Ways to Combat Depression

[Pixel--Dude]

Depression and mental illness is rampant in today’s society. I for one have always battled the darkness of depression and struggled with several issues, both circumstantial and existential, for several years. As someone who speaks out against Big Pharma and doesn’t trust them in the slightest (Check out my thread Evil of Capitalism: viewtopic.php?style=11&f=42&t=46528 & Hollistic Medicine vs Western Pharmaceuticals: viewtopic.php?style=11&f=1&t=46532 for more info) I have had to deal with the issue on my own terms and I’ve come up with some solutions to help combat the issue.

First of all, abandon Pharmaceuticals. Anti depressants are not there to cure your depression. They’re there to get you addicted and alleviate symptoms so that you remain a life long customer of Big Pharma. Escape this. Make your own way, you’ll be better off for it.

I advocate for the world of medicine to embrace psilocybin mushrooms and other entheogenic plants as a natural way to cure depression. What little study has been invested into these fantastic gifts from nature have shown they have cured some cases of depression completely and helped soldiers with PTSD. Indeed, they’ve helped me and every time I take them I feel like my body has had a complete negativity detox! As well as helping with depression they can reveal amazing mystical and philosophical revelations for those who are able to receive and interpret the message. I wrote more detail about this in my Entheogens and Spiritual Experiences thread here: viewtopic.php?style=11&f=15&t=45587

Aside from natural medicines provided by the planet (mother nature provides us with everything we need) there are some other ways to help keep your mood away from the dark depths of depression which I want to share. Here I will make suggestions to exercise the physical, the mental and the spiritual for optimum health.


PHYSICAL

Exercise ~ There are several threads written by both @Cornfed and @Lucas88 talking about fitness programmes and various forms of martial arts. It's well known that physical exercise releases endorphins which can improve your mental health. As well as keeping in good shape, learning a martial art is a discipline and a cool way to improve yourself.

Diet ~ A healthy diet is a way to keep yourself physically healthy, which in turn will have a positive affect on your mental health. I wrote a thread on Recipes For Healthy & Cheap Meals viewtopic.php?style=11&f=27&t=45586&p=3 ... es#p394576 admittedly there isn't much content on there right now. @Voyager1 contributed and I added a recipe as well.

Dancing ~ I'm not much of a dancer, but my girlfriend loves dancing for fun and @galii wrote a thread on dancing as well. As someone with two left feet I'm not much of a dancer.

Sex ~ This is another way to help make yourself feel good. You could either bunk up with your partner or find several long term bunk up buddies like p***y slayer @WilliamSmith if you have issues connecting with the fairer sex, there is always the option of hooking up with a prostitute.


MENTAL

Erudition ~ Knowledge is one of the most noble of human pursuits. @Lucas88 wrote an awesome thread on Erudition a while ago. Seeking knowledge and researching various philosophies can help enlighten and humble an individual and also help fight off depression. I recommend research into Hermetic philosophy, I wrote a thread about the 7 Hermetic Principles here: viewtopic.php?style=11&f=32&t=47230

Creativity ~ Creativity is a healthy outlet to deal with mental illness. You could write a book. If you feel like you have a talent for creative writing you could check out my thread on Writing Prompts, which was a bit of fun: viewtopic.php?t=46631 there is also musical creativity (or just listening to music as discussed by @kangarunner and myself here: viewtopic.php?style=11&f=29&t=48217) and art. I wrote a thread on art and aesthetics which might interest aspiring artists: viewtopic.php?style=11&f=32&t=45880

Meditation & Yoga ~ The art of meditation is a way of clearing one's mind and helping yourself be more relaxed about a lot of things that might be weighing you down mentally. When things in society seem to get on top of you meditation can feel like a little bit of a negativity detox.

Gaming ~ If you don't have motivation or patience for anything else gaming can be a temporary solution. Immersing yourself in a virtual world can help distract you from real life problems. Me and Lucas have had many hours of entertainment from games like Streets of Rage and GTA Vice City, as we discussed with @Natural_Born_Cynic and @WanderingProtagonist in a thread about gaming. viewtopic.php?style=11&f=29&t=46637


SPIRITUAL

As a spiritual person, with my own unique conception of spirituality, I believe the chakras and our spiritual anatomy have a direct influence over both the physical and the mental. Keeping the chakras healthy and functioning is the key to maintaining a healthy physical body and a healthy mind. Check out my thread on spirituality and society here: viewtopic.php?style=11&f=15&t=46686

That's it for now. If anyone has anything they would like to add please feel free. Also, if anyone wants to check out any of the threads I mentioned I'd love to see some of them revived with fresh perspectives. If this thread helps at least one person in the slightest way possible it will be a job well done.

