How do you cope with your mental illness?

[PhoenixIgnition]

I'm interested, because I have a problem with coping with these issues.
I tend to run away and shut myself away from the world.
I've yet to find methods that bring me back from the bottom of the pit.
When it does happen it feels random, as if I've been graced with a better time-period in my life. As if the depression and anxiety symptoms suddenly decided to subside a bit.

EDIT(05/11/2018): I changed the thread subject from depression/social anxiety to mental illness because I felt the former title limited the discussion a bit.

 

[Enpatsu Shakugan]

I've had these issues too, and I find it was always when I was forced to do something I didn't want to. Can't say it was as random as yours, but more-so anything I dreaded; sometimes, however when I thought I was fine, it would randomly happen, so... yes and no.

How old are you, by chance? When it first happened to me, I was around 13 and I remember at that time, I too would've rather just ran and hid away.

In those cases, I would try and distract myself. This was at the time before portable video games were so much a thing (at least I didn't have any), but something like that, or I brought music or a book or something. Just something so I wouldn't have to sit there and dwell on it. Maybe even begin to have fun with it too.

If I was doing something fun, sometimes a little switch would be pulled and then it felt like the whole thing was no big deal and that I could do it without help. But getting to that stage is the hard part, nor do I think a lot of people have that same switch I do.

Long story short, distraction generally worked for me. Keeping yourself too busy to even think about it.

If this helps too; if you feel like you're at the bottom, this always worked for me. I waited until there was something I really wanted. New game, new person, new show, etc... whatever it is you want to watch, wait until you feel very down and then start it.

Your anticipation is so high, you might even begin enjoying yourself despite how you feel. And then I always went "Wait, I can still experience joy, despite what has happened." Because this new thing was never in my life BEFORE I felt this way, so maybe it's not possible to be stuck in eternal despair.

Works for me. Could be viable for you too. A good way to remind yourself you aren't forever stuck.

 

[Zeostar]

All I do is sleep when depressed, since it causes me to lose interest in everything else. Even playing a video game doesn't spark interest.

I find showering helps me. When depressed, I'll do it multiple times a day.

 

[pkmin3033]

I stop caring. I've found that if I simply let these things run their course, or chase my thoughts around in circles for a while, I will literally just stop giving a damn and eventually I'll either deal with whatever it is that is affecting me on autopilot, or no longer care at all as I just get used to it. Apathy is my default state, and I tend to gravitate back towards not giving a damn when I realise, through the overwhelming anxiety and misery, that feeling like this is getting me absolutely nowhere. It's exhausting and difficult to really maintain properly, so after a while it just fades.

I don't really recommend doing that. I've been alone for a long time and nobody gives a shit about me, so I don't either anymore. You're probably (hopefully) in a much better place with life than I am, so I'd recommend finding someone you can trust who is willing to listen and talking it out with them. A problem shared is a problem halved, and all that. A lot of things feel like they're impossible to talk about and can cause more anxiety sharing than bottling up, but you might surprise yourself...or other people might surprise you. One of the two. But there's no point suffering in silence if you don't have to, and most of the time you don't have to.

Failing that, offsetting the misery by finding something you love and completely immersing yourself in it could work. A lot of anxiety comes from thinking about the future, and a lot of depression from looking back on the past. Put yourself in the present and make the present more appealing by filling it with things you like to the point that you don't have room for these other things. It takes some practice, but it's doable...provided you have things you like and enjoy, anyway.

 

[Resolve]

It was very easy for me to cope with depression because I think mine was very shallow.

You can face your depression head-on, depending on the source, recklessly like I did (I mean what good does running away do?), but I don't really recommend it. It's probably better for you to distract yourself with positivity, as hard as it may sound; learn to do it properly and it works well.

 

[Cool_Porygon]

For me it has been a very long and bumpy road dealing with both of these issues, the best I can say I learned from my experiences. While you're young, it does feel better to run away and avoid anything that seems to hard.
Maybe it was coming to terms with myself as person, not concerning myself with what everyone else says. What didn't kill me made me stronger, but I still worry about the long-term effects later in life.
While I am not a 100% happy person, at least I know I am doing my best.

 

[TY]

I usually tend to lock myself away from everything and just play video games or listen to music. I've had plenty of moments, even recent ones, where these issues came into play.

Sometimes not even that works for me but then few days later I feel better for some reason I haven't really been able to pinpoint down.

 

[gimmepie]

Find a hobby that you can invest yourself in and feel positive about. This is a good way to feel good about yourself and like you're accomplishing something and to bring some positive vibes and fun back into things. Additionally it's a great way to meet new people in an environment you're comfortable in and always have common ground to talk about something which is a great way to reduce social anxiety. it's also a good idea to seek professional help if you have recurring issues with depression or anxiety. I can't stress that last part enough.

Overall hiding in bed and avoiding your problems is never going to improve anything and I wouldn't advocate for recklessly rushing into life either because that could just result in yo crashing and falling deeper into the hole. It's important to find a balance between the two, take a proactive approach to your own treatment/recovery/other relevant term but know your limits and don't overdo it or you can set yourself waaaaay back.

