Are there any viable methods of dealing with stress and depression? Also, has anyone taken prescription or non-prescription medication for it?
I reckon I’ve heard looking at fish or the fish tank is helpful, but I’m not sure about its accuracy.
Re: Any viable methods of dealing with stress…
Salam, please dont stress too much as its bad for you. I heard one of the biggest killers is stress. You just need to keep calm and if you get angry do your wuzoo (wudhu) seriously this works if you do it correctly that is. Try asking on this ahle hadith (ahlus sunnah wal jamaah) site: http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ln=eng
Re: Any viable methods of dealing with stress...
work out or swim... swimming helps relieve tension ... like crazy ... and it gives you something to focus on. Start up regular sessions, and set goals. And like crescent said ... wudu and nimaz. Ive found they help out alot too .. if done properly with the proper khushu ..
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If you can not swim, walk atleast 30 minutes a day regularly
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become workaholic...find a job that you like and which requires your full attention. If you still feel depressed then you need clinical treatment, in that case visit your doc.
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so is it depression when things in ur life r messed up and u feel it, or is it when u have normal life and u feel messed up?
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^ I think the second (normal life) is more likely clinical depression, when ther'es a chemical imbalance..
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I would recommend some deep breathing excercises. Really helped me out. Even few mins each morning can lift your spirits. Yes looking at fish is calming, but maybe not so effective when you are clinically depressed. Also, A daily supplement of B Complex Vitamins helps calm the nerves and deal with stress.
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Depending on how religious you are, you may find that reading the Quran with translation helps. It puts things in perspective and makes you realise that your current troubles are pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things....
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BOXING! Or Yoga or Umm...........cooking, go on holiday (change of routine), learn a language, use the negative energy in a positive way. It's easy to say and hard to do, but maybe you have the winter blues....try essential oils and candles to help you relax..
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I would like to know which essential oils you have tried out. Any uses apart from calming you down?
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When you are stressed out, the root cause should be found and dealt with. Staring at a fish tank may help while you are staring at it but once you get up and about, your stress is more likely to return back.
Depending on what type of stress or depression it is, seeking help is not a bad option. You may or may not need medication. Sometimes talking about it to a therapist will help you see the situation from a different perspective and relieve the stress.
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I reckon I've heard looking at fish or the fish tank is helpful, but I'm not sure about its accuracy.
Resolve the issues that are causing stress. Staring at a fish tank will not make your problem(s) disappear.
Some stresses/worries of life are normal and come with the territory (of life). But if the situation has a debilitating effect on your daily life, seek help.
Re: Any viable methods of dealing with stress…
NEVER EVER think about gettin onto the depression drugs! You should know better .. crying infront of Allah and askin HIM is the biggest cure u can ask for. TRUST Me it works :k:
If you want something other than that .. go in a bathroom .. take a hot shower and dont come out until u feel better.. if that dont work then go out for a walk .. if that dont work .. talk to someone u can count on .. if that dont work .. Allah is STILL there 
like maddy suggested .. readin Quran with translation or listenin to it is very soothing ..subhanAllah
Re: Any viable methods of dealing with stress...
The stress (and depression, if it exists) is there because of issues that aren't in my control, but are directly related to me, where I hardly have any decision making power.
Yes, I work and go to school and that doesn't leave me with much time to work out any further. I also get plenty of walk to the extent that when I return home I'm exhausted.
I suppose I should start reading Quran with translation, as opposed to just in Arabic. Listening to Surah Baqarah does help. However, since I tend to stress a lot by nature, it has been very difficult to cope with things lately and to concentrate on school.
Then I suppose I should ask if there are things to deal with stress or how do those who tend stress out a lot deal with issues that they don't have much control over, but are directly related to them.
evilmastermind, yah I sort of figured the meds aren't so great. Hence, the reason I asked in the first place.
Re: Any viable methods of dealing with stress…
CrescentWarrior, while your intentions may be pure, people like you are hurting Islam, i’m sorry if I’m offending you and I will explain why, I will also attempt to answer the question in this thread.
Doing your wuzoo has nothing to do with stress relief. Why go straight to a hadith for an answer when you have the Quran? Sadiyah, if you are religious at all, what really helps is submitting to the will of God. As soon as you realize that EVERYTHING is done by God, you will stop stressing out. God repeatedly mentions in the Quran that the true believer will not fear nor grief. Let’s break that down, you fear things that MAY happen, the ‘what if’ scenarios, thus you fear what may happen in the FUTURE. You grieve over what already has happened, and thus grief deals with the PAST. God says that everything that has happened for a reason, God is the best schemer and planner, so you should just resign yourself to the fact that God did what He did in His wisdom for a reason. Same for the future, while you should certainly try to plan for your future, ultimately, it is up to God what will happen.
SO if you know that God is in absolute control of EVERYTHING (not even an atom’s weight and movement goes unrecorded in a profound record), then you will not stress out quite as much. If you complain or feel like what has happened or is happening to you is unfair, then you are suggesting that God, who is doing everything, is unjust, and that is blasphemy for God is THE MOST JUST.
Anyway, sorry if I went off on a tangent. As maddy says, read the Qur’an, meditate, reflect on God and His creations, try to count your blessings. Think positive, try to stay off drugs, unfortunately once you get on an SSRI, it is VERY hard to wean off.
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aahmed, thank you for the advice. It serves as an excellent reminder.
I stress over what may happen and I agree nothing happens except by the will of Allah (SWT). At the same time, I feel giving in completely and not trying would not help the cause. I still feel I gotta put forth my best and try hard to achieve what it is that I want. It could likely be a test (or something for which I have to persevere for) and patience is what I need to work on. However, stressing out excessively is only hurting me.
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When I am stressed, namaaz makes me feel so much better. It calms me down and makes me realise that everything will be fine Inshallah.
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namaaz or some Rachmaninoff or Bach work
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the suggestions by Emm and mad scientist seems to work out for me and should work out for every individual.
aahmed---according to what i know making wadhu helps in relieving stress in a way that water contains oxygen and when oxygen reaches our body our deppression starts to go away. NE form of stress can cause oxygen deficiency and we need oxygen to accelerate treatment