Ask HN: What are the best hacks to fight depression? - xkbd
======
holmberd
\- Go to bed early and develop a regular sleep pattern, and don't fool
yourself with the myth about being a "night person", you are not a cat, you
have just offset your sleep/wake cycle from lacking proper routine.

\- Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise(whatever that means for you) that you
can maintain without develop injury or over-training will be your baseline.
Endorphin is what you are after, since it provides a boost of immune system,
better sleep, less anxiety and increased overall health.

\- Be outside in the sun everyday, take a walk or sit and read a book.

\- Cut out any consumption of large amount of drugs: alcohol, sugar,
nicotine...

\- Talk to someone about your worries and sprinkle some Zen in your life.

\- Help someone else for no personal gain, but don't let it consume all your
time.

\- Understand that all things are transient, nothing is static, and trying to
be eternally happy is impossible and the quest for such a thing will make you
unhappy.

~~~
systemtest
As a person with DSPS, I don't agree with your first statement. Some people
are night persons and can't help it.

~~~
gain_sky
0.17% of the population have DSPS.

~~~
Raphmedia
So, roughly one person out of 600? That's a lot. Especially online, you
probably interact with such people a lot more often that you think.

~~~
gain_sky
I know how often I interact with such people precisely: 0.17% of the people I
interact with have this, whether online or in real life.

~~~
cweagans
> 0.17% of the people I interact with have this, whether online or in real
> life.

I know it's pedantic, but that's not true. 0.17% of people have DSPS. It's
entirely possible that you don't regularly interact with _anyone_ that has
DSPS.

------
fredley
If your depression is serious, and it's preventing you from living your life,
or if you're feeling suicidal, see a doctor or call a hotline. Now.

If you have mild depression, or want to not get depressed in the first place,
I'd recommend the following:

Do exercise, do it outside if at all possible. Even light exercise like going
for a walk is better than none. Don't take your phone.

Turn off and shut away your electronic devices an hour before you go to bed.
Under no circumstances have your phone by your bed. Buy an alarm clock if need
be. Disrupting sleep is the best way to get depressed quickly.

Delete or neuter[1] your social media accounts. They are engineered to make
you feel bad (so you click ads).

Get something to look after. A dog, or if you don't have time or space, a cat,
or if you _really_ don't have time or space a plant or two.

Put effort into your relationships with friends. Even if you don't feel it's
being reciprocated. No friends where you are now? Find local meetups and go to
them regularly. e.g. Parkrun, reading group, musical group, dev meetups. Keep
going every week.

Put effort into yourself. Tidy up your living space, dress and groom well
every morning.

1: [https://blog.mamota.net/posts/solving-
facebook/](https://blog.mamota.net/posts/solving-facebook/)

~~~
pavel_lishin
> _Under no circumstances have your phone by your bed. Buy an alarm clock if
> need be. Disrupting sleep is the best way to get depressed quickly._

I hope a lot of people are making a correlation between their friends who have
recently had young children, and why they often tend to look tired, miserable
and depressed.

~~~
wincy
Which is caused by the western notion that it makes sense for a helpless
infant to sleep away from its mother. We got rid of our bed frame (to prevent
falling accidents) and cosleep. We all (including our daughter, who is now
three with another on the way) sleep happily through the night.

~~~
pavel_lishin
No, it's caused by the fact that most very young children wake up regularly no
matter where they sleep, since they usually need to eat fairly often. As they
get older, they tend to start sleeping through the night - some with co-
sleeping, some in their own room - but some will wake up repeatedly until
they're much older no matter what you do with 'em.

I'm glad your specific approach with your specific child worked out great.

------
AnthonBerg
For me:

Lift weights and perform intense physical activity to exhaustion.

Don’t smoke tobacco or cannabis. Don’t really drink either.

Meditation.

12-step work.

Wellbutrin (bupropion) has helped me out of holes.

Have close friends to confide in.

Say what you’re thinking. Don’t say what you’re not thinking.

Follow pointless dreams in some measure. For me, being able to buy a legendary
Husaberg FE 570 motorcycle was an impossible dream, until I tried going for
it. Managed to do it on a startup salary over the course of a year. It has
brought me deep spiritual satisfaction.

Help others.

Be humble. Ask to be humble. Ask for your ego to be smashed.

Read books. Listen to music. Make music.

~~~
Jaruzel
A good list.

> _Say what you’re thinking. Don’t say what you’re not thinking._

But I Love this one. :)

~~~
nascar_is_bad
could you elaborate on what exactly it means?

~~~
AnthonBerg
I guess it’s hard to pin down exactly :) I guess it’s a variation of ‘To thine
own self be true’. For me, I think there tends to be a background process
running which attempts to find the correct and socially acceptable thing to
say. This is often not related to what I find to be true and important myself.
It’s kind of a simulation of a simulation: I-perceive-that-what-I-perceive-
are-people’s-intentions-is-answered-by-this-pattern-I-have-observed. It’s a
habit and it’s a relief when it can be tuned down a bit.

------
edpichler
Please, people, consider my advice: don't try to heal by yourself, look for
medical help.

When I was a kid (7 years old), my mom got depressed being a teacher in public
schools of Brazil. I took decades to understand what happened, and till now I
don't understand by complete.

She was very religious and believed that she could heal by herself, using her
faith. The result was that she got dived into a so strong depression (deep
depression doctors called) that they friends just realized her problem when it
aggravated, and she was observed having strange ideas and doing strange
behaviors, like burning things. She was slowing entering into madness (I cry
each time I remember this).

Depression was cured by doctors help, but the sequels of trying to "hack" or
heal by herself...

Today she is not on depression anymore (she is not sad I mean), but has many
sequels, all very difficult to treat and medicate, almost none improvements on
this by decades. Strong headaches, labyrinthitis and other side effects all
since this trauma. It's past 20 years already and it's not cured. Today, we
don't have money to look for a good and paid doctor, and we are still trying
the public hospitals of Brazil. I have a startup today, and I strive to
monetize it, to be able to pay for high-quality treatments and travel with her
to find good doctors and therapists despite her unprivileged location (small
city), the kind of people that is really interested in deeply investigate the
causes to heal her. I did not have concluded yet, if it's is so difficult and
rare to threat it, or if we had just bad luck till now.

As many people with depression, she though on suicide many times during the
old hard days, and her religiosity and beliefs stopped her and gave strength
from doing that. The curious here is that at the same time her faith was one
of the causes of aggravating of her problem, also saved her from doing an
extreme action (suicide).

------
Broken_Hippo
Go and see a doctor. Seriously. Even without this, figure out how to do things
you want in life even if you don't feel like it.

I don't know about some of the other advice. Eating habits don't seem to work
for me, and following a strict diet makes things worse because I spend a lot
of time worrying about food if I do that. Exercise? I've never found any
exercise I enjoy when I'm content, let alone trying to get the energy up to
actually follow through with it. The only way I can work that in is if I walk
as my primary transportation.

Having a structured day helps me a little bit, but this is simply because it
doesn't give my brain time to ruminate as much. Meditation seems unbearable if
I'm depressed. The sessions themselves aren't so bad, but I obsess with it off
and on through the day. Mindfulness just makes me feel anxious because I'm
constantly worried that I'm not normal and I can't tell if that is true or
not.

Now, the things that have helped keep depression away have been different. I
couldn't do this stuff in the depths of depression, but making the changes
changed my life outlook. I do get mild depression now, but it doesn't last as
long nor feel as bad. I made life changes. I got in a stable, loving
relationship after ending a bad one. I moved, which gave me a little more
control over myself and how I acted because expectations changed. _I did
MDMA_. Not that this is something for everyone nor actually legal, but it let
me parse out some of the things in my head. The weeks after taking were an
eye-opener.

