Sunday, September 4, 2011

Happiness and Accomplishment



You know the feeling you get when you feel like you've accomplished something? Its a great feeling isn't it? This feeling is happiness. You can have more of this feeling by setting daily goals for yourself. Goals should be hard enough to challenge you a bit, but not so hard that they're impossible. Here are some examples of some goals:


1. Find a job


2. Exercise at the gym


3. Go for a walk outside


4. Make a healthy meal to eat


5. Spend time with my family


Begin with small goals and challenge yourself more as you get more confident. Its always a great feeling when you feel like you've done something with your day.


Hope you're feeling good



Saturday, July 16, 2011

Anything is Better Than Sitting around and Doing Nothing



The worst thing you can do when you're depressed is sit around and do nothing. Doing this just allows you to dwell on how shitty life is. Get up. Go Outside. Do somthing. Do anything.


Exercising is much better than sitting around and doing nothing. You'll feel energized after. You'll feel better about yourself too.


Hanging out with people who care about you is better than sitting around and doing nothing. It feels good to feel like you belong.


Making art or other hobbies is better than sitting around and doing nothing. One way of getting rid of negative emotions is by expressing them through art.


Going outside for a walk on a nice day is better than sitting around and doing nothing. The longer you sit around in your house the more intimidating it is to go outside.


I know its tough to get up and get out when you're depressed, but its better than sitting around and doing nothing.


Hope you're feeling well


Friday, May 20, 2011

How to Stick to Treatment



One of the biggest problems with depression treatment is that about 50% of patients don't stick to treatment. This icludes patients who stop taking their medication, don't take their medication properly, stop going to therapy or stop doing things that make them feel better. Whats important is that you stick to treatment and one way of staying committed is to look at the advantages and disadvantages of treatment.


You can learn how to look at the advantages and disadvantages here:




Hope you're feeling well

Monday, May 16, 2011

Dealing With Your Past



Sometimes we have issues from our past that continue to haunt us. Its important that we learn to deal with these issues so that we can move on with our lives. You can learn to do cognitive behavioral therapy on yourself to change your useless and painful thoughts and actions concerning your past. Below is a page i've added to the website that teaches you how to do this:




Hope you're living in the now and not in the past

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Exercise And Goals





It is a lot easier to stick to an exercise program if you have goals. For example, "I want to lose 15 pounds before July", or "I wanna look like Brad Pitt in 6 months", "or "I want to be able to run 10 miles without stopping". My personal goal right now is to be able to throw a fastball 90 mph. I've has this goal for about a week and i've noticed that since I made this goal for myself I have been working out regularly, working out harder than usual, feeling more energetic and eating super healthy. Before i had a goal I wasn't going to the gym at all because I didn't have a good reason to.



Like I keep saying, exercise is one of the best cures for depression symptoms like insomnia, low self esteem, and low energy. So do yourself a favor; set a goal for yourself and get started. Some good goals to start with could be: "Get to the gym 4 days a week", "do aerobics for 30 minutes a day before work" or "lose 15 pounds before the summer". If you already work out regularly then you should challenge yourself even more.



Hope your feeling well



Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Exercise is a Great Antidepressant



Have you ever felt depressed after a workout? I haven't. It can be difficult to get started exercising when you're depressed or when you haven't worked out for a long time. You just have to make yourself do it some how and stick to it. It might be hard at first because you're out of shape and you might feel sore after, but if you stick to it you'll thank yourself. Exercise helps with so many common problems associated with depression, like low self esteem, fatigue, insomnia and depressed mood.


I think the best kind of exercise isn't too easy and isn't too hard. You need to challenge yourself a bit to get the full benefit and the feeling that you accomplished something, but you don't want to work so hard that you're exhausted after and really sore the next day. You want to feel energized and relaxed after. You should experiment with different workouts and find the one that gives you the results and feelings you want.


If you don't know much about working out then it might be a good investment to workout with a personal trainer. They'll show you the exercises best suited for you and how to do them correctly to get the maximum benefit.


By the way, going to the gym is a great way of meeting people.


