Depression and boredom (how to cope with it)

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I feel very little energy so the things I can do during the day are very limited. For example, today I heard music (NWOBHM bands), I can´t even read some of the posts here on WrongPlanet, because I can´t focus. I also bought some interesting books about science and I´m eager to read them but can´t focus in order to read them (due to the depression). I also can´t practice sports because I feel too tired. Living like that is very limited and boring. I wonder if someone have ever had a similar experience with depression and what he/she did about it. My parents are supportive and I go to occupational therapy and "normal" therapy that helps a little. I´m also digging up some heavy metal bands from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal from the 80´s like Saxon, Girlschool, Def Leppard, Raven, Tygers of Pan Tang, Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Jaguar, Quartz, Witchfinder General, Tokyo Blade and Samson. I wonder if I would have time for all that if I was feeling ok! Sometimes I think I´m in a prision of some kind! I also have this feeling that I´m never going to recover.

I´m one med away from Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). However, I´m not afraid of it anymore. In fact I think that it might be the only thing that could cure me from the depression.

It doesn't seem like continuing to avoid physical activity would help you get over this lack of energy. I've been told that too much rest inactivity can actually make that problem worse, so maybe you should try to gradually work your way up to that sports practice you mentioned? If Wikipedia is to be believed, exercise can actually have a more positive effect than antidepressants, so it could be worthwhile to find somewhere nice and green nearby for long walks or something. All this is assuming there isn't some type of medical reason for your exhaustion that I'm missing, of course.

+1 for exercise. When I was younger, I would go through long depression spells. My therapist started me on xanax, which I took for a while, but I developed an extreme dislike for meds and quit taking them. It wasn't until later that I discovered the benefits of exercise through long bike rides due to feelings of running away from my family.

Through the years, I've come to learn that I have to do something physical at least 3 times a week; otherwise, I become lethargic and depressed from being neck deep into my studies for days on end. Exercise keeps me healthy, gives me energy, balances my depression/ moods, and comes with the added benefit of getting smiles from beautiful women on occasion (which doesn't hurt).

It's hard for me to find physical activities that will get me away from my desk and keep my interest; however, some that I keep going back to are bike riding, lifting weights, running, and exploring the mountains around me on foot. Team sports aren't my preference, but having a friend or family member that stops by and encourages you out of the house for shooting hoops or something might be a great start. Best of luck.

I'll put in another vote for exercise. When I was your age (27 or 28 ) I started walking a little. The first few nights, I would take a walk around the block after dinner. Then it got longer... A mile or so. I gained energy and began to lose some weight. I kept it up and while I occasionally slack off, I often do a 2.5 mile walk at night and bike 25 or 30 miles on weekends with plenty of energy to spare.

The key is to keep pushing yourself to do a little more, but not so much that you wipe yourself out. It can be temping to overdo it. You have to build yourself up otherwise you can do more damage than good.

But even very light, easy exercise like walking can do a huge amount for your energy and mood.

Good luck.

I vote for the outside, too. Not even necessarily "exercise" at first... I just get out in the fresh air with a book, even if I can't read for very long I just keep it on my lap. Just the lack of walls around me seems to loosen something up inside. I prefer sitting outside in the evening, my favorite time of day. But there have been spells when I would go out in the middle of the night, when it was quiet & dark.

I've found that eventually I'll start to putter in my garden, pull a weed here, water a bit, etc. After a while, I'll be spending the whole morning out in my garden... starting new projects, planting & harvesting.

There's more & more evidence all the time on the importance of Vit. D to mental health... getting out in the sun for brief periods would boost the Vit. D levels. Might want to check on taking a supplement, too. I've started & it seems to help a bit.

Those two things, and patience... in my experience, depression will eventually pass (though it may be months) and curiosity & interest return it I just keep faith with myself.

How severe is your depression?

If it's mild or moderate depression, St John's Wort may help. It's said to be "Nature's Prozac". You don't need a prescription for it, however you have to avoid alcohol, certain medications and certain foods. You'll get vivid dreams from it though.

I dunno if this applies to you, but boredom and apathy may also be a factor to depression. When I'm feeling a bit down, I try to help other people online so I can feel a bit better about myself and reaffirm my value of self worth. I go to Yahoo! Answers and answer questions about Asperger Syndrome and other things.

Electroconvulsive Therapy apparently is very effective in treating strong depression, but you lose your memory...

another vote for exercise
if you can find some form of exercise which you can put your mind to and consumes some time and energy

cycling works for me and has never failed me so far

easy to get my mind off the depressing issues of my life/AS
and just focus on the bike, road and how my fitness is feeling

being a serious cyclist also I can tweak my fitness and actually see the results of change, wish I could do that about my AS

Depression puts a bad view on things.

You could try mindfulness, effectively living in the present moment... if you feel depressed and bored, you may find you think a lot about things and get very little done.

Preserving your mental energy means anything is much more possible and less pressured, and it is possible to do a lot even if depressed but do not do that to yourself - try to lift the mood. Mindfulness - living in the present, if you find you think a lot at times, and perhaps some meditation - meditation can be about not thinking during meditation but it can also be about a guided journey. There are many techniques.

Also, perhaps a list... although I struggle with lists myself but every individual is different.

Best of fortune. You will get out of depression.

Meditation helps with both for me.

Personally I recommend listening to music with a good, complex and uplifting rhythm. My personal favorites for this are 'Drumbone' and 'Rods and Cones' by Blue Man Group. As well as this, try getting into a MMO such as WoW, or even better, Second Life, where you can get rid of your boredom by undertaking building projects with your friends. Another good game for this is Garry's Mod, but only use GMod 10, as no other versions have servers running. Of course if building isn't your forte, try some decent team based games like Left 4 Dead, and vary the action a little by downloading some custom made maps for the campaigns. The amount of laughs and energy you can get from playing L4D's campaign mode with 4 friends are endless, as some of the maps have endless replay values. Or, if you wish, look up some of your favorite comedians on YouTube, or some of the funnier videos on there. My personal favorite for this is Kilplixism's channel, where he showcases various clips from Left 4 Dead and the Battlefield games, which often contain a lot of funy moments that can uplift the most depressed person.
Hope these ideas help!