Hope

[gbrown254]

What do you guys do when you're struggling for hope in order to get better? I feel completely stuck with my depression and that I'll never get better and nothing will ever work. This is making my depression worse

[susandirs]

I think you're right in identifying a lack of hope in your depression ending merely serves to make your depression worse. I think the important thing is to just keep trying stuff. All things are temporary, including depression and suffering.

If you can not create hope for the future, at least suspend judgement about the future. You don't have a crystal ball any more than I do, so negative thoughts about the future are just thoughts in the present. Those thoughts sap your energy and drain you. The good news is, at least you're aware of this relationship so there's the possibility you will find a way to grow from that knowledge.

If you can't find things that make it better, identify those things that make it worse. It can be helpful to know what makes it worse, so you know what to avoid and often what opposite thing to do. Your brain is a human one, and thus of the most advanced type of learning computer on the planet. Keep analyzing the input, keep fighting for yourself, and hang in there.

[Snow55]

Here is the conclusion I reached.

Life without purpose is life without meaning.

Life without meaning is life without hope.

Life without hope is life with no future.

Solution?

Work towards finding a new purpose in your life, a new passion. Find a way to contribute, volunteer, help someone else.

Get out of your head and make it about someone or something else.

An overly simplistic solution to a complex problem. But it's worth a shot.

[tenshu]

Here is the conclusion I reached.

Life without purpose is life without meaning.

Life without meaning is life without hope.

Life without hope is life with no future.

Solution?

Work towards finding a new purpose in your life, a new passion. Find a way to contribute, volunteer, help someone else.

Get out of your head and make it about someone or something else.

An overly simplistic solution to a complex problem. But it's worth a shot.

I've been suffering for many years with depression, although never officially diagnosed.

When I'm at my lowest I go into a robotic mode of irrationality and negativity, I have trained myself (like a robot) to do certain things that really help.

These aren't long term solutions, but they certainly help you get out of your lowest points:

- Exercise, diet, and nutrition. If you can force yourself to do these things they will help you a lot. It combats the insomnia, puts you in a better mood and you should see it as an achievement.

- Make a plan, take stock, what do you enjoy? Or if nothing, what have you enjoyed in the past? make a wild dream and write it down. Maybe it's little things like meet new people, work out how you will go about doing it.

- See a doctor and get help. This is one step I have feared to do, speaking about my illness makes me feel pathetic and even disingenuous, but rationally it's the best thing to do.

- Make a schedule for your free time, it's hard to do anything when low, but even just doing the cleaning will boost your mood.

More importantly it's all about taking baby steps and not being hard on yourself.

[fosterboy]

I think you're right in identifying a lack of hope in your depression ending merely serves to make your depression worse. I think the important thing is to just keep trying stuff. All things are temporary, including depression and suffering.

If you can not create hope for the future, at least suspend judgement about the future. You don't have a crystal ball any more than I do, so negative thoughts about the future are just thoughts in the present. Those thoughts sap your energy and drain you. The good news is, at least you're aware of this relationship so there's the possibility you will find a way to grow from that knowledge.

If you can't find things that make it better, identify those things that make it worse. It can be helpful to know what makes it worse, so you know what to avoid and often what opposite thing to do. Your brain is a human one, and thus of the most advanced type of learning computer on the planet. Keep analyzing the input, keep fighting for yourself, and hang in there.

I heartily agree with that post. I could have written it myself.

Only to add that I've noticed depression giving way to what I call "nothing" at times,

which seems ok compared to the black pit I was in at the time.

That "nothing" is a blah sort of non-feeling that I was mistaking for more depression

before I took the trouble to talk about it with my therapist. She suggested that it

is more of a "bridge to healing, on a momentary basis," or some such wording. I

do agree because I do find longer moments of feeling fine (mostly in retrospect:

I'll find myself thinking, "hey, I just did this or that for two hours and had no Big

Deep Hellish crap following me through it).

I doubt if I'm making myself clear on this. Let me know.

Peace and healing to all,

- fosterboy