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
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
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.