how do I beat depression while in college?
85582
I understand your desire to stay away from\n"sledgehammer" solutions that involve powerful,\nsometimes untested prescription medicines. When it\ncomes to your health, remedies that are stronger are\nnot always better. I have three things that have\ngotten me through times when I've been depressed, and\nthey're all gentle solutions that I think will suit an\nintelligent person like yourself. \n\n1 - The first is what Freud calls the "talking cure".\nHe insists that it must be performed by a\npsychoanalyst who you are paying for, but actually\nI've performed it by writing in a diary. The key is to\nbe very honest, and try to find connections that you\nmight otherwise be supressing, because these are the\nareas that need work. For example, what's the first\nthing that pops into your mind when you think of\n"depression"? If the answer is "flying a kite", then\nfollow the chain... What do you think of when you\nthink of "kite" and "flying"... You'll be surprised\nhow quickly this takes you right down to an event in\nyour childhood or an unresolved conflict that might\nhave happened a year ago.\n\n2 - Looking for lies. A chair cannot make you\ndepressed. A lampshade cannot make you depressed. Only\nanother person can make you depressed. I believe it is\nbecause a chair and a lampshade cannot lie. Only a\nperson can lie. Depression, it seems to me, comes from\nbelieving a lie. That conflict (between reality and\nthe lie) takes up so much mental energy to maintain,\nit drains you as a whole. You may find, after using\ntechnique #1, that it leads to you to this conclusion\n#2. For example, after free associating your way to an\nevent, you might find that it was when someone told\nyou that you weren't worth a hill of beans. The\nproblem is not that they insulted you, the problem is\nthat you believed the lie. Beware, giving up on a lie\nthat we've believed in for a long time is tougher than\nit sounds.\n\n3 - This one is going to sound goofy, especially after\nwading in deeply with the other two techniques. Get\nsome light to shine on the cells in the back of your\neyes. Go outside for an extended period of time\nwithout sunglasses (no need to stare at the sun or a\nlight-bulb, indirect light will do). Use one of those\ngentle light therapy products like www.everlyte.com .\nTake a trip on a sailboat. Spend a few hours in open\nfields on sunny days. It's those cells in the eyes\nthat produce much of the chemical that pills and\nherbal remedies seek to replace, but the cells in the\neyes put the chemicals where they are needed, in your\nbrain, and not in your stomach and everywhere else.\nThis third technique will help you with the other two,\nallowing you to think clearly, and get out from being\nstuck in a loop.\n\nI hope this "whole-istic" answer is as helpful to you\nas it has been to me over the years. A gentle look at\nthe whole picture is often better than a sledgehammer\nto just one piece of the problem.
997678
I would suggest you take some part-time employment \n\neven some hourly jobs ... like mowing lawns, aiding shop keeping , domestic....\njust to keep u busy ... \n\nGET STARTED\n\njust 2 keep u'rself busy for awhile\nwill help u overcome depression ...\n\nDo it slowly , but do it\n.... guess slowly u will revert back to mainstream life\n\n--- very best of luck ,, and my prayers
117917
Depression is something that should be evaluated by a health care professional, to begin with.\nBe meticulous about taking the medications as prescribed, if that is the case.\nHowever, there are many things you still can and should do, to get a grip on it. \nFirst of all, following the advice from the health care professional, get involved with counseling. \nA therapist, who I would suggest to be a Psychologist, should help you to sort much of the mind confusion that accompanies depression. \nA Christian counselor, will guide you to seek help from the spiritual realms, since most depressed patients feel very lonely and also feel that their prayers are not answered.\nRelatives or very good friends should keep you company as much as possible to handle the oppressive loneliness that comes with it.  \nPrepare an agenda of things to do, the previous night. Stay busy. Do not overwork yourself. Measure the workload as much as possible.\nExercise. Include that in your agenda. \nSet up goals. Adjust your goals accordingly with the results you will be achieving. \nDo your best to get a vision for your life. Usually (not always), depression is the result of a traumatic event that threw you off the path you had for your life, and you find yourself in a situation where you feel your life has no purpose anymore.
