Depression success stories?

[Wattlebird]

I fought with depression for a long time. I've developed a holistic approach to treating depression. My treatment includes the Raw paleo diet,high meat, sun bathing, exercise, sex, good deeds , seeking religion and meaning, raising a family.

Hi Sabertooth,
it is always wonderful to hear stories of people who have worked out ways to manage and live harmoniously with an unique situation: good for you.
Kind wishes, J

[jessica]

I'm finding that they aren't really any depression success stories.  There's really no cures on this site, nor others on the internet, just stories of improvements and coping, but no cures. It's really a nasty, living, working disease that wants to thrive.

charlie what is your idea of success?  i dont think i will ever be close to the majority of societies idea of success because fitting into that mold is what makes me nuts in the first place:) but i am a much happier and more sane person when i am eating healthy and surrounded by things that make me happy

[aLptHW4k4y]

Seems like cold showers are helpful, there are some success stories here: http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/showers.html
Probably the cold shock causes some adrenalin rush or something similar, and you get a bit high.

Anyway, it would be best to figure out the cause and fix that.
If you have health problems and you're sure that that's what makes you depressed, then eat raw paleo, go to the doctor, take pills or whatever, until you get healthy. Otherwise I don't believe any pills targeting depression via some action in the brain, or high meat, or cold showers, or the healthiest possible diet (if you're already healthy), will fix you long term.

It probably worked for TylerDurden because he had a lot of health problems as he has written, and then long term raw paleo has fixed these problems.

[Dorothy]

Depression is a complex thing. It can stem from so many different levels of the being - including where you fit or don't into your family/society/tribe and what you think about that. The best place to start dealing with it can be bio-chemical, emotional, neurological, self-talk, energetic or spiritual techniques.

You can only do what you can and often the best place to start is with the physical. By coming here and starting to eat a better diet for the central nervous system in general and cutting out things that are bad for the cns - you've made a the best and biggest first step. Whether or not raw paleo is your  "cure" is not the most useful question to be asking. Instead, I would suggest asking if raw paleo is a smart and likely helpful diet for you with the issues you are facing and good foundation to explore other healing modalities from? It might help you a little, it might help you a lot - but you have to eat and what you eat is going to affect you - so best to eat what is the most likely to help you to gain a good physical foundation.

I was thinking about you earlier today when doing my yoga and my acupressure routine. There is this point below the nose and above the lip in that crevice there called conception vessel 26. It's very balancing for the mind. I thought I'd mention it here for you just in case it can become another tool in your tool bag.

Humans are complex, the important thing is not to give up. If I'm right you haven't been raw paleo long - maybe you would best be served giving it a chance before evaluating it. It's really the best diet to feed the brain Charlie that I've been able to discover. It gives you all the nutrients you need in the best form you can get for your nervous system. If that's not enough to help you that's ok - at least it's a good dietary foundation - which is the best place to start imho.

[Charlie4444]

Let me clarify.  Depression is nothing like being depressed.  I'm talking about not being able to experience joy.  And I dont want to hear any strategies of mind alterations besides something concrete like taking some sort of high meat, food.  I can't stand the life alteration strategies to curing depression, they are a waste of time!

[Dorothy]

I think most of us understand that you are talking about clinical depression. So you are just interested in concrete physical suggestions or in just dietary suggestions? Do you believe that either of these can help you?

[cherimoya_kid]

Let me clarify.  Depression is nothing like being depressed.  I'm talking about not being able to experience joy.  And I dont want to hear any strategies of mind alterations besides something concrete like taking some sort of high meat, food.  I can't stand the life alteration strategies to curing depression, they are a waste of time!

You may have already mentioned this, but have you tried St John's Wort? 

Also, it really is very important to get enough sunlight, vitamin D, and fat in your diet, if you're depressed.  I recommend fatty wild-caught ocean fish.

[CarnivorousApe]

Did anything happen three years ago to destroy your intestinal flora? Appendectomy or heavy course of antibiotics?

Anyway I noticed on myself that having healthy flora is crucial. The source of friendly bacteria is fermented vegetables (pickles), milk (yoghurt, kefir, sourcream, cheese). High meat is basically fermented meat rich in bacteria that fixes your guts, this is funny how much influence guts have on brain

[Charlie4444]

Did anything happen three years ago to destroy your intestinal flora? Appendectomy or heavy course of antibiotics?

Anyway I noticed on myself that having healthy flora is crucial. The source of friendly bacteria is fermented vegetables (pickles), milk (yoghurt, kefir, sourcream, cheese). High meat is basically fermented meat rich in bacteria that fixes your guts, this is funny how much influence guts have on brain

What about store bought butter?
Eating butter seems to give me a little fat to my body (A good thing!)  but i tend to get weird little bumps, acne on my face or body.  Raw butter is just too expensive and burdensome to get, and people really start to hate you for being such an extreme eater.

