Early Warning Signs & How To Stop Depression Before It Starts? (Alt Title - f*ck Me... I’m Baking)

[Friday]

I don’t handle depression well. I really, really suck at it. Every other symptom I can manage to some degree, but depression just cuts me off at the knees. If I’m lucky I get some kind of early warning sign I’m about to drop into a depression, but mostly I just sorta wake up several months later realizing that I’ve been depressed.

I realized several years ago that if I’m baking? I’m about to hit the skids, hard. I cook. I don’t bake.

And I’ve got a kilo of peaches soaking in rum, spices, and brown sugar for a galette. :banghead:

Sadly, simply nipping the pastry into the bin doesn’t halt depression in its tracks? ((I have tried that. A few times, just to be sure I didn’t do it wrong the first time. I know. It sounds ridiculous, but I get desperate about this sort of thing. And far more ridiculous sounding things have worked in the past // Rule of Combat #WTF - If it looks stupid, but it works? It ain’t stupid.))

Okay.

So I know I’m about to hit a depression. What do I do? What can I do? Can I stop it? Prepare for it? Work around it somehow? Welp. :eek:

 

[Kubash16]

Make a list of things you typically enjoy and typically work as coping mechanisms and force yourself into doing one a day? Keep yourself distracted with a new project? Find a new activity to try and throw yourself into?

 

[Gs172003]

I don’t handle depression well. I really, really suck at it. Every other symptom I can manage to some degree, but depression just cuts me off at the knees. If I’m lucky I get some kind of early warning sign I’m about to drop into a depression, but mostly I just sorta wake up several months later realizing that I’ve been depressed.

I realized several years ago that if I’m baking? I’m about to hit the skids, hard. I cook. I don’t bake.

And I’ve got a kilo of peaches soaking in rum, spices, and brown sugar for a galette. :banghead:

Sadly, simply nipping the pastry into the bin doesn’t halt depression in its tracks? ((I have tried that. A few times, just to be sure I didn’t do it wrong the first time. I know. It sounds ridiculous, but I get desperate about this sort of thing. And far more ridiculous sounding things have worked in the past // Rule of Combat #WTF - If it looks stupid, but it works? It ain’t stupid.))

Okay.

So I know I’m about to hit a depression. What do I do? What can I do? Can I stop it? Prepare for it? Work around it somehow? Welp. :eek:

Other than baking what does depression look like for you?

 

[LuckiLee]

The only thing J does is talk with me about it. Which is huge because he would just get angry and lash out before. He'll tell me he's depressed and we go from there. We'll have a short conversation about it and he usually needs a cuddle after. Idk how much it helps with the depression but it helps him to be heard. Oh, and he prays alot.

When that doesn't work? He fakes it. He tries to be funny and silly. And I play along.

He used to turn to alcohol and we all know how that works out. So glad he doesn't do that anymore!

I wish I baked when I'm depressed. I tend to get lazy and the cooking and cleaning goes out the window.

Hugs to you!

 

[Ronin]

I was about to ask the Zoogal question, does your depression have patterns? And any currents of it you KNOW how to deal with? (Cause I sorta doubt the WholeThing is a sucker, so if we break the depression down, which bits of it you can tackle already?)

Do you know what plunges you deeper, vs. what drags you out? The kind of activity needed, chemicals, sort of advice, things people should not do because drive you insane even on a good day, topics to not even touch, dates, lil sensory nonsense that f*ck you sideways no reason even needed, things like that.

Sleep & scenery... how much playing with sleep patterns & daylight / temp could lift your mood?

CoreBeliefs... whats the worst depression can say to you & make you do, how far can it f*ck you? (Not going for the obvious, going for limiting scope / not letting the baddie on the block be a bad baddie ahead. Since, baking to do.
So breaking the scary down to smaller bits, making plans for each them as if its own thing, some that you could stick even IF low).

What can you go without? (The bits depression can steal... that are not so necessary for survival, not rating the same attention & stress.)

