Not alone. Depression has a LOT to do with diet, exercise (or LACK OF), malnutrition and the internet. Taking vitamins, eating properly, going outside and getting real life friends - this is what will get you out of depression.

Yes and getting to the root of the problem, if its many, tackle them one by one.... Sage advice from the muffin there..... mmmm

Not really. Issues need to be resolved. Will power cld help you cope but not necessarily treat you out of depression. Counselling, endorphins, friends and family support are also needed.

I've been there and yes it can, it takes alot to see through the smog but you can pull yourself out of an abyss just takes time and determination :)

Yes, The Power of Paxil.

If you have true clinical depression, then willpower will not do it. And diet, exercise and such probably won't, either. True, clinical depression is identified by actual changes in the brain's chemistry. For that, medication and therapy by a trained professional are the route that is best. Yes, given enough time, a person will come out of a depressive cycle, usually, but it does not cure the problem. Most people with clinical depression do swing from depressed to ok and back. The problem is, when depressed, often suicidal thoughts are included. If the depression gets severe enough, those thoughts can be strong enough for someone to act on. A medical doctor can assist in the diagnosis of clinical depression. If it is NOT clinical, then yes, diet, exercise, getting out and doing things, MAY help. It depends on the cause. I, currently, am severely depressed, but it is not clinical. I have medical problems, no job, no prospects for one, and no income. With no insurance, I cannot get the medical problems fixed, and the medical problems inhibit my job prospects. I am aware that this is the cause for my depression, and that it is a cycle I just have to bear through. I hold to the belief that things WILL improve, and lean heavily on my family and the man I love. They understand and support.

Yes and no. You have to have the willpower to recognize you need and get help and that is only the first step. Support and love is what is needed most

Yes it can

I think personally depression is clynical bullshit, and an easy dollar for the allmighty doctor. Deep down Weither Im right or wrong depression in my mind is HIGHLY if not FULLY situational. When shits good, your happy there arent that many HAPPY people that are depressed weither it be success in relationships, family, money or whatever, when everything is going good and looking up no one is depressed, now when the going get tough and shit is at a low, lost a job, got cheated on, family problems, money issues, sure it's easy to be down and call your self depressed, go ahead even blame it on a chemical imbalance , I think its bullshit. Pull yourself up, smack yourself a few times and get your feet back on the ground. Start aiming towards ridding yourself of the things that keep you down and bust your ass getting the things that keep you up. Will Power is a booster but your the only one when it comes time that can make yourself happy. Sorry I ramble :P

Yes, I believe if you have a strong willpower it can certainly help you to get out of depression. It can be a long road but tackle each day as it comes with its resultant downs . Clinical depression is a different thing and needs medical help.

Depression is a serious medical condition. It should be treated by a qualified Professional. Sometimes will power is not enough, because there is chemical imbalance or damage in the brain that needs to be treated with medication.

Not real depression, no. The thing about will power is that is comes and goes. One day you feel strong and the next, you feel differently. Depression is best dealt with by going to see your doctor initially and getting professional help. It's an illness you see and can blight a persons life.

It depends on your view will power can be viewed as a motive to find a cure aka a drug (prozac zoloft) or we can assume that the will power is to accomplish this task by using only the mind if you were all alone The best way i can think of describing this problem is through a pshycological experiment called learned helplessness if you put a dog on a mat and have a mat beside it and each time the dog stands on the mat you electricute it everytime a bit quicker so that the dog starts jumping constantly soon the dog will stop when it becomes nearly constant HOWEVER with help the dog will learn to jump back and forth if we assume that someone has a clinical deppresion as mentioned in one of the earlier question than that means that the mats will always be electricuting through drugs the electirical mats can slowly shut off and the dog can learn to jump again So it all depends on what your view on will power is i think this question would better be fit as what do you think the limits of will power is PROFFESER C NIAL hehe im not really a professor im 15 years old i just hoped someone would notice the name C NIAL is a pshycological twist to the name -_- damn i need to get out more

