Covid-19 + winter is a bad combination. It isolates humans from interaction and the winter makes you really depressed. . Can't go out to exercise. Can't get some sun. It is always cold. How do I fix this?
Topless gardening.
You get a sense of achievment from improving the garden (yours, neighbour's, aged relative's, communal). It's exercise. You are topless so your skin gets at least some daylight on it, which is good. And the exercise keeps you relatively warm. Also woolly long johns. Hot cocoa afterwards.
If local covid guidelines permit, get a friend in to help and make it a social activity. You are outside so transmission probability is low, especially if you stay 2m apart.
Topless snow shovelling would have the same benefits.
This is very touchy , but I guess for some it may be identifying the root of it, & either letting go or making peace with it
For others it might be that they’re putting their self worth on others , and then coming to the realization that only they can truly make themselves happy, & that it doesn’t depend on others
And I’m sure there are many other reasons why as well, like social media for instance ... everybody seems soo happy on social media - the perfect smile / life / food / gatherings / events/ travels ect you name it & we compare ourselves to something that is purely perception , as everyone is trying to show their absolute best moments / & highlight it - edit it / filter / 10 photos choose the best 1..
All in all there are many reasons, & I don’t know what’ the ultimate fix is, but I do know that absolutely no one goes without their personal struggles (whatever it may be) or loss / insecurities/ regrets / & experiences.
Depression (for the most part) is a chemical imbalance in the brain, so the logical step is to fix the chemical imbalance short term with medication, and fix the root of the problems with therapy. Personally, I find that a client-led approach works brilliantly, though some people believe this is not as valid as other forms of therapy.
Seasonal depression relating to lack of sunlight can be helped to some degree by using light therapy (you can buy special lights to boost vitamin D production) and there are plenty of exercise routines available online that don't require a lot of space or equipment if you live in a small apartment.
Self-care is also good, whether that is doing things you enjoy in terms of hobbies, or making your space functional and useful to you. For me, self care is having clean laundry for the week, so I'm not stressed because I can't find anything clean to wear. It's also taking time to batch cook and freeze things I can microwave or put in a pan and heat through when I'm feeling too low to cook from scratch. Sometimes it's cuddles with my dog, sometimes it's having a cuppa and reading flash fiction on my phone, sometimes it's doing something creative.
Unfortunately there is no quick fix, and what works for some obviously won't work for others, but whatever choices you make about how to best look after yourself and your wellbeing are valid.
I think is good to get all depressed and introspective this time of year! Embrace the woe! You're in touch with the cycles of the ball you walk on and that's not a bad thing.
But here are some ideas for passing the time... Journal, download and start using a mindfulness app, write letters to shut in seniors, record yourself reading a book and post it on YouTube, once a day reach out to someone by phone (family, Facebook friend, other friends, etc.), crank the music and dance around like a lunatic until you can't breathe, buy that sweet looking kit online and begin the new hobby you never thought you'd have time for, start preparing for your spring planting, clean out you closet and organize your junk drawer, or... put on some fluffy socks and kick up your feet while drinking cocoa and take a second to think, "Ahhh... now this is the life!"
It's normal, and human, for people to have fluctuating moods, including occasional feelings of depression. Ideally, we'd want to limit the amount of time we feel depressed. Sometimes depression can be useful, because the mind is trying to tell us that we're missing something in life, so the reflection while depressed may lead to a positive goal or attitude shift. Othertimes, depression can come for no apparent reason, and we can't regulate it internally. For this, recommend seeing a therapist/psychiatrist to prescribe medication or some form of therapy.
Diet is known to have an effect on mood. Try googling successful diets and try 'em out and monitor any difference.
Exercise - can many calisthenics indoors. Also yoga (follow a youtube stream). Or buy a weight set for use in the home.
Sun - Tough one. Maybe go on walks during the day? Or day hiking? Or vitamin D supplements, if they even work.
Cuddling - If both have a recent negative test, and isolated since that test, it should be safe to cuddle. If not, vaccine is on the way!
Cold - try to find a job someplace warmer if possible? Bundle up well to encourage more outdoor activity.
Good luck, cold+covid is tough. Hope any of these help even a little.
@quixotic_life Embrace the woe! That phrase made my day. Indeed. Open a book of Rilke poetry and bum out with the best of them.
