Effective ways to deal with anger/depression/anxiety etc.

[chenda]

I know from other threads theres a few of us here who have struggled with depression and anxiety issues. So I'm interested in what methods or strategies you have used to successfully treat them. Key ones for me are:

1 - exercise. Intensive exercise mixing weight bearing and cardio seem best.

2 - Sunlight. I'm not sure how effective light boxes are but natural sun is very helpful.

3 - Distracting activity. (Avoid ruminating)

4 - Eating regularly. My blood sugar levels tend to be volatile and are a big factor in my mood, so I'm doing a low GI diet and healthy snacking every few hours.

Individually I find these things only have a modest impact, but collectively they have a significant if I do them regularly. The problem for me is being consistant and avoiding a gradual downward spiral...

[jacob]

In probably doesn't quality for bona-fide anger/depression/anxiety ... but I've found that if I'm stressed/in a rut/bored, "technical physical activity" helps me. That is, it makes the feeling go away for many hours. The activity absolutely needs to engage both the brain and the body, e.g. sailing, martial arts, competitive sports ... conversely, "working out" like lifting weights, running, or doing push ups doesn't have nearly the same effect on me. Anything where brain is on autopilot is no good.

However, feeling those emotions for an extended amount of time is more of a signal that my environment is wrong. IOW, "technical physical activity" is just a bandaid---it would be better to change my environment.

[Ego]

I'm halfway through Harvard's Psy 1504 course online and finding it extremely useful. Many of the readings are online and videos of the lectures are on youtube. It was the most popular psychology class in Harvard's history with over 800 students in the lecture.

http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k14790

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwUecXRvnS0

In one of the first lectures Tal Ben-Shahar mentions that most students experience anxiety and depression at some point while at university and he teaches the course with a combination of evidence-based knowledge and self-help techniques.

[Gilberto de Piento]

Seek treatment from a professional.

If there is a problem that is causing the anger/depression/anxiety, fix it. For example, if you hate your job, find a new one. This seems obvious but often there is root to these problems that can be resolved.

If alcohol or other drugs are contributing to the problem seek treatment.

[GandK]

I can't comment on anxiety, but I've been through three rounds of postpartum depression. PPD is different from other forms of depression because you know going into it approximately how long it will last. However, the treatment forms/options are the same as with any other type of depression.

The first two times, I took prescription drugs. The second round of PPD was particularly bad because the baby didn't survive, so I was dealing with grief, too. It's likely I actually required medication that time. But after my youngest was born (healthy, thank heavens), I managed my symptoms entirely without drugs. This is what worked for me:

1. Vitamin D supplements. This was the biggie in my case. People can safely take up to 10,000 IU of Vitamin D per day, which is more than 20 times the FDA recommended amount. 8k a day of Vitamin D in addition to my regular multivitamin was the amount that worked for me when I was clinically depressed. Note: there are a lot of vitamin/mineral deficiencies that can cause depression in otherwise healthy people. Vitamin D, iodine, and magnesium are just a few. I'd advise anyone with symptoms of depression who isn't taking a multivitamin to look this up, evaluate their diet, and add supplements if necessary. I'm now down to 2k a day of Vitamin D, BTW.

2. Exercise. At least 7500 steps per day before I'd allow myself to go to bed. This is still my minimum amount.

3. A vegetarian diet that's largely sugar-free. I still do this, too. I don't run away screaming from trace amounts of animal products in foods, and I occasionally eat cheesecake because it's my kryptonite. But I do not eat meat, and I don't consume sugar in my home, either. I also don't eat a lot of simple carbs. I think I'm probably healthier in a lot of ways because of this, but the lack of sugar (peaks and valleys, etc.) I think was particularly helpful with depression.

Many studies have said that people who have had depression before are particularly vulnerable to getting it again. Knowing this, I now do everything I can to manage my physical and emotional health proactively so that if something stressful occurs in my life, it doesn't cause any harm. My experience so far with this approach has been positive. No more depression, even through some serious traumatic events.

HTH.

[bottlerocks]

Seek treatment from a professional.