Depression is a real killer. A lot of people choose suicide as a permanent solution to depression. viewtopic.php?style=11&f=32&t=47526 this is a thread I wrote on suicide and the philosophical question around this terminal option to possible temporary problems.

[galii]

Coffee
I started it recently. It took me many decades to do it.

Meditation and Mindfulness, Ego death, Gratitude
-I do it with inner counting, visually writing, remembering things
-Every morning for 30 minutes in total saves the day

Exercise with music.
-Eurodance works nice. Healthy exercises, not for ego.

Make cold showers
-This is a big one. Start ideally in summer. You will start to love the cold and the pain a bit.

Journaling
-Makes the brain work
-Ideally late in the day if possible otherwise one gets too brainy

Train communication
-Same like journaling ideally later in the day otherwise one gets too brainy

Singing along
-One can do it while taking a walk for example.

Dancing
-Everybody can dance. Just most basic short zumba moves are good enough.

Stopping addictions
-Always make plans to stop addictions


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Some other points:


Psilobycin---- I guess it is very important. I never did it. Where I am it is not legal.
Micro habits, mini steps
Self-Care
Connect with others
Spend time outdoors
Listen to podcasts
Nutrition
Create a peace corner
Set SMART goals
Practice self-acceptance
Try something new

Practice good sleep hygiene
Seek professional help
Practice positive self-talk
Limit exposure to negativity
Practice relaxation techniques
Volunteer
Be kind to yourself
Practice forgiveness
Set boundaries

Practice good hygiene
Get organized
Spend time with pets
Practice aromatherapy
Take a break
Practice mindfulness in daily activities
Engage in creative activities
Practice assertiveness

Engage in physical touch
Spend time in nature
Practice gratitude
Engage in spiritual practices
Challenge negative thoughts
Engage in social activities
Practice self-compassion
Set realistic expectations
Seek support

[kangarunner]

I advocate for the world of medicine to embrace psilocybin mushrooms and other entheogenic plants as a natural way to cure depression. What little study has been invested into these fantastic gifts from nature have shown they have cured some cases of depression completely and helped soldiers with PTSD. Indeed, they’ve helped me and every time I take them I feel like my body has had a complete negativity detox!

Isn't it interesting that in modern day, most of us are not struggling with survival but we're struggling with our own minds (mental health)?

I was having past traumatic thoughts attack my mind late yesterday night to the point where I couldn't sit still and be calm in my room. I rolled a joint and smoked a lot of marijuana. The negative thought attacks subsided and I was in a temporary state of bliss the rest of the night.

@Pixel--Dude I want to try mushrooms but I've heard that whatever state of mind you're in, the psychedelic effect will only enhance whatever your mental state is? So if a person is prone to anxiety and racing thoughts, then mushrooms will make those things worse and cause you to have a bad trip?

Pretty sure you have to be very calm and in a happy, peaceful state of mind before you take mushrooms or MDMA or ketamine.

But yes, I'm definitely looking forward to taking mushrooms.

By the way, both the above answers are well written and thoughtful.

Also relocation / living abroad is a great way to become happier in general.

[kangarunner]

I've probably got the most severe depression out of anyone here on this forum.

What works for me to get rid of depression is:

1. Being around people and talking to people (friends and strangers)

2. Exercise - just going into a fitness place or gym and doing 2-3 exercises definitely uplifts the mood.

3. Eating good food. Beef, chicken, vegetables.

4. Being with a woman.

[CaptainSkelebob]

Depression is all in ppls heads fellas
Just big sissy boys who are too lazy to succeed at life

[Pixel--Dude]

@galii and @kangarunner Thanks for your contributions to this. I thought this forum could use an uplifting topic (says the guy who wrote a thread on the philosophy of suicide ) to try and help people who might be suffering with depression. Some of the stuff you guys recommended is really helpful. If we can help at least one person with depression who sees this it will have accomplished the goal I had in mind

Yes kangarunner, mushrooms helped me more than any shit peddled by the Big Pharma drug cartel. I'd recommend them to anyone. @Lucas88 and @Tsar both tried them and had positive effects afterwards which lasted for a while. For me they were like a negativity detox. There is plenty of research into this which demonstrates that psilocybin can help cure depression and PTSD in soldiers.

