doing exercise, painting, listening to music, keeping yourself busy definitely help, no doubt about it.

but the real solution is dealing with whatever is bringing you down, there's no other way.

Nowhere in particular, other than school and work. School is fine, work is a drag, etc;

You know what's always a pick-me-up? Harry Potter. And good weather. How's the weather where you are? I'm so pumped for spring I can't even tell you. The weather has been getting much nicer in Missouri. Though it did snow the other day, go figure.

My dad has a hammock at his house. I would recommend a hammock if you haven't already switched over to the Gilligan's Island way of life. But really, aren't hammocks the greatest? Someone please back me up on this.

I have been going with this shit for the last two weeks. But I feel I am making an effort to change it by, doing what I want. As to being afraid of dying, just live life, because eventually we will die.

i absolutely think the answer is exercise. and not just leisurely walks. hardcore working out. it really does fix it.

that said *kills self*

read this:



It made me feel a bit better when I was down and out.

good call-- i haven't read it-- but one of the few answers here that make sense besides mine :p

Good suggestions thus far. As Rob wrote, let your mind empty itself. Walking, painting, playing music...all these things help.
So does a sensible diet and some meditation.

I haven't read the Dalai Lama's book, nor do I expect I ever will, but I have read, I imagine, a fair amount of the source material he bases whatever advice he gives that is sound.

On the subject of anything remotely resembling or approaching everlasting human happiness, however, I affirm the words of Fyodor Dostoevsky who uttered the simple truth, which is:

"Perhaps we are not meant for happiness."

Dostoevsky valued his sufferings though; his work certainly reflects it.
Like many of us, he self-willed a lot of them upon himself to be sure.

And, on that somber note, I'll leave you with an attempt to cheer you up with the Denis Leary routine (in a somewhat topical vein) from No Cure For Cancer:

God.. "I'm just not happy. I'm just not happy. I'm just not happy because my life didn't turn out the way I thought it would." Hey! Join the fucking club, ok!? I thought I was going to be the starting center fielder for the Boston Red Sox. Life sucks, get a fucking helmet, allright?! "I'm not happy. I'm not happy." Nobody's happy, ok!? Happiness comes in small doses folks. It's a cigarette, or a chocolate cookie, or a five second orgasm. That's it, ok! You cum, you eat the cookie, you smoke the butt, you go to sleep, you get up in the morning and go to fucking work, ok!? That is it! End of fucking list! "I'm just not happy." Shut the fuck up, allright? That's the name of my new book, "Shut the Fuck Up, by Doctor Denis Leary. A revolutionary new form of therapy." I'm gonna have my patients come in. "Doctor, I.." "Shut the fuck up, next!" "I don't feel so.." "Shut the fuck up, next!" "He made me feel so much better about myself, you know? He just told me to shut the fuck up and nobody had ever told me that before. I feel so much better now." Whining fucking maggots.

I got yr "intriguing encounter between East and West" hangin'...

I usually just cut my thighs.

ouch--

how was yr brthday btw? and did you like the crabs? :D


hah, luxy, you dont' need backup, but i DO have a hammock & i LOVE IT. i use it with a pillow, a large bookbag, and a pitcher of lemonade with lots of ice; then i start to read, fall asleep in 20 minutes, the lemonade warms up & the pillow is on the ground when i wake up, but it's pure pleasure, i love it. my neighbor just hanged one outside her house and i'm going to test it as soon as i can.

chain smoke and drink lots of coffee or go bowling

Swim (assuming that you can). The repeated actions required for swimming can put you in an almost meditative state and help clear the brain (albeit only temporarily) of all the crap that is going on in there. Also it stimulates the production of endorphins.

And I second the TV thing. The majority of TV just pumps negative images into your mind. And as far as music goes, I wouldn't ban it when sleeping, just be selective in what you have playing.

That with swimming is absolutely true. Swimming does clear all negative things out of my head every time I do it, and I know what I'm talking about - I've been involved in quite serious depression lately.

Also jogging is fine, but not as great as a good swim.

Joga works (put on some ambient and meditate for half an hour and things will look brighter).

A walk in the fresh air works.

Smell of blooming trees helps (thank God it's spring again).

Avoid cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine. Those things are of no help when you feel like shit.

Well I would have said drinking. And don't avoid caffiene! Makes me feel better always!

caffeine makes depressive people even more anxious.

I'm sorry to hear that, crypto.

My stress relievers:
Cigarettes
Kava Kava
Ganj

and formerly:
Alcohol

to supress my depression and anxiety, i started eating food during the day, like breakfast and lunch. I also stopped going to bed so late.

I believe there's some kind of link between fat intake and mood - too much/too little can cause mood swings and depression, but I can't remember which.

Aside from that, what's wrong with prescription drugs? If you're changing your life habits to achieve "happiness," that's induced too, isn't it?

I like pills. They're easy.

yeah bad fats (pork, mutton) will fuck up your chemistry, good fats (olive oil, *cough* nuts, fish) are good for your nervous system.

on the hm pill question im ambivalent. on the one hand they are good for emergencies (i've taken them), on the other hand they don't change the way a person thinks about themselves, which i believe is the root of depression. but of course im not a shrink.

--
editor's note: i'm using "themselves" as the 3rd person genderless pronoun

sing! that cheers you up. no matter what you sing. and move, talk to people, do something.

Crypto; World of fucking Warcraft.