Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I've known people that have taken antidepressants when they were really just sad because their girlfriend left them or a family member died and they were like zombies till a few weeks after they stopped taking them. But, I've also known people that were actually depressed and they were definitely in much better shape within a couple weeks of going on antidepressants.

Anytime someone takes medication to help with a problem they don't have, weird shit can happen. During the 90's so many people that didn't need them were taking antidepressants and that is where a lot of this garbage about them being bad or unnecessary comes from.

Thanks for all the recommendations, and I agree with most that's been said..

Working out helps. - I know. Been doing that throughout last summer, but couldn't get myself to do anything that gets close to sport for months now.

I am not the kind of person who just surrenders and says "I give up. Now I'll take antidepressants and everything will be fine just by that." I fight hard. On some days I need to fight to just get out of bed, on other days I can concentrate on going further towards my goals, instead of just making sure that I at least get up, eat healthily and put on clean clothes. I know it sounds ridiculous, and I know that anybody who hasn't experienced it won't understand it, but on some days.. Just that will take a lot of fighting.

I take walks, I'm trying to get out as much as possible, I eat healthily, I take Vitamin D... It's just not enough.

It's not a situational depression. I've been fighting depression since I was 10 years old. More than once have I found myself wishing for nothing but death. More than once, I tried to reach that "goal".

Apparently, I'm still here, although I'm not always happy about that.

Anyway, I didn't mean to be whiny.. I just wanted to say, that I'm not taking antidepressants because "a boyfriend left me" or because I've lost a job etc. I've been literally dealing with this for half of my life..

So, everybody.. I'm not a friend of medications either. (No matter if it's antidepressants or anything else..) But I'm at a point where it's necessary to..

Keep taking care of yourself and fighting julia!

Thanks for the support, I will!

Hi. I have the same issue actually. I have just recently chosen not to take my antidepressants and instead do meditation and yoga. My antidepressants cause a lot of annoying side effects though so the choice was easier for me to go off them because of that. It is hard some days when I get really down but I still feel better not talking them. I hope this has helped a little bit. It is a frustrating situation to be in.

Kat xoxo

I have also suffered depression most my life. Just thought I would add that so you feel less alone

Kat xoxo

I've been taking them for almost 3 weeks now. I'm slowly starting to feel more stable. I definitely don't want to take them forever, but I feel that it's necessary at the moment. I rather deal with some annoying side-effects, than risk my life.. So that's why I've decided to take them for now.
I meditate as well!

I wish you all the best, and keep up the fight

julia i think you should try out indoor tanning ! i'd like to hear if it positively affects your mental health !

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5',7-1/2" ; 150-155lbs ; white male
weight gain goal: 170lbs

I appreciate the advice, but I'd rather not tan because of the risk of skin cancer

skin cancer is actually caused by diet, and tanning (linked to high levels of vitamin D ) has been shown to shrink melanoma, improve mood and boost metabolism, and reduce risk of prostate and breast cancer by 60% . Let's get educated by ourselves, not the cancer industry or government who stands to get rich off of dying sick and unhealthy people !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_China_Study_(book)
pick up this book, and get the facts about vitamin D and regular sun exposure... 15 minutes a day natural sunlight, and if it's the winter/fall go indoor tanning, but you don't need as long or as frequent because it's more pure/intense UVA and UVB.
For someone so concerned about their depression and how it controls your life, you really seem to be locked into a 'im helpless' mindset. It shocks me to hear that someone who's looking for solutions to their problems won't explore all the possible solutions ! Everybody has problems, that's a given, and no one is perfect either including me.

BTW, would you really think that I'm using my free time on this forum to spread dis-information and waste your time and mine ? If you really are so concerned about 'risks' then look into anti-depressants which increase the 'risks' of suicidal tendencies.
It comes down to your choice, have a nice day

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5',7-1/2" ; 150-155lbs ; white male
weight gain goal: 170lbs

2097, congrats on being educated about anti-depressants
Now back to the disagreement:
Natural sunlight is potentially more dangerous than pure UVB/A from tanning beds, because of x-rays, beta, and gamma ... if you wear really concerned about skin cancer caused by the sun you should know about that already.
Your body will protect itself from cancer given a whole foods, plant based diet with adequate vitamin D. source: the china study
Given the fact that despite all ancient mummies from 10,000 years ago have no cancer in them...
http://rt.com/news/blogs/contrarian-vie ... or-cancer/
and that these people spent all day in the sun with a natural diet despite having signs of severe anaemia and hemolytic disorders...

I really don't want to embarrass anyone else in this thread, but if you insist I will just start citing more sources, peer reviewed studies and references... spare yourself the grief of looking silly online !

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5',7-1/2" ; 150-155lbs ; white male
weight gain goal: 170lbs

As I've said a few posts before: If my depression had to do with a Vitamin D deficiency, it should be gone during the summer, when I spend a lot of time outside. Also, I am taking Vitamin D in the winter together with my B12.

I am aware of the risks of antidepressants. And yes, especially with the one I take, the risk for suicide within the first weeks of treatment with those under 25 is increased. But that's why I go to the psychiatrist regularly, and also have the opportunity to go there additionally whenever I feel the need to.

I appreciate the information you've shared, but since I don't have seasonal depression, I don't see tanning as a possible solution.

That's right! Avoid petro-chemical derived cosmetic products if possible. I only use natural soap. Sunscreen actually will give you cancer rather than protect you.
Also on the subject of good bacteria, a natural birth vs c-section... natural births provide the flora required to develop healthy gut bacteria to fight off degenerative and auto-immune diseases, while c-section births have been linked to more problems in life (can't get too specific here until I look up original article )

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5',7-1/2" ; 150-155lbs ; white male
weight gain goal: 170lbs

But it's the winter, and you're still depressed. Not to mention you're willfully ignoring the wide array of studies and data that overwhelmingly shows links between sun exposure and mental health benefits. For someone who's desperate for solutions, and yet you're not exploring all the avenues available to you, is in a way a sign of mental illness.

Synthetic vitamin D cannot be absorbed by the body at the large requirements one requires when there is a nutrient/vitamin/mineral/hormone deficiency going on (which is all depression is really) and UV radiation exposure in amounts that don't cause you to sunburn will produce 4-5 times the amount of vitamin D that is considered unsafe to take orally.



http://www.healingtherapies.info/sunlight&vitamind.htm

Furthermore, what I'm reading from that webpage is again backed up and sourced in The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell

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5',7-1/2" ; 150-155lbs ; white male
weight gain goal: 170lbs

Also if you shave your underarms or even better get electrolysis, the odor causing bacteria that accumulate in the long underarm hairs will have no place to hang out anymore

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5',7-1/2" ; 150-155lbs ; white male
weight gain goal: 170lbs