coach sort of entities are getting quite good at this stuff.

Yes, quite good.

A lot of great suggestions here. The struggle is real. And you are not alone in this...

See a dietician, sports therapist - trainer, and or endocrinologist. The stress has impacted your mind and body so you must fight back to have vitality.

R1 I've depression too. So I Know. But my advice is just concentrate on your own back yard. These days we see and hear way too much. And grab any happiness u can. Taking care of you often feels like being selfish, but its noþ; its necessary. If watching re runs of ur favourite show makes u happy, do it. Regarding Trump, its only a 4 year term. And its important not to wait till we feel great before doing stuff we want to do...we need to do it And then we'll feel good. Book that trip. Book a spa hotel day or weekend. Get fresh air. But stop fretting about the whole world. And u know you've been here b4 and it got better..and it will again. Ur brave to talk about it. So, well done, you'll help others. Love from Ireland. X

For all these people saying Trump is just a four year term, sorry that's helpful. First off, by the time he's done, we won't be living in a democratic republic anymore -- he will have destroyed voting so much that far fewer democrats will actually be able to vote. Which leads to the second point: there won't be another democratic president -- in my lifetime, at least. Through this suppression and other means, the republicans will hold on to power as long as they can -- and they'll get away with it because there won't be enough people to fight back, and even if there were, we wouldn't have the means..

So stop thinking of Trump as a short lived phenomenon. He's just the first in a long series of autocrats that will run America for years, decades, to come.

(And pay attention to what Pete Hegseth is going to do next week with the generals.)

R31 are u being Dorothy Sbornack?

Wow R52 you stole my act. I do see that future also but still follow and take part in the resistance as much as possible. Trump/MAGA foothold is deep and getting deeper every minute. Whisky Pete calling the generals home for a meet up is outrageous and clearly sinister. I’m physically sick over all this-all I know is democracy

I think for many of us in this age group, we grew up with a sense of optimism where we foresaw futuristic advancements, most of which never came to pass. Technological advancements have come to pass, but most of us are seeing how that same technology has been weaponized against us and ironically made us feel more empty and disconnected than before. I know if someone would've told me in my 20s that Donald Trump would be POTUS and hold a large majority of this country under his spell, I would have laughed. Now I'm no longer laughing, and I'm tired of trying to swim upstream in this river of stupidity, pettiness, and vindictiveness.

One this that has helped me cope is stoicism. It's not exactly a remedy, but it helps you reframe struggle in a way that gives one a sense of acceptance and helps you to focus on enjoying life despite what is happening to you and around you. Hope that provides some help. Unfortunately we all have to be our own mental and emotional 911 these days. No one is coming to save us.

From a simple medical perspective, OP, you might want to have your doctor run a complete set of labs on you.

Like you, earlier this year, I was fatigued all the time. I had little energy to do anything, which made me increasingly depressed. I went for a physical and got blood work, and it turns out my red blood cell count was very low, which was causing my lack of energy and contributing to my depression. I got B12 supplements and adjusted my diet and I'm feeling much better now.

Get out of the USA there are much better happier countries to be in. Imploding USA is as bleak as i have ever seen it. I'm traveling now. Mexico and England are both way better countries to be in right now. I can say personally I feel a lot better in them. There are places where people are positive and enjoy their lives. Europe, Latin America, Your exhaustion and depression are reaction to living in the USA. Greed and stupidity won there.

Tangent, but slightly related: be aware that if you are on Lexapro, start to feel better then decide you'd also like to lose weight via Semaglutide, you may find it difficult or impossible to do so as Lexapro has shown to render Semaglutide ineffective in a percentage of Lexapro patients. My former boss found this out the hard way when people around him were dropping pounds while on Ozempic, but it wasn't budging for him at all. He consulted a specialist on it, and was told the above about Lexapro/Semaglutide.

For some of us leaving US is easier said…

R58 didnt the doctor who put him on semaglutide check for interactions with his other medicine?

Is everyone in America on GLP-1 receptor agonists bought in back alleys or prescribed by quacks online?

r60 even if they did check for interactions, it's only been recent that there's been a tie to Lexapro interaction with semaglutide; as in the past few months. This is a very new finding.

[quote]I don’t know, maybe it’s low T or a vitamin deficiency or something? All of it falls on deaf ears with my PCP. I guess 50 is just the new 90 for some of us.]

What's wrong with you? Get a new doctor that listens to you.

Earlier this year, I saw a doctor for some cognitive issues and she put me on Doneprezil. In addition, I've started taking a low dose of lithium that I buy on Amazon. I have a huge amount of energy and I feel better than I have in forever.

Or I'm just going through a manic phase.

[quote]Technological advancements have come to pass, but most of us are seeing how that same technology has been weaponized against us and ironically made us feel more empty and disconnected than before.

