this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2024
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Things are becoming more depressing every day and I can't afford for professionals and don't want to jump to the last resort or drugs. Is there a medicine that can make me happy if I take it in proper doses and does not require a doctor's prescription?

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[–] [email protected] 59 points 6 months ago

Vitamin D3 is a good idea, generally the recommendation is 1000 IU a day. Especially now after the winter (assuming you're in the Northern hemisphere) your vitamin D storage is probably depleted (the body needs a certain amount of UV radiation on the skin to produce vitamin D.

Regular exercise has been proven to help against depression and I think it's probably the best and most important thing you can do. While helping your depression it will also help your general health and fitness.

Eat well: lots and lots of veggies, legumes and whole grain products. If unhealthy food makes you happy, don't cut it from your diet completely. Allow yourself to eat sweets etc every once in a while and in moderation, but try to have a very healthy diet as a basis.

These things are probably hard to implement when you're depressed in the first place but I guarantee you they'll help and become easier as you go if you consistently stick to them. It takes about 66 days on average to build new habits. So if you manage to stick to it for about 2-3 months, it will become a lot easier.

Good luck!

[–] [email protected] 53 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Go on hikes through forested trails on a regular basis, no bullshit.

[–] Shady_Shiroe 17 points 6 months ago

Honestly, morning walks in the park really bring my mood up for the rest of that day.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago

This kept me sane during 2020/2021. And I didn't believe it till I tried it. Nature is awesome.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 6 months ago (9 children)

All the people saying exercise... I swear that has to vary across people. I went to the gym thrice a week for two years and hated every gd second of it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

It really does seem to very considerably. I know a guy that's addicted to running and will just do it all weekend, because he starts and doesn't want to stop. I've never gotten a buzz from physical activity of any kind.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

I've heard of the "runners' high", but even as someone who used to be very athletic, all I ever got was the "runners' 'please fucking kill me right now so I never have to do that again'".

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I was going to the gym before getting laid off. Gym helped me with my mental health.

I swear that has to vary across people.

I am sorry it didn't work out for you.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

It probably does vary to a degree, but it also needs to be the right kind of exercise for you. I always hated the gym and thought I just hated exercise, but then I discovered folk dancing. I went from never having enjoyed any sort of athletics to dancing 14 hours a week because I fell in love with it.

I didn’t notice immediate effects, but a month or two after I started, I realized that I was cooking more and staying on top of cleaning and errands much more consistently. Then the pandemic hit and I stopped dancing. I started gradually having less motivation to clean or cook. I haven’t started back up sadly, but I got an active job about a year and a half ago, and it was just like before: not until I was getting regular exercise was I really able to stay on top of things and feel like an adult.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Gym going made me uncontrollably hyper. Beat Saber has worked wonders.

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[–] NineMileTower 5 points 6 months ago

Exercise can be whatever you want it to be.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Just mentioning this because I see all the others: spicy food. Your brain makes happy chemicals to help with the pain, apparently.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago

Adrenaline and endorphins, specifically.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Exercise boosts endorphins.

Physical contact boosts oxytocin.

Sex does both.

Chocolate helps produce serotonin.

Capsaicin-heavy foods will make your body produce adrenaline and endorphins.

Caffeine is a drug but can give you a long hit of dopamine β€” but overdosing will make anxiety worse, and can fuck with your sleep cycle. It's also rapidly addictive and the withdrawal symptoms include malaise and depressive feelings.

A stable sleep cycle is A#1 for happiness, though. It won't make you happy on its own but screwing it up will make you unhappy on its own, so it's the foundation to build everything else on.

[–] Witchfire 15 points 6 months ago

Exercise boosts endorphins.

Physical contact boosts oxytocin.

Sex does both.

My body does not do any of these

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Sex does both.

I wish I had someone for that.

It won't make you happy on its own but screwing it up will make you unhappy on its own, so it's the foundation to build everything else on.

My sleep cycle is currently from 4 am to 11 am. Think I should sleep earlier? I do coding at night and surf social media during the day.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago

Medicine won't really help if you're feeling depressed due to external factors. People who feel depressed because of their life situation typically benefit more from therapy both to learn how to cope more effectively and for guidance/support on making life changes. Look for sliding scales or low/no-cost therapy options in your area

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] MycelialMass 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

15 years takin perscriptions, now a shrink like 'i dunno, maybe get a kitten'

-Aesop Rock

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago

Exercise, sauna, and completing small projects can help.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 months ago

If your emotional distress is related to inflammation then even ibuprofen can give you some relief.

As for solutions outside of pills, exercise has always been the most effective thing for me in improving my happiness.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat 16 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Vitamin D

A lot of people, especially those who don't go outside, have a vitamin D deficiency. This is especially prevalent this time of year as winter is just ending.

