What are some ways to manage depression without medication?

Hello @maury58, thank you for opening this discussion and for sharing with us. If you haven't seen it already, we published an article a little bit ago about managing depression without medications, here's the link: @Simran @Jedbear @Shauniex @BrianM @Shaunm @ABC123 @sad_faery @gwizardstar @MaggiD @stephanieannie @LeeBee @HarryChubb @Rozanne @Bsulli @icecream @itgetsbetter @scifiyvonne @Elaineanne

Take care,

Courtney

I went through 25 sessions of psychotherapy and reduced my medication to near zero. On my first session the therapist asked me to give a commitment to go every week ,which I did. I had to go through my whole life which was tough as some years of my childhood are a blank The mind's way to protect itself ,Each session lasted one hour and I had to look at my good points and also the bad or negative side.It is surprising what we carry into out adult life from our childhood. How I pick up comments wrong and regard it as an attack on me and sometimes I would overreact, and reply with hurtful remarks and comments. It was explained to me I could not reply to negative comments or defend myself when I was young. I got myself in serious situations with different men over the years and would welcome confrontations leading to violence.No matter what the odds were or how outnumber I might be. There is a dark side to me and now older and wiser I now harness it a positive way ,tackling local politicians and pushing for better roads in our rural area. Helping out groups to stop families from been evicted from their homes by banks. Taking out water meters when we we threatened with water charges even do we pay for our water through general taxation. Depression without been treated can kill you as I discovered after I tried to commit suicide, You are sinking into the"darklands " as I call it and you get deeper and deeper into depression, There are many roads that lead to depression, BUT there are many roads leading out of it ,Medication ,counseling, group therapy ,talk therapy, music, But what I found was sleep is important ,good diet ,exercise, like any other part of the human body, the brain needs essential raw materials to function properly. Composed of about 73 percent water and weighing about three pounds, the brain is just two percent of the average person's body weight but uses 20 percent of our calorie intake. So if you are on just tea or coffee and toast and wonder why you are not feeling great,no energy ? Treat mind, body and spirit

I am living with depression and a few other medical conditions.

I am on medication for my depression, but my fiance loves making me laugh. One of his favorite ways to make me laugh is when he's playing on one of his wrestling games he makes it sound like the character is talking by talking in a funny voice.

Sometimes he'll just use his funny voice just to make laugh by saying something that he knows will make me laugh.

I have 2 nieces who are 9 years old and 1 year old.

My older niece is disabled and finds it hilarious to pinch my phone or handbag and run away with it as she knows that I'll chase her.

My niece was diagnosed with global development delay when she was 2 years old. She can walk about at home and school unaided. She has a wheelchair for longer distances .

If my older niece is walking around at home I'll ask her if she's showing off again and she says yeah and carries on walking around.

She calls her lil sister "sisi" as she can't say sister yet.