Hey Pandas, What Helped You Get Through Your Depressive Episodes In Life?

My cats. As morbid as this sounds, when things get really bad, I can talk myself down by thinking, "not while the cats are still alive. You have to take care of them. You can't off yourself until they're both gone."

I was married for 16 years, had the tickbox life: pretty wife, two cute kids, nice house in a nice village, good job, etc. Then it all came crashing down.

I lost my job due to cutbacks at the same time that my wife was doing her masters degree (medical). After a lot of calculating and deliberation we decided together I would put my career on hold and stay home to look after the kids while she completed that.

A year later my IT skills were redundant, looking after 2 children full-time had worn me down, and my wife had met someone else at her place of work. Since my wife was a medic, she saw that I was growing more and more miserable and so she recommended anti-depressants.

I was on them for 2 years, still looking after kids, still looking for work but I was no longer qualified to do anything I had done before. Deeper and deeper I spiralled into that dark place. My wife then issued me with divorce papers.

She was a medical consultant by then and started raking in cash from her huge salary. She wanted a new life with her new man and I was just surplus to her requirements. She sued for custody of the kids, and since I had no job she won. The anti-depressants were doing nothing and I was having very bleak thoughts at that stage.

By complete chance, via friends I met a woman who had been through a similar experience with her husband. We connected immediately. A month later I was off anti-depressants and living in a new home with this amazing person.

Twelve years later we are blissfully happy; married, live in a new country, and my children are grown and absolutely love visiting us (and get on so well with my new wife). I have never been happier.

So, I guess all of that boils down to the fact that I stuck it out, worked through my depression, but most importantly of all I met the perfect person to enhance my life instead of break me down.

Seems like there's always light at the end of every black tunnel. Never give up, keep going, and believe that things can only get better.

It’s an old boring answer but trust me, it works: diet and exercise.

Let me explain. When the COVID lock-downs hit, I tanked. I’m not a homebody, and I genuinely enjoy working. The sudden isolation hit me hard, and I struggled.

Eventually, I decided to take control where I could. I changed my diet to mostly organic foods with very little grain or sugar. I also committed to regular workouts on my rowing machine.

I did not start off doing an hour a day. In the beginning, it was just 20 minutes three times a week, and even that felt like a lot. But I stayed with it. Now I row for an hour four days a week and I do it religiously.

I am 63, weigh 150 pounds, and I am in better mental and physical shape than I have been since my twenties.

Music really helped with me

A parrot 🦜😊

I had functional depression. I used to work like hell, but acted normally and made people laugh to raise their spirit. So everybody thought I was funny and cool. Inside, I was screaming and nobody seemed to notice. I tried to talk to some people but they all brushed me off.
Volunteering helped for a while, but I fell into savior's complex, draining myself (and my resources) to help others.

Then a got a baby parrot. (I love birds and always wanted a pet parrot). I had to put aside all my struggles, because when a colorful ball of feathers wants something NOW (food water, treats, attention), there's no way you can ignore it 😄.

Looking back now, the little feathered dude saved my life. Step by step, I started putting things in order in my life. Gave up alcohol, went to gym, lost weight, got into therapy. Paid all my debts including my apartment's mortgage. Got promoted so I can spend more time at home.

And while my family or "friends" don't seem interested in these struggles, the little guy is always waiting for me at home, showing his pure joy and affection. Thank you, Mango.

Bob's Burgers. 100%.

This is going to sound so pathetic but here it is. I've always wanted to be an actress. When I get very depressed I pretend I'm simply acting in a movie, just playing a part. I know it's not real, but it does help me face whatever the situation may be.

Having faith it will pass. I've always pictured life as a Ferris wheel, sometimes you're going up and everything is great...and sometimes you're descending and everything is awful. But you gotta hang on, because eventually the wheel will turn again.

Once, very long time ago, I decided that I wanted to see how things played out rather than ending it - from 18yo to 76ypo and I am still finding out

Finishing high school and escaping the a b u s e.

Antidepressants and time, while in psychotherapy. It took me a very long time (as i see it), but I am better now - not fully out of the woods, but still better

I'm not gonna lie.. Shrek 2.. I watched it on repeat

During the worst part of my depression some years back, the one thing that kept me going was a planned TV show of one of my favorite books. I was like ‘I can’t check out until I have seen that show’. Sadly, the show was a casualty of the pandemic and never happened. But by then, I had recovered fully. :)

My wife
My kids
My sister and her family
My dad
Music
Long drives
Cooking
and realizing that there are people out there who have life alot harder than ever did

Just having someone to talk to who who loves you unconditionally. But that can be hard. so in the mean time, binging The Office or Superstore

My kids. My two kids were 11 & 14 when their mum, my wife, suddenly passed away from a fatal heart attack. I had to handle my depression with professional counseling and medication for their sake. I realised afterwards, it was for my sake as well, of course, but at the time I was telling myself to get through it all so they can continue their schooling and life as normal as possible under the circumstances. Juggling being a full time single parent and full time work was tough, looking back. I don't know how I did it all, but my kids held me together every day.

Playing drums, taking up guitar. Taking my dog for walks

Listening to my favorite band (Green Day). For some reason Billie Joe's voice is soothing.

Volunteering. I was made redundant and my self-esteem was pretty low after not working for about six months - not helped by my (now ex) partner telling me constantly I was useless for not finding a job (for which, read - not earning money to spend on her, despite her £30k job, well above average for 1991) in the middle of a recession. I then volunteered to work in a charity shop - I was 30 at the time and most of the staff were retired ladies, so as well as giving me a reason to get up and leave the house, I got an ego boost from being the only "young man" on the staff. It meant it was less of a shock when I finally started work after 18 months out.

My hamster. I got a dwarf hamster as it was the most suitable pet for where I was living at the time. That little nutcase gave me so many laughs and gave me a reason to keep going. Had several more dwarf hamsters after the first one and all of them were super cute with their own personalities. Just knowing that I had to keep something else alive helped hugely to keep going.