@CaptainSkelebob as usual your reply, which I assume is a lame attempt at trolling and derailing my post, shows your absolute ignorance in this area. People who are depressed can be successful too. Just look at how many celebrities such as musicians and actors get depressed and they have lots of money and success. Your point of view is ridiculously stupid.

[galii]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5udactTA5IY
What Happens After 30 Days of COLD SHOWERS? - This Will SHOCK YOU! | Dr. Susanna Søberg

[kangarunner]

Being around the company of others who are peaceful and similar to yourself is a positive force. We're social animals, but around the wrong people can worsen depression. And becoming Happier Abroad by going to other countries is an anti-depressant.

[WilliamSmith]

Sex ~ This is another way to help make yourself feel good. You could either bunk up with your partner or find several long term bunk up buddies like p***y slayer @WilliamSmith if you have issues connecting with the fairer sex, there is always the option of hooking up with a prostitute.

@Pixel--Dude

Good thread!
Yeah, I basically have 3 modes with annoyingly little "in-between" the 3 extremes:
Mode 1) Being intense, restless and edgy as !@#$
Mode 2) Having sex
Mode 3) Drinking alcohol (where I start having fun, admittedly, but I overdo it way too goddamn much).

Of course, of those three, obviously only having sex is actually good for your health.
(Intimate company with women I like where we're hands-on also works, it doesn't have to be all nonstop screwing, LOL, but still... yeah, having sex, that's my favorite "mode" for sure.)

Amazingly enough I am not actually drinking today, LOL, so I'm in mode 1 now: Restless and edgy as @!#$, LOL.

Back to the overall topic:

I would not say I'm depressed, but being such a problem drinker and also crossing the dreaded 40+ theshhold, I'll temporarily mess up my own brain's natural balance of endorphin production just from that (since drinking too much also disrupts the quality of all-important sleep, and that's bad!), so I'm actually working on this too.

I will post (hopefully fairly soon) a bunch of stuff I read in the "Four Hour Body" book and a lot of other places, but to throw out a quick list of stuff that definitely helps:

Natural testosterone boosters:
I'm curious what natural supplements work best but not 100% sure about that yet (I'd love to know!), but can also say good compound lifts and resistance training in general that builds some muscle mass will help a lot in getting testosterone levels up, and of course so will sex.
I've never tried it, but TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) is worth looking into. I'd be cautious, but it's nowhere near as extreme as pumping steroids (which can be an utter disaster, because it's vital not to mess up your body's natural testosterone production systems, which roid users do all the time).

Vitamins!
Make sure you're getting the right vitamins.
And ignore anyone who's talking nonsense saying supplementation doesn't help or claiming that you can supposedly get all you need from typical food alone, because the "recommended daily values" are usually too low, and a lot of people who came up with specific deficiencies ID'ed what they needed more of, and experienced miraculous improvements without any pharmaceuticals.
I've experienced that myself with a dramatic improvement in my state of well being from starting to take 4-10K IUs of Vitamin D3 after suspecting I was a bit deficient, and I was amazed how fast it made me feel a lot better (especially since I didn't expect immediate results at all, it was just a nice surprise).
Another guy in that book I mentioned claimed he felt so good from correcting a D3 and B12 deficiency that after 4 weeks of these vitamins and no other pharma or drugs, he said felt like he was on coke (but he definitely wasn't, LOL).

Re: testing for vitamin deficiencies, I've heard the at-home tests aren't especially reliable because of the margin of error, but those of you who already see doctors regularly (I never do at all) might benefit from a blood test to show which specific ones you're deficient in.
But D3 is a particularly good one to try even without getting tested.

Chi Gong is also very good as long as it's gentle enough safe exercises, just make sure to learn the painful lesson our friend @Lucas88 went through not to get into heavy shit like kundalini that can go wrong (but basic exercises are fine).

I'll try to think of some more later...