Call me a Luddite or worse, but here's one vote that the internet is the absolute worst event in our lives, and a careful assessment will explain every negative and destructive result we are witnessing and living through.

Trump reminds me of my Mother, who used chaos as a deliberate strategy to weaken/control others.

People like this are literally inexhaustible- they go on and on and on - while everyone around them burns out with fatigue or worse.

I'm a pretty strong guy - or so I thought - but am starting to crumble.

Social critic and littérateur Thomas Carlyle had something to say about Happy...

I don’t have any experience in riding the ups and downs of early-onset fascism.

Ah -- but you're getting it now, R66.

head to the gym in the afternoon to hit some weights, it helped me. lite cardio after.

Yes - eat well, workout and get good sleep.

But - I also microdose psylocibin - and that has made more difference to my mental health in a few months than years of therapy or anything else.

I highly advise it. I have 90% good days. That was not the case before last year.

I’m feeling the same and having a hard time finding a job after a layoff earlier this year.

I’ve been taking little local vacations…visiting friends…working on hobbies…walking…and volunteering. Still feel like shit. The last six years were rough. Two family members died, I left a longtime career after burning out, then my new career crapped out.

But I guess we have to keep pushing and take the bitter with the sweet. Halloween will be nice. So will cooler weather.

Interesting, R69.

Far as you know, does the brain eventually habituate to that microdose and you need to up it, or does the microdose stay a beneficial thing at that dose for years and years?

R71 - sorry Torta for the late reply. R69 here.

Short answer: yes. But you don't microdose every day - although I have in small doses at periods of time.

What numerous studies have shown is that psylocibin helps with brain plasticity and for allowing your brain to think and process things differently. It actually changes the brain.

For me and so many people, permanent grooves in your thinking start to develop in your teens and early 20s - and that's not a great thing because you don't know enough about yourself or the world. Numerous studies have shown depressed teens become depressed adults.

Then you get stuck into these grooves of negativity and your brain absorbs thought patterns. Humans and all animals seek routine and predictability- and we wire our brains into ways of anxiety and even depression. For gay men, this is particularly acute - at least it was for me. , Anyway - I'm rambling - but what I can say is that every single person who knows me - friends, family, co-workers have said that I'm different. And better. And I feel 80% better most hours I'm awake.

OP - most of the stuff coming from Trump are merely distractions. The bad stuff will come soon enough and it find you. Get off the internet.

Some of us are dependent on social security. When the tyrant baby finally gets his legs and voting is either ended or fixed and martial law IS the law S.S. will be diminished to something similar to the Russian system. 260.00 per month and low quality healthcare-or nothing at all. Depression.

I’d give you a big hug, OP, if I could.

What has helped my depression the most is a combination of Lexapro and my idiot dog that I adopted. Having someone dependent on you gets you out of bed in the morning, gets you out of the house for walks, etc. My idiot dog is a 70 pound mass of goofball, and she makes me laugh at least once every single day. And there’s the snuggling and belly rubs.

Cats are easier, and generally live longer lives. My last cat lived to be 21. Sometimes when I felt overwhelmed, just listening to a cat’s purr is very soothing.

Hope you’re having a good day, OP.

Depression is such a nasty disease because it is a liar. "It's hopeless. It won't get better. Nothing we can do will work. I can't make a meaningful difference. It won't be worth it." All statements without evidence and merely stemming from the feeling of depression.

Depression is an asshole. Don't let the asshole win.

Hi R69, what were you feeling and experiencing at your worst?

R77 - First - I didn't realize how much daily anxiety I had. I've had it since I was a kid - so I just thought it was normal and that everyone has it. They don't.

Having runaway thoughts and predicting bad outcomes to events and meetings, which never came true. Thinking of something negative and spiraling about it for hours (off and on). Thinking 'did I say that weird? did I come off wrong?' in prior conversations.

And I've had bouts of depression (not continuously) off and on my whole life - although thankfully nothing serious the past 10-12 years.

From the outside, you would never see it though - I hid it through being affable, laughing, etc.

Now? A negative thought enters my head and it's like wax on/wax off - I immediately (with no effort) say, that's not necessarily true - and I kick the negative thought away. You can learn how to do that obviously with lots of cognitive therapy and practice - but this just came naturally and relatively quickly for me once I started microdosing.

My mind is more at rest - and I appreciate small things and nature. Am I walking around like a grinning idiot? No. But I am enjoying my life so much more now - my life was pretty damn good on paper, yet you wouldn't know it by my internal thought patterns.

Some of those thoughts I wasn't even consciously aware of - seriously. You have to stop sometimes and ask what am I really thinking? I was just on autopilot with a strong tendency to negativity instead of optimism.

