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[Grimshot]

 I spent some time looking up supplements that may be helpful for memory and focus. I found a few promising ones...

Coenzyme Q10
Huperzine A
Centella asiatica
Acetyl-L-carnitine
Ginkgo biloba
Dimethylethanolamine (DMAE)
Phosphatidylserine

I'm going to have to learn more about them before I consider consuming any of these though.

I used to be the exact same. That was three years ago though.

Things to sharpen your brain.
1: Get a hobby, Cooking was suggested, could be anything though.
2: Read Books, Forget about TV. It's simple, but works wonders.
3: Impossible fucking Puzzles. The kind that make you trow the thing against the wall in frustration, only to have you come back a day later and run through it like cake.

1. Do computer games count as a hobby? I was thinking of resubbing to Eve Online recently. You guys probably mean I should pick up something new though. I could start cultivating plants, could even make some good money from it if I'm successfull. I've always wanted to figure out a method to produce large amounts of Morchella. That would probably be a bit too ambitious for me at the moment though.

2. I actually stopped watching TV a long time ago, though I don't really read books unless I need information from them. I browse the internet mostly nowdays. I do have this story http://www.cca.org/cm/picnic.pdf that I planned to to read someday.

3. I never cared much for puzzles so I don't know that much about them. Know of any good ones?

#1 sounds a lot like me TBH

Yes, that's about where I was a year ago.  I also had literally zero concentration span.  Couldn't read.  Couldn't watch TV.  Couldn't do anything.  I let go of my anger rather slowly.  Don't really know if I can talk about it anymore... it seems so long ago.


All I can say is: do the best you can, and don't listen to anyone's predictions.  Not your own.  Not those of scientists.  Positive or negative--just forget about them.  Live.

Eat well and take long walks.  Four hours long, if you can.  Allow yourself to get lost.

As Mindmaker said, just take it bit by bit, and try piece by piece to do what you can.

 I would like to thank everyone for their support, also, I didn't know there were so many people here that have felt like I did.

 I wouldn't mind going for long walks but my environment kinda sucks. Its either raining (I actually kinda like the rain but I have no umbrella atm) or its to bright and hot out for me. I've tried walking around at sunset but that only gives me about an hour and the mosquitoes nearly carry me away. I've always hated sunscreen and insect repellant so I stay away of those. The feeling of that stuff on my skin and the smell of it drives me crazy.

 

"Read books, don't watch TV" reminded me of something: Maybe you should also stretch your artistic understanding as well. Try to get into genres or themes that you normally wouldn't, watch interesting films and read interesting books, engage in art that involves you emotionally and intellectually, and that sort of thing. I know that's not what people usually think of when they talk about improving their mental faculties, but in a more abstract sense, it's still meaningful.

 Hmm, maybe I'll try some art related stuff sometime. I've never been a big fan of art though. I used to dislike music too at one time though and that changed, so anything is possible.

 

Before I post anything, I just wan't to let you know that I'm speaking about personal experiences and it may not apply to your situation.

I too had those episodes of feeling content, often during the timespan when I was engaged with a good book/game/series or sometimes for no reason at all.
However they were only a symptom of my condition, rarely lasting longer than a few days and then everything came crashing down again.

It finally changed when I finally managed to find a competent doctor, got diagnosed and medicated.
While it was obvious to me that I was depressed, I would have never thought that I could have social anxiety. I was aware of all the symptoms, but I simply wouldn't draw the conclusion.

I spent a lot of my time overthinking everyday events, or planning out for every eventuality of an embarassing situation. It was quite the obsession and interfered with my everyday life.
I would get easily lost in thought mid-sentence while reading a book, only to realize that I just read a whole page without picking up any content.
Every kind of social interaction was being hindered by crippling fear of doing something wrong.

The only thing I can say is that medication worked for me and those two issues are gone for now. An appointment tomorrow will decide further course of action.

Of course, none of this might be of any relevance for you.
You may indeed be ok now and be able to recover on your own, in which case I congratulate you for being a stronger person than I am.

Just don't hesitate of getting professional help, should you fail to pick yourself up this time.
It can really work.

This isn't everything I wanted to say right now, but I'm posting using my mobile, which makes structuring difficult.

 I've always had (anti)social issues including social anxiety before I was depressed. I doubt thats anything I'll ever really be able to remove from myself. Its just in my nature as many other unpleasant things are. The only thing I can really do is just take steps to mitigate these issues. My main problem was depression though, it allowed things like social anxiety to fester into real problems. I have plans to deal with these issues once my mind and body are healthy again though. I however refuse to take medicine for these issues, an odd stance for someone like me no doubt, but I think there is something important about only using willpower on this. I want you to know I appreciate your posts and don't think less of what you decided just because my decision is different. One of my issues is that I have a hard time figuring out how people will react to things I do/say sometimes. So I just wanted to be clear about that incase I came off wrong. I should also say that your probably right anyways. I'm just incredibly stubborn and I'm using it to my advantage atm (people underestimate the usefulness of this trait) .

