What do you do to feel better?

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When I am awake I try to consume every second of my day trying to keep my mind off bad thoughts, but it doesn't always work. I don't really need all that though, nor do I need medicine or counsiling, all I need and have ever needed is someone to be there for me to reasure me everythings alright and that they love me.. Which probably sounds rediculous but it would do the trick I'm sure of it. And theres totally a word for that but naturally I can't think of it w/e >>

Read, play video games, sleep, eat ice cream, pet the cat... anything to escape reality.

Even more alcohol. Polish off a bottle of bourbon, start on a few scotch, brandy and rum.
Helps, for me.

When I'm feeling down I either:
Listen to music for hours on end
Dance like no ones watching
Make random noises
Do something artistic in photoshop
Sing horribly
Drink (generally don't resort to this unless its necessary)
Play video games
Have a shower and mess around with really hot water

Sit down, take some time to calmly examine your current situation. Work out exactly what is causing your current hardship - if it is too complicated or you can't find the main cause, find something that contributes to it greatly. Work out a course of action to overcome this factor in you life. Develop a clear goal and a well thought out plan to work towards that goal. Then set off on a journey to overcome the problem, always remaining calm, remembering that you are now in control of the situation and you are going to make things better by following your plan.

Oh, sorry, the question was what do I do...

I basically just ignore the problem and distract myself until the problem becomes insummountable and wrecks my life in some way.

That's what I do. You shouldn't do that.

Physical exercises, music, writing stories and reading help me.

I wait.

Even though I don't try this myself you might want to seek out compliments from others. I see that on WP with appreciation threads. I guess people do it to feel better.
I don't think it would make me feel better, just kind of strange. What helps me is going for a drive, being in motion, moving, studying, writing, listening to music.
Dwelling on depressing topics and issues in my life tend to make me feel worse.

Great taste in science and great taste in alcohol. Cheers!
I'm not really much of a drinker anymore though.

When I feel like that I need some space and I usually prefer to be alone. It often helps to be able to talk about my problems with someone (through e-mail/messenger/forums, not face to face).

It comforts me to be with animals (be it playing with a pet, going to an animal shelter to help out or going to zoo to watch the animals). Listening to music is good too.

Someone I know made a "mental first aid" box for herself and it helped her. Just find some small box and put some things in it that are likely to cheer you up when you're feeling down. For example you could put there something nice that someone wrote to you/about you or something that reminds you of something you are proud of. You could use a photo of someone you love, a CD with music that usually cheers you up, a souvenir that brings back good memories or whatever else you can think of that might help you feel better. Keep this box somewhere in your home and when you're feeling really down open it and have a look at what's in it.

Sometime when I was really depressed I had to go through some of my stuff because I was moving it somewhere. I found a bunch of old letters and cards and started reading some of them. I realized they were full of nice comments people had written to me at some point. I had forgotten all about them, but reading all this again really made me feel better, because it reminded me that other people valued me and it brought back a lot of good memories too.

Writing things down can help, or telling someone if you can.

Getting it all out of your head is the goal. It works for all kinds of disorders too. If I dont get my thoughts out of my head, it seems like all those words are just swirling around in my mind, and i cant quit thinking about my problems. If i get them out, i find i may actually deal with them, if i can affect them. If not, i still feel better just having it out for the time being. Some things come back over and over...but i rid myself of the thoughts by sharing them, and feel better for awhile.

Eating right, sleeping right, and excercise are supposed to help, but, i do none of those.

If loneliness is part of the cause, and it often is, then you have to find a way to make connections. I had been a visitor here a while back, and i came to combat my depression and hopefully help others, but i had to leave to overcome the depression. I did some radical things to fight it, havent beat it yet, but work daily to stay out of the bottom of the bottle i call depression. I just keep trying to climb out.

I do my best conversation with cashiers. I've become friends with a lady at the Shell station, because i went there every morning just to get out of my house for longer than ten minutes. Turns out she suffers with depression and not eating too...perhaps no one is normal except that it is normal to have challenges in ones life to overcome. I have long tried to make friends, but seem to be unable to keep them. And it may be my inability to not share everything that stands in my way. I think i make people uncomfortable by making them think about things no one wants to talk about, unless they are willing to admit they have problems and need help too.

tygereyes

Absolutely - this always makes me feel better. I give them a big smile & ask about their day. Also, I like to interact with restaurant workers - it seems to brighten their day & that makes me feel good. Service people tend to remember me as the one with the smile (and they seem to go out of their way to serve me better - it's a win-win.)

I laughed when I read this because service workers are the ones who try their best to talk to me in a nice way and I just mumble cliched small talks at them in response, plus I rarely look at them, just look down at the change I am finding to pay for my stuff.
It's not like I want to be rude, guess I am trying to concentrate on paying for my things.
Restaurant workers are alright but if they are too friendly they make me nervous.

Hi Greentea!

I truly can't remember a time in my life that depression hasn't been a constant companion. I can't speak for others & what they do, I think it's a very individualistic thing as far as what things work to ease the blues. One of the things that is a great mood lifter for me is listening to Irish music. I think maybe it's due to all the oppression I went through early in my life well into adulthood, Irish music just resonates for me. The jigs & reels work the best. They're very energetic & lift the depression, at least for a while. Another thing is creativity. Whether it's going out on a photography excursion, editing pictures at home, or just drawing or painting, those things help me too. I am not a good people person due to all the things that have happened to me in life. I find I just have a very difficult time trusting...good thing I don't mind being alone! I also enjoy reading. Not just books or magazines these days, but the internet is a wealth of interesting places to discover. I feel like I have the best library right at home! Another favorite activity is just observing any wildlife or watching dogs at play. Also physical activity....some of which I pay dearly for afterwards because my body just doesn't recover the same way anymore.

Those are some things that can help me with depression. Hopefully, you'll discover something that works for you!

If you are lonely, you have to start somewhere, because only another person can cure the very essence of lonliness. I was very lonely as a child, but my mom, who is bi-polar, never met a stranger. Watching her behavior made me comfortable enough with the idea to try it myself when i was older, and not drinking...i am an older person, and alcohol did make me able to converse, though i would not say anyone was appreciative of my absolute honesty, and behavior drinking could be atrocious. I do not drink, and havent for a very long time. When i quit, i had to learn to communicate without a crutch...i wish i'd just done that to begin with, but, it did give me some skills and the fear of being humiliated was eased, as i'd done that drunk many times. When i quit drinking, i began with what i learned from my mother. I agree with the comment that people are always nice to the person who is nice to them. It is self rewarding with the right cashiers:0).

I continue to put myself out there to find friends...sometimes, it's just humilating because i do not know why it doesnt work for me. I made a male friend recently, who i hope if it goes awry, will be able to be honest and answer the question with a rational answer..."what do i do wrong, exactly?"

tygereyes

Just reading this thread made me feel a lot better.

tygereyes, my heart goes out to you because I feel the same way. I've no idea why it doesn't work for me. And you remind me there was a time when I had decided to become friends only with people who I thought would give me a rational explanation of "WHY?" when they (inevitably) left. I never got a rational answer, though.

tomboy, we like similar things. I also like to go on a photographing tour, edit the photos, watch dogs at play, read on the internet. Those are the things I do when I'm depressed. But not even those are working now...

Amik, the idea of the mental first aid kit is awesome! I'm starting one as of now! I'll also put in it a small notebook to write nice things people say about me and things I'm proud of.