 

[Midnight Umbreon]

I'm just bad st people, I'm not a people person, and I probably won't ever be, I've just learned to accept that.

now for depression that is an entirely different thing, see I like to make jokes about me crying myself to sleep every night but I realized, People get depressed when they feel they have no purpose in life. I have a purpose, I feel, and therefore don't have depression. My advice, find a purpose, a goal for life somehow, something your passionate about that could actually affect the real world. Please don't let this Offend you just giving advice, hope I help. :-D

 

[PhoenixIgnition]

Literally every single comment on this thread is helpful. Thank you all!

Enpatsu, to answer your question, I'm 25.
Currently unemployed and trying to climb back into life, very slowly.

 

[Anarchic Torchic]

Alcohol is the only way i have found to have any effect on both
I exclusively go out drunk when i do anything more than grocery shopping, it allows me to at least somewhat have a social life, kinda

My life has been almost entirely bad or neutral, so violent to the point of breaking completely
There is nothing left of me, and i will never again be able to enjoy life the way i once used to

 

[Enpatsu Shakugan]

Alcohol is the only way i have found to have any effect on both
I exclusively go out drunk when i do anything more than grocery shopping, it allows me to at least somewhat have a social life, kinda

My life has been almost entirely bad or neutral, so violent to the point of breaking completely
There is nothing left of me, and i will never again be able to enjoy life the way i once used to

I would seriously not recommend anything said here. The last thing you need is an addiction to something like that.

 

[pastelspectre]

honestly since i cannot afford therapy (i have no income and no insurance) i just talk to friends about how i am feeling, or i distract myself with things like coloring books, netflix, hulu, video games, stuff like that.

if you have any local friends i'd suggest asking to hang out with them or make plans with them, but if you are just not feeling up for that then i'd suggest what i said above. i'd hang out with local friends if i had any, but eh.

 

[LadyJirachu]

Crushing on Korrina helps me feel a lot less depressed. In fact, ever since getting into her, my default mood has been become lighter and lighter ^_^ As long as I never feel i'll lose her or anything, for like whatever reason, i'm usually a pretty chipper person now... :D

Social anxiety, uhhh, well honestly just avoiding people for awhile till i can cope with being around them better is the best thing overall. :P

 

[I-Wish-I-Was-Cubone]

I don't,I get hospitalized alot and am currently on meds and seeing a counselor.

 

[gimmepie]

Alcohol is the only way i have found to have any effect on both
I exclusively go out drunk when i do anything more than grocery shopping, it allows me to at least somewhat have a social life, kinda

My life has been almost entirely bad or neutral, so violent to the point of breaking completely
There is nothing left of me, and i will never again be able to enjoy life the way i once used to

To add to what was said earlier, Alcohol is a depressant not a stimulant and there's a good chance your dependence on booze is actually exacerbating your depression and contributing to that sense of helplessness.

I don't,I get hospitalized alot and am currently on meds and seeing a counselor.

The fact you're on meds and seeing a counselor are big steps towards getting into a place where you can cope easier. You're doing well to have made it that far, keep on trucking.

 

[Anarchic Torchic]

Well i guess it depends on the person, i dont feel bad anymore then, and become charismatic
I have no problem with alcohol, i have a problem with humans

I have a irrational fear of them, it has become so ingrained for me to think people will only hurt me
It helps me deal with that, it makes that feeling go away
Without it im pretty much in solitary confinement
I dont believe this can permanently be fixed
And so i patch myself up one day at a time, so im not bogged down by it

Id love to be able to go out whenever without fear
But that has become inconceivable to me

 

[Corrin]

I honestly just come online and make fun with friends. Or I talk to my mom about it.
I'm lucky that I have a relationship like that with my mom.

I have severe depression and other illnesses, it gets hard.

Also alcohol and drugs will only make things worse in the long run. You need to keep your coping healthy.

 

[Anarchic Torchic]

I honestly just come online and make fun with friends. Or I talk to my mom about it.
I'm lucky that I have a relationship like that with my mom.

I have severe depression and other illnesses, it gets hard.

Also alcohol and drugs will only make things worse in the long run. You need to keep your coping healthy.

I have not noticed any negative effects other than money wise, but i know its unhealthy

It just works for me now you know, you gotta figure out what works best for you
Like i said without it id refuse to go out and be stuck inside for life, if you consider that preferable be my guest

 

[Kanzler]

It's a good idea to stick to habits. For example, making breakfast, showering, doing your laundry, looking at your emails, etc. Try to do these things even if you don't feel like it.

Also, try to get out of your house. It would be good to go to a social environment, like a mall, a coffee shop, or campus. You don't have to interact with anyone if you're not feeling it, but just being present in a social environment and practicing being among people, if you will, might be a good idea. If you don't feel ready to be in a social environment, just getting out of your house and going for a walk/run would be a good idea.

In my experience, when I haven't been out for days in a row, it feels like I forget how to "be" in a public setting, and that just adds another barrier to doing things that are potentially necessary in life.

tl;dr have a baseline set of things that you do regardless of interest and get out of your house