How do i stop my depression from getting the best of me?

Start a journal. Write out what you enjoyed each day.

Write out good you saw like people smiling at you are each other. Look for deeds of kindness.

Get a hormone test and blood work too to see if there is a cause of your sadness.

Dark chocolate and walnuts help with depression. So does exercise.

Art work can be hard work. Pray before you do it and when it gets too hard, stop for awhile.

I have several outlets for helping me fell better. Eat a good diet. I studied dance because this helped me with stress.

I wish I could tell you that I've got the secret formula the drug companies don't want you to know about. The best I can do is tell you about lesser-known treatments that could help you. I can't promise that any of these will be better for you than your therapy or the medicine you take. What's good about them is low cost and low risk.

Dr Stephen Ilardi is a therapist and researcher who treats depression and studies it at the Univ. of Kansas. You can search with "kansas ilardi change your life" and read an interview with a summary of his program, which involves lifestyle changes. His book is The Depression Cure. Whereas the effectiveness of lifestyle change is not as well-established as that of other treatments, its versatility and its low cost/low risk, as well as its appeal to young people, make it an interesting approach. The Depression Cure by Ilardi was reviewed in Metapsychology (link, below).

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy has been shown to prevent relapse after recovery from depression (see MBCT.com). Its founders have written a popular book, The Mindful Way Through Depression. The Internet provides a number of useful stress reduction techniques, as do books on chronic pain management for nurses.

There's a treatment that was recently approved for cases of depression that have not responded to conventional treatment. It consists of magnetic stimulation of the brain. It's said to be painless, but it's not regardless as the most effective treatment.

Studies of an herbal remedy, St. John's Wort, suggest that it can help, although there are different opinions about this. The plant is popular in Germany, but not well known in the U.S. If you are interested, please study this plant's side effect risks. "Herbal" does not mean "safe."

You are very young! A lot of young people nowadays are going through what you're going through. But I honestly do not think you need medication- that only messes with your body and only numbs the pain for a while. I think that you should look at the positive things in life, write down on paper all the things that ever made you smile..do them. Go and ask a friend to go out for ice cream or something with you :) eat some chocolate and do something that'll make you feel happy for even a little. Then look at your life and realize all the good things in it. Such things could be family or friends! If you get outside and do something, get some fresh air, take a bath, go to the spa... make your dreams come true! If you're crazy enough to believe that you can do it :) then you can! :) ...if you just feel like giving up and can't take it, get on your knees and pray to God. He listens! He will hear your prayer. Read the bible and make a habit of it, it will help a lot and will def encourage you. Find out what you were put on this earth for :) you could maybe be that person that can help others! Find your strengths :) be optimistic! :) And smile :D Happy looks good on you!!!

Those times where you get more depressed see your therapist more often. Something that's helped me over the years (I've been depressed for 5 years, i'm 17) is a journal. Not just writing about my day but putting pictures in it of only positive things. I've even printed out pictures over sweet conversations i've had and put it in the journal. Get a Wreck This Journal Book, it's VERY entertaining and distracting. Find things that distract you that you enjoy. For example I play piano and guitar and sing and write and I'm a photographer. it helps a lot. Be around people that do more good that bad for you, meaning be around people that you never fight with or make you feel bad about yourself. Go out a lot. that helps.

Therapy.

im very depressed too.. alot of **** has been happening... almost everydays a gloom... n im also 16.. i know how it is.. i been to therapy.. that **** didnt help smh...