How did you let go of your depression? Share you way to happiness.?

I found the right cocktail of medication.
I spent all of my & my fiance's money + went into debt by impulsively shopping for worthless things, things i still have yet to open and use.
i found love & great sex.
My chihuahua daughter.
Lash out, take it out on someone.
Rely on substance abuse.
Sleep, sleep, and sleeeeeeeeep.

all of these contribute to me finding a more functional way of coping with depression, but you never really are depression-free and on ur way to happiness..everything is just a temporary relief.

I have never found a single way to rid myself of a depressive episode. Food, Sex, the company of friends, etc doesn't always work. Right now I'm in a funk and no matter how many jokes or how many friends are here I'm right now not snapping out of this. Some people use meds I don't they turn you into someone your not. I hate going through the day as an emotional zombie whose apathetic to all the stuff around me. I just have to work through it

Become a nihilist. It is really depressing at first, but eventually you don't care.

Well it accualy all started when I quit smoking. Like it turned on some old switch and I begun to come back to my happy one and from there only forward.
It's like I saw that there are a lot of things which I don't need and they beeing forced on me or just hanging there and it's so easy to get rid of them when you SEE. And depression is one of them.

For me it took a change of lifestyle to reduce my stress and anxiety. And lots of cognitive therapy. And meds. And ongoing professional support.

Check out the stories in the group, "I Have Gained A Lot of Self Knowledge Through Depression." There are many good stories there, from many different people.

DO NOT GO SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't believe that so many people would suggest this. If you dont have the money dont go and spend the money that you have on your credit card without the money to back it up. Why do you think we are in a recession? People are spending money that they dont have. There are other ways of bringing your self out of depression than going out, spending money on some stupid item for your wardrobe and not liking the next week and facing the debt caused by it. Debt usually causes depression. Dont spend your money. EXERCISE. Okay, so you understand you are in a horrible circumstance. You know this, the BEST THING TO DO is find somewhere you can be contribute. Be useful. Fight yourself on cleaning up your appearance, and walking out the door with HOPE in your head.
How did I let go. Slowly every day I made moves towards this aspiration. Get out of the house and become useful. Find a purpose. Achieve some small goal. I wanted to find myself on the other side of the fog, and even if I didn't recognize myself on the other side, I wanted out and here I am with a job, a purpose, and a goal. It took me a while but I got here day by day.

The depression is still there, the melancholy is there---but you know what? you do not have to let it control you. Appreciate the li'l things in life, laugh when you have to, smile, and try to look at life positively---no matter how much the amount of pessimism there is in the world.