 

[Sideways]

My big ticket items for regulating mood:

Routine: make it healthy and stick to it. Keep it balanced with activities that are mood lifting and or balancing. Physical activities that act as good mind/body engagers like cleaning and gardening are good.
Exercise: regular. Don’t overdo it, don’t underdo it. Do the amount you do when your mood is regulated (big “act in spite of how you feel” one, that one).
Diet: keep yourself nourished. Super important. Nix the alcohol. Get your cigarette intake back down (because for me, it used to go up bigtime as my mood dropped).
Sleep: get it regular again. Use sleepers and alarm clocks, and whatever you can. Sleep gets regular? Mood often follows suit.

Oh yeah, and stop doing the shit that has an association with low mood, like socially isolating (make a coffee date or something, especially if you don’t want to), and, er, baking unnecessary shit (ah mood - what a crazy mixed up mofo you are!!).

 

[Mach123]

IDK of what I do will help? I'm really afraid of depression. Meaning how I was for most of my life. I'm depressed now, but it's only a shadow, like a twinge. It's anxiety mostly but depression is not that far from anxiety.

I do a radical acceptance thing. It sounds like I don't give a sh*t or the short version serenity prayer. It's not. For me it meant thinking "I didn't do anything wrong." Then it extended to "nothing's wrong."

This worked because the therapist was telling me accept myself and I hadn't done anything wrong and she knew. No one ever knew, only I knew.

This had some consequences I'm not so happy about but it did help a lot.

Then I think no matter what happens I'm going to be quiet and brave and strong. IDK if I'll be able to do that, but that's what I think.

I hope you don't get depressed. You have a positive impact. I look forward to reading your posts.

 

[ChildofGod]

I don't think there is a way of stopping depression. It sounds as though you are scared to be depressed. I understand the fear. Once it starts, it's hard to stop.

I hope that you find help for yourself, or understanding, or introspection.

 

[LuckiLee]

Yeah routine helps for sure. Now that I'm thinking about it when his routine gets sidelined his mental health can decline. Rapidly.

When he can't nip it in the bud he sleeps. Alot!

 

[ladee]

Mine tends to come in cycles. I have no routine and that didn't help in the past anyway. What I do now is pay attention to what was going on before I started feeling the low tide upon me. Was there something going on I simply ignored. Usually. Then like Ronin shared, break it down.

I pay attention to my thoughts. And do a lot of what I call 'thought stopping'. If it is something that throws me in the hamster wheel of ruminating, then I tell myself to STOP. And in a voice that I used with my kids!!

If the thoughts keep coming up it usually tells me there is something I need to go a little deeper with. Not pushing and shoving my way thru it, but paying attention. Taking my time.

I ask myself if I am being part of the problem or part of the solution. And break that down.

All of the above and more I can't think of right now helps to distract and to help me feel like I am not giving in to the worst part. Mine is also chemical.

I can say that I have not had a bad depression in a long while. But a lot came out in previous times that needed my attention toward healing.

I have been some level of depressed my entire life. So sometimes it sneaks up on me and sometimes I have to see if some of it is sadness or grief.

You have a lot to choose from now. Hope it doesn't take you to the rabbit hole. I hate the rabbit hole. A LOT.

 

[Karolina12]

I double up on meds for a few days. Once the anxiety starts to ramp up I go back down to my usual dose. May not be for everyone. I’ve done a few cycles of this over the past year or two and it seems to reset things. Gives me the energy and focus to do and manage the excellent advice

 

[Freida]

Well this sucks. So sad for you...
a few things that sometimes help me....

Keep a good routine
Lots of sleep
stupid shit that makes me giggle (que the elephant videos!), or playing kid video games or watching stupid movies
Eating sort of right. Impossible to not go for the ice cream and cake but I try to limit the amounts. Lots of good protein -- think nuts, tofu, smoothies, etc
exercise -- something calming like yoga or energy releasing like kick boxing
Acceptance --- this day, week, month is gonna suck, but it will pass (I'm still working on that one)
Talking.... to a T, friends IRL, the folks here.....get it out of your head.