~~~
inieves
Can you comment on your post-MDMA weeks? Why/how were they an eye opener? Any
more detail would be interesting to learn about.

~~~
Broken_Hippo
It was like someone massaged my thoughts or rinsed off my brain. Maybe it is
more like a reboot. In any case, my brain felt good. So many thoughts that
were negative just didn't have the same sort of affect on everything else. My
worries had a different sort of framing on them. I could look at some of these
things and make a reasonable decision about them. Some things, sure, I need to
work on - but I was a bit more motivated to actually do so. Other things, I
was able to make a decision not to be bothered by them. Since I had some time
without so much mental stress, it wasn't so difficult to teach myself that
those things were a bit ridiculous. I had a better sense of personal well-
being and self-love that has stuck around.

I imagine doing this with an actual therapist would be even more helpful. I
completely understand why it seems like a miracle for mental health in drug
trials.

I've done other sorts of drugs in my life - lsd, for example. While they
shaped some of my perception and thoughts about the world and life, nothing
was quite like this. I couldn't describe myself as unhappy before, but now I'm
really content with life.

I should now mention that I would urge folks to have caution. I can understand
how folks would get addicted to it. And there is a risk of simply doing it too
often and actually having the opposite effect. This is something to do
occasionally, not every weekend or even once a month. The most profound change
was the first time: I've done it since then, and it while (for me) it
reinforces the things I learned the first time and still feel mentally
refreshed the next day, it simply isn't as large of a change.

Another small sidenote: I've done it with my spouse. It also strengthened our
relationship as well simply because we basically sat and talked positively for
hours.

------
tranchms
One option is to seek those who have safely used psychedelics, and have an
experience.

It literally washes away anxiety, leaving you feel renewed, and refreshed,
like the cobwebs of the mind have been cleared, like the fog has been lifted.

Of course I recommend being active (walking, working out, hiking),
socializing, spending time in nature and the outdoors, eating healthy,
eliminating addictions, detaching from social media and the Internet, and
quiet mediation and reflection to nurture spirituality. Even psychotherapy is
helpful at weeding out unhelpful personal narratives and properly
contextualizing feelings and past memories.

But, psychedelics (LSD and mushrooms specifically) are an incredible catalyst
for clearing life crushing mental illness like anxiety, depression, compulsive
thoughts, and PTSD.

Find someone who understands its therapeutic value, who you can trust, who can
guide you through the experience.

A single experience can be absolutely life changing.

~~~
acetoxy
Ayahuasca worked very well for me. I was in a pretty bad state when I started
working with this plant... But after some time it really cured my depression
and my anxiety.

If anyone decides to do it I would recommend finding a center with good
reviews in Peru, and booking before you go. Don't just buy a ticket to Iquitos
and hope to find a retreat or a shaman. Do some proper research and be
prepared.

The amazon rainforest is a magical place, and just being there is a healing
experience by itself.

~~~
manuelisimo
I second that, Ayahuasca is great, it gets out a lot of emotional baggage you
didn't even know you had there. totally recommended!

------
Timpy
There are conventional things that you're going to get a lot of comments
about. My conventional thing is running. The hacky part is the endorphins you
get.[1] Other than the hack, you constantly set goals and achieve them, it
makes you feel good about yourself. Micro goals like "I'll make it to the end
of the street without stopping," and larger goals like "I'll run 5 miles
today." Positive reinforcement during the run, large feeling of accomplishment
after.

[1][https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-
depression#1](https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression#1)

~~~
eagletusk
"At every level, from the microcellular to the psychological, exercise not
only wards off the ill effects of chronic stress; it can also reverse them.
Studies show that if researchers exercise rats that have been chronically
stressed, that activity makes the hippocampus grow back to its preshriveled
state. The mechanisms by which exercise changes how we think and feel are so
much more effective than donuts, medicines, and wine. When you say you feel
less stressed out after you go for a swim, or even a fast walk, you are."
-John J. Ratey, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

And another

"we sometimes lose sight of the fact that the mind, brain, and body all
influence one another. In addition to feeling good when you exercise, you feel
good about yourself"

Reading this book opened a door out of depression for me using the prescribed
medicine, which is exercise and definitely wasn't easy.

------
overcast
Rigorous exercise seems to get me out of any ruts I'm in. I typically hike 5-6
miles x 3 days a week, and throw in a 11-12 mile over strenuous terrain. By
the end of that, your mind will clear, your body is exhausted, and you'll rest
easy that night.

Other than that, eating well, having plenty of great sex, and interacting with
as many people as possible. OH most important, SLEEP, a full solid night of
it. Naps are awesome too.

~~~
xanthopan
I can attest to this. I've struggled with anxiety/depression/insomnia/adhd for
years, and over the past couple years I've learned that careful attention to
exercise, diet, and sleep are the most reliable ways I can ensure a healthy
baseline.

I used to run a couple miles in the morning and evenings, on streets, until I
injured my leg. So I switched to hiking after my leg recovered. Short 2-3 mile
hikes turned into 12 mile stretches, which turned into short trail runs, and
now I'm running 5-6 miles of trails 2x a week and 12+ mile runs/hikes on
weekends (I'm secretly training for an ultra). I'd always thought I'd hate
running, because it was too strenuous or something, but I haven't looked back.
Maybe I'm just literally running away from my problems, but, it's far more
rewarding in any case.

------
thomaslangston
Being consistent, healthy, and regular with a number of things.

Attending professional talk therapy and taking prescribed dosage of
psychiatric medication.

In therapy they will probably mention the following as well:

Sleep schedule (same bedtime and wake up time each day, long enough, restful,
no screens in bed)

Exercise (helps with sleep and stress management, almost any routine aerobic
or strength done to exhaustion will work if done multiple times a week)

Socializing (hanging out with a group of close friends at least once a week
socially is the goal)

Diet (veggies, whole fruits, possibly vitamin B supplements)

Moderation or abstinence from legal recreational drugs. Abstinence from
illegal recreational drugs.

Meditation and other forms of metacognition aka thinking about what you are
thinking, often right in the moment when you are thinking the original thought
to help manage your emotion response to internal or external stress.

Moderation or abstinence from social media, news, and most ad driven media

~~~
taurath
This is so cart before the horse though. All of those things can keep you out
of depression, but they don't address the underlying problems if other things
are going on.

