About ten years ago following a consultation with a doctor, I got diagnosed as having "treatment resistant depression." I gather this is maybe not the most broadly accepted terminology out there, but having tried out a few SSRIs and an SNRI (and multiple therapists) to absolutely no results or worse, I've come to respect it as the only diagnosis that makes any sense to me, and accurately describes the situation.
Anyway, I'm still here and still not on any kind of meds. I get a lot of exercise and have a physically active job that keeps me off the computer/phone for long stretches of time, get lots of sleep (always been great at sleeping), try to eat decently, cut back on drinking, do wholesome activities with others, see friends when I can, etc. I'm sure I would be doing a lot worse if I wasn't doing all those things, but I'm always looking for ways to make life more bearable.
So I guess I'm wondering: chronic depression havers of hexbear whomst are not on meds for whatever reason, what are your strategies for gettin' by? (Or if you are on meds but don't find them sufficient as a sole strategy I guess.) Much love to you all and here's to getting through a lot more years.
I was very depressed for about 15 years, I started taking mushrooms, now I still deal with existential dread under capitalism but I have energy and I managed to study and have friends and life is improving every day
No other drugs helped me, they only zombified me
in the same boat. it sounds like you're handling it better than me lol so I don't know if I have much advice. i haven't adapted many healthy strategies. I've found weed is good because I'm also an alcoholic so it's a harm reduction thing, but building a heavy dependency is still to be avoided, been there for a few years and it really sucks. i did DBT and it helped me a lot with other emotional problems and I rely less on harmful coping mechanisms now. depression is still there and my main problem but having those other weights off helped. i think you named a lot of the most important things already like trying to push yourself to exercise, eat well, socialise, etc it really is the basics that will give the most reward. I struggled with them this year but gonna keep at it. im also autistic and it makes it harder because some things that work for the depression can make the autistic burnout worse, like forcing oneself to do things or whatever can make burnout worse while it could help if it was just depression. so it's a balancing act.
You sound like you're handling it as well if not better than most. I'll go through phases of trying to get a routine of being physically active started, but it never sticks and I end up going back to marijuana as a coping mechanism. I should be thankful that it's just that, but I get irrationally angry with myself for not being able to do better.
Even therapy fell by the wayside, because while I might have issues that can be helpful to talk about, I can't talk my way into coping with the system torturing us for increased profits.
Keep up whatever you're doing that works for you, and don't let anyone make you feel like you have to do more than you already do just to be happy.
That was definitely one of my biggest issues with therapy. Reading the work of David Smail on this subject was not helpful in this regard haha. I've definitely picked up an overall suspicion of health "experts" over the years for a lot of reasons, some sure to be more valid than others.
I also smoke weed, probably more than I really should, but I try to make sure to take a forced break for a week or two when I can (IE by visiting my folks in the boonies or otherwise placing myself somewhere I don't have ready access). I do like it as a relaxation/decompression strategy but I would like to cut down, if only because smoking bad for lungs (edibles too expensive tho :( )
Does it count as not being on meds if I self medicate by getting high all the time?
Because that's what I do, can't say I recommend it
mushrooms for me.
i had a bad psychotic break about 5 years ago because of my old meds interacting badly with my new meds, so my therapist recommended cutting back on them to zero while simultaneously ramping up on the cardio & sleep like you're doing.
i recognized the signs of my own own anxiety and depression reasserting themselves so i tried amanita muscaria in my desperate attempts to find relief and have been amazed at how effective they are.
i learned amanita is not regulated so you're going to have to try a multitude of brand names and; even then; will have to keep experimenting since each brand keeps changing their own recipes. also it's expensive and insurances will not cover them; i would have called up my old weed dealer if i were in a worse financial situation.
i also learned that they produce the same feelings of lethargy/slowness/fogginess that my meds used to have on me; but they feel much more targeted during episodes that i've learned are triggers for me. (it sort of feels like selective intoxication where it only happens when it's needed the most).
it was strange for me since i've tried mushrooms before in the past and it never seemed to have an impact on me; but now they somehow are. maybe it has something to do with the fact my bloodstream is no longer suffused with all the ssri's and snri's?
out of curiosity what kind of dose are we talking about? I'm never quite sure what I'm doing or what to expect when it comes to mushrooms
it's not regulated like prescriptions are so going by the dosage alone made me almost abandon this near the beginning; also their recipes/formulas are perpetually changing.
instead: i keep track of my behavior over the last month to identify my episodes and switch brands & dosage if there are any. when i realize that i have to switch it up, i intentionally "over do" it at the beginning each time and reduce gradually, if it has effectively mitigated any episodes.
it's a pain in the ass for me since it requires me to journal at least once a day since my neuro-divergence has a clear impact on my memory and i have to perpetually be on the hunt for new brands & sources; but it's been unquestionably worth the effort.
my therapists cautions me about self medicating; but he's onboard with my actions since he too has seen the improvement to my well being without the meds.