[WilliamSmith]

@Pixel--Dude I want to try mushrooms but I've heard that whatever state of mind you're in, the psychedelic effect will only enhance whatever your mental state is? So if a person is prone to anxiety and racing thoughts, then mushrooms will make those things worse and cause you to have a bad trip?

Pretty sure you have to be very calm and in a happy, peaceful state of mind before you take mushrooms or MDMA or ketamine.

But yes, I'm definitely looking forward to taking mushrooms.

Sounds like they are really promising and glad they helped @Pixel--Dude and others, so I'm not trying to sound anti-shroom here, but there's a lot of truth in that in my xp from many years ago about how being in a bad environment (possibly just a bad mindset, not sure) can lead to a bad trip:
I never tried using them medicinally, but when I was a youth I got a bit adventurous and found some psylocibin mushrooms growing wild out in the forest, and as long as I didn't overdo the dosage, I had some fun trips out in the middle of nature with a chick who believes in fairies (LOL) and we had a ton of fun watching the forest come alive and both felt great afterward (though I have no clue how safe it is to use them regularly, but probably Pixel--dude does).
But then also some where I was around dangerous lowlifes in a shitty environment (it was stupid of me to take anything then, but I did) and it was a bad trip like being in a waking bad dream even though nothing objectively bad was happening, and I felt all f***ed up until it worked further out of my system, so I avoided messing with those in any negative context after that.

Edit: Also on this topic, Pixel--dude, do you know if there's any difference between the types of psilocybin that are used as medicinal supplements, vs what the adventurous types like me just found out in the woods and gobbled down on the spot, LOL? (Oh, and that latter thing is a potentially very dangerous thing to do because of potentially deadly "look-alikes," so that's one more thing in favor of buying your psilocybin.)

[WilliamSmith]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5udactTA5IY
What Happens After 30 Days of COLD SHOWERS? - This Will SHOCK YOU! | Dr. Susanna Søberg

I didn't watch the video, but I was just reading about cold showers in a book (Four Hour Body), and that was a new one on me that could be used to boost testosterone and sex hormones, as well as being effective for treating depression, and for fat loss. I haven't tried it yet, but likely will after reading about this.

FYI to @Lucas88 since we were just emailing some stuff about testo-boosting since we're both highly motivated by chasing tail, LOL.

Here ya go guys, what Ferris had to say:

Using ice baths and cold showers to aIect sex hormones is largely untested in the literature, but
there appear to be plausible mechanisms.
The preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus is responsible for regulating thermogenesis—
the generation of heat in response to cold exposure. The very same preoptic area also contains most GnRH-releasing neurons, making it a primary site of GnRH production. Pulses of GnRH,
you might recall, then trigger either FSH (low-frequency pulses) or LH release (high-frequency
pulses).
Looking at blood test changes after removing and then reincorporating both baths and
showers as an isolated variable, I believe intermittent cold exposure has a positive impact on
high-frequency pulses of GnRH, resulting in higher levels of LH and testosterone.

As for the other benefits of cold showers:

1. Short-term cold exposure (30 minutes) in humans leads to fatty acid release to provide fuel
for heat production through shivering. This same shivering could be sufficient to recruit GLUT-4 to the surface of muscle cells, contributing to increased lean muscle gain.

2. Even at shorter durations, cold exposure with shivering could increase adiponectin levels and
glucose uptake by muscle tissue.This effect could persist long after the cold exposure ends.

3. In the absence of shivering, it is still possible to capitalize on “fat-burning fat” through the
stimulation of BAT thermogenesis. Curiously, even without shivering, there are small but
unaccounted increases in lean muscle tissue when comparing underwater (superior) vs. landbased exercise.

4. Cold water improves immunity. Acute cold exposure has immunostimulating eIects, and
preheating with physical exercise or a warm shower can enhance this response. Increases in
levels of circulating norepinephrine may account for this.

5. Not germane to fat-loss, but another reason to use cold exposure: cold showers are an
eIective treatment for depression. One study used showers at 68°F for two to three minutes,
preceded by a five-minute gradual adaptation to make the procedure less shocking.

[galii]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l916-iIvYM
How To Reset Your Brain's Dopamine Balance - Anna Lembke | Modern Wisdom Podcast 392

[My life is garbage]

if you have issues connecting with the fairer sex, there is always the option of hooking up with a prostitute.

