Neurogenesis Vs Depression - Part 2

If you didn't read Neurogenesis Vs Depression Part 1 
Theres the link. So heres the thing to know about recovering from depression or at least how I did.
Hard truths 
-This takes time - 3 weeks to start and maybe years to really rebuild. All depends on how much damage there is. For me I knew my brain was torn down so I made a conscious effort to rebuild it optimally.
-The things you are doing to survive are probably adding to the problem. No way to grow and shrink the brain at the same time....no way.... no third way, no cheats. Hard truth deal with it. 
-No one can do it for you 

The good news is that some of these things you can do while you are still in it. The more you do right the more you will recover. Many people are what i call institutionalized or victim people. They don't want to change they want to complain about why they can't. This is not for them. 

Also, it will effect you socially either way- 

If you start down the road to recovering from depression (a sunken or hollow brain) by growing your brain and being happy people will not know what to make of it. 
People are used to you being depressed and if you are in their life then it is probably because you are the person they think of to feel better about themselves. Not always but sometimes. This applies to spouses, friends everyone. How will you know? People will leave. They will cheat. They will find a way to keep you the same. They will consciously or subconsciously try to keep you less than. They will caution you about being too smart, too fit, too happy......and so on. Pay no attention to these people. Let them go. They never loved you or cared about you they just loved feeling better than you. Very few... ( meaning 1 person) in my life made it through my transition and this person doesn't live near me. I'm sure there are lots of people who would love to think that I'm the same old depressed mess I was in my past life. 

Ok now on to the to do list. This is in no particular order and is not everything for more ideas go to The Archive page. These are just things specific to neurogenesis and depression. 

​(see disclaimer in the footer)
Just try these things for 3 weeks - do them - just do them if you are an addict do them while your drunk or high just do them - it doesn't matter if you think they are ridiculous there is deep brain science behind all this 

-Eat fish and sea food - lots as much as you want (not fried) 
-Eat healthy fats (as much as you want)
-Go keto (eggs, bacon, beef, butter ect)
-Stop sugar all forms the less the better
-Move - any type of movement, exercise or  other wise
-Get nature and natural light - as much as possible
-Get your bare feet on the earth 
-Take cold showers or get cold
-Stop looking at screens without blue blocking glasses 
-Intermittent fasting - eat in a small window start where you can and go from there try to get to a 6 hour window
-Take lions mane mushoom (I recommend mushroom wisdom)
-Take lithium oritate (advanced research)
-Sleep ....but wake up in the morning and look at the sun (not through a window) before you look at your phone 
-Meditate - (even iof its only for 5 min) 
-Deep breathing (even if its only for five minutes
-Try to stop or reduce addictive substances 
-Eat lots of dark chocolate but nothing below 70% better if you tough it out and eat 100% or 90% I make my own savory chocolate 

Anything that boosts neurogenesis will off set depression. The more you learn anything the better your brain will be. So if you have any interest start there. if not get interested in finding interests. Try things see what sticks. I now have such along list of things to learn about that I don't have any time to be depressed or to have those old addictions I used to struggle with. 

I plan on doing a Part 3 to this series so stay tuned. Please share with anyone you know struggling form depression or getting a benefit from SSRI's as they will benefit even more if they had these behaviors and routines in. 

The real key - 
Constantly say What If (even if its a what if things get worse you can spin it because they haven't gotten worse yet) and say Then What? keep following it and before you know it things will cycle back. Everything in the universe in cycles. (nothing lasts forever just sometimes its a very long time which lets us learn the only lesson that can remove power from death....patience)
Just remember that the more time you spend forcing your brain to challenge and battle closed negative thinking the more your brain will grow and every battle matters. Look for the excuses. 
I go excuse hunting in my mind I search myself for the thoughts I am afraid of and challenge them. I don't always win but I am now standing in my mind like a bloody samurai with dignity instead of a weak little bitch like I was just bowing down to any difficult thought that I couldn't handle. 

Maybe your heros aren't really brave at all maybe they are just acting like their heros. Act like yours. 

Make this a good story. The only reason depression exists is to give us something to conquer. I'm not grateful I had it.