The current medical model on depression is that a chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters (basically the chemicals that neurons use to communicate) has occurred in one's brain to the point where it is unable to undo (fix) the affects. You've probably seen the commercials for Zoloft or Prozac. They are two medications that are under the same type of antidepressant: SSRI (Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors). They basically block the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, inside your brain. However, there are many different types of medications, each with their own mechanism. Who's to say that there is a person that can forcibly (by thought) make her neurons secrete more and more serotonin? Or, someone you can forcibly (again by thoughts alone) make their neurons behave as if they were under the influence of any anti-depressant? Given the amount of people who can't control their eating habits, however, it would be a safe assumption that such a person would be very rare and that the general public is incapable of achieving such mental diligence. Pharmaceutical treatments are based on the statistical difference between people taking a placebo verse the test drug, and not everyone in a medical study that take the actual drug get any better. Usually if the drug treats the symptoms between for five percent of the testpool people versus the placebo people, the drug is considered 'clinically proved.' So, advice for a person who is on medication for depression but does not seem to be feeling better: ask your doctor about trying a different medication. To summarize: if someone has the will, then such a person is very rare. And, those on meds who don't feel better should consult with their doctors about changing medications.

No i don't really think it can on it's own as such but i do think that will power will give you the ability and motivation needed to find a way to overcome depression or to live with it as best you can.

I think that it can help, but it may not always get you comepletely out of the hole. I was generally suicidal for almost three years, and then I spent a summer by myself. The time alone gave my a lot of perspective and suddenly I felt like I should stop moping and DO something with my life. Willpower certainly helped me. But it seems that usually the problem is more creating enough of it to do any good.

If it were that easy, there'd be a lot less suicide and a lot more Doctors on the unemployment line.

Will power is needed to get you out of depression but you also have to solve the problem that got you into the depression in the first place.

no i do not. depression is a clinical situation. you can't will yourself out of diabetes or cancer or depression.

Definitely. Fight all you want, will power can and will get you out of depression if you let it.

I think every answer on here covered all the basis but I would like to add when you have a job you hate, it takes will power to get out of bed everyday, year after year to drag your self to a soulsucking lowpaying no insurance job where if your one day sick get reprimanded on your paycheck which usually controls your whole existance.Sounds depressing to me but thanks to our economy and employment opportunitys millions of people deal with this everyday

I wish it would id do anything to truly be happy for a whole day but hey crap happens!

Oh yeah! I think that people can do/achieve ANYTHING, all that you lack is will-power. Your willpower has to be strong enough to overlook negative things and focus on positive things. Still I'd say willpower and friends/family together are an excellent remedy for depression!

No, but it can lead you into self-delusion. This whole 'you can achieve anything you want to' nonsense makes consumer goods manufacturers a lot of money.

I don't know if that could be said about everyone who is depressed but I know for a fact it can for some. My sister was deeply depressed for years, to the point it destroyed her life. She was prescribed so many medications and underwent so much treatment it became a way of life. When she hit rock bottom she quit taking all meds, resigned herself to the fact this was going to have to come from within, went to a Christian job training program which taught working skills along with life skills. She is now happy, smiles a lot, has a job, her own apartment, an automobile paid for and is actually helping others who are down and out. Those meds had her so foggy for so long she had no idea who she even was anymore. Getting off of them and getting her head clear was the key.

Depression is a medical illness, not an attitude that one needs to merely snap out of. No one would think of telling a diabetic not to take insulin, just use will power to control the sugar level. No one would tell an epileptic to just choose not to have a seizure. It really bothers me when people say, or act as if, depression is something we can just decide not to have.

Not directly, but a strong will is better than a weak will, and it can help you do all the things (like exercising, maintaining good habits, avoiding bad habits) that will get you out of depression. When did you start feeling depressed? What was going on?

I think will power can lead to searching for tools that help lift depression. I also believe there are alot of causes for depression not connected to what is happening now in your life. For me, when I start to sink into depression I look around and do for someone to share a smile with. Like volunteering at a shelter for abused women, sometimes I go to convelescent hospitals with a gift, I ask the nurses which patient does not recieve visitors and I visit. The connection and act of doing for another gets me out of me and the depression lifts

Depends on the "depression", but either way it's a huge part. The medication may be needed for the physical part, but mentally I still deal with myself. I have "seretonin" issues with anxiety which is linked to depression, seretonin being one reason, but I deal with the mental part. I know things are here a lot in part because of me in a lot of ways. Livia

no, i do not. there's a difference between being in a shitty mood because you're annoyed with your job/arguing with your boyfriend/bored with school, and true, clinical depression. i've been struggling with depression for the past eleven years of my life. believe me, i have TRIED to paste a smile on my face, put a spring in my step, and look for the silver lining in every cloud. guess what? it only made me feel worse since i STILL had that bitter little ball of misery inside of me that nobody wanted to take seriously. i can tell you also from an educated standpoint that it is impossible for willpower to have any effect on clinical depression, as clinical depression is a result of chemical imbalances within the brain. if it were possible to regulate your body's physiological functions by sheer willpower, then by your logic, diabetes could also be cured by "willpower," since you should also be able to control the amount of insulin you're releasing into your bloodstream.