It seems like the advice is "just be healthy and do healthy habits". None of
them are hacks - they're just what everyone tells you to do. If they worked
and this was the advice that was needed, we wouldn't have an epidemic.

------
paulborza
For me, it's following the 5x5 workout routine:
[https://stronglifts.com/](https://stronglifts.com/)

It's 6am in Seattle right now. I woke up and I'm about to go to the gym and do
my 5x5 workout. I do this 3 times a week and it changed my life ever since I
started doing it two years ago.

~~~
murph-almighty
5x5 is super useful when you start out lifting (I used it) but as you get
better it might make sense to shift to other workout programs. I also
definitely had times where I skipped a few increments or stayed at the same
weight for a set.

------
Glench
Lots of good stuff in this thread, but I'd like to emphasize seeing a
therapist (not necessarily a doctor, who is probably a lot more trained in
medical procedures than emotional well-being). From experience, there is
something very powerful about working out your problems in relation to a
person that cares about your well-being.

As for the stigma of therapy (which I think is thankfully starting to erode),
don't worry about it. All a therapist is is someone you hire that is trained
to help you see your life more clearly and really wants to help you. You can
use reviews on Yelp or other review sites to find a good one.

Heck, if they can afford it or have insurance cover it, I think people that
are already functioning okay can be even happier seeing a good therapist. It
feels like adding another core to your CPU, adding more capacity for
processing your life :)

------
AnimalMuppet
Depends on why you're depressed.

If you're depressed because of a chemical imbalance, medicine can help (though
it can be fiddly to get right). A doctor is what you need here, or (perhaps
better) a psychiatrist.

If you're depressed because of circumstances, then you need to either change
your circumstances, or change the way you think about them. (I have heard that
anger signals that you have a blocked goal, and depression signals that you
have an impossible goal. This is almost certainly not true of all depressions
for all people. But if it's true of yours, you need to figure out what the
impossible goal is, and let go of it.) A counselor might be where to start
here.

If it's just that you aren't happy, as others have said, sleep, exercise, and
relationships.

If you're hungry for something, and you can't find what it is, then I am
reminded of this quote from C.S. Lewis: "The Christian says, 'Creatures are
not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby
feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim:
well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is
such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this
world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for
another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove
that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to
satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I
must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for,
these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the
something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I
must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not
find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I
must make it the main object of life to press on to that country and to help
others to do the same."

------
dkns
There is no hacks to beat depression. This is what is so hard about
depression.

You need the strength and courage to seek therapy and then stick to it.
Sometimes therapy takes years and the result is not guaranteed. And when
you're in the worst possible place mentally, trying to go to therapist and
then trying to open up to him is incredibly tough. And then you have to keep
doing it again and again and again.

~~~
wpietri
My experience is very different. Yes, therapy is valuable. But the human mind
is a very complex, poorly optimized system, so I've found my systems-hacking
skills to be very useful.

In particular, one element of the hacker mindset is not wasting any time
saying, "But it doesn't make sense!" It was very useful to me to accept that
my body and brain was a meat-robot built by genes so they could get around in
a hostile environment. My moods were just part of a poorly-balanced control
system.

I didn't have to have a _narrative_ reason for feeling sad. It could just be,
say, part of a system for keeping me indoors when the weather was bad. If
refined sugar threw off my mood regulation, well no surprise. It wasn't part
of my evolved diet. The only reason I was eating a lot of it was foods
engineered to maximize purchase frequency while minimizing cost. If other
people were hacking me, I certainly could hack back.