 I suppose I will look up mental exercises later. I'll probably start with GlyphGryph's suggestion and try meditation.

[G-Flex]

I spent some time looking up supplements that may be helpful for memory and focus. I found a few promising ones...

Coenzyme Q10
Huperzine A
Centella asiatica
Acetyl-L-carnitine
Ginkgo biloba
Dimethylethanolamine (DMAE)
Phosphatidylserine

I'm going to have to learn more about them before I consider consuming any of these though.

I wouldn't go too crazy, and whatever you do, make sure you do your research first (like, real research, not bullshit people-trying-to-sell-you-stuff research). Apparently piracetam and oxiracetam are good for focus and cognition, and apparently the latter is pretty damn safe as well. Note that I'm using the word "apparently" though; if you put any kind of pharmacologically active substance in your body, especially one that affects your brain, you need to be careful. Keep in mind your stance on drugs that you mention elsewhere in your post: You're effectively doing the same thing here, just on a more subtle level; keep in mind that just because something is a "supplement" (or otherwise not a "drug") doesn't mean that you aren't doing a similar thing to yourself. This isn't to say they're bad things, just that you have to watch yourself, and shouldn't treat these things as a first line of defense or offense for your problems.

Of course, then there's more basic nutritional supplements: A simple multivitamin every day and some fish/hempseed oil can be a good idea. I take those as well as soy lecithin because I probably don't get enough choline, which seems to be helping me get fewer headaches.

Hmm, maybe I'll try some art related stuff sometime. I've never been a big fan of art though. I used to dislike music too at one time though and that changed, so anything is possible.

To me, some good brain-exercise from art (of any sort) comes from the process of trying to see things from another perspective and enjoy something on its own level (as opposed to coming at it from a judgmental perspective). It can help broaden your mental and emotional horizons, so to speak. That's just me talking, though.

[alway]

I would strongly advise against any sort of pharmaceuticals of that sort unless ordered by/consulted with a doctor. Last I checked, the least severe possible side-effect among brain enhancing drugs were things like full body rashes... for others ranging up to psychopathy and long-term degeneration of the brain.
Unlike a computer, you can not simply upgrade the memory, overclock it, or anything similar. It's a complex dance of feedback loops interacting, changing the structures over which they move, dying down and creating new avalanches of signals. Chemically altering these massively complex interactions without a very good knowledge of what you are doing is a very bad idea.

[Max White]

I would strongly advise against any sort of pharmaceuticals of that sort unless ordered by/consulted with a doctor. Last I checked, the least severe possible side-effect among brain enhancing drugs were things like full body rashes... for others ranging up to psychopathy and long-term degeneration of the brain.
Unlike a computer, you can not simply upgrade the memory, overclock it, or anything similar. It's a complex dance of feedback loops interacting, changing the structures over which they move, dying down and creating new avalanches of signals. Chemically altering these massively complex interactions without a very good knowledge of what you are doing is a very bad idea.

Quoted for truth.
At very least, you don't want to become dependant on any drugs, and require them to function normaly. Although a harder climb, it would be much better to be self sufficient without medication.

[Mindmaker]

Well I was at the point, where I hadn't enough drive left to turn on a computer game or watch a video. I simply sat there and stared at the computer screen with a blank expression, until it became too tired and I decided to sleep.
I didn't have much of a choice in the end.

But hey, whatever works for you.
Just remember there's still this option.

It helped me to go back to normal, more confident than ever before.
Noticed no side effects yet.

You simply have to remember that you aren't magically cured.
Those issues are still there, only hidden from you.
That's the thing to be remembered, so you can work on yourself and won't stay dependant on medication forever.

[ETV]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition#Prominent_researchers

Indeed it is a dreaded wiki link, however go to the sources section and check out the prominent researchers and such.

It is research about how if you study a flashcard after a time from the initial study that the memory becomes more "concrete" and easier to draw from your mind.

The intervals however are different for everyone, one researcher had created a program that would analyse the successes of memorization over a period of time and pick the best schedule for him to remember a flashcard.

One of the enemies of research is probably how many people will simply forget what they had learned previously, and require documentation of their discoveries/learned things (this is why you are told to keep books and write things down) so they don't lose a large portion of their collected knowledge on pretty much any subject over long times.

[Gamerlord]

I'm trying to improve my memory by putting limits on myself if I can't recite all the things I learnt in school that week of by heart. (Limits means things like no chocolate or video games). It works pretty well.