By the way, exercising outside during the summer is a great way to get some fresh air, get a tan, and get some vitamin D from the sun.


Hope you're feeling well


Monday, May 9, 2011

Presence Improves Mood



Being present is basically being aware of what is going on arund you and the feelings in your body. It is the opposite of being "in your head". For example, if you're speaking to someone you're attnetion is on them, how they make you feel, how they're feeling, what they're saying, how they look, the environment around you, etc. Your attention is not on worrying about what they think of you, or worrying about what to say next, or worrying about screwing up, etc.


When you're present you're in the moment. You're not thinking about your past or worrying about your future. You're bringing yourself fully to every interaction, every decision and every situation. You're being honest with yourself about what you want and who you are.


As you learn to be more present your mood should imrpove. You'll find that you're enjoying your interactions more with people, you're being genuine more, and you'll notice that people will appreciate when your attention is on them.


If you're a man you can learn more about presence and how to cultivate it at the Authentic Man Program. If you're a woman you can learn more at The Authentic Woman Experience. These programs are designed to improve dating and relationships, but they will also improve every aspect of your life.


You can find links to these programs at




Hope you're feeling well


Friday, May 6, 2011

Not Much Benefit in Taking Multiple Antidepressants




Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that taking more than 1 antidepressant at once will not speed up your recovery. The benefits of taking an extra antidepressant are non while the consequences are added cost and more side effects. So save yourself the money and spare yourself the side effects. Things that are often a better substitute for another medication are exericse, volunteering, and spending time doing things you enjoy.


You can read the original article here:




Hope you're feeling well


Saturday, April 30, 2011

SSRI Antiderpessants are Les Effective When Taken with Anti-Inflammatory Drugs




Researchers at The Rockefeller University have found that anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen reduce the effectiveness of SSRI antidepressants. In a study, 54% of patients responded to antidepressants, but only 40% of those using anti-inflammatories responded to antidepressants. This can be especially significant for elderly patients with depression because they also often suffer from arthritis or related illnesses that are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. So anti-inflammatory drug use might be the reason why your antiderpessants aren't having the desired effect. If this is the case then you'll have to weigh the pros and cons of continuing anti-inflammatory therapy and decide whether you have to continue it.

You can read the original article here:




Hope you're feeling well


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Too Many Social Workers, Not Enough Programs



This makes Aleks upset.


I've been thinking about going back to school for social work, because I want to get better at helping people and make a a consistent income. However, I keep running into people who are either out of work social workers or know someone who is an out of work social worker. All of these people are brighter and kinder than i am so that kind of puts a damper on my plans. If these people can can't get a job (many of them have a masters degree) how the hell am I? What is the reason for this surplus of social workers? Is it the economy or is it the lack of programs?


Its probably both. Ever since i've been diagnosed with mental illness i've gone through phases where i've looked for support groups. They are not easy to find. There are so many people with mental illness who don't get help because the government is always cutting these programs. Its tough being mentally ill, though its a lot better now than it was a century ago. There are so many people out there that want to help us but the governement won't pay them.

Hope you're feeling well

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Antidepressants Are More Effective For Certain Symptoms of Depression Than Others





Researchers at UT Southwestern medical Center have found that antidepressants work better for some symptoms of depression than others. They found that while antidepressants usually help to reduce symptoms like suicidal thoughts and fatigue, they often don't help with overall sadness, insomnia, and concentration problems. This often leads to an incomplete recovery for depressed patients.


They also found that 33% of patients on SSRIs go into remission (lessening of symptoms) within the first 3 months. SSRIs are the most commonly presecribed antiderpessants. This means that most people on antidepressants continue to experience certain symptoms. They say the next step is to develop more targeted antidepressants to decrease depressive symptoms.


This explains why most people don't get adequate relief from antidepressants. This means that you're unlikely to find a wonder drug that will save you. Its up to you to do other things to help yourself. Personally, I think that the more coping strategies you have, the more likely you are to feel better and stay better. The most helpful things for me have been staying busy with the website, painting, playing music, spending time with family and friends, and medication. The combination of all of these has led to me generally feeling pretty good. I still have my bad days and bad moments, but most of the time these days i'm doing fine.


