In this post I'm going to discuss the commonly asked question, Can you overcome Depression/Anxiety without a psychologist or Antidepressants.
The answer is NO.
Why?
Having anxiety/or depression is annoying and can ruin the daily routine and even lives.
There are plenty of types of anxiety and depression. You can feel anxious by literally anything. I mean, I felt anxious just by eating. Yes, that happens. so as depression. depression can come to you even if yesterday you felt good and happy.
Once you're suffering from anxiety/depression, it's really hard to overcome it. You won't know how hard it is until you suffer from one of this ( I hope you won't ). but if you already suffer from one of this, you know what I'm talking about. and even that you know how hard is it to live with anxiety/depression, you still think you can overcome it by urself, And I see a lot of questions about that and about overcoming anxiety/depression without any outside help.
I thought as well that I can overcome it without any help.
After trying for approx a year, I saw that my anxiety and depression just kept developing to this huge and annoying thing that's ruining my life. so, I started seeing Psychologist after a lot of time of thinking about it. It cost me around 120$ for each meeting, and I met my Psychologist twice a week for almost a year. Yes, It's a lot of money. but what is money compared to mental health and happiness?
Trying to overcome anxiety by urself can work only if you'll give yourself goals that you need to achieve each and every day. I don't want to ruin your plans, but it just won't work. And I'm not talking about my own experience but I checked it for days over the internet and the majority of the people can't overcome it by themselves. It's just too damn hard. the anxiety controls us, it will make it impossible to achieve your goals.
trying to overcome depression by urself just can't work. no matter what you'll think about, or what you'll want to do, You'll feel depressed and you won't want to get up and do something. You feel like you just want to sleep, eat and watch TV ( and sometimes not even that ) and then go back to sleep. You feel like you have nothing to do in this world and your life sucks. believe me, I've been there.
Stigma
There's a stigma that is common in every country in the world that going to Psychologist and/or taking antidepressants is making you a crazy person, I don't know where we all got that from, maybe movies? but it's common to think so. I mean, I thought so. that was the main reason for me to not take antidepressants.
And of course that it's not true. going to therapy/or taking antidepressants don't make you crazy but makes you human.
Good and Friendly Psychologist/and Psychiatrist
It's super important to pick a therapist you like and not someone who considered good by other people.
I've met 2 Psychiatrists before I chose the third one to be my Psychiatrist. the 2 other Psychiatrists I met were so cold and annoying to talk to. when I talked to them it felt like they are seeing me as a customer and not as a human who has depression. they talked to me like I'm a patient that needs diagnose and cure. I seriously wanted to wake them up but I chose to just skip them. Until I found a great Psychiatrists that is actually caring for me. ( I met only one Psychologist and she was my Psychologist for a year + until I felt like I don't need it anymore )
Find a therapist you like, It will be easier for you to share which will eventually help them to help you better.
Conclusions -
Going to Psychologist/taking antidepressants don't make you crazy but makes you human. You will be shocked about the number of people that used to go to Psychologist/goes now in your extended family.
It's important to pick therapist that you like and not a therapist that acts like a robot.
It's important to believe in yourself. pills won't do magic, it just helps you and gives you a push.
You say no, but i say yes! Depression and anxiety can be cured also without professional help and especially without drugs.
Changing lifestyle and workingcan in yourslef e(setting goals, learning how to say no, starting to love yourself, etc.) can do miracles.
Drugs sometimes do help, but sometimes do even more harm (i am not talking just about side effects).
Important is to find solution that works the best. I am glad that you found it.
Good luck, wish you all the best!
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It's easy to set goals. but it's super hard to achieve the goals or even try to achieve them. Your brain just stops you from trying.
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I ve bene there and belive me, i know how it is.
Setting goals at rough times works for very few people, mostly for those who have more comparative nature-becouse at setting goals you focus on "what i should" and this makes you feel guilt.
Do small steps and be proud even on small achivements. When depression, anxiety hits you can be hard even to get out of the bed, go to work, shop, go for a walk,..do normal stuff.
So you shouldnt focus on big goals, but just to push enough yourslef from a comfort zone whatever this is (get out of bed, read that book you want, cook a meal, ho out ti socialize...)
And after time you really become more comfortable...so you do a new steps further.
Remember that depression and anxiety are most of the time caused becouse of lack of selflove, selfrespect and feelings of guilt.
Love yourself, learning how to say NO (to things and people you dont want and need in life) and know that is ok sometimes also to fail. Is a process od life, ups and downs,... But if you are down, this doesnt mean that you ll be stuck there for long.
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Here is my take on it. Anxiety, depression, phobias are all our own creation. It was all creations of our own belief system. And our belief system is the result of how we interacted with and reacted to our past life experiences.
Of course, it would look complicated and hopeless once we are affected by it. But understanding that this is something that is our own creation is fundamental to overcoming it.
It is something that medical science and psychologists are still trying to understand and find a cure. If an antidepressant or one form or other therapy could help a patient, that is great. But there is another way to cure is called alternate to therapy, especially for those who have already tried antidepressants and/or therapy without any success, in which you do a self analysis to find out the root cause of the anxiety, depression, phobias and confront it. Although you need a impartial guide to walk you through the self analysis, he doesn't need to be a psychologist, just an impartial, caring friend or relative could do it.
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Thank you for sharing your experience here. I don't think that this is a clear yes/no situation. Conventional therapy & anti depressants are not for everyone, just like dealing with it on your own is not for everyone. There are many different levels of depression and anxiety and each person deals with it differently.
Also there are natural ways and theraphies that help, but again- it depends on the person and their situation (also- anti depressants can be a tricky game and if you are not given the perfect fit of drugs, they can even make it worse).
I salut you for taking it seriously and finding the treatment that fits you best and dealing with it. A lot of times depression puts us down so much that it's hard to actually bring ourselves to solve it.
I highly recommend this wonderful book about depression, if you're into reading further about it: Darkness Visible by William Styron here is the Hebrew translation.
And as someone who is creating a lot out of my depression state, I created my art-givaway around this toppic as well, if you are interested in getting yourself an art print, feel free to join and share your experience there as well! <3
Here is for a happy Monday,
Shlomit
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The first paragraph really broke my heart. I haven't really gotten any professional help to deal with depression. It's something I keep trying everyday to overcome. Yet the more I try to overcome it the more I become depressed.
Maybr it's time I look for a therapist I like and I really hope it works
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That's the problem with depression! :( I tried to overcome it alone for some time, it just made me more depressed, as you said.
Yes, I guess its time. I wish you the best! <3
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It's funny how people think they can get over mental illness alone, but never seem to have that idea about, say, apendicitis or a broken bone.
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I mean, I thought I can get over it alone. It didn't work tho. :) I think the fear of the unknown makes peoples think they can overcome it alone. I hope it will change soon. It's never too late to see a therapist.
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It's ignorance and stigma. And lack of good therapists. Most of them are shit.
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