I have fought depression for years.....I have found several things that help. It isn't always the same stuff...have to mix it up occasionally.
Prayer....or meditation.
Daily journals....self help books...great ones by Haden Publications
Online support groups.
Counseling.
Practicing gratitude. Just watch the news and you will feel lucky.
Spoiling myself...Bath, message, favorite food.
Try to accomplish one thing per day and be proud of it....even if it just means taking a shower. Progress is moving forward.
Art....coloring books and posters are fun if you aren't an artist.
Meds work occasionally but often need to be changed.....you really have to learn to be your own cheerleader.
Hope this helps

Mcb,

To really feel my emotions I meditate. Just sit or lie in a comfortable position and focus on the feeling you have. It might even hurt physically somewhere, but just keep on focussing. My therapist also agrees that it is best to really stay with the emotion and to let it illicit any other emotion. I sometimes cry, laugh, sob or just sigh. Really feeling the emotion helps me to get it out and cope better.

Emotions that you suppress make you physically ill. But I think you should see a therapist to guide you through the process of healing.

But the way you are feeling now, is NOT coping and you really don't have to feel that way. Please keep on posting. I am sure between all of us you will find something that helps.

I do get depressed I am right now the only thing that kept my mind off of it was seek things that make you happy. Im depressed at the moment with something Im trying to achieve. What makes me that way is I have a hard time find that someone im sure alot of people go through BUT to cope with it is to find things that bring a smile to you face. For me comedy/laughter, get people you know to make something up to laugh about helps me, also i find helping others really helps. Also give it time it will go away thats how i tend to cope with it. Hopefully youy will find the light in your life

Thanks everyone for the great insights and support.

It sounds like a lot of you have learned how to cope over the years. Part of it seems to be accepting that this is a chronic recurrent condition and we can't leave our guards down.

Perhaps that's where I get stuck: this is a disease that requires self-care and healthy habits (good eating, regular supplements, exercise, avoiding abusive people, socializing, keeping regular sleeping schedule, meaningful job/hobby, prayer/faith, hope, calmness/meditation, etc.). Yet, those are precisely the most difficult things to do when you're depressed!! It is a vicious cycle.

Am I always have to fight so hard to live a healthy life? It is as if taking care of myself was the hardest thing in the world.

SmartCow: thanks for explaining. I wish I could meditate. Tried many times but I can't focus or relax. My mind wanders. I can tell I do repress my emotions and I suspect doing that perpetuates the depression. I just don't know how to break those defenses.

Just keep on trying meditation. I also struggled a lot with my mind drifting and not focussing. Just being quiet will already help immensely.

Are you seeing a therapist? They can also help you calm your mind.

Yes, this is a lifelong condition. It will become manageable if you find the right techniques, but it will always be a factor in your life. You need to constantly aware of the triggers and learn to avoid or disable them.

The good news there is hope and you can live a full life.

oh yeah, I forgot, I go to a therapist regularly. It really does help me.

Thanks Supercow! I'm encouraged to hear with practice you were able to meditate.

I do see a therapist. She's very good, but we're both kind of stuck right now. She gets frustrated because I often tell her that it is hard for me to do healthy things because of the depression.. She thinks depression just doesn't fall on a person and I need to address the behaviors that are perpetuating it.

I understand that. I want to fight back, but those behaviors that minimize/prevent depression are very hard to do when you can't sleep at night,. sleep all day, wake up tired and disoriented and have little energy or motivation or hope left.

How do you do things to help yourself with no energy, no motivation, a fuzzy mind and no hope??

Are you sure this therapist is the right one for you? There is no harm in shopping around until you find one that makes you feel comfortable.

The no energy, no motivation, no hope and fuzzy mind is a tough one. For me, my family and friends keep me going and I have discovered that the more I do, the more I want to do. But again, I am a Type A personality!

But yes, there are days that I just don't want to get out of bed. Those days I make an appointment with someone I know that is positive, to go to lunch or dinner. I then tell them to not allow me to cancel. I force myself to at least shower and put on clean clothes before I go out.