Disclaimer, I am not a doctor. I am not a dietician or healthcare worker. This in my personal experience and to be taken with a grain of salt, as everyone is different.

Life isn’t easy, for anyone. Some can roll with it better than others, some people are just different. But for me, I have struggled with both depression and anxiety. Sometimes, I think our mental state is so low we need some intervention with medication to help get us rolling. But we need realize only we can help ourselves. We need to step up and decide for ourselves to do this and to fight our way out of our own minds.

It’s a personal decision for me, not to medicate. I’ve tried various medications in the past, not only are they not agreeable due to side effects but they also don’t work with my personal beliefs.

Many people who take medication for depression or anxiety on a daily basis. I am not saying that it isn’t right for them or that they don’t need it. I am saying that it is over-prescribed and that people fall victim to the commercials selling these products. A lot of my friends that take these pills, and they are happy to push the substance on me. Telling me why I should be taking it! Actually telling me to give it a try for 6 months. The pushers of these mood altering drugs are no better than a drug pusher of street drugs, its really odd!

It’s important to use diet and exercise, to fend off depression and stress. Exercise is really big. If you don’t move right now, please start by doing 10 minutes a day 7 days a week. Start proving to yourself that you can show up for you. Another important factor, is you could struggle with being depressed because….THERE IS something in your life you don’t like and you are not dealing with it. You may be suppressing a problem. If its something you cannot change you need to find a way to accept it. Try to write about, and find steps to accept your feelings and the issue. It sounds easy in writing, and I know its not easy. But realizing the issue and taking steps to alleviate it, is important to your mental state. You need to make this time for you, and your body. You are important.

A great example for me is I moved in with a guy that I didn’t love, to escape a horrible home situation. After I finally mustered the strength to change that situation, I started dating this amazing guy I thought was my future when he decided to start treating me horribly and I let him do that for years. I accepted that treatment from him because I loved him and thought it was worth it, I thought it was a bump in the road and he was going to change. The truth is I loved the idea that he presented me to in the beginning and it disappeared quickly, and I spent years waiting for it to return. Another great example is my father died and my mother moved in with me. She had no place to go and I couldn’t turn away my mother. These are difficult and depressing situations. If you don’t accept the situation, and make changes or deal with feelings they will fester to feel like hopelessness.

And instead of dealing with things, we run to our doctor and get a wonder drug to forget the problem until it passes on its own or the magic pill to alter our minds and find the courage to speak up. So here are some steps to enjoy life without drugs and let go of this stuff.

1. When you know a problem exists in your life, love it or leave it. If you decide to love it, create a plan to deal with it that will accommodate your needs, because you are important.
2. Exercise your body, start small and work up. You don’t need to be an athlete but you are important and need to be healthy to enjoy life.
3. Have a social circle. This is something I struggle with. Everyone is virtual for me. Try to force yourself to do a social activity once a week.
4. Eat well. This one is a challenge because we are surrounded by garbage. I am dieting so I am eating much better and though I can be a crab sometimes, I am feeling significantly better without the junk food I was eating before. I have less cravings.

Sorry this was long and meandering. I don’t think I conveyed well what I wanted to.