baby steps.
If you have been depressed for so long that "being happy" is a memory, instead of how you feel, then you have to understand that change will take some time. This is something that might take a year to fix. Possibly ten years. The point is for you to do what it takes to make the change.
Music is such a powerful part of our world. It is the closest thing to magic here on earth. Keep that close to you. It's a good thing. Even if it makes you more depressed sometimes, always cherish it for what it does. Maybe it's time for you to broaden your musical palette. Listen to music that you usually don’t listen to in a given day. For myself, I alternate seasonally between rock, classic rock, electronica, and occasionally rap. I never listen to any too of those in a given month. It’s weird. Never turn away from music. It is a good thing.
As for the exercise, it will probably take 1-2 months before you feel the effect that throwingks talking about. It will take time and patience, but it does work. Also, exercise goes hand in hand with diet. Stay away from caffeine, because it is a known cause of depression. Second eat more fish. Fish contains (!science stuff warning!) omega 3 fatty acid. This is proven to help develop the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is used to control mood. This is also what anti-depressants try to do.
For girls, there’s always hope. My advise, just be patient. Sooner or later one will just fall in your lap. The trick is to know how to keep her.
Meditation should really be thought of as relaxation. Seriously just dedicate 30 minutes and sit in a chair. Clear your mind of all thoughts, and concentrate on your breathing. Concentrate on your blood circulation. Concentrate on the sound of the floor settling or cars driving by. The point here is to, free your mind from all its distractions so it can work better. It’s kinda like defragmenting your hard drive, or clearing your cache.
If you’re thinking about meds, you should know, that all they do is take the edge off. They don’t solve any of your problems. They won’t make you happy. They won’t change who you are. All they do is take the edge off so the little thing won’t bug you as much. You have control of your dosage, so if it’s too much, you can always back off a little. You should also know that they take 4-6 weeks to “kick in”. Once again, patience.
You have to identify what it is in your life that you don’t like, and work on changing it.
•You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know you have a problem. This is what a psychiatrist is supposed to do for you. They’re supposed to help you identify, what’s wrong. However you only take out what you put in.
Your life needs purpose. Set a goal and strive for it. Over coming depression counts. You need to make achievements, no matter how small, because you need that feeling of accomplishment. You need more pride. (not arrogance but pride).
You need to know that change isn’t always a bad thing. You will never change who you are deep down in your soul. You will never forget how you feel now, and that is a good thing because it will remind you of how good your life is once you’ve overcome depression.
You should also know that the friends, who stick by you when you’re at your worst, are the friends who are the ones worth keeping. Don’t worry about loosing your friends. The best ones will stand by you. The ones that don’t really aren’t that great.
Medication is there to help. If you feel it is changing you, you’re taking too much. You want it to work, but you don’t want to know it’s there.
You need to take it one day at a time. Like an alcoholic, or a smoker, you’ll have good days and bad. You will fall into relapse, and you will learn to keep trying. Baby steps. Slow and steady wins the race.
One last thing. Have a good laugh. Even if you fake it.
Fart.
