Discussion how do people actually recover from being depressed/suicidal?

[strawberryfield]

i've always wondered this. how can someone go from wanting to die to thinking life is worth it? i can't ever imagine myself suddenly enjoying life or being happy again. therapy seems like a scam because it costs a lot and i can't see how it would even be possible to change someone's whole mindset.

 

[PoisonedJuliet]

I'm really not sure. I don't think even after someone recovers that they'll ever be 100% again. Getting here for me was like a switch had flipped but getting out is a whole different story. I really do wish there was a finite answer for changing someone's mindset but there really isn't. There is always hope to recover but it's hard actually getting there. Hope you're doing the best you can be doing <3

 

[Life_and_Death]

its possible. but it takes years of work and trial and error. the question is whether or not its worth it.
therapy does work. but not for everyone. however theres a lot of different therapies to try either with a therapist or at home on your own. there is also medication which is the route im personally taking. it all depends on the person what will help though.

 

[IrRegularjoe]

I think they find a healthier environment.

 

[strawberryfield]

I think they find a healthier environment.

how do you find a healthier environment?

 

[deadgirlahsatan]

Their bad luck turns to good luck maybe.i have no idea. It's a good question though.

 

[omoidarui]

they figure that life and hope are pretty much synonymous?

basically they decide life is worth it, because they have it, and everyone's here for a relatively short period of time in the great scheme of things so they just decide to stick it out i guess.

the life = hope argument is the one pro-lifers always refer to, i don't agree with it for me personally but i sort've understand it and it's hard to explain

 

[TheSoulless]

Maybe they are at a point so low that they fall into delusion. It's like when people "find God". That requires them to have the tendency for it, though.

 

[I_love_to_bake]

If you cannot find a therapist you trust more than yourself... it would be hard to change your mind state, yes. Because you would always default to whoever you trust most... right?

Some reading... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cog...ychology,psychological stress because of that.

 

[KleinerWolf]

IMO,
It's about shifting your own mindsets
as well as changing/removing yourself out of the environment that's bad for you.

 

[KleinerWolf]

Hm. Maybe that's why I am so inconsistent? Because I keep changing my environment. Stressful for the soul, always being on the move. Thanks for helping me see this.

it depends on what kind of environment is good for you,
One that help you feel motivated but also a sense of contentment and peace.

 

[everydayiloveyou]

I don't think mental illness can be cured, rather it can only be managed. Psychologists and psychiatrists will agree that many mental illnesses are chronic and will last for life, but they can't tell patients that of course. Most of the time, conditions that involve lack of cooperation and insight are pretty much permanent and will get progressively worse, since recovery requires patient compliance. After all things like therapy only work if you're honest with your therapist, meds can only work if you actually take them, etc.

I think a lot of people can reasonably expect to reach a degree of recovery where their mental illness no longer negatively impacts their life. But there's also people who will struggle forever to some degree. There's also the issue of environments. If you're poor and in an abusive environment, you'll have a hard time getting good treatment and complying with it. Similarly if you have a supportive family and can afford to try lots of different things, you'll probably find something that works for you much easier.

 

[Intheo]

I used to manage it pretty well. I found some strategies to mitigate my condition. I even had moments where I thought I was "cured" but let me yell you, it never goes away. The voice is always in your head. It may be grow quieter at times but whether as a whisper or a scream, it is always there.

I'm of the camp that mental illnesses are a symptom of the world we live in, and not necessarily a malfunction of the mind. There's so much emphasis on being "happy" but only a psychotic person would be "happy" knowing there is so much suffering and injustice in the world.

I found life to be about distracting yourself from the voice long enough to tap into moments of happiness. Environments, lifestyle, the people around you, etc all play apart. You can find yourself in the most optimum of situations, but deep inside, we all know it's a distraction. How long can we keep this up?

In an ideal world, I would be in an environment where I'm surrounded by nature with easy access to outdoor activities and surrounded by genuine people. But deep inside, I would always have the "voice" inside me. In the end I will die anyway, perhaps with a bigger collection of happy moments than I do now. Is all of this worth the prolonging of existence?

 

[so tired or manic]

I'm in a better place then I was 3 years ago, but the thoughts are always there. they tell me to learn to live with and accept it instead of trying to make them go away. it's hard to control thoughts, especially when the brain is wired wrong. it's healthier and easier to focus on what actions you take and just try to make everything as bearable as possible, eventually things start making a little more sense, progress becomes more apparent. some people aren't up for the waiting and for me the outcome will never be worth it, but I do my best to give my animals their best life because they deserve it and they look out for me in turn.

 

[Deleted member 19817]

I've had a desire to leave for years. For me it's never been a binary depressed/not depressed situation. It's a question of how much control I have, the difference between dealing with it with plans and control or those moments when I fall into emotional turmoil. I don't think for anyone it's a yes/no question either.

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

I turned off my suicide wishes in a matter of few weeks: by breaking my state's quarantine laws. That was after I started making plan to CTB, after being forced to stay home and socially isolated for nearly two months. But suddenly, I found a radical right-wing anti-quarantine group online on social media. Their main activity is protests in cities around my state, but they also had a private party that they invited me to. I went there, and partied my ass off: I danced with people, exchanged lots of hugs, and really gave social distancing the finger. A week later, I drove into the next state to get a haircut for the first time since February. A few weeks after that, I went on a road trip with the people from that group. None of us ever social distance (at least from each other), and we wear masks only when and where required by law. I STILL haven't gotten Corona, despite wishing for it for months, just so I can have a politically correct (ha!) way to CTB. Except that now, I don't really want to CTB. Even if the quarantine comes back, I'll still have a reliable group to socialize with; maybe I'll even join then for a pro-Trump campaign.