[CarnivorousApe]

What about store bought butter?
Eating butter seems to give me a little fat to my body (A good thing!)  but i tend to get weird little bumps, acne on my face or body.  Raw butter is just too expensive and burdensome to get, and people really start to hate you for being such an extreme eater.

I've seen cultured butter in supermarket, which probably also made from pasteurised milk though. Not sure how much worse pasteurised fermented products are. I guess if lactobacteria prospers in such environment it shouldn't be that bad

[Projectile Vomit]

Hi Charlie, I don't visit this site too often anymore but saw your post and I can offer you a success story. I suffered from severe depression from the ages 14 until about 22, which included symptoms identical to those you've articulated and culminated in a suicide attempt. My diet certainly changed afterwards, but I can't attribute my recovery entirely to diet. The things that most helped me include:

1. Eating less processed food, then eventually more raw food, and finally focusing on getting raw fats with a proper balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 (i.e. about 1:1)
2. Reducing my exposure to environmental toxins, including cigarette smoke
3. Getting sun over my entire body (you need to be eating lots of good fat for this to help, otherwise your body can't turn the sun into vitamin D)
4. Spending quiet time in nature (Jon Young calls this a 'Sit Spot')
5. Learning and using the communication process called Non-Violent Communication (I started this practice about the time I started eating more raw foods, which was in 2003).
6. Talking to people about particular things that bothered me in my life (NVC was a pre-requisite for this in my case; at first I couldn't bear the thought of talking to people, so I started by talking to trees and rocks while at my sit spot and eventually reached a point where I could talk to people)
7. Became more active (yoga, martial arts, hiking; although I don't do yoga anymore, just martial arts, lots of low-intensity workouts including long walks and brief high-intensity workouts about once every 7 days)

If you want more details, let me know. Feel free to send a PM if you'd prefer that option.

[wodgina]

I had the same thing in my early 20's.

If your really down or something has really upset you to the point of despair try sleep deprivation. Stay awake all night...you will feel better.... then go to bed early  (6pm) and then wake at 12pm. Sleep for only 4 hours. Keep this up when you need it.

And to be honest, chasing women, and playing golf isn't fun and mabe your friends actually suck...thought about that? It's time to move on.

[CarnivorousApe]

And to be honest, chasing women, ... isn't fun

Chasing women is very paleo

[wodgina]

Chasing women is fun. I think I mean't out in clubs.

Talking of clubs, the paleo way was easier.

[blackrhino]

Hi eric,
What is the non violence communication process?

[Projectile Vomit]

You can learn more about Non-Violent Communication here: http://www.cnvc.org/. My favorite resource is the CD set entitled "Speaking Peace".

Another great psychological resource that helped with healing a lot of historical and ancestral trauma for me was re-evaluation counseling, also called co-counseling. You can learn more about this here: http://www.rc.org/.

Not sure where you live but you can probably find groups of one or both of these that practice locally. They'd be valuable to plug into.

[Projectile Vomit]

And while you're welcome to experiment with wodgina's sleep deprivation method, that sounds like a bad idea to me. I'd instead suggest getting a good night's sleep, not eating anything after 4 pm or so, and getting up with the sun each morning.

[jessica]

get some fish oils, probiotics and seaweeds

do you think your diet is making you depressed, or your lifestyle? if its your lifestyle then you have to change that before anythng is going to happen

there is a great book called radical honesty i always suggest to those with depression, its a quick read and actually pretty entertaining but it will also kick your ass mentally

[Charlie4444]

I had the same thing in my early 20's.

If your really down or something has really upset you to the point of despair try sleep deprivation. Stay awake all night...you will feel better.... then go to bed early  (6pm) and then wake at 12pm. Sleep for only 4 hours. Keep this up when you need it.

And to be honest, chasing women, and playing golf isn't fun and mabe your friends actually suck...thought about that? It's time to move on.

^This is idiotic advice.

[blackrhino]

lol,thats insane.I would think not getting sleep would make matters worse.

[TylerDurden]

Well, actually, when I had  severe chronic fatigue, I found that I never got any benefit from sleep. Indeed, if I tried sleeping more than 10 hours a night that I started feeling even worse as a result.

[wodgina]

^This is idiotic advice.

Thanks I do my best.

[wodgina]

lol,that's insane.I would think not getting sleep would make matters worse.

It's the most potent antidepressant out there and it's free.

For the people who are really depressed check out 'sleep wake therapy' or 'partial sleep deprivation therapy'

[papangue]

And to be honest, chasing women, and playing golf isn't fun and mabe your friends actually suck...thought about that? It's time to move on.

totally agreed with wodgina

[CarnivorousApe]

Chasing women is fun. I think I mean't out in clubs.

Talking of clubs, the paleo way was easier.

Only if you could outrun all the competition, also armed with clubs. Speaking of which I usually feel very calm and blissful (literally) after workouts, right after them and whole following day. Sometimes have to drag myself to do it, but always surprised how well it works.

There was a guy who wanted to commit suicide and got advice to do it by running himself to death. He followed advice but didn't die becoming a happy athlete instead.