Restoring motivation?

[Classic]

Is there a science to this? I'm struggling with depression and I can't get myself to sit through anything even if I don't hate it. I found a few websites that actually look promising and with guided steps to reach my goal. I found those sites a year and half ago and I'll barely skim read them and distract myself with something. It is in my personal opinion the hardest thing to deal with in depression, because for me at least I actually kinda enjoy when I'm down and blue(just don't deep deep ****). Most places say you have to reach a bottom before you tell yourself "This is it! I can't take any of this anymore". Most of mine have been pseudo versions of that statement. I don't want to hit a bottom though, because for me that is either in prison or homeless, I don't anything to do with that.

[umbridge]

I am in the same phase with life right now. Although I am not sad or depressive anyway, I just see how much potential I have (we all have) and even know the steps and such like, but I am just wandering aimlessly. Seems like a part of me doesnt care? Doesnt care about my life?

I once asked for help here
http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...ight=willpower

I do not know any good solutions, I am sorry

You dont always have to lose something to understand its worth, I mean I know its hard for you, but try not to go into extreme. Yeah, true, hard times give us good lessons, but maybe meditations or going to a healer or a spiritual therapist can help. Just suggestions.

I just started thinking do you know how to use your energy effectively? If there is depression, there is something what constantly drains you. What is it? (You dont have to answer to me, answer to yourself) I just notice that I am workaholic, I can work long hours and then there are days after when I get sick and just spend my days in bed. I do not think its effective way how to use my energy. People's energy sometimes drains me. There are a lot of different energy bodies which contains different information. I have tried to bring more balance into my life, but there are still extremes from time to time.

Do you feel like there are periods of depression and periods of extreme happiness? I am kinda like that. There are days when I feel like I am the happiest person in this world, lol and there are days when I things get too dark and too depressive.

Take care & Hugs

Find a therapist if you haven't already, and get a proper diagnosis first. Despression sometimes comes as a side dish with other disorders, so you may want to get that checked.

[WhiteWarrior]

Depression is... hard. It is also is a symptom that is common with a large number of both temporary and of lifelasting illnesses and issues. Once correctly diagnose, help can be found in tools like therapy or various medications or change of environment or change of diet or even change of daily routines. Some times the diagnosis can be relatively simple in that the roots of the depression is the recent loss of a loved one or that you need to stop drinking a bucket of vodka per week. It is rather more complex if you have multiple medical issues you might not even be aware of. Perhaps you need a doctor, perhaps you need a therapist, I cannot tell. If you want one single piece of advice to act on that will take only limited motivation, I suggest you start writing a document for yourself, to an imagined therapist, where you tell everything about yourself that you think might matter. Write several pages. Then let it rest for a few days and read it yourself. If you feel you need to add more, do so. Congratulations, you are now in a very simple form of therapy. It will also be an extremely useful document in case you ever do see a doctor or therapist.

Writing that document changed everything for me, I know that.

[umbridge]

wow, what a good idea, White Warrior!
Thanks!

[Classic]

I cant see a therapist, i dont the have money. Besides i dont want talk to some guy about myaelf. Ugh....just wish i could rewind time, i'd be in better place now. Uughhh...!

Hi Classic.

I'm sorry to hear that depression has the life force and motivation sucked out of you. I know from past experience how debilitating this is. Still, even today, medics know (or understand) so little about this condition. In many ways, with the state of our societies and the pressures (social, economical and mental) on us, depression is frequently seen as a valid response. But it's not much help to know that being down is the normal state to be in.

New approaches are being sought all the time and it is important to bear in mind that the "talking therapies" and drugs are increasingly seen as actually harmful and perpetuators of depression. New treatments such as CBT and EMDR are very superior methods of helping people out of the dark state and are catching on fast.

As well, there is a very good "programme" which will help you understand how depression feeds itself - it's from a hypnotherapy site that does sell CDs and tapes; but the Depression Path is freely given. You can either have it sent to your email (and they really do NOT spam you or give your email addy out to others), or do it online if you have the time. I've worked through it in the past (several times) as have others I know and it really is informative. You do not have to buy anything!

The link to the course is here:

http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk...learning-path/


An EMDR Self Help Session:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55BLzhHBkVc


I hope these will help you because that horrible drain of energy that depression brings is the pits.

Best Wishes for everything.

Oops! Hi again Classic.

Meant to say - it's very important to eat, good food and regularly. Too often when a person is depressed, their nutrition suffers as well. I know you will often not feel like eating at all, but do. Make your meals small, frequent and regular, so that they become a positive habit.

Also, I'd very much like you to try two things every morning for a week running. Do. Even just to humour me!

Firstly, in the morning take a glass of orange juice and throw it into a blender; add a couple of kiwi fruits (top and tail them, but don't take off the skin); and toss in a handful of washed spinach leaves. You can also add some parsley if you like. Switch on the blender and make yourself a fresh green smoothie. It is lovely.

More importantly: citrus, spinach, kiwi fruits and parsley have been shown to contain a high degree of nutrients known (in short) as PQQs. PQQs have been identified as not only revitalising and reactivating the mitochondrion of the body's cells (the powerhouses of the cell), but actually create new mitochondrion as well. Fruit juice (I swear by orange, but any citrus juice is good), kiwi fruits and spinach leaves are really quite cheap in many supermarkets.

Secondly, take a good one-a-day vitamin B Complex tablet (a good one can be found on ebay - Healthspan do an entire year's supply for only £9.99, so not horribly expensive). Lack anywhere in the B vit Complex can cause a failure of the body to absorb other vitamins, so this ensures that vitamins are not simply passing through your system.

Those are "physical elements" that will ensure your mind is not being adversely affected by lack in the body, and the body is not being adversely affected by lack in the mind. Everything is so incredibly connected - it's not possible for one system to keep as it should be if another is ailing.

Anyway, try that for a week and see if it helps. It did for me.

And if I sound like I'm on commission for somewhere or another.... I wish!

Best Wishes with it.

Leonine gave really good advice there. Also in my view therapy is less of talking to a random person and more of a tool to help me gain understanding of myself. We all need help sometimes. It's hard to see things from outside and this is why therapists are helpful.

Problem is I always have the urge to outsmart them and play games and that's not good for therapy. But I have other issues so it could work differently for you.

[LadyMay]

Originally Posted by Classic

I cant see a therapist, i dont the have money. Besides i dont want talk to some guy about myaelf. Ugh....just wish i could rewind time, i'd be in better place now. Uughhh...!

Try reading up on psychology and be your own therapist. It's what I did, and I did a 180.

Depression is something that needs to be accepted to be worked through. You lack motivation because all your energy is going into these emotions. So clearing yourself up emotionally is the thing to work on. It'll bring your motivation back.