Couldn't agree more. I know INTJ's want to self-diagnose and fix everything themselves but the mind is something not many people are qualified to consider. I think that's where you see things like 'adrenal fatigue' arise from, not to mention some people are making money off of propagating those ideas.

Anecdotally, I struggled with bad anxiety and social withdrawl in college and after I saw it really negatively affect my partner at the time I finally went and saw a therapist. It was so hard to break down a bunch of walls I had built up with my loved ones but this professional really helped me get back on a good path. It still took years to feel "cured" but that was definitely the turning point. Also, super anecdotal, but I feel like psilocybin experiences helped me untangle a lot of emotions I had wrapped up in my ego as well. I was not attempting to self-medicate but it was a very pleasant (in retrospect) side effect.

[chenda]

Thanks for your replies.

@Jacob - combining physical and mental activity sounds like a good idea to create a synergistic effect. I am struggling to think of something you can do solo though (I don't like team sports, or team anything)

@gilberto de piento - I have seem a number of therapists over the years, who were all to varying degrees pretty useless. My conscious triggers are things I have absolutely no control over - things in the news, world events etc. Although its possible this is just a front for sub-conscious reasons I have not been able to identify. Although I have one suspicion as to what it might be.

@GandK - Sorry to hear your story, good to know what your doing helps. There is well documented history going back to the 19th century of moderate to severe mental illness on both sides of my parentage. So I know I am always likely to have tendencies towards it and will always need to treat it in some way.

[henrik]

combining physical and mental activity sounds like a good idea to create a synergistic effect. I am struggling to think of something you can do solo though

Building (or growing) stuff?

[Peanut]

Sorry to hear you are going through a tough time.

In addition to what you've already listed, remember to get good sleep, although be careful not to fall into 10+ hours a day or too far beyond your normal needs as some depressed people tend to do.

And do you have an insightful friend to talk to? I agree a lot of therapists are probably not worth the time or money. I say this because most people do not excel at their jobs, and it shouldn't be any different in the psychiatric field. But during traumatic happenings in my life I always seek out one particular friend who has the ability to give me new thoughts about how to deal with grief, anger, disappointment, and so on. It can be good to seek out and balance a few different perspectives, also, like the can-do optimists with the Austrian pessimists.

[chenda]

combining physical and mental activity sounds like a good idea to create a synergistic effect. I am struggling to think of something you can do solo though

Building (or growing) stuff?

I always wanted to build a folly of some sort. I could do something with mosaics anyway, interesting idea...

[chenda]

Sorry to hear you are going through a tough time.

In addition to what you've already listed, remember to get good sleep, although be careful not to fall into 10+ hours a day or too far beyond your normal needs as some depressed people tend to do.

And do you have an insightful friend to talk to? I agree a lot of therapists are probably not worth the time or money. I say this because most people do not excel at their jobs, and it shouldn't be any different in the psychiatric field. But during traumatic happenings in my life I always seek out one particular friend who has the ability to give me new thoughts about how to deal with grief, anger, disappointment, and so on. It can be good to seek out and balance a few different perspectives, also, like the can-do optimists with the Austrian pessimists.

Thank you - yes I'm definitely worse when tired.

I do have one friend who is a nurse (who has worked in psychiatry, now I think of her) who I could possibly open up to. Lack of self-esteem is also something I need to work on.

[jacob]

@chenda - Martial arts kata. DVD workouts that are sufficiently intense to require focus, i.e. maybe the exercise changes every 30 seconds, work too. I do Insanity(tm) workouts. I'm pretty much incapable of having any deep thoughts during the workout. I even forget what the next exercise is. Conversely, exercise where the mind can wander at will, like running, walking/hiking, cycling, or swimming, is counterproductive for me.

But as I said, it's not a permanent solution although it's way better than not doing it at all.---I used to disparage all those "work out in order to reduce your stress" suggestions until I actually experienced stress. At that time hockey solved it.

You just need something that requires enough brain activity to take the focus away from primary problem. For a while.

Band aid.

[Laura Ingalls]

Yoga helps me
It works better when it is outside and/or group practice. But home practice is good too.