You can learn about other ways you cope here:




and here:




You can read the full article here:




Hope you're feeling well


Friday, April 22, 2011

Happy Places Tend to have Highest Suicide Rates




A study was done by researchers at the University of Warwick (UK), Hamilton College (NY), and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Fransisco. It used a sample of 2.3 million Americans and compared satisfaction with life and suicide rates in The US states. The study found that states with people who are generally more satisfied with their lives tend to have higher suicide rates than states with lower avergae levels of life satisfaction. For example, New York ranks 45th in life satisfaction, but last in suicide rates. Hawaii ranks 2nd in life satisfaction, but has the 5th highest suicide rate.


Their theory as to why this happens is that people in "happy" places tend to feel more harshly treated in life. The lows of life are more tolerable when others around them are unhappy too. People often judge their well-being by comparing themselves to others.


This totally makes sense. I often compare my well-being to that of my friends and it makes me feel bad. Its seem so easy for them to be normal and do normal things like work and maintain/build relationships, while i find it difficult.


Lesson:


Don't compare your life to someone else's. You can't control how happy or successful someone else is but you can focus on improving your life one step at a time. Compare yourself to yourself. Have you moved forward since last month? Last year? Have you persevered despite mental illness? Are you taking steps to help yourself? We can't all have perfect lives but we can make our lives better.


You can read the original article here:




Hope you're feeling well


Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Depression Self Help: Getting Up In The Morning






I've been having some problems getting up in the morning recently and i think its because I don't have a reason to get up. I just get up, then having nothing to do and go back to sleep. When i finally do get up i feel like shit for having wasted the day.


I think its important to have goals in order to get out of bed in the morning. So today I decided that i would add an "anxiety" section to the website. Its been a while since i've added something to the site and so many people (including myself) who suffer from depression also suffer from anxiety. I remember when I was building the website and every morning i'd get up and head straight for the library. I did that every day for about 9 months and i liked it.


So today i went to the library and got started. There are tons of books about anxiety and i'm sure i'll have to go every day for at least a couple of months to read them all. I'm so excited. The website is just gonna keep on getting bigger and better.


Hope you're feeling well

Monday, April 18, 2011

Depression Self help: Getting Help



Through these last couple of years that i've been diagnosed with mental illness and i've been going to group therapy, support groups, and talking to people through the website i've consistently encountered the same kind of person over and over. This is the person that claims to want help, but actually doesn't want it. They don't want to take medication. They don't want to listen to advice from people who have more experience than them. They somehow know that therapy won't work for them even though they've never tried it. They are completely hopeless. Are you this person?

Depression is a very tough demon to face on your own. It won't go away by itself one day. An angel won't just knock on your door one day and make you better. If you want to get better you need to ask for and accept help, whether its from a therapist, medication, or someone you met at a support group that has suffered like you have. Your attitude is so important. If you have the attitude that you're not willing to try anything and that nothing will help you anyway then you have no chance to get better. There are a lot of people and lot of cures out there that can help you, but its up to you to ask for and accept that help.


Personally, I only began to recover when I found a psychiatrist and a medication that works for me. It wasn't the first doctor i went to or the first medication I tried. I (and my family) didn't give up until we found a solution. There is a solution out there for all of us.

Don't be foolish. Get help.

Hope you're feeling well

Monday, April 11, 2011

Wounds Teach us Lessons




A wise man once said that

Well, i'm learning my lesson now. This is my 3rd day in a row being punished. I'm being punished for being a dumbass and i will continue to be punished as such until i stop doing the same stupid thing over and over. I can't just go out and party like a normal person. They don't have to crash and be miserable like i do after. I'm turning 27 this year and i'm still running around getting shit-faced and getting into fights. I can't just keep acting like a little boy anymore and expect my life to get better.

