anxiety and depression…how to help?

alleen · Silver Member Joined: 20 Jan 2001 Posts: 282

My best friend is recently diagnosed with mild form of depression that tends to get moderate and anxiety also and my question is about this anxiety and depression…how to help? He is prescribed some medications called antidepressant but it has been almost two months since she started the treatment and nothing happened meaning her condition hasn’t improved a bit. So I’d like how to help her with this anxiety and depression condition?

brackin · Newbie Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

Well, give her a strong support and be patient. My mom suffers occasionally from the mild depression and she’s on antidepressants on frequent and regular bases. These antidepressants really do help in reducing my mom’s anxiety and depression symptoms but she was not only taking tryciclic anti depressant she also went to psychotherapy which is important part of depression treatment. The thing is once you get depressed it’s more likely you have it for life but if the depression is treated on time and on professional bases than the chances to cure the depression are almost 100%. Anyway in most cases depression is relapsing but if it is controlled in proper manner than the depression symptoms might be reduced at minimum. My mom says now she could bet that exercise helped her lot to fight anxiety and depression as well as aromatherapy and herbalism.

JR1 · Supporter Joined: 31 Dec 2006 Posts: 97

Learning cbt is what helped me and what I recommend to everyone. Have your friend join a cbt group or if they cannot afford it buy the cbt book by sam obitz and do the exeecises in it like the tea form everyday and they will eventually build new pathways that are much more objective and healthier in their brain and feel a lot better. Good Luck to your friend.

Bull Moose · Newbie Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 2

What's CBT like as an experience, JR?

annie1 · Newbie Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 28

I just wanted to add that cbt is helping me and the tea form exercise in the book jr mentioned by sam obitz is great at helping you learn to alleviate anxiety and panic.

kay81 · Newbie Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 83

what is cbt?

also, i've lived with depression, anxiety, and a.d.d. most of my life. sometimes more than others it has been more controlled. i've lost loves and best friends and tend to be a loner i guess fearing being close and losing anymore. i am learning basically how to be independent and alone because its the way i want to be for the time being. stand on my own two feet ya know?
i have family that lives about an hour from me that i spend a decent amount of time with but whenever im down or bored they tend to worry so and aggravate me, which im blessed for i know, however it makes me not want to be around them more.

my point being i lack the social support system that is so important in dealing with depression, i want to deal with it all on my own. i don't want to bring anyone else in my world until i have better control again. any tips are greatly appreciated other than hangin out and exercise and eating right. ive been in and out of counseling and treatment and on a lot of scrip drugs that didnt help.

also has anyone found more of a higher link between a.d.d. and depression? i know there is one but was wondering if there were any here. due to the stress and anxiety associated with procrastinating and disorganization and not always being able to do or keep up with what i would like to.

JR1 · Supporter Joined: 31 Dec 2006 Posts: 97

Cbt and is about controlling how you react to things by building new pathways in your brain so over time you react to things in non anxiety provoking and depressive ways automatically. The main exercise that has enabled me to move forward and ewnjoy life more is the Tea form thought countering exercise. If you really want to help yourself there is no greater tool I have found. It has made me a stronger person and built my self esteem up as a side benefit. Read more about cbt and the book by sam obitz I recommened on the book's website which includes a link to the book's foreword which is pretty good and very straight forward.

annie1 · Newbie Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 28

I don't know if there is an ADD link to depression but it would not surprise me.

JR1 · Supporter Joined: 31 Dec 2006 Posts: 97

I don't know either but I would not be surprised if there is.

anxiety and depression…how to help?

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