A lot of depression symptoms can be tied to Vitamin D deficiency. Go out and get a supplement and take it for a week, see how you feel.

[–] bookcrawler 5 points 6 months ago

Also vitamin K. Had low vit D blood work and doc upped vit D intake until we started to see side effects, still low on blood work. Added vit K, halved vit D intake and blood work is good now.

[–] cynar 13 points 6 months ago (1 children)

St Johns Wort can help. It's not as effective as prescription medication, but can help deal with mild 'low mood' type symptoms. It's comparable to the effect of a compression bandage on a joint. It will help with the equivalent of a pulled tendon, but will do next to nothing against the equivalent of a shattered elbow.

It is worth noting that there are 2 sorts of depression. Feeling sad, while unpleasant, is a lot easier to treat. It's generally caused by external stimulus. While this is harder to treat with drugs, it responds a LOT better to lifestyle changes. Basically, you need to figure out 2 things. What is making you sad, and how do you remove that effect. Implementing it can be an absolute bitch, but it's worth the effort.

The other sort of depression is proper "clinical depression". This is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It can be brought on by external stimulus, but it's not dependent on them. With this, your brain starts losing the ability to care. Motivation becomes a lot harder, and so the cost to payoff with positive activities gets worse. Internally, it's like having the chroma on a TV turned down. Everything gets muted and dull. Nothing is worth the effort required to do it. This sort of depression does need proper treatment. It's far more insidious and will grind you down. To beat it you need to change your very brain wiring. This can be done, but generally requires significant external support. If you could beat it alone, you likely wouldn't have become trapped within it.

I've experienced both. Neither are pleasant. Just keep in mind, both distort your thinking. Often, you can't fully trust your own thinking. Situations that seem impossible to cope with will just crumble when actually attacked. However, without enough motivation, you often won't even try.

An just to note, if you get to the point of intrusive, self destructive thoughts, that's when you need to seriously reach out to external help. Even if you think you can cope with them, they can send your mind spiraling downwards.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

5-HTP is a mood-regulating supplement, like a mild anti-depressant. I once took it for a year and it actually helped. But for the first week it made me more emotional. Read about it on webMD so you understand it and the risks.

But the real answer is exercise, healthy diet, and maybe vitamin D. Boring answer, I know, but the absolute best one too.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Be careful if you take MDMA or any other serotonin drug while on 5-HTP. This supplement assists the body in making serotonin, and can cause serotonin storm in rare cases when combined with party drugs.

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[–] NegativeLookBehind 10 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Vitamin D and some exercise is generally helpful for me

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Big one for me too. I notice a massive downturn in my mood when I haven't managed to stick to my exercises.

Exercise = endorphins = happy

It's works for me and makes sense that it is how our bodies have evolved to work.

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[–] GlitterInfection 10 points 6 months ago

There are lots of medicines that can help, but none of them should be taken without working with professionals.

Please be careful pf taking any medical advice from strangers on the internet that isn't "you need to talk with a licensed professional."

Even suggesting diet and exercise and vitamin D can be harmful advice under the wrong circumstances.

[–] Mrkawfee 9 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I know it sounds obvious but walking or any light cardio will do wonders for your mood. Pilates also.

[–] viralJ 10 points 6 months ago (3 children)

It's not universal though. I've been regularly doing 60-minute cardio workouts for the last 10 years or so. Not once did I experience the "runner's high". I'm pretty sure I'm an outlier though.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

If hard or traditional exercise is a problem motivation-wise or physically, you might want to try something like PokΓ©mon Go. PG uses scammy mobile game tactics, which is normally bad, but it does help with motivation. You can also try ingress (which I can’t speak to), orna (does not use scammy tactics, and is better from a privacy standpoint, but is easier to put down as a result), or something similar. Walking outside is pretty low impact and a good way to get vitamin D. I have a much easier time setting off with a couple of bottles of water, some coffee, and a battery pack for a several hour long walk or just getting out of bed and going for a walk around the block if I know I’ll get something out of it in the short term as well.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

I would say weed but im not sure thats helping, on contrary.

I want to say, try taking the sun, just go seat in a park with chill music or a book.

If you are an overthinker, try to focus only on things that you can change or have an impact.
If you cant, stop to think about it, its either "to late", or useless.
Ruminations are not good.

Im really bad on theses advices, but when i do that, thats working.
My feelings often drives me,

Identify the bad feeling, understand it, accept it, embrasse it (even external factors that you cant change), and go next.
Life is a slut in a way yeah, but you can be "the slut" too,

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

Medicine would be drugs. Unless you mean in the broad sense of the term.