Once I gave up the expectation of narrative sense, it became just another
experiment-driven systems-tuning exercise. And hackers are good at that.

~~~
dkns
Did you have clinically diagnosed depression?

------
Jaruzel
1\. Exercise - Doesn't have to be much, just enough to raise your heartbeat
for 20 minutes every day. You don't even have to go outside to do it.

2\. Vitamin D - if you dislike being outside, or have anxiety and can't go
outside, then take Vitamin D supplements. If you live somewhere where the
Weather is never great, take the supplements anyway.

3\. Mindful Thinking - A lot of people say 'Meditation' but for many people
starting out, that's a big ask. So start with something easier. Being Mindful
is focusing on where you are for 5-10 minutes. Close your eyes and listen to
all your senses. The sounds around you, the smells, the warmth of the sun etc.
After a few goes you'll be able to feel the benefits of this simple exercise.

4\. Invest in friendships. Making new friends is hard when you feel like you
have nothing to offer, so work on the friendships you already have. Spend more
time with your friends. Explain to them (be frank!) about how you are feeling,
and ask them to help a bit. Say if you are feeling low you might reach out to
them for a chat. They know what you are struggling with, but are unsure how to
actively help - by giving them pointers, they'll be all too pleased to support
you.

5\. Look at the things in your life that make you sad or angry, and remove
them if possible. These toxic things can be anything; a Job, a Person you
know, Where you live, What you Eat - anything. If it's your Job, change Jobs -
_no_ job is important enough to wreck your health over. Don't be afraid to
reboot everything and anything until you start feeling better.

6\. Therapy. You can't do this alone. Not having a professional on tap is one
of the most common mistakes most people do. A good therapist will guide you
through the above steps and also teach you how to deal with how you are
feeling, and how it affects your everyday life.

7\. Drugs. Don't accept or live with the first SSRIs/SNRIs you try if they
don't seem to work. It can take several goes with different types before you
find one that works. There's no such thing as 'the drugs don't work'.

I could go on, but I'm also on this Journey so I don't have all the answers
yet.

Source: Me. Depression for most of my life (I'm mid-40s), also suffering from
Generalised Anxiety Disorder. All stemming from an abusive childhood and
exacerbated by a nasty divorce which left deep emotional scars.

------
davelnewton
Learn to get out of your head.

Learn to observe thoughts instead of getting lost in them.

Recognize your brain is having a mood, not that you _are_ that mood.

A lot of stuff from meditation/mindfulness can be quite helpful. There's a
book called _The Zen Path through Depression_ that's kind of interesting.

I don't view it as a "fight" rather just a "thing". Depression is normal. Not
fun, but normal.

 _Serious_ depression may require professional assistance. If whatever it is
you're doing isn't working, get that assistance. Reach out to people. In
general they care.

------
ninjakeyboard
Mindfulness. In canada you can get into a program 100% covered by OHIP called
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) If you can't get into a program,
read the book: [https://www.amazon.ca/Full-Catastrophe-Living-Revised-
Illnes...](https://www.amazon.ca/Full-Catastrophe-Living-Revised-
Illness/dp/0345536932)

Lots of new research kicking around. That's a science-backed approach.

------
mytec
For me, my struggle with depression has been mostly due to a lack of a
work/life balance and the resulting loneliness that has brought. I've had the
tendency to double-down and increase my work hours to compensate for an ever
increasing work load.

Increasing exercise has been a big help. I have a routine I go through every
morning for the last month or so. I find I have a focus I don't have otherwise
and it's important to start my day off with that focus.

I've made a point to leave work no more than one hour later than normal
(unless the situation truly warrants it) and I do not look at email outside of
work hours (my employer certainly knows how to reach me if needed). Its been
very tempting at times, but the feelings of guilt around not looking at email
throughout the evening have largely gone away. Home is no longer that
extension of work and has become a place I can chill and relax. After about a
month of this I really do feel genuinely relaxed at some point in the evening
and I start the day more refreshed and ready to tackle what comes my way.

Lastly, talking with a therapist. My first visits weren't great because I
really wasn't present or willing to really open up. Differences between what I
think and what I feel and other issues along those lines. Several months later
I tried again and was willing to discuss how I feel and hold nothing back
(wasn't afraid of looking weak, etc.). I'm learning coping mechanisms that
have lead to more awareness and that awareness in turn has increased my
ability to cope with whatever comes my way. For example, I recognize patterns
I'd fall into far sooner.

These steps have provided a forward momentum that I'm working to maintain.
Step by step.

------
krageon
I have made my only available mode of transportation to work (which takes me
approximately 50 minutes at a fair clip) a bicycle. The regular exercise helps
a lot.

Another big one is taking the time to figure out what triggers your
depression. If it's seasonal, try some lights. If it's stress-related, try one
of the well-established ways of combating that: If you're very energetic some
kind of combat sport works well, otherwise something more calm like
meditation. Try anything that sounds like it might work, and try not to worry
too much if it doesn't. There's plenty of other options.

If you're a worrier, having a reasonably rigid schedule could work well. Go to
sleep at the same time, eat at the same time, have lunch at the same time.

Edit: Another thing that works well is setting (very) small goals for yourself
and accepting that that can be the only thing you do that day (eg "I'm going
to take the laundry out of the hamper and put it in the washer"). If it's
really bad, I've found that is literally the only thing that will help.

------
JakeMIles12
You need to break the habit loop of this emotion by breaking the habit loop of
thought. Priming the mind in the morning really helps me fight my depression
daily. Unfortunately for me it's chronic since I was a little kid, but it
doesn't mean I will let it control my life. Here's a free resource.
[https://getmotivateapp.com](https://getmotivateapp.com)

Another thing that really helps is paying attention to others and giving. When
you do that you increase dopamine levels and take your attention off of
yourself as you enter the world of another person. This doesn't have to be
anything like volunteering once a week, but just small acts of kindness that
all compound into your life. Start with your family and friends and then you
will gain awareness for everyone else. It's a bit weird when I tell people I
use "giving to others" to deal with depression, but if you combine that with
priming your mind, you can get it through it. You can.

------
dandare
Fluoxetine aka Prozac.

Surely, a lot of people are afraid of medication and the stigma of mental
illness that comes with it. Prozac made wonders for me, I am where I am thanks
to this well researched and safe "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor".

With hindsight, I realize no exercise or lifestyle change could get me out of
the dark place that sucked me in. Depression is like a broken leg - you better
go see a doctor.

After the first couple of weeks of treatment, my level of serotonin stabilized
(so I think) and the darkest thoughts and panic attacks receded. It did not
magically solve any of my problems but it gave me back my strength to fight
with them over time. There were no severe side effects, maybe a lower libido
in the first months. Actually, one side effect surprised me - I started to be
talkative again. I totally forgot I knew how to talk to people and enjoyed
company around me. Now I am a mild extrovert again, I manage people, I quit
weed and booze and I take the lowest dose (20mg) of Fluoxetine every evening.

------
osullivj
I've seen SSRIs (Prozac etc) make a life changing difference for my daughter,
my brother and my ex. But not my son. My 2p, etc...

~~~
PaulHoule
To get the best results from SSRIs it is just a bit more than showing up at
the doc once and getting a prescription.

Most people will need to adjust the dose and probably try a few different
meds. So your doc should prescribe you some pills and have you call back in
two weeks to see how you are doing and decide if you want to change the dose
or switch meds. While you are there you should also have your thyroid hormone
levels checked and any other physical problems which could be associated with
depression.

In terms of mainstream meds that are available as a generic and easy to get,
the one that stands out as different is Venlafaxine, which binds to
norephinephrine transporters as it does to serotonin transporters. It works
better in more people, but it also makes some people get a blood pressure
reading like 200/110\. Thus you should be working with a doc, checking your
vitals, etc. There are also non-SSRI antidepressants, some of them are very
effective, but they tend to have more side effects, some of which can be
dangerous. (For instance, tricyclic antidepressants can cause QT prolongation,
a change your heartbeat that can lead to death.)

All that said, the great thing about antidepressants is that they are
inexpensive and easy to try in conjunction with "everything else", of which I
would rank exercise as #1 and then talk therapy at a distant #2.

------
Davidbrcz
To see a doctor ?

~~~
HiroshiSan
This is the only reasonable response in any thread on mental illness.
Depression is too much of an important issue to not see a doctor, and unless
we know OP's full history, any number of things could work or not work.

~~~
PaulHoule
It is more complex than that.

For one thing, "which doctor?"

Primary care physicians prescribe SSRIs all the time. You probably want to see
a primary care physician anyway and get a thorough checkup and blood work to
rule out physical causes. Your family doc or internist should also be able to
refer you to a psychiatrist (who will usually offer more complex drug therapy)
or to a talk therapist or both.

~~~
gm-conspiracy
Do you think GPs should be prescribing SSRIs after a 15-minute exam?

~~~
PaulHoule
That is better than nothing; really you should have a relationship with your
PCP, I think I did have a 15 minute exam when I got an SSRI prescription, but
I had seen that doc for three years and had talked about SSRIs for a while. I
chose to take them because I know my life was about to get turned upside down
and wanted to be proactive about dealing with it.

The main SSRI counterindication is that people with psychosis, bipolar,
schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder are likely to get worse (manic)
with SSRI treatment. A GP can screen for this and be right most of the time.