You know when you just wake up in the morning and everything sucks? Well thats whats been going on in my world these past few days and I deserve it. When you're depressed you can make the mistake of thinking that you're cursed and doomed to suffer, but that isn't true. A lot of the time its our own self-destructive decisions that get us into deep shit, not fate. Are we smart enough to make better decisions in the future so that we can avoid hurting ourselves? Absolutely!

So next time something painful happens to you, don't just feel sorry for yourself, but try to learn from your mistake so that it doesn't happen again.


Hope you (and I) wake up tomorrow and everything is spectacular:)


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

A REality Check



This is a nebula...its the most beautiful thing in the universe...except for you :)

Now to a revelation i had yesterday...

Life is short

You'll either get sick and die or get old and die
Do what you want with your life and do it now

Life is short

The people you love will either get sick and die or get old and die

Treat them well and show them you love them now

Have a nice day :)

Monday, February 21, 2011

Depression Support Groups


Hey, join this cool meetup group for mental health peer support!

We are starting to build "hubs" of peer support in other cities around the world.

After you join the meetup, email me the organizer and he will invite you to our private virtual peer support "Ning" group that you can use from the privacy of your computer.

Hope you're doing well

Friday, February 18, 2011

Depression Cures: Escaping the Daily Routine




I just got back from a clinical study I did and i was away from home for 24 days. I can't even describe how good it is to be home. I'm so happy to be back, i'm so much more thoughtful towards my family, i'm so much more appreciative of what I have. This has led me to a light bulb type insight: that it is good to get away from your daily routine and your daily relationships every so often. Who can see the same people every single day and not get sick of them? If you leave for a little while and then come back, then likely they'll be more fond of you and you more fond of them. We save money for cars and houses and big screeen TVs, but we should be saving it for vacations and trips. When you're stuck in the daily routine for too long you stop even being aware of how miserable you are. So if you can get away, do it. And if you can't yet, start saving today.


Hope you're doing well:)


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Depression Self Help: Staying Inspired



It is important to stay inspired in your daily activities because they can get monotonous. Working at the same job everyday, doing the same hobby everyday, seeing the same people every day, can lead to boredom, irritablity, and depression. Its important you're always evolving and making things more interesting.

For example, I play guitar everyday and in order to learn songs I have to play them over and over and over. Even though I really enjoy playing this can be tedious. So what i like to do is read biographies of my favorite musicians. These books remind me of how much better I can become and inspire me to keep evolving.

A lot of the time people work at jobs that they don't really enjoy and this can be depressing, but you can make it more interesting by staying inspired. If you work in sales you can read books about selling and keep improving at your craft. If you work in customer service you can learn more about how to deal with people. You can also read about people you admire and that can be very inspirational. Whatever it is you're doing, there are always ways to keep it interesting. Also, as a reward for staying inspired you will likely improve your results which could lead to a higher income, more enjoyment and higher self esteem.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Depression Self Help: The Importance of Goals


Its important to have goals that you're working towards. When we feel like we are making progress on goals we feel better about ouselves.


For example: I feel like whenever I play my guitar or I sing that i'm getting better at it so I always feel good after I sing or play. I feel like i'm moving closer to my goal of starting a band, recording, etc.


So set a goal for yourself if you haven't already and do things that will move you closer to achieving it every day. If you do things to move closer to your goal you will always feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. You will also feel empowered when you actually achieve that goal, which will make you more confident in pursuing other goals. Start with goals that aren't too difficult because if the goal is too difficult you'll get discouraged and give up too soon. Start easy and challenge yourself as you go along.


Hope you're doing well and pursuing your goals.


Saturday, January 8, 2011

Depression Self Help: Helping Others



Hey, hope you're feeling good.
I've been posting answers on Yahoo Answers to questions about depression and bipolar disorder. It feels good to people help who need it and i've also realized that there are people out there that have it way worse than I do. Maybe you have expertise in a certain area that you can help people with. Maybe you've learned a lot through your struggles with depression and can help people deal with theirs. Its so nice to stop thinking about yourself and think about other people and how to help them with their problems because depression often causes us to isolate and just feel sorry for ourselves. You're not alone and you're not worthless.