Today, I exchanged more hugs and hung out with more people in the last two months, than I did in four months before the Covid quarantine. Heck, now, even my old liberal friends want to socialize again, and I find myself turning down their invites sometimes, because I'm busy doing things with my new conservative friends.

 

[so tired or manic]

while it may be your goal to die, it isn't the goals of the hundreds of people you get sick before symptoms start showing.

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

while it may be your goal to die, it isn't the goals of the hundreds of people you get sick before symptoms start showing.

Yeah yeah! If you say so.

The 2+ months of being quarantined destroyed my ability to care about anybody but myself. Besides, the Democratic Party hijacked a banal flu virus for their own political gain. They deliberately crashed a strong economy, destroyed countless small businesses, caused massive layoffs, induced anxiety and depression in people nationwide (via forced social isolation), and condoned rioting and looting, just to rig the election in their favor. So if Democrats think all that is OK, why should I care about anybody but myself?

Besides, the number of suicides resulting from the Democrats' actions is probably close to the number of Corona deaths.

 

[so tired or manic]

and not a single one of the people making those rules are going to come across your path. it's innocent people.

 

[KleinerWolf]

Yeah yeah! If you say so.

The 2+ months of being quarantined destroyed my ability to care about anybody but myself. Besides, the Democratic Party hijacked a banal flu virus for their own political gain. They deliberately crashed a strong economy, destroyed countless small businesses, caused massive layoffs, induced anxiety and depression in people nationwide (via forced social isolation), and condoned rioting and looting, just to rig the election in their favor. So if Democrats think all that is OK, why should I care about anybody but myself?

Besides, the number of suicides resulting from the Democrats' actions is probably close to the number of Corona deaths.

I was once a firm believer of the far right.
Until I realised I was only looking for a group and a sense of belonging.
The ideologies and politics are actually fucking bullshit.
Some are very much fantasy-based and should not be taken seriously.

I been there so I can only recommend you gain a sense of clarity and see things for that they are.

 

[Dead beat dad]

i've always wondered this. how can someone go from wanting to die to thinking life is worth it? i can't ever imagine myself suddenly enjoying life or being happy again. therapy seems like a scam because it costs a lot and i can't see how it would even be possible to change someone's whole mindset.

This is one I think about a lot.
The way I see it is that for me a person might carry a load of different things that are and like a big hand these things are pushing them towards the edge so to speak; Physical disabilities, financial problems, mental illness, emotional and spiritual traumas etc.
These things come and go with passing of time and personal interaction with space and the things it occupies and they either push harder or you push back depending on the load and your capability.
So I reckon that you are never really cured you are just able to manage, ie push back against these things more and better with different amounts of effort;
Get a job, get off drugs, move on from your ex, get therapy, better healthcare, learn the clarinet etc
Simple when you write it down, not so easy in practice I guess.
Love and respect my brother.
DBD

 

[MyStateKilledMe]

I was once a firm believer of the far right.
Until I realised I was only looking for a group and a sense of belonging.
The ideologies and politics are actually fucking bullshit.
Some are very much fantasy-based and should not be taken seriously.

That group isn't far right, it's moderate right. Still, I don't care! Unlike my state's left-wing politicians who made me wish I was dead (hence my name), they brought back my will to live. (And this is the Recovery subforum, after all.) All because they were willing to socialize, rather than push the virtue-signaling feel-good "stay home, save lives, practice social distancing" propaganda. And trust me, they really know how to socialize: the warm conversations, the handshakes, the hugs, the dancing, everything. It's almost better than sex!

 

[KleinerWolf]

That group isn't far right, it's moderate right. Still, I don't care! Unlike my state's left-wing politicians who made me wish I was dead (hence my name), they brought back my will to live. (And this is the Recovery subforum, after all.) All because they were willing to socialize, rather than push the virtue-signaling feel-good "stay home, save lives, practice social distancing" propaganda. And trust me, they really know how to socialize: the warm conversations, the handshakes, the hugs, the dancing, everything. It's almost better than sex!

Ohh I see how it is.
Good on you man!

Quarantine is depressing.It tends to make things worse than they already are.
Good to get your daily dose of social interaction, that's for sure.

 

[Deleted member 17949]

I want to believe that I can. It's hard to find anyone that's managed to do it. I think some people's feelings are very dependent on their situation and will change if their situation changes.

 

[mathieu]

I figure people who get better were just going through a rough patch and the general theme of their life is happiness. Or they were depressed because of things that can be changed like what they do in life or whatever. For people like me who have life-long mental illnesses, there's not much hope.

 

[strawberryfield]

I figure people who get better were just going through a rough patch and the general theme of their life is happiness. Or they were depressed because of things that can be changed like what they do in life or whatever. For people like me who have life-long mental illnesses, there's not much hope.

this makes a lot of sense. i have a life long mental illness too so i guess i'll be like this forever