Thread: when you're in a dark place personally

how do you get out? what tricks do you have for cheering yourself up or just giving yourself a kick up the derriere?

I'm finding myself in a place I was 2 years ago and dont like it but none of my old tricks are working

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Amber...you know how crazy I am.

If I feel as down as I did back in Dec/Jan and March I found that there is only one way to cure my depression.

I wait until my clock says 2.13am (it HAS to be this time no idea why...it think the precision of it makes it more fun...GGEEEEKKKK)

I put on my favourite Kermit the Frog pants....my pink wellies and pink hoodie and drive to this field just outside the town where i live. I get out the car, run into the middle of the field and SCREAM! I mean really scream! Scream like you are trying to wake the angels in the clouds or stop Saturn's rings from turning.

Its great because there are no houses nearby or anything. I love doing it when its raining as well. I have no idea why it makes me laugh perhaps because I am crazy...i vaguely remember my pappy and I doing something like this when I was younger so perhaps that is it.

I am not going to say that it will cure depression as this is a far more involved process but it kinda helps me...

its either this or dancing to bad 80s power ballards in my roller boots (not blades!) in my spangly pants and chipmunk t-shirt....

Take your pick.

Sometimes the best thing to do is ride with it. Humans and especially women are cyclical beings. Sometimes we're up, sometimes we're down. Sometimes the worst thing you can do when down, in a dark place etc is beat yourself up for it and tell yourself you're not allowed to be there.

Sometimes it best to just say, do you know, I am down, the black cloud has appeared over me - but that's ok - I know that I always come out the other side and this will pass, in the scheme of things its not a biggy - so right now I'll give myself a break, I'll grab that duvet, buy those chocolates, or cake, or icecream and watch some movies.

I always find it best these days to decide I'm not down, I'm having a rest - let myself cry, let myself slob, convince myself I'm actually regenerating/renewing energy supplies to come back bigger and better....when the time is right. And in the meantime, I'll watch comedy shows to make me laugh and big budget musicals so I can watch sparkly things.

And also I'll remind myself of all the things I have achieved instead of beating myself for everything I haven't.

I don't know if any of that will help but hope you feel better soon. The sun will come out again......it might not be tomorrow, but it will always come back at some point.

I would agree with tempest ... allow yourself to feel down, i take myself away from other people have a good cry and blast my favourite music or watch my favourite film or have a sob in a hot bubble bath

Im very emotional though and cry a lot i never try to contain it though as that just makes things worse for me

Wow, I'm feeling exactly the same at the moment ( as abyone reading my Facebook will ahve realised!).
I feel like all the hard work I've done to drag myself out of my dark hole is unravelling and I can't get a grip on anything. I'm even at the point now where I've stopped going to my self help group becase i'm back in the 'just talking isn't going to help' frame of mind, which is bad.
I wish I could offer some help but really, I suppose the best we can do is just keep going. That's rubbish isn't it?!
I told you I was useless at the moment :disbelief:
Anyway, just know you're not alone and that there's a squillion people feeling the same, some just hide it better.
Lots of love.
XXX

prozac?

I know it has a stigma....but it does help.

Do you suffer from S.A.D. at all? I notice my mood drops quite markedly as the nights draw in - and for some reason this year has been particularly bad. I've just bought myself some full spectrum bulbs for the house (they are only £5 from amazon which is much cheaper than a lightbox) so I'll let you know if they work at all The other thing I find really helpful is exercise - a 20 minute run and some stretching can really perk me up. If you can't bring yourself to run or go to the gym you could try a skipping rope or a rebounder?

There are lots of approaches. I agree that we are, in part, programmed by the seasons and the falling daylight. I suffer with SAD and have a light box that really helps. This time of year I would say, always, always get outside for at least 20mins every day. The other classic way to improve mood is exercise - raise the heart rate and release endorphins. Then we all have the comforting things that make us feel better - hot baths, a good meal, a favourite outfit, etc. nurturing the self can be very therapeutic.

If the feeling is becoming habitual, then I found cognitive behavioural therapy really helpful; it teaches you how to rationalise your negative thought patterns and has revolutionised my life. I still get down, but I'm better at identifying the 'why' and talking myself around. Of course, if it's really bad, then there are always drugs, but I try to avoid them and make sure I have lots of B vitamins and Omegas in my diet - they both boost mood.

I'm always happy to help in any way I can, love, so feel free to email me if you want more detail - I've battled with bipolar, SAD and depression my whole life!!

Miss Glory Pearl. xx

Amber just think that in a weeks time you can have a special cuddle from me. That's enough to perk anyone up :twisted:

DD x

mY SUGERENCE IS TRY TO DONT EAR TO YOUR SELF... IF YOU WANT TO CRY OR BE BAD, TRY TO TAKES YOU APART OF YOUR SELF MAKING EXACTLY SOMETHING AGAINST THAT FEELING... WITHOUT A SENSE MAYBE BUT I THINK THAT IS THE WAY TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE MIND AND DONT LET THE MIND TAKES CONTROL OF OURSELF. WE ARE THE MIND, AND MAYBE WE DONT WANT DO SOMETHING COS I MEANS GROW UP...OR KILL SOME OLD AND DEAR SKIN OF OUR SOUL.