Overthinking causes paranoia which causes depression. 😔?
I'm 14 an I overthink everything. Needless to say my self esteem is in the garbage. I have terrible depression. I can't afford to go to the doctor so I was wondering if there are any over the counter meds that I could take to keep me from overthinking. I don't mind melatonin and stuff to make me sleep but I also need something for during the day. I can't focus on anything, but my brain is going a million miles an hour and it's affecting my school work.
Please help me. Thanks
RWPossum2014-05-17T20:43:04Z
You could say that there's over the counter medicine for depression and anxiety. It depends on what you call medicine. There's a number of things that stimulate brain activity the way antidepressant drugs do. Some do it in a physical way (exercise, bright light exposure, omega-3 fish oil capsules), and some do it in a completely mental way (cognitive therapy, distractions - such as enjoying movies). These things actually work, and that's supported by scientific evidence.
What's really good about these things is that they don't have to be expensive. You can even have depression therapy for free at a site run by a university called MoodGYM. It has a therapy program. It says there are 750.000 registered users. Research shows that depressed teenagers can use a book by Dr. David Burns - The Feeling Good Handbook (see Handbook of Self Help Therapies).
When things are especially bad, take things one at a time -- a day at a time, a morning at a time, or even five minutes. A favorite movie or music can help. Many people get relief by going for a walk. Within reason, some extra food will lift your spirits, whereas alcohol, which makes depression worse, should be avoided. Don't isolate yourself. Talk with somebody, even if you don't feel like it.
There's no reason to keep this a secret. You should tell a parent or some other responsible adult, like a school counselor of teacher.
Stay in touch with your feelings. When you have an unpleasant mood shift, take one or two slow, deep breaths and examine the thought that just occurred to you, in terms of its truth and its relevance to what you're doing at the moment. If you find yourself in a stressful situation, take slow, deep breaths until you're calm, then think carefully about what to do. Exercise has been shown to help with depression. The best exercise is the kind you enjoy. People with depression who tend to remain indoors often benefit from increased exposure to sunlight.
Usually, people go into depression in a downward spiral of negativity in thinking and behavior, one leading to the other. Getting out of depression is an upward spiral of healthy thinking and behavior, one leading to the other. In some cases, medication plays an important part, but healthy thought and behavior are still necessary. It doesn't happen overnight, and it helps to be patient. A sense of humor is a big plus.
The most versatile treatment of all is healthy lifestyle – good for all kinds of depression. If you go to the University of Kansas TLC website, you can read about the lifestyle program developed there. It's things we all need anyway. It's low cost and low risk. Book - Depression Cure by therapist/researcher Dr Steve Ilardi. Also, see the Web MD article 10 Natural Depression Treatments.Â
The Feeling Good Handbook by Dr. David Burns is the book recommended most often for depression by professionals.
There are good books for insomnia.
Decide what kind of music suits you best as an antidepressant. A lot of people go for buzz tracks - songs that get you up and going.
I suggest staying away from drugs in general if at all possible. You don't wanna develop tolerance because that leads to dependency, then addiction. Yes you can get addicted to over-the-counter meds, anything really. Sometimes when you get a thought you don't want, literally imagine that thought as being a conscious entity with a mind of its own and tell it **** off. It helps but only if you immediately replace it with something cool. Literally telling a thought that it's not cool but that another thought IS cool helps even though it sounds immature. "You're a loser." "Oh yeah? **** off, you're not as cool as this thought about starting a small business that sells exotic animals, this thought is nice to me and I respect it because it has goals. What do you have? Nothin. Buhbye." It sounds like a joke but I'm serious.
I wish healthcare was free in America just like other countries. Its sad to see a 14 year old trying to figure out what to do because they have no healthcare. Have you tried asking your parents or guardian. We cannot tell you what to take, you are a child.Please talk with your guardians.