File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Good day, folks.

This is health related more than fitness related, particularly mental health.

For the past year or so now I've been struggling with cognitive issues, mainly some severe cases of depression. Around March - July of 2007 I was getting better through sheer will power, but after that I completely hit rock bottom and I feel like I'm sinking even lower every day.

It's gotten to the point where I'm considering swallowing my pride and just seeking counselling or cognitive therapy, but without any of the medication and other rubbish that comes with it. It's so sad because I want so badly to experience new and interesting things and meet new people, but in the state I'm in, social interaction just makes me feel more hollow inside, and I end up just coming home feeling more miserable.

Does anyone have any similar experience they can relate, tips in dealing with it or anything of the like?

in b4 fag, kill yourself, an hero, etc
>> Eagle !!vl4eD2sprxZ
u shud do it bro

mental health is srs bisnis

(true story)
>> Anonymous
cool story bro
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>> Anonymous
In the same position as you. Still don't want to deal with it though, so I think I'll give the therapy a miss.
>> Anonymous
Have you tried exercise and more sunlight? It's that time of year again when depression starts to hit people.
>> Anonymous
>>389898
Exercise is (super) effective but it's only temporary, I was using it for a while to "stave" some of the bad feelings off but fell into the trap of overtraining. Slightly more experienced about that, though, so it shouldn't happen again.

As for sunlight, I'm in England. I'll try to take advantage of the days where the sun actually comes out of hiding in this hellhole of a country.
>> Anonymous
>>389909

Obviously getting as much sun as possible is the best, but just being outside is good, too. Even when it's cloudy out you can get a tan, and the outdoors is better than sitting inside under soul-draining fluorescent lights.
>> Anonymous
My therapy went a little bit like:
"Target all of your negative thoughts.. and for each one, TELL YOURSELF THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU ARE THINKING. If you do it enough times, you will believe the lies I'm making you tell yourself."
"I can't do that... I'm not a fucking moron, you see."
After that, my 'therapist' more or less told me, respond to treatment or gtfo. I got out. Therapy is worthless. The only person capable of making you a better person is you. Either get medicated or pull yourself out of it. I know that shit's hard, but the fact is, being depressed has only ever led to more depression, whereas at least making vague attempts at happiness has made me happier. I'd tell you a story of when I decided being a worthlessfag wasn't working for me, but nothing I tell you, or any experience I can relate to you is going to change you.
>> Anonymous
In before LOL DEPRESSION DOES NOT EXIST IM NOT DEPRESSED SO YOU MUST BE JUST TOO LAZY TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE
>> Anonymous
Exercise is very effective but while that isn't dealing with the true problem itself it just holds off the depression you get used to in day to day life and can end up hitting you real hard on a rest day/rest week/injury

at least that's what I've gathered from experience
>> Anonymous
>>389915
You'd be surprised. I tend to yield quite easily to external stimuli, especially things that are inspirational or educational to me. Maybe something like that will be a catalyst in helping something "click" inside my head and turn myself around?

But I can dig it. The only person that can REALLY help myself is myself, and it's a matter of want. Someone once told me that the only reason I am the way I am is because I enjoy it.

Needless to say, it took every ounce of will power to keep from causing a shitstorm with this guy. But, I think that ultimately, they may have been right, and that's what scares and disgusts me the most.
>> Anonymous
do you by any chance listen to a band called linking park who has this crawling in my skin song
>> Anonymous
>>389877Buy an mp3 player, download nlp shit from Richard Bandler, or stuff like train not shy or freedom from mental bondage from WarpMyMind.com or Confidence Beach by Isabella Valentine
http://rapidshare.com/files/137702058/confidence_20beach.mp3
Play that shit on loop while you sleep and during the day.
>> Anonymous
>>389926
Well, he is certainly right to an extent. If you had no justification whatsoever for your depression, I get the feeling that it would fade or recede or you would TRY to get rid of it. I know I was like that; I clung to my own misery because it made me somewhat of a martyr. Someone who would bear such a huge burden of such a difficult life, and just struggle through it. It was a pathetic notion, because, I mean, while that goes on in the back of your head, at the same time you have these genuine feelings of depression and misery. And they're shitty. But you think they're justified.
Not to sound like a faggot, but at one stage I reached the point where I truly considered an heroing, was on the verge of doing so. And at that point I did have to stop and wonder, what is that proving, and who am I doing that for? If what I was pursuing was a cessation of feeling completely, as you said, hollow, that wouldn't be what I'd be achieving; all that would be is a cessation in itself. So, I mean, I reached a point where I realised that I wanted to be happy, didn't WANT to be depressed, and what I'd be losing by giving up depression was nothing, because I want my life to be the best it can be, and I have to make it so. My 'epiphany' was one of MAN THE FUCK UP AND I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO FAIL WHEN YOU PURSUE WHAT YOU WANT. And I fucking won't.
I'm done.