Anyway - you can read any subreddit groups on the topic - 80-85% have marked improvement. Which is the similar result of the US Forces study when they treated over 10,000 soldiers with PTSD with psylocibin.

It's worth a shot. I was dreading getting older - but now I'm very much looking forward to every phase of my life and seeing the positive about it. We only have one life - why walk around not enjoying it because of these patterns in your mind?

R78 here - one last thing. I really think there's a limit with therapy in terms of how much it can help people. It works for a lot of things - don't get me wrong.

But I fundamentally believe - and there is science to this - that negative thought patterns and reactions that develop from when you were young become hardened and almost permanent in your brain.

Look at the UCSF study - all you have to do is look at the 3 pics of brains before during and after ONE treatment of psylocibin.

But here's the thing - one dose isn't going to permanently change your brain. You have to bathe your brain in small amounts for a few months to really change it - just like with muscles and exercise. One workout feels good, but permanent lasting change has to come from a routine to change it.

I'm happy to answer any other questions.

r76 describes it perfectly. It is an asshole, and a liar.

I've lived with it since I was a teenager. Actually, if I trace it back, it happened after two head injuries in short succession (one in a car accident where the car flipped and rolled over with all of us in it, the other riding my bike to school and when my tired was caught in sand, I crashed and my head slammed into the pavement; I was knocked unconscious in both instances).

I don't really know anything other than depression...so naturally, I fell into drinking in my 30s after a surgery gone bad for pain relief. Drinking shuts the depression up for awhile, but as a self-repeating cycle, it's obviously not the answer.

Don't let the lies fool you. There is hope, and you can change things, even if it's only a half of a step at a time. Just take a step forward, ANY step. Don't let it fool you into thinking there's a RIGHT step or you must do it PERFECTLY. Don't believe your depression; it's just a synaptic path gone wrong.

Most of our chronic depression is made much much worse by the situation-the Trump situation.

How to obtain micro doses of shrooms? I don’t know any drug dealers. I live in Portland so you’d think it was easy to find but i just don’t know the right people.

You’re not in Gaza. You’re not in the Ukraine. You’re not in Sudan. You’re taking your absence of helplessness for granted. Be thankful that you have relative autonomy and see if there’s anyone or any being you can actually help. The best thing for depression is getting outside yourself.

Spend more time outside, OP.

R82 - you can order them online.

I use moodhealers.org. They can set you up with a therapist who can give you a plan for dosage.

There are other sources online - but this is what I used. The whole process of growing your own and using scales to measure it - that's too much for me.

This gives me the amounts in capsules that are measured and I just follow the protocol. You may need to be 'approved' in order to receive them - but it is a minimal process.

Hope that helps. The people growing them at home - good for them. But that's too much work for me.

Thank you R85.

Thanks, r85..

R85 here - it isn't necessarily cheap. But how much is good mental health worth?

It is worth a few hundred dollars to me.

I will say that source has been excellent - in product and everything. No complaints - although admittedly, I have nothing to compare it against.

It has excellent reviews for a reason.

[quote]A lot of great suggestions here.

I agree. I love it when Datalounge pulls itself together and becomes nice.

I've been depressed since the election, too, but trying to mitigate it. I started bupropion, and upped the dose when it wasn't doing enough. I've checked in a few times with my therapist of over 2 decades, but my days of regular therapy are long gone, and he agrees I'm good for now "with occasional tune-ups." I'm talked out, and have processed all of my past traumas. I'm also doing the things therapy taught me years ago about managing my depression: meditating and exercising daily, taking daily walks, and not mistaking self-punishment for personal accountability. I feel like I have all of the coping mechanisms down, but it takes effort to stick with it daily.

Something else I learned was limiting my screen time and avoiding non-curated news, so no TV/cable news, just select sources I trust. This helped a lot the week Charlie Kirk was killed and everyone went fucking insane. Skipped out on all of that. And absolutely no X/Insta/TikTok or Facebook. My social media is DL and Reddit. Curating your media is key right now.

I'm also seeking out joy; I forced myself to see an art exhibit when none of my friends expressed interest. I've also been to the movies twice alone. That might sound sad to some, but I love when I prioritize something just for me. I've also got into baseball season like never before this year, watched almost every Phillies game, and went to several games with friends.

I'm finding that losing myself in distractions helps keep my mind off of the Trump troubles. In the off season I'm planning to do a lot of live performances and binge some shows I've missed the past few years. Another idea is watching every Oscar nominated movie before the ceremony, something I was always curious to do but never had the motivation.

All this escapism isn't healthy forever but it's getting me by for now. I also do volunteer work and hold down a job so I'm not in LaLa land 24/7. I know I need a hobby but nothing interests me (depression!) right now. I'm pushing 60 with some physical health problems that limit my activities but I'll figure something out.

The one thing that keeps me going through these bleak times is my will to live long enough to see Trump die.