Sadly, this is not the case for people that live in the prison known as the United States. For some reason the U.S. really hates heterosexual men and wants to punish them any way it can. They have prostitution stings all the time in the U.S. and of course it's always underprivileged men who women aren't attracted to who are caught (ugly, poor, mentally ill, immigrants, etc.) No wonder why so many men are mentally ill in the U.S. There is literally no sexual outlet for them and some of them have gone their entire lives without even touching a woman. If they want to just experience love for once and pay to be with a woman then they get sent straight to jail and have an embarrassing, public criminal charge that anyone can see online with their mugshot for the rest of their entire lives. I don't know bad criminal records are in other countries but in the U.S. having any type of criminal charges pressed against you means that you will never get a decent job again.

"The land of the free" my ass. Your average American man is depressed from living in that shithole country.

[CaptainSkelebob]

Tbh Pixel Dude I dont have a problem with this thread if ur trying to help ppl
What I have a problem with is that ur telling ppl to ditch government approved medicine which ppl might need in favour of shit covered drugs
You shouldnt do that fella
Ppl need to take their medication if they need it
Not everyone can be some hippy wizard wannabe stroking their staff all day long with bird shite in their hair fella

Also I want to add that life is survival of the fitest
Might makes right
Eh fellas
If ur strong you wont need to dance about like a faggot or take drugs to numb the pain fellas eh
If ur strong you will get by
Be strong fellas
Dont be a fanny

[Pixel--Dude]

@Pixel--Dude I want to try mushrooms but I've heard that whatever state of mind you're in, the psychedelic effect will only enhance whatever your mental state is? So if a person is prone to anxiety and racing thoughts, then mushrooms will make those things worse and cause you to have a bad trip?

Pretty sure you have to be very calm and in a happy, peaceful state of mind before you take mushrooms or MDMA or ketamine.

But yes, I'm definitely looking forward to taking mushrooms.

Sounds like they are really promising and glad they helped @Pixel--Dude and others, so I'm not trying to sound anti-shroom here, but there's a lot of truth in that in my xp from many years ago about how being in a bad environment (possibly just a bad mindset, not sure) can lead to a bad trip:
I never tried using them medicinally, but when I was a youth I got a bit adventurous and found some psylocibin mushrooms growing wild out in the forest, and as long as I didn't overdo the dosage, I had some fun trips out in the middle of nature with a chick who believes in fairies (LOL) and we had a ton of fun watching the forest come alive and both felt great afterward (though I have no clue how safe it is to use them regularly, but probably Pixel--dude does).
But then also some where I was around dangerous lowlifes in a shitty environment (it was stupid of me to take anything then, but I did) and it was a bad trip like being in a waking bad dream even though nothing objectively bad was happening, and I felt all f***ed up until it worked further out of my system, so I avoided messing with those in any negative context after that.

Edit: Also on this topic, Pixel--dude, do you know if there's any difference between the types of psilocybin that are used as medicinal supplements, vs what the adventurous types like me just found out in the woods and gobbled down on the spot, LOL? (Oh, and that latter thing is a potentially very dangerous thing to do because of potentially deadly "look-alikes," so that's one more thing in favor of buying your psilocybin.)

Okay, I will amend my position thanks to the rebuke of @CaptainSkelebob. I don't encourage anyone to pack in their medication. I personally would never resort to being a customer of Big Pharma. But that's just my decision. @WilliamSmith and @kangarunner I advocate the use of entheogens because of how they helped me personally with depression and a lot of issues I was going through at the time. @Lucas88 and @Tsar have both had positive experiences with them. But I encourage people to do their own research and be cautious.

To answer some of the points raised by @WilliamSmith there are different strains of mushrooms, each with varying strengths and potency. I recommend starting off with some of average potency. Take a very small dose to begin with and ease into a deeper experience. A deeper experience is what helped me confront some issues in my life.

I also recommend buying them from a site rather than picking them wild, especially if you don't know the difference between psilocybin mushrooms and poisonous ones. Just to be safe. But of course, don't take my word for anything, please do your own research and make a decision for yourself whether this is something you want to try.

If you take them make sure you treat the substance with respect and only have a strong dose once or twice a year at most, unless you want to microdose on them with an amount small enough to give a subperceptual uplift in mood.