Unfortunately this is a disease like Diabetes that gets progressively worse,
treatment with antipsychotic drugs might slow this. Psychotics tend to hate
antipsychotic drugs and putting that together with it being almost impossible
to force people take them many people don't get treated. They shouldn't get a
script from a GP, they should see a psychiatrist.

The key to SSRI success is not the length of the first appointment, but the
followup. You should have at least one and maybe several followup appointments
to adjust dosage, medication, also consider a psych referral.

------
ideaoverload
Ask HN: What are the best hacks to fight <insert illness that can kill you or
ruin your life>.

Start from trusted resource like: [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-
anxiety-depression/low-...](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-
depression/low-mood-and-depression/)

It is possible that you will need to work with therapist who has spent decades
debugging and solving problems like yours. If you can't afford therapy try to
talk to real people with years of life experience outside of hacker forum.

At the end of the day you will need to understand what is the cause of your
problem. Start thinking about it right away.

------
thousandautumns
In addition to many of the other great answers here, I would say cleaning your
room/house and rearranging the furniture. One of the best things I've found
for combating depression is changing my environment. Usually that means
getting outside, but the reality is that life keeps most of us inside and at
our homes for a non-trivial amount of time. Rearranging the furniture makes
your home environment feel new and fresh. Its the first thing I try if I feel
depressed.

------
ux4
The biggest one that hasn't been mentioned yet:

Practice gratitude. Get a pen and paper and start writing down things in your
life that you're grateful for. It can be something as simple as being grateful
for food, water, and shelter (which gets taken for granted so often).

Do this for 15 minutes a day (preferably as soon you wake up) and you will
notice your outlook on life improve. Religious people do this in the form of
prayer, and it has been scientifically proven to increase your happiness.

------
jphalimi
If you have been feeling depressed for a long time, I recommend consulting a
professional.

I think I entered depression a few months ago after a hard breakup and a
difficult personal, professional situation. I could not do my daily
activities, I just wanted to stay in the corner of a room and cry out my pain.
It was physically painful, too. I am still recovering and it takes a lot of
time to.

One thing that helped me is to read self-development books. I read two, it has
literally saved me from sinking. If you like philosophy, I highly recommend
it.

Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life and How To Play It:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUcnJrqKcSI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUcnJrqKcSI)

Just takes ~3 hours of your life and gives some good reason to get your faith
in yourself back.

Louise L. Hay, You Can Heal Your Life:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E81XAYvmWfI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E81XAYvmWfI)

1 hour of your life. I like some parts of this book a lot. Some are weird to
me, but once you sort things out, I concluded that it helped me a lot.

Oh and one last thing, from experience, _IT GETS BETTER_. It might sound silly
or something you've heard 1000 times, but it does. I've been there.

Hope this helps. And feel free to reach out if you want to rant.

Cheers

------
bsenftner
Exercise. That's it. Get outside and walk/run/jog/bike everyday and get
healthy, it will change everything. Sounds too simplistic, but it works.

~~~
steve_adams_86
I was doing that for years. I was riding my bike huge distances (400km in a
day for example), I followed a solid lifting schedule and managed to reach a
370lb deadlift, and I ran far and relatively fast when I wasn't cycling. I
kept that up for years and really loved it. In fact I miss it still.

But it didn't keep depression from getting to me. These days I'm in alright
shape still, but getting back on that wagon is hard as hell when you feel like
trash. I've done it before, I'll do it again, but I think for some of us it
unfortunately takes more than exercise.

I still also highly recommend exercise as part of any effort against
depression. If you're able bodied, chances are it will only be able to help.

------
Dowwie
Fighting depression is a holistic process. No shortcuts.

------
zflknr
Get out in the sun every morning for 20 mins Drink lots of water Stop jerking
off incessantly Do this for a week. Let me know how things go.