947362
honey it sound like you are depressed go see a doctor and ask for help it could be a simple vitamin deficiency or depression get help now before you fail however at 18 if this year goes to pot repeat it at college don't think you have failed because you cant do it right now and ask for help at school they should be used to dealing with theses problems
103942
There are many ways you can overcome depression that work very well. The most important thing to remember is that you can control your thoughts and feelings. You can learn to change habitual thoughts and feelings that bring on the moods of depression. \n\nOne of the best ways to combat depression is to stay active. Find activities that you enjoy and seek out new interest. People are usually depressed when they have nothing to do. Get active in your community, join a bowling league, take a class at your local community college, volunteer your time to an organization, or take up a new hobby such as stamp collecting or crocheting. Busy yourself with things you enjoy doing.\n\nBe positive! When life lets you down, make a list of the good things in your life. Even the small ones count. The list can include such things as your family, your friends, your job, your back yard, your health, and even your ability to grill or cook. List items that you are good at doing. You may think grilling a steak to perfection is no big deal, but I have no idea how to grill a steak without it being leather. So, that is a feat to be proud of. On this list put every little thing. Now, when you feel depression coming on, take out this list and read it over and over again. This may help you with your self worth. \n\nDo not let others cause your depression! You can allow others to hurt your emotions, or anger you and this can also bring on depression. Remember the person that is negative is not you! Do not let their moods influence your emotions. So, what they don't like your shirt, they don't like the way you cooked breakfast, or they have some other complaint. You like your shirt, you enjoyed breakfast, and their complaints are just that, complaints without any merit. I am not saying to ignore others, but don't let them drag you down. \n\nDon't sit around by yourself! Being alone and idle can bring on major bouts of depression. Everyone enjoys having others around whether in a small group, one on one, or big social functions. Get out in the world. Find like minded friends and family to occupy those times. \n\nIf you are still having problems with depression and just can't seem to rid your life of these feelings it would be advisable to visit your doctor. There could be a medical reason that is causing your depression such as prescribed medicines, menopause, or other illnesses.\n\nGOOD LUCK TO YOU!!
692454
Have some alcohol...teach your liver to bounce back from wild nights of partying.  Don't stress too much, have fun your freshman year and live in the dorms.  Living in the dorms is one of the best experiences I can recommend, as you make some of your best friends that way.  Go to class when you aren't too drunk to go, and even if you have a hang over, try to go.  :)   Make fun, be social --- unless you're a med student, I think the point of college is to learn to socialize with others correctly so you can do business in the real world.  I can't emphasize this enough...HAVE FUN, because after this, it's all work.
523678
The first thing to do is try distracting yourself from the depressing moment. Play a game, go out, see a movie, put some music on and chill, take a hot shower, listen to music, burn some incense with candle light, or do what makes you happy in a healthy manner. If this does not work then you will have to challenge your thinking. \n\nFor every main negative thought you have you will have to come up with a stronger balanced thought. To get to the balanced thought you will have to find evidence for the negative thought and evidence against the negative thought. This will lead to better clearer thinking. You will need to write this stuff out so you can visually see what your thinking. Hope this helps. Get a workbook like Mind over Mood and do the exercises because that helps too.
913822
You might try exercise, if you don't already do that regularly. I've read studies about exercise being just as good as medication for moderate depression symptoms. You can always ask the doctor next time you go for some medical advice, they might give you samples of some anti-depressants in case you do decide to go that route. Good luck and take care!
1129502
Start eating more healthy foods  and go to the gym and do weight lifting. It will build muscle and you will gain weight.  Lay off the cardio for now.  Exercise increases endorphins in your brain and help cure depression. Trust me it works.  So you can kill two birds with one stone....the depression and the weight loss.  Try drinking protien shakes if you can enjoy them.  Soy protien is pretty good...better than the whey. And remember....things could always be worse. If we didnt have bad days we wouldn't appreciate the good ones!!  Enjoy your life for what it is, we are not here forever.  Time heals everything in some way or another.
744379
Well, you know there is always counselling and supports available to you in your community, but have you tried the self-help approaches? Here are some good tips that you can try at home to see if this lessens your depression. Best of luck.\n\n"GET OUT OF BED: \n\nOne of the most important things you can do is get up at about the same time every morning (even week-ends). Preferably, that means about 7 a.m. or earlier. You might not feel like it but Get Up. Such regularity helps your body function more normally so you're more likely to feel normal. \n\nLIGHTS: \n\nLight helps your body function better. So turn on a lot of lights as soon as you arise. Open curtains to get more sunlight. Better yet, go outdoors into the sunshine as soon as you can. Remove any eyewear so light will enter more readily (glass cuts out some of the sun's rays). But don't stare at the sun, of course. \n\nMOVE: \n\nBe active right away -- oxygenate! That means getting up and walking around your dwelling for five or 10 minutes, or perhaps riding an exercycle. Mild exercise gets the blood flowing and transports more oxygen throughout your body (especially to your brain), helping you feel mentally alert and alive. \n\nMUSIC: \n\nSelect