[Siquo]

Ah, the depression. Who hasn't been there?
Sounds to me you've got a bad case of "autopilot". Zoning out at moments, completely forgetting what you were doing in the first place. Recognisable

My tips (and keep in mind I'm not entirely well yet, either):

No MMO's. Limit your computer time.
Get out, walk the earth, meet people. And if you're really bad at meeting them, just watch them. Real ones, youtube or security cam footage does not count.
The food supplements: they do nothing. Well, unless you really believe in them (and chant "I do believe in fairies").
Do new stuff/random stuff/stuff you never did before. Two friends of mine adopted the "Fuck it let's do it" attitude, and ended up in the strangest places with the weirdest stories.
Raise a kid. Happiness and Joy. Yay.
Self-analysis (kind of what Glyph mentioned, analyse your own thoughts to be more aware of them).

When the world seems stale and grey, stir it up.

[Vector]

I have to say that the "food supplements do nothing" thing is not true in all cases.  One of the reasons for my stupidly severe depression was a massive deficit in Omega-3 fatty acids.  I also have to take iron supplements, because I'm a chick and a vegetarian.

[Siquo]

Addendum because Vector is right:
They do nothing if you already eat well. (Well being: Fruit, veggies, nuts, carbs, dairy, meat, fish, all of them as varied and unprocessed as possible. If your great-great grandmother does not recognise it as food, you can be sure that it isn't.)

If you skip a food group on principal basis you might need supplements.

[Cthulhu]

Sleeping well is good, burning the midnight oil seems fun at the time but do it too long and all that darkness starts to get to you.  I can do it for a week or two before I start feeling morose and ill at ease.  Melatonin also seems to help a lot (Which will also help with the sleeping).  It's not a pharmaceutical, it's a hormone supplement, as far as I know it has no serious side effects.  I took it for insomnia and noticed that my mind is sharper the day after I take it.  Normally I get this thing going on where I feel like my brain is full of cotton or something and I can't really focus.  A 15 minute nap makes it go away if it hits.  Once I started taking melatonin I didn't get it anymore.

[Vector]

Also, drink lots and lots of water.  Loooots of water.  I cannot emphasize this enough, as someone who used to refuse to drink it for unknown and stupid reasons.  Flush out your system and you'll be able to think a lot more clearly.

[G-Flex]

Addendum because Vector is right:
They do nothing if you already eat well. (Well being: Fruit, veggies, nuts, carbs, dairy, meat, fish, all of them as varied and unprocessed as possible. If your great-great grandmother does not recognise it as food, you can be sure that it isn't.)

If you skip a food group on principal basis you might need supplements.

Most people don't "eat well" to the point that they're getting absolutely all of what they need every single day. A basic multivitamin is cheap enough that the cost is irrelevant, but can help fill in the gaps. Also, some nutrients show beneficial effects well beyond the FDA "daily value" (i.e. beyond the point where you have "enough" and aren't deficient), such as Vitamin D.

Not everybody's diet is going to be the same, or perfect. I take an Omega-3 capsule each day because I probably simply don't get enough, and same goes for lecithin (it's actually very common to not get enough choline, but nobody really knows it exists). It's easy to say "you don't need supplements if you eat well", and strictly speaking it's probably true that you don't need them, but often the benefits outweigh what small cost there is, especially if we're talking a daily multivitamin.

[Grimshot]

 I don't plan on taking any of these things I listed right now, they are mostly in the last resort category. Roughly half of things I listed occur naturally in one's body anyways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition#Prominent_researchers

Indeed it is a dreaded wiki link, however go to the sources section and check out the prominent researchers and such.

It is research about how if you study a flashcard after a time from the initial study that the memory becomes more "concrete" and easier to draw from your mind.

The intervals however are different for everyone, one researcher had created a program that would analyse the successes of memorization over a period of time and pick the best schedule for him to remember a flashcard.

One of the enemies of research is probably how many people will simply forget what they had learned previously, and require documentation of their discoveries/learned things (this is why you are told to keep books and write things down) so they don't lose a large portion of their collected knowledge on pretty much any subject over long times.

 Thats pretty good to know, thanks. I'll have to experiment with that later.

Addendum because Vector is right:
They do nothing if you already eat well. (Well being: Fruit, veggies, nuts, carbs, dairy, meat, fish, all of them as varied and unprocessed as possible. If your great-great grandmother does not recognise it as food, you can be sure that it isn't.)

If you skip a food group on principal basis you might need supplements.

Sleeping well is good, burning the midnight oil seems fun at the time but do it too long and all that darkness starts to get to you.  I can do it for a week or two before I start feeling morose and ill at ease.  Melatonin also seems to help a lot (Which will also help with the sleeping).  It's not a pharmaceutical, it's a hormone supplement, as far as I know it has no serious side effects.  I took it for insomnia and noticed that my mind is sharper the