~~~
iopuy
I like this list, it addresses something most don't.

~~~
stemc43
>Stop jerking off incessantly ?

yeah. there is even this entire #nofap thing. I find it helps with energy
level.

------
lealephx
I would not do prescription drugs (only after honestly trying everything
else.)

Supplement magnesium (so key to health and so neglected). Try it, you won't
regret it, unless you have some psychological barrier to supplementation.

Supplement gelatin before sleep (which contains a lot of glycine, there are
studies showing it regulates serotonin and dopamine. In my family's experience
it is amazing for helping you sleep. Also it is the reason why in my country
broth's are seen as relaxing before sleep: they contain lots of glycine)

Look into lifting weights, I took it up after being depressed for months after
my last breakup and it has been life changing. It has so many benefits from
increased metabolism, growth hormone, testosterone.

Spend time in the sun frequently

Do something that makes you afraid/thrill. For example, I took motorcycle
riding this year, hard to be depressed when your heart rate goes up. It might
seem temporary but it sets the beginning for change.

------
ekianjo
If it's mild, you can do the following:

\- Go to sleep and wake up at regular times.

\- Make sure you eat sufficiently (dont skip breakfast).

\- Make sure you have people to talk to on a regular basis. Isolation makes
things worse.

If you are so deep in depression you can hardly function, you probably need to
see a specialist ASAP and get professional counsel first before trying to hack
anything.

------
drivingmenuts
Go see a professional.

If, for some reason, you can't do that (money or time) talk to someone in the
meat world. Find a good friend and lay it out there. Don't hint at it - say
it. This is not a thing to be coy about.

\---

For me, joining a church has helped. Not because I found God or spiritual
enlightenment, but because it's a community that doesn't care what I do for a
living. They care about my wellbeing and how I am doing. They're always glad
to see me no matter what shape I look like I'm in.

It's good to have at least one group of people that are glad to see you, no
matter what six kinds of ass you look or feel like at the moment.

It's not easy to find a group of people like that. You might have to hunt
around a bit.

If you're in Austin, I'll happily introduce you to them. Might be the right
group, might not. That's up to you.

------
BlackjackCF
I don't know if this helps _fight_ depression per se, but all of the below has
helped me:

\- Getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep every night consistently

\- Reading a book for at least 10 minutes a day

\- Going for a 20-30 minute walk outside alone (day, night, doesn't matter, as
long as you feel safe)

\- Weightlifting a couple of times a week

\- Eating right

\- Trying to not box myself into restrictive thinking about all of the above
(like, if I want to eat a donut, I can eat a donut, I just should be conscious
of portion control)

\- Going to therapy every week. This can be an expensive option, but hopefully
you can find someone in network for your health insurance or find people who
do group therapy. Regardless, I find it very healthy to be able to talk about
my week with someone who isn't a close friend. They typically give me clarity
on what it is that I'm sometimes feeling.

------
mot0rola
I think best advice would be to see a doctor. Depression is not a game and not
something to take lightly!

While I agree with a lot of the other commenters, it seems like they would be
more appropriate in a "Healthy lifeStyle choices for programmers" thread. .02

------
arvigeus
A preacher once told a story when he was sitting next to the bed of a dying
from anorexia girl. She had given up. He told her: \- You have two choices.
First choice is to be a rotting corpse by tomorrow, making everybody's life
miserable. The second choice to get up and fight, and next year you to be
sitting next to a girl like you and help her live.

Depression sucks. In order to take your mind off of it, find a goal and pursue
it. Helping others is one of the most universal methods. No matter how bad are
you, there are people in worse condition than you. These people will see an
angel in you if you show some care. "Be the person you needed when you needed
someone"

------
svartfal
It’s only been mentioned once so I’ll restate it: Gratitude practice. Do more
than one if you want. 5 minute journal app is a great start.

I use the app and also do a gratitude practice with my children at the end of
the day. Interestingly, no matter how bad my day went, if I end it doing
gratitude with my children my recollection of the day is positive. I can be
having a day where everything seems to be going wrong and I see no point in
even trying to win at life. If I end the day with gratitude and look back on
it the next day I feel like “oh, I remember I had some setbacks but it was a
good day.” Only happens if I do the practice, otherwise I ruminate for days.

------
mar77i
Keep your fingers busy, and life will probably sort itself out. Lather, rinse
repeat.

I turned out in a pretty cool place by simply wrapping my head around things
about computers all day. Having access to read and understand all levels of
what the machine does is fascinating and had me hooked with free operating
systems and free / open source software long ago.

IRC probably helped a lot with loneliness, both me being able to ask my own
questions and responding to and researching other people's questions. I can't
tell where I would be without Freenode. It's such an uplifting experience
reaping and resowing one's own understanding in the various communities.

------
zumzumzum
Mindfulness and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy did it for me. You need a
framework for challenging your wrong thinking. Learn to take a universal
perspective, root out the self pity and resentment, and foster responsibility
for yourself. I found a therapist who worked me through REBT and connected me
to a fantastic meditation teacher. Obviously you need to take care of your
body too, with diet, exercise and above all, the most stringent of sleep
hygiene habits (probably no drugs or alcohol either, sorry). Put me 5 hours of
bad sleep a night and I'll be suicidally upset about "everything" at the end
of the week.

------
Fat_Rat
Change things up.

In my experience, being depressed takes less effort than not being depressed.

I live in a small city and I would spend most of my days working then going
home to play games and watch Netflix while slowly becoming a hoarder living in
garbage.

Then I started walking everywhere, to coffee shops, to music venues, etc.
Every place that I walked to was an excuse to get out of the house and be
active. Whenever I had those walks, I had time for a lot of self reflection
and exposure to meaningful experiences and people that I would have never had
if I stayed inside bingeing on Netflix. I still get bummed out at times, but I
don't daydream about suicide anymore.

------
magic_beans
Therapy.

Anecdotally: plenty of sunlight, a vitamin D pill, enjoyable sex with your
partner, frequent bouts of intense exercise, plenty of vegetables, few
processed foods, a probiotic supplement, and healthy bowel movements 1-2 times
a day.

------
factorialboy
Things that worked for me:

\- Run. Blood circulation and fresh air can do wonders. These days I bike to
work than run. But the idea is the same. Start your day with cardio and fresh
oxygen.

\- Watch your diet. Sleep a bit hungry. Eat foods that exit your system within
24 hours.

\- Abstain from sex (including DIV) for 10 days, and see how you feel on the
11th. After which find your formula, similar to intermittent fasting but with
sex.

\- Meditation and Yoga. I practice Hatha Yoga as taught here
([http://www.ishayoga.org/](http://www.ishayoga.org/)). This is ridiculously
powerful if practiced with intensity.

~~~
brepl
What is DIV?

------
daryllxd
Just to add. I suggest journaling and keeping track of things. Like even 10 to
15 minutes per say of how the day went, what you felt. This is a cure but also
a prevention thing. Meaning what were the days and trends of what you were
doing before the big bad monster came. For me its usually when I havent
exercised, ate junk food or didnt eat my veggies, sometimes when I havent gone
out of the house (remote work). I dont think this will work for clinical
depression but I'm not a doctor. Just a tip. Gather data and figure out how to
reverse engineer the suck. Good luck!

------
TheSpiceIsLife
8000IU of Vitamin D3 per day, and 300mg magnesium as amino acid chelate at
every meal fixed me.

Now taking less of each, cycling my dosage up and down as required. Sometimes
taking neither for up to about a week.

~~~
bthrm
Where do you get those? I was thinking Amazon but I fear those are just
placebos. You know, all they sell is fake…

~~~
hangtwenty
Look for “USP Certified”. NatureMade is a popular brand that tends to have
this. Costco brand (Kirkland) also often does - note that Kirkland prices are
cheap in Costco but not so much on Amazon (resold or something). If you have a
Costco near you, it is a very cost effective way to get fresh food and
supplements. It’s silly but it really helped me become healthier, because I
stopped being hesitant about the price (I was raised in a not-well-off
household... the mental barrier can be pretty strong even though it’s
irrational vs wastes of money that are neutral or harm health, while nutrition
is very helpful and a pretty good bang for buck)

------
rs86
Get medical help. I had very bad OCD symptoms 8 years ago and citalopram has
completely eliminated all symptoms, no side effects. By medical help I mean
both a psychiatrist and a psychologist. And keep in mind that you should try a
few professionals until you find someone who can treat you, psychologists and
doctors can be extremely different, do not give up too soon if you find it
awkward.

------
sdone
Sometimes depression comes because we're suppressing other emotions. That has
been my experience. I used to seriously suffer from depression, but now that
I've learned to recognize and deal directly with the underlying emotions, my
depression has disappeared.

I'm not implying at all that this is the cause of all depression, merely that
it was in my case.

------
wpietri
Given the audience here, I encourage you to think of it as an ongoing
experimental process. As with software, don't expect immediate, dramatic
progress. It feels to me like picking locks: a few apparently tiny
improvements can suddenly add up to something larger.

What has helped me, in rough order of importance:

A very regular sleep schedule. I used to be all over the place, but hacking on
this has really paid off.

Lots of sunlight. I got rid of my bedroom blinds, try to make it outdoors
daily, and have an elaborate automated lighting system that gives me a more
summer-ish lighting cycle the year round. [1] I used to use a blue light
panel, and would probably still use it if I were living in a darker climate.

Regular cardio. Running, cycling, hiking, long walks. At a minimum I'll do a
30-20-10 cycle [2], which takes only a few minutes. But I find mood benefit in
much longer things, possibly because of the sunlight.

Minimal refined carbs. At this point I'll have something with sugar or flour
maybe once a week, and my moods are much more stable.