[chenda]

@laura - thanks for the suggestion

@ Jacob - I know what you mean by the sticking plaster, although I think the absence of such activity could in itself be the environmental problem, at least for some people.

[Kriegsspiel]

..................

[Gilberto de Piento]

And do you have an insightful friend to talk to? I agree a lot of therapists are probably not worth the time or money. I say this because most people do not excel at their jobs, and it shouldn't be any different in the psychiatric field. But during traumatic happenings in my life I always seek out one particular friend who has the ability to give me new thoughts about how to deal with grief, anger, disappointment, and so on.

Some therapists are no good but that doesn't mean you can't switch until you find one that works for you. You probably don't need a therapist that excels, just one that is competent.

Also, leaning on friends is ok but I have had to break off more than one friendship because I was being used this way. It's very tiring to act as an on call therapist for someone, especially someone who isn't improving. I also think a friend will never be able to what they really mean because they are always concerned with maintaining the friendship. A therapist doesn't need you to like them and is free to say things that may damage a friendship irreparably if those statements need to be made to help the patient.

[llorona]

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time.

Personally, regular talk therapy was not particularly effective at helping to resolve depression. However, I've had good results with cognitive behavioral therapy because it's goal-oriented, hands on, and challenged my thought patterns.

Other strategies include exercise, taking art classes, being around animals, and having a strong support network.

In my case, I struggled with major depression and went to therapy regularly for a long time in my twenties. It didn't help, and it was no fun walking around for years wishing to be dead. I finally decided to go on prescription meds and it changed my life. However, while it was the right choice for me, I respect that it's a personal decision and not for everyone.

[chenda]

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time.

Personally, regular talk therapy was not particularly effective at helping to resolve depression. However, I've had good results with cognitive behavioral therapy because it's goal-oriented, hands on, and challenged my thought patterns.

Other strategies include exercise, taking art classes, being around animals, and having a strong support network.

In my case, I struggled with major depression and went to therapy regularly for a long time in my twenties. It didn't help, and it was no fun walking around for years wishing to be dead. I finally decided to go on prescription meds and it changed my life. However, while it was the right choice for me, I respect that it's a personal decision and not for everyone.

Thanks llorona. Did you do cognitive therapy from a book ?

I'm not adverse to anti-depressants per se, but for me at least, they tended to just dull my emotions rather than actually make me feel better. Though they definitely have a place for some people. Are you permanently on anti-depressants, and do you have to deal with side effects, if you don't mind me asking ?

@Gilberto - true, you don't want to burden anyone but you want a honest opinion sometimes.

[GandK]

I'm not adverse to anti-depressants per se, but for me at least, they tended to just dull my emotions rather than actually make me feel better. Though they definitely have a place for some people. Are you permanently on anti-depressants, and do you have to deal with side effects, if you don't mind me asking ?

My experience was all over the place when I took them. Over the time that I was symptomatic, I took three antidepressant drugs. One dulled my emotions like you said, one made me happy but extremely tired, and a third had no effect on my emotions but made me jittery. The first two also caused my sex drive/ability to shut down and caused weight gain. I've heard more than one person say they stopped taking antidepressants for those reasons: antidepressant drugs frequently cause loss of sexual function and weight gain. The main neurochemical they target is serotonin, and higher levels of serotonin generally result in both lower/no sex drive and weight gain. For people on the milder end of the depression spectrum like I was, you find yourself thinking, "The decision to take these drugs is less about feeling better, and more about the manner in which I'm going to feel bad."

That said, I'm certain that there's a huge difference between what I was experiencing, and someone who's experiencing psychosis or who has recurring suicidal urges. Not everyone has the luxury of trying homeopathic remedies.

[chenda]

@GandK - I didn't experience any loss in sex drive but definitely have gained weight on them. I could probably have handled the weight gain if they had done more than dulled me. They also effected my memory. I've been on 2 periods of anti depressants now as I had sucicidal tendencies, so this is the third attempt to come off them. So I'm watching my mood very closely and doing everything I can do reduce the symptons. If this doesn't work I'll probably have to stay on them for the rest of my life.