and play some energetic, happy music as you dress and have your breakfast. The audiovisual department of most libraries has albums and tapes you can check out. \n  \n\nBREAKFAST: \n\nBegin your breakfast with protein (i.e., meat, eggs, peanut butter, nuts, cheese). When you get up, your body chemistry is ready to convert food, especially protein,into longlasting energy. To balance your most important meal of the day, add an orange or other fresh fruit and whole grain cereal or whole grain bread. \n\nTALK WITH SOMEONE: \n\nOne of the quickest ways to beat the blues is to interact with others. You might not feel like doing that - you'd rather avoid people when blue. So make lt easier on yourself. Talk with someone you enjoy about a subject you enjoy so there is definite give and take. \n\nAnd, force yourself to say "hello" to the persons next to you in class, those where you live, anyone around. \n\nLIMIT CAFFEINE: \n\nThe long-term (four hours or so) effects of caffeine are depression. Try to limit coffee to no more than one cup in the morning. Coffee can make you more alert for an hour or so, but later you get an opposite reaction. Caffeine tends to increase the release of insulin in the blood, and insulin lowers the blood sugar level. When you have low blood sugar levels, you begin to feel less sure of yourself, and have low energy levels, which can lead to the blues or depression. \n\nLIMIT SUGAR: \n\nSugar might give you an initial rush of energy, but within an hour or so the blood sugar level can become low, and when it's low you may feel low, too. \n\nThe caffeine/sugar cycle. It's easy to get caught in the caffeine and sugar cycle -- having coffee, caffeinated soft drinks, or something with sugar every two hours or so to "stay up." For example, cola contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar plus caffeine equal to about half a cup of coffee. In addition to bringing on the blues, this cycle can result in dependence, poor nutrition. and obesity -- reasons to get down on yourself even more and feel blue. \n\nMAINTAIN FIBER: \n\nFiber helps food go through your digestive system at a proper rate, giving a more constant energy supply. Highly processed foods merely provide a quick surge of energy which can be followed by depression. You can maintain fiber in your diet by eating an orange or grapefruit rather than just drinking the juice. Eat fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grain breads and cereals. \n\nSTRESS B COMPLEX: \n\nSome persons report receiving help by taking a concentrated vitamin B complex. You'll find these called something like "Stress B" or "B 50." This is controversial. \nSome nutritionists say, "Yes, this really should be consider
1183733
Exercise is one of the best solutions to depression.  Don't buy a treadmill, go jog outside.  Exercising outdoors is a lot better than indoors.
267017
First of all, do not blame yourself.  Depression is a chemical imbalance that is easily treatable.\n\nMy recommendation is to visit a licensed doctor that can evaluate your mental condition and prescrible a method of treatment.  It may involve medication; It could involve meeting for regular counseling sessions.\n\nIn the meantime, this might help:\n1:  Sleep regular hours (6-8 hours a day).  Too much or too little sleep will only make the situation worse.\n2:  Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet.  Also, try and drink more water.  This will help get your body on more of balance, which in turn could help your mental situation.\n3:  Exercisize regularly.  This releases "feel good" chemicals into your brain that can help alleviate your depression. Also, it will help get your sleep on schedule.\n\nI hope you feel better!
216476
oh, honey. college is harder for some than others. if you're feeling overwhelmed, see a counselor first. have them direct you to all of the TONS OF RESOURCES for people just like you! they can help you learn to study better if that's the problem. or tutoring. or just learning good test taking and study habits. most colleges have freshman orientations as well.\n\nif those resources aren't working or you're feeling too bummed out to pursue those answers, see your doctor so that he/she can evaluate you for stress, anxiety and/or possibly depression. i will BRB to modify this. there's a book by a college student that is fun and funny and tells you how to survive college.\n\n\nhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5306614\n\n"the broke diaries" by angela nissel. the link above is from an interview on her. she wound up having to see a doctor during her college life. she wrote the book to relieve stress. (try meditation or writing. it helps!) there are classes for this too!
196155
Exercise is a great remedy for depression.  Give it a try for a couple of weeks.  Really get your heart rate up; work up a sweat!  Of course, check with your doctor first.\n\nI went through a depressive period a while back and tried a few different antidepressants.  They all blunted my mind.  Exercise has been the only thing to help.\n\nGood luck!
933196
theres many things you can do. when im depressed or feeling low, i call or talk to one of my friends or family members. i also like listening to music. another thing you can do is eat your favorite food.
782493
maybe pick one or two classes where you had a project or something out of the ordinary that you had to do. or maybe you had a co-op or internship. then expand on what you learned from those experiences and how it will help you during college. maybe in one class you've had to write a huge research paper and you had use a bunch of sources (maybe through online database research like pubmed, psychinfo, or ovid)...youre definately going to have to do that in college!
892151
Is it the schoolwork or the people at school who are making you depressed? I've had periods of feeling really low and lousy at school because of both. Just try to take things in your stride. I know it's easier said than done though. Talk to someone who loves you and cares about you and see if you can sort out your problems at school. If it's schoolwork which is getting you down, maybe getting a tutor or some help from a teacher would be good. And don't worry too much about school because in the larger perspective of things and life, school and all its accompanying headaches won't last forever. Most things end up alright in the end.