Meditation. I know the traditional practice is daily long blocks of time, but
I find more use in more frequent short ones. One way to think about meditation
is in terms of learning awareness and control over the flow of one's thoughts.
Basically, I think of serenity (and specifically non-reactivity) as a skill,
and it's a skill worth practicing often. That can be as little for me as one
conscious breath, or a 5-minute meditation break.

Therapy. Find a professional you like. It make take going through a few. Mine
is great. Her experience with many different people helps her spot patterns
and suggest changes in ways I can't do on my own. She's also good at spotting
my bullshit and getting me to debug it.

A quiet environment. I have a top-floor apartment on a quiet street, one that
only shares one wall with neighbors. It's very restful. At work, I also find
ways to minimize environmental stress.

Yoga. The way my body remembers to be stressed is in muscle tension. Learning
to stretch and relax both those muscles and my mind helps, and also helps me
diagnose other issues, as it helps me notice what is making me tense (and
therefore reducing my resiliency.

Minimal drug use. My average day includes no alcohol or caffeine. When I have
them now, I'll notice a mild increase in mood instability for a day or two, so
I almost never have them two days in a row.

------
twetge
If you're looking for a "hack," i found the tricks in this book very helpful:

[https://www.amazon.com/How-Good-bye-Depression-Constrict-
Eve...](https://www.amazon.com/How-Good-bye-Depression-Constrict-
Everyday/dp/0595094724)

------
jgrowl
Sometimes it's more illustrative to look at what you can do to ensure you'll
be depressed.

7 Ways to Maximize Misery:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO1mTELoj6o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO1mTELoj6o)

------
Typhon
There's a great post at Slate Star Codex :
[http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/06/16/things-that-
sometimes-h...](http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/06/16/things-that-sometimes-
help-if-youre-depressed/)

It contains a lot of advice on how to choose a therapist and how to behave
with them and what you can otherwise do if you won't go to a therapist.

------
NathanCH
A lot of recommendations to see a doctor. I would strongly advise seeing a
therapist or councilor first and follow the tips in this thread.

If you go to a doctor expecting compassion instead of drugs you will be sorely
mistaken.

------
hn_user123
Hoping these will help you.

[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBh-
iYJ1Q_hTyzGEesN8b...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBh-
iYJ1Q_hTyzGEesN8bG200V7xyskJZ)

------
cft
Travel. If you don't have a lot of time, book multiple short trips. Book
tickets well in advance, so that when you are depressed all you have to do is
take Uber and show up for your flight.

------
danieltillett
Hard outdoor physical labor where you are up before dawn, work flat out all
day, and fall asleep exhausted shortly after dusk. Do this 7 days a week and
you won't have time to be depressed.

~~~
qntty
Do you have personal experience doing this?

~~~
danieltillett
I have personal experience of working this hard, but having never been
depressed I have never had to use this approach. I have worked with people who
have used it successfully and if I were to get depressed it is exactly what I
would do.

It seems to be important that it is both hard physical labor and outdoors in
the sun.

------
Razengan
What works for me:

\- Getting lost in games/books with imaginative worlds.

\- Traveling.

\- Hooking up with random people without any strings/hopes/expectations.

\- Making stuff.

\- Helping someone feel better without it being at your expense.

\- and of course, music.

------
inetknght
There are many people here who say, see a doctor.

But, how do you find a doctor? What kind of doctor is appropriate? How do I
even know what sort of doctor I could afford?

~~~
akuji1993
You want to look for psychotherapist (talk therapy) and a psychatrist
(medication therapy). If and how you can afford that depends on your country.
For me, I haven't paid a single cent for the last two years seeing both and
getting medication. I feel way way better and probably wouldn't do so good
without both of them.

------
eivarv
Seek professional help.

Threads like these are typically filled with unverified claims, anecdotes,
well-meaning tips and what others think helped them or someone they know in
what they believe are similar circumstances.

Some people aren't diagnosed, but make their own assumptions. Others don't
differentiate between a mood (sadness) and pathology (clinical depression).

TLDR: There are too many variables, unknowns and right-sounding wrongs out
there. A professional third party is better suited to interpret your situation
than anyone else - including yourself.

~~~
ackfoo
You did not understand the question. OP requested a "hack", which is, by
definition, an unverified claim, anecdote, well-meaning tip etc.

And anyway, your absolute faith in professionals is unwarranted.

Psychiatry and psychology remain largely unsupported by good science. There is
no verified and widely-accepted predictive model of overall brain function.

Many therapists operate entirely on personal bias and superstition; at least
one major university touts their M.Div. program as a preferred gateway to
clinical psychology.

The evidence in support of pharmacological treatment is polluted by the fact
that almost all large-scale clinical studies of psychoactive drugs are
underwritten by those who intend to profit from them. Double-blinding is not
an absolute guarantee against manipulation if you fund multiple studies and
simply drop the results you don't like.

Truly endogenous depression, meaning that which has no legitimate external
factors underlying it, may be a mythical beast. All the drugs and therapy in
the world will not resolve a bad situation, particularly when that bad
situation happens to be a social norm like working at a meaningless job.

SSRIs may get you functional again, but is that really a positive outcome when
all they are doing is revving you up to feel good about wasting your life as a
corporate cog? Stimulating you to participate gamely in the destruction of the
planet through mindless consumption? Convincing you to squeeze out more little
consumers to propagate the system?

Evolution has not prepared animals to live in zoos; they often develop
symptoms analogous to human depression. Neither has it prepared us to sit
around all day in offices doing shit jobs for the primary enrichment of those
at the top.