God bless you Jesus loves you, the Only Only Only Only Only One that can get people out of depression is Jesus Christ. it is not in the world, it is not in the music, or in the things of the world no, but in Jesus Only Only Only Only He can change your life, Only Only Only He can give you what you need and He is the Only Only Only One that can change your life. God bless you all Jesus Christ loves you all amen aleluya

It definitely helps, but if it is severe, you are going to need outside help, whether it be meds. or therapy. If you have strong willpower, it will certainly come in handy. Do not be afraid to seek help.

No. I tried and managed for about a year, but it all came crashing down around me. I tried to will myself out of it, but I was just ignoring the problem, and things seldom go away just because you wish they would.

If antidepressants made you feel WORSE, than either they weren't the right type of antidepressant for your particular disorder OR you've been misdiagnosed with depression when what you have is something else entirely. If the meds don't work, you tell your doctor and you try something else. You also have to be COMPLETELY honest with your doctor when it comes to your symptoms. For instance, if you've had suicidal thoughts but you DON'T disclose this to your doctor - they cannot effectively diagnose you, which means you end up on medication that cannot possibly help you because it was designed for someone with a different problem. Bipolar disorder is grossly misdiagnosed as unipolar depression. www.bipolar.com Check the symptoms of the disorder and see if it describes YOU. If it does, then antidepressants aren't going to help unless they're combined with other medications to help stabilize your mood. That could be why the antidepressants didn't work and in fact made you feel worse. Antidepressants alone are known to trigger manic episodes in people with bipolar disorders unless they're combined with lithium or another mood stabilizing or antipsychotic drug.

like someone already said, if its clinical, aka an imbalance in the brain, its highly unlikely willpower alone will help. regardless, you need willpower whatever the kind of depression is to get out of it. if its situational depression, a lot of times the body just needs to grieve. you're human.

No. I have been dealing with depression for over a year now, and no matter how much I've read online about it, and soul-searched, and tried to find things to make me magically feel happy again, depression has become a pervasive black cloud hanging over my whole life. I think the only way to get better is to get help.

i've seen a couple of folks pull themselves out of depression by buying a book on amazon.com, reading it, and, using will power. i don't remember the exact statistics, but, it's something like 60 percent of people who use talk therapy feel less depressed after awhile. interestingly, 60 percent of people (not necessarily the same people) who take antidepressant therapy report less depression after awhile. but, among folks who take the most efficacious antidepressant and who really participate in talk therapy, this combination works in something like 85 percent of people. i'd go with the statistics and do both of these activities. the first time that i read your question, i assumed, maybe mistakenly, that your question was something like, if i reach out for a powerful position (e.g., like class president or fuhrer or witch) could possessing that power result in a reduction in my depression. freud talked about displacement. basically, it's shifting one mood and the energy behind it to another activity. the old, original feeling is still there and certainly affects the decisions that one makes while in a position of power.

The ill power to take your meds and go to therapy will help your depression, it doesn't just magically go away, it may feel like it for a little while but it will return, trust me. Changing your lifestyle will help but mind over matter is basically phooey. Depression is a disease, untreated diseases get worse.

No, a truly depressed person doesn't have the energy or power within themselves to overcome it just by willing it away. There is nothing to draw out of the well...the bucket is empty.

when you accept that you are responsible for where you are now, you also accept that logically, you are the one who can get you out of it. There are always events outside ourselves that we can point to as being the reason for our plight. But doing this won't help. Instead, say: "No matter what happened, no matter what others did or didn't do. I and I alone am responsible for where I am now and therefore, I will get myself out of it." Doing this will remove the power external events and other people have over you and will empower you instead. And please don't confuse this with blame. This is accepting responsibility and developing the power to change and is vastly different from blaming yourself. One is destructive, the other is constructive and the difference between them is crucial. Make a firm decision to get rid of stress, depression and anxiety. Say: "I want to conquer stress/depression/anxiety. These things are no longer acceptable and I'm going to take action to beat them. I want them out of my life and I deserve to be free of them." This is another great step to take. From now on you will control these problems they won't control you. There are many actions you can take and there are many skills you can have in your power that will effectively diminish the torment stress, depression and anxiety inflict upon you. And when you have them in your power, the quality of your life will improve dramatically. In taking this step, you acknowledge that stress, depression and anxiety aren't problems that you have to put up with and instead, you have the power to conquer them. You also realize that you deserve to live a happy and enjoyable life and that stress, depression and anxiety WILL NOT take that away from you. Indeed, you have a right to be happy and you will no longer allow anything or anyone to take that away from you.