For me I require a reason behind my happiness, maybe it's my autism I'm not sure, however without a foundation leading to smiles the smiles are lackluster. Just forcing myself to go outside, sit in a nice park, etc. helps place me into opportunities where I can notice things that make me happy bit by bit.
These little things add up. Being at a small time gig, of a band I haven't heard of, being around people who like the same things helps a lot.

I've wanted to see my favourite musicians, and I managed to through perseverance (Corey Taylor is an amazing human being, his outlook definitely rubbed off on me). I wanted to go to Europe, and everyone I knew kept saying "one day", so I decided that "one day" for me was going to be the next. Packed some things and went that weekend to Amsterdam, by myself, and met 3-4 people and we all hung out together for four days and we had such a connection we enjoyed ourselves so much.

If you have an inkling of places or things that would make you happy, perhaps try forcing the first step into it. It's easier said than done, though good luck man.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

Tesofensine is an antidepressant with weight loss effects that can be purchased online without a prescription for research purposes.

It's fairly expensive, usually running about $250 for a one month supply, but if you need a temporary break from your depression then it might work for you.

However, because it is a research chemical, all of the side effects of the chemical are not known and you would be taking a risk in using it even for a short period of time.

Chances are it is likely safe but there is still a risk and you have to weigh that against your mental health and your finances and the costs and difficulty associated with getting put on a traditional antidepressant prescribed to you by a competent doctor.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

Medicine is drugs.

Try 5-HTP as a supplement if you believe you have low serotonin levels for some reason. It's a precursor to Serotonin so if there is a chemical reason your body is producing insufficient amounts then it can help, alongside L-Tyrosine which is the same thing but for dopamine. CBD supplements, if actually legitimately containing CBD can have some anxiolytic properties.

Otherwise everything else is illegal.

Sorry honey, but under capitalism you're supposed to buy worthless shit to stave off the alienation and misery and uhh like drugs are bad m'kay. Go get into K-Pop or "Gadgets" instead, heard there's some hot spicy influencer drama in these! Lotta ads to watch! And remember: Don't think, just buy product and get excited for the next product.

You might consider an MDMA, DMT or LSD trip to figure out why you're unhappy.

Do not buy drugs on the street, they are shit quality for shitty prices, you will get ripped off. Don't buy from DNMs overseas, customs do not fuck around. In UK/West EU order to home as normal, in US order to non-home mailboxes, in East EU order to dead drops. Make sure to research how to stay safe, what markets to use, how to get Monero and how to use PGP and maybe Tails depending on OpSec risk appetite, I think Dread (ddg it with tor!) has a few guides for this.

EDIT: Make sure to set Tor to safest to disable JavaScript, you won't need it and it only creates threats.

Go for lower dosages and make sure to get powder for MDMA, it should be light brown in colour. Test it! MDMA is part stim, part empathogen.

For DMT: get a proper high end vape tank DMT vape with a 510 off a respected seller on a DNM and buy a proper mod - don't buy the crappy eGO style tanks/"carts". DMT is a pure psych, very shroom-esque but without the shroom common side effects like diarrhea and uncontrollable vomiting and lasts only 15 mins.

For LSD make sure to take some time off work or do it when you won't be disturbed in general, preferably for at least 48 hours, as a trip can last 12-16. I'd go for 100ug - tabs are often under dosed so go if brave go for 120ug, don't buy tabs with overly elaborate art as that can be a sign that more effort went into the marketing than anything else, but make sure to get a test kit to make sure it's not NBOME, that drug is nice as well but it's not LSD and vendors don't dose it properly which can kill you.

Other than psychs: Amphetamine and/or nicotine will make you happy generally, but unless you have ADHD the effect may be too negligible to be worth it.

If your source of unhappiness is anxiety then you can take an anxiolytic like a benzodiazepine. Do not do that.

There's also Alcohol and Opioids but these barely do anything honestly when it comes to actual happiness. I would not do THC in an unhappy state, it's like 75% anxiety and hunger.

Or you can try therapy, but that shit never worked for me, turns out the world is just shit and my life was shit as a result, taking drugs helped/helps me cope with that and I try to improve my material circumstances as much as possible, I've never really had mental health issues though I just had shit mental health due to my material conditions so YMMV and GL, the first step to fixing an issue is identifying there is an issue. Try to identify what the issue is next.

[–] LrdThndr 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Lot of jargon in this that most of us don’t understand. Dnm? Ddg? Can you explain it more clearly for us general admission ticket holders?

Also, thoughts on shrooms?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

If you rule out doctor's medicine, you'd without a doubt be talking about someone or something to console in. The last time you were happy, what were you doing?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Exercise and therapeutic carbohydrate restriction are both shone to be mood regulators.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

Not taking in carbohydrates is surprisingly correlated with good days for me. Carbohydrate days I feel unmotivated.

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