I'm a depressaholic
I haven't had a serious or significant bout of the crippling anxiety and subsequent depression I used to suffer regularly; not for a miraculous few decades now. However, I still consider myself very vulnerable to depression. I remind my self of that and do everything I can to avoid 'going there.'
FWIW, I keep busy with one or more of my acquired hobbies and make certain that I go to those before I tinker and toy with emotions like despair, anxiety, or self-doubt. Among those, I like flower gardening, taking photographs, low impact hiking through wooded parks and easy climbs to stone outcrops. I play guitar, write, and listen to music.
Oh, yes . . . my bed and bedroom is OFF-LIMITS for worrying or despair over the day-to-day challenges or difficulties. Just as a rule, off-limits. That does the trick for me, as it's become an essential habit.
Now, I'm in no way suggesting that these techniques should be or could be adopted by someone else and lead to decades free from bouts of depression. They might, but I know well that depression isn't that simple. This is just an insight into my own life which I hope can help in some anecdotal or experiential way.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I sure as shit don't want to be an annoying dilettante posting in this important and needed forum. I just had an impulse to share.
I really was subject to some crippling episodes of anxiety. Turns out, I'd been dealing with them most of my childhood. Of all things, I read a quite summary article about anxiety, and the first paragraph said that just recognizing WHAT was happening to me would be a huge step towards dealing with the rush of emotions and negative thoughts.
I know it sounds simplistic -- and in reality it IS too simplistic to be considered adequate therapy for serious depression -- but it takes constant reminding and talking to oneself to avoid making those self destructive turns toward all of the negativity and self-criticism and doubt that can positively overwhelm.
I also have a chemical balance that I am mindful of. It's almost impossible to maintain a perfect chemical balance through diet and such, but it certainly helps to understand that a lot of the emotions one experiences can be influenced greatly by our actual physical health.
Oh, and the ups and downs . . . it helps if you can recognize the inevitable ups and downs in our mood which is controlled and triggered by our diet and our nutrition needs. We use our dopamine for EVERY emotion. The same release of the chemical by our brain for anger and sadness as it is for joy and excitement. Why do we keep going there . . .? Because we're looking for that chemical release (which is just as available for joy as it is for the more destructive and deteriorating emotions we experience).
. . . just my two (or three) cents, Denninmi. Thanks for reading along 