Here's my hack: if you find yourself depressed, have a look at your situation.
It probably sucks. Get up, walk out, don't come back. But realize that you
cannot easily escape our shitty system that constrains you to participate in
economic slavery in order to afford basic shelter and minimal health care.
Good luck.

~~~
eivarv
My point is that there may not be an obvious hack for complicated issues like
depression.

I don’t have absolute faith in professionals; Don’t know what gave you that
idea. I’m saying they’re better than the alternatives, and that expertise is
worth something.

I agree with some of your criticisms of the status quo, but it seems to me
like you’re conflating your own views of society with an objective view that
serves as a legitimate basis for a depressive reaction/sadness.

As for your claims regarding endogenous depression: I don’t know what you base
them on. I’ve seen nothing to support this position, at least.

There might be psychologically unhealthy sides to modern society, but what you
and others present as alternatives is, in my opinion, glorified guesswork - as
opposed to a somewhat systematic search for knowledge (flawed as it is).

------
dionidium
A few mental tricks I've mentioned here before that help me:

1\. I once heard Sam Harris talking about this process. Most people sort of
are their thoughts. That is -- this is tough to describe plainly -- their
thoughts and feelings are primary, driving their actions as if mechanically
linked. But you can in a certain sense become aware of your thoughts and view
them as an outsider, as something that's happening independent of you, that
you can see and choose how you react to. It's not just about self-assessment
(although it _is_ about that). It works during acute "attacks" too.

It's crazy, but hearing him say that made a huge impact on an anxiety problem
that had been getting worse for me. Thinking of it this way has without
exaggeration changed my life.

2\. A second sort of ridiculous trick that works for me, for some reason:

There may be a billion universes in which I die this week, but it can’t be
this one, because I am subjectively alive and experiencing this one. I can
only experience the timeline in which I live. There may be other timelines,
but I wouldn’t know about them, because I’m alive in this one. I can only
experience living.

I don’t experience the timelines where I do/did die, by definition. I can only
enjoy the one in which I don’t/didn’t.

------
JohnJamesRambo
Drastically limit the use of your phone. Sleep with it plugged in in another
room.

------
bitL
Vitamin D/sunlight, HIIT, deep sleep, no sugar, good diet, throwing parties.

------
wilsonnb2
First, I would like to clarify that when I say "depression" I am _not_
referring to the kind of clinical depression that you need to see a doctor
for. I am referring to the more mild depression that many (most?) of us
experience at some point in our lives.

I'd also like to say that I'm not trying to give advice. Depression is a very
personal experience and I think sharing our stories will do far more than
trying to distill them into universal advice.

A lot of people in this thread, and all threads like this, are recommending
exercise. I think there are actual studies that show exercise being a good way
to fight depression, so this is good advice, but for me personally it was not
the right answer.

I tried exercise as a fix and it did very little to help me. It created
another obligation in my life. Something else on the endless list of things
that needed to be done between 6PM and 11PM on the weekdays or on the
weekends. It felt like my entire life was being consumed by having to do
things and the pressure to be doing more things. Learning things, writing
code, making music, making video games, woodworking, photography, learning to
cook, etc. The key point here is that I felt no intrinsic motivation to do
those things - I just felt unending pressure to do _something_ productive all
the time so that I could get that next job, make millions of dollars, become
internet famous, or at least finally like the person I was.

In the end what helped me more than anything was learning to let myself off
the hook. Yes, there are people out there who work 10 hours a day and
contribute to fifteen different open source projects in their free time. There
are people my age touring the world as masters of their chosen instrument.

It's okay that I'm not one of them. I have redeeming qualities that those
people don't have. My perspective and experience are just as valuable as
theirs. My life is just as valuable as theirs.

There are a good many things that I should improve in my life. I'm overweight
and don't exercise much. I should walk my dogs more often. I drink too much
soda. I stay up too late. If there is a pizza present, I will eat too much of
it. I don't have any productive hobbies at the moment. I should save more
money and play less video games. I should call my Mom more often.

Thinking about all of those things, and especially trying to fix them all at
once or too fast, will bring me back into depression and anxiety. Instead, I
need to balance my thoughts and give myself credit for slow, incremental
progress.

I don't beat my wife or my dogs. I'm not addicted to meth, tobacco, cocaine,
heroin, or alcohol. I pay my taxes. I put money into my retirement account
every month. I don't steal. I do good things for other people. I donate to my
local NPR station.

There are so many good things about me that get lost when I only think about
the bad things. I will never become a famous musician, prodigious coder, or
Nobel prize winning scientist. Accepting that and trying to love the person I
am now has been the best fix for me.

I hope that this story is helpful to anyone who takes the time to read it, and
if anyone else is willing, I'd love to hear your stories about depression.

------
billconan
Cut off Facebook and alike. Excercise and take sleep pill. Find a hobby.

------
rschulman
There aren't really a lot of shortcuts. Start with therapy.

------
b1rdman
Some personal strategies / ideas (no advise of course):

\- Sport (for me it's mostly HIIT Training and bike commuting at the moment),
check out [https://darebee.com](https://darebee.com) for free workout plans
and nutrition advise

\- 1 tab LSD per season

\- some Kratom once in a while

\- Vitamin D3 + K2

\- definately no alcohol

\- getting educated in basic psychology

\- a regulated daily routine (early to bed, fixed times for eating if
possible)

\- drinking enough water

\- not hoarding too much stuff (minimalism)

\- making my bed in the morning ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgzLzbd-
zT4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgzLzbd-zT4))

\- socialising (cooking with friends, doing sport together)

\- GTD for organization of work and personal life (it's pretty much all about
writing down stuff to have a clear mind)

------
jryan49
Exercise. CBT. But you should really go see a doctor.

------
mabynogy
Walking and any kind of physical activity.

------
bshepard
Internal Family Systems therapy.

------
EliRivers
Professionally prescribed anti-depressants. Depression is serious. Seek
medical help.

------
snarfy
A dose of LSD.

------
freecodyx
what worked for me,

1\. disable social media, even netflix 2\. running, swimming, and weight
lifting (make new friends ) 3\. lower my expectations in life, 4\. socialise
more with family and friends 5\. explore new stuff (fishing, gardening,
cooking) 6\. meditation (or prayers since i am a muslim) 7\. smile more, and
care less about technology

------
stealthmodeclan
After massive dispute with my partners I went into depression.

I started sharing my penthouse with economically challenged students.

We all go on hiking, fishing etc.. together. This is helped me come out of
depression and now i am starting my new company with the same guys.

------
workaccount34
Fix what is causing the depression.

~~~
cpncrunch
This is really the only solution. Hacks will only give a very minor benefit.
Look at your life, relationships and job and ask yourself if its what you
really want.

~~~
Raphmedia
You two are describing solutions for "feeling depressed". Clinical depression
is very different.

You could bathe in diamonds every day, have the best lover, the most
supporting circle of friends, be at the peak of your health and still be
depressed. Depression is out of your control.

You can reduce triggers by living better but that's it. Even while living the
happiest moments of your life you can still have depression lurk in the back
of your head, probing you with negative thoughts.

~~~
cpncrunch
>You two are describing solutions for "feeling depressed". Clinical depression
is very different.

No, I'm talking about clinical depression. But it's interesting that this
viewpoint seems to be quite prevalent on HN.

>Depression is out of your control.

Perhaps in some cases, but in many cases there are things you can change that
will improve it.

You seem to be making an assumption that clinical depression can't be due to
lifestyle factors. This is an incorrect assumption, based on my own
experience, that of family members, and research looking into psychological
stress and neuroinflammation (for example).

>Even while living the happiest moments of your life you can still have
depression lurk in the back of your head, probing you with negative thoughts.

The triggers for depression aren't "moments". It builds up over a long time,
and isn't due to short-term factors. So while you might have a "happy moment"
during depression, that isn't likely to cure it (and that isn't what I'm
saying at all).