No cure. Only symptom management. Best of luck to you
People have been in many cases functionally cured, and in some cases, healed through the power of faith, prayer and God. They have endured the lowest depths of it, and come through it fully functional again, to resume careers, write books, and embark on ministries to share their journeys to healing and to help fellow sufferers.
Many will yet come through it, stronger, wiser, and tougher than ever. NEVER stop planning for and anticipating better tomorrows...while seeking for and enjoying the simple, free and beautiful things all around you today. Loads of good symptom management ideas on here, thank you all, and a great big warm hug to you all!
I recently started going to the gym again after staying away for nearly a year and I am working with a personal trainer. I was in a funk/ depression since covid started And I started to have really bad brain fog after many months of not exercising. I was scared to go to the gym and didn’t love the idea of having to work out in a mask but I was also gaining weight rapidly and I had to do something so I finally bit the bullet and went to the gym. I am so happy now. I finally feel hope I’m like I’m taking control over my life again. Everyone around me has noticed how much more positive my energy is. If you can work with a trainer or get back in the gym I highly recommend it it’s really turned my life around. I was so bad for a while though I was about to see a psychiatrist and get on medication but now my brain seems to be balancing itself out chemically speaking.
@Warmnsafe that poses the question, why would God let people get depressed in the first place......?
You don’t cure it you live with it and realize it happens at times and hope that you can rise above it.
NEVER stop planning for and anticipating better tomorrows
If you can do that, you don't have depression. At least, not the heavy duty kind. That's the whole point.
One of the problems is that we use the word depression to mean several completely different things. None of which are well defined, or even particularly definable. @quixotic_life used it in one sense, @xandriarain in another. @pmvines and @verona (and me, in this post) are talking about the full monty.
MDMA-Assisted Therapy, might be an interesting topic to look into.
This is not an endorsement.
But, there is an ever increasing amount of research into using these substances, or synthetic derivatives, to work with people, primarily suffering PTSD. But, also increasing research into using them to treat chronic-depression. In the case of chronic-depression, there is the case I read about, in a professional study and setting, with professional, trained therapists guiding the sessions, where the patient had a dramatic improvement in their quality-of-life, for more than a few years, still on-going.
When I say, this is not an endorsement, it means I am not an expert and I am not recommending any sort of self-treatment. If you want, do the research. That's why I posted.
Thanks to @BuggleBear for pointing-out the reckless tone of my message. I hope this help. Peace.
It is inadvisable to use non-antidepressant drugs to attempt to combat feelings of depression.
'Your mileage may vary' is basically saying that anything can happen from 'you won't feel an effect at all' to 'things may potentially be ok', to 'things will get exponentially worse for you'.
This is irresponsible advice and I can only hope you were joking.
for some its really simple:get up and start moving.for others its not so simple.sometimes it just goes away on its own.my heart goes out to anyone who is currently dealing with it.I get depressed just thinking about it.I know I'm in deep need of physical contact but unable to express it.very depressing for now.
Cure? There is no cure, but half of happiness is appreciation.
I would not be so quick to make the declaration that they do not have depression. What she described is called atypical depression and it is a clinical diagnosis. It is a depression that can be improved or disappear if you put yourself in an event, situation or environment that makes you happy. It can come back but it can also be offset through work and recognizing what can neutralize one’s depression.
The bottom line is there are several types of depression, not a monolithic depression. In addition, there are several types of “heavy duty” depressions. One of the main classifications of depressions are based on the duration of the episodes of depression. Not making any of this up. My favorite aunt was the head of psychiatry at a hospital for several years, so I got to pick the brain of the picker of brains.
Just because someone looks healthy on the outside, Doesn’t mean that they are healthy on the inside. As a 24yo young lady told me once. People with depression put a fake smile on to other’s so the don’t have to talk and tell their story over and over. To most trying tell their story is like lifting a 500 pound rock above your head , it’s like a full time job. As they say in the mental world, “I’M OUT OF SPOONS”. Be kind and courteous to people when you meet them on the sidewalk’s or going in and out of store’s. Always take a second and say Hi , How are you doing today, or Wish them a great day. You never know when that 1 ounce of kindness can turn someone’s day around or their life because someone cared enough and spoke to them.
Like @verona said I don’t think you ever cure it you just learn ways to manage it. It will always be there.
@hugonehugall @verona On target. Even if you have atypical depression and you are currently “happy”, the seed is still there and triggers never go away.