No

If it could, I'd never be depressed.

Yes.If you have something in your life that you want to get rid of or to get through you can do it by finding ways how to resolve it, and, there, your will power is responsible for the transformation in you.

no doubt

no

It depends what you mean by will power. All in all depression can be cured by using your mind in positive ways. Medication doesn't work for doubt, I tried it for years and still had anxiety, stress and depression issues, until i started looking into self development and got got rid of my deppression and anxiety in only 2 weeks. :-S Funny how that works huh? The doctors kept saying I was ill but they were obviously wrong. What a bunch of dumb asses!! Nicholas Finnegan's stuff made the most impact for me: http://www.nicholasfinnegan.com/ I don't think anyone should take tablets until they try this first! Those doctors should start learning about the power of the human mind aswell because they leave people like us second guessing whether we would ever get better vs taking drugs for the rest of our lives :(

I know the lack of it, can keep you in it for sure.

NO,it has NEVER helped me through any clinically depressed episodes.

No, sometimes you just need someone or something to lean on to get you through

where there's a will there's a way but that's only the start.

Usually not. Obviously it's a necessary component of any recovery but it's not enough. There are many other things, like exercise, activity among fun people, and the like. But if the depression has been going on for more than about a month and/or if you isolate yourself more and more - then medical help may be in order. +5

Yes,the truth is that the power of money can get us all through.

I think that will power is a necessary component of recovery, but it's not the only factor in recovery. It really depends on the person. My situation was that I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I often let myself go to those dark places and at that time in my life I allowed myself to dwell on those thoughts and feelings. Meaning, I fully participated and perpetuated the issue. For me, it took will power to pull myself out and to KEEP myself out. I haven't been what I would call depressed in about 5 years as a result.

Only if you believe that will power can stop cancer from spreading throughout your body.

Will power is not enough, i thought i could make it thru on my own but i recently broke and i start meds tomorrow i hope it works. so if anyone out there feels they dont have the will power or they do and its not helping please get professional help before its too late

No way it's an illness It would be like telling a diabetic that if you use will power you Won't be diabetic anymore

I know it can.

if it is clinical depression with a true imbalance of chemicals in the brain no. that type of depression needs medical attention just like any other illness. +5

Get out in the morning sun for a couple of hours. This will help lift depression. Some people go and hide instead of facing others when their sad. They lose all interest in things, and fine no interest in pleasure. The sun helps to prevent the blues.

Not a chance.

yes it can if u want out get out. its like a door way out if you wana get out then do it. it might be hard because the door is locked but shit u must know at least one way to brake the door open. Friends might not seem helpful sometimes but they are. will power can get you anything also hard work. will power is hard work but anybody can do it they just have to believe in something greater than depression. i was depressed 8 years i got out only because i got sick of making my life depressing. friend good friends are also helpful in these times. some people think friends aren’t helpful but they are even if only a little. and like myself who didn’t have friends at the time. just think of a better day and make every day something to look forward to. tell yourself in the mirror today’s gana be a good day every day. it might sound stupid but it realy helps it makes u feel good. for a wile u might laugh at yourself for saying it will be a good day but if its going to be a good day isnt it worth a shot.

Yes! But it takes time as well.

Some people won't admit any sadness or guilt. Instead they withdraw and hide from society. Stop this you will lose interest in the things around you, and become incapable of any pleasure. These people become angry and irritable. Some people try to sleep it off. Others lay or sit around. Yes I think will power will work. Most cases aren't severe. People can still function, just do it at a slower pace. If your depressed I'd leave sugar alone, get myself on a healthy diet, and get outside more in the sunshine. You need to find some kind, of an activity that is enjoyable, instead of having the moody blues. Tension can cause depression big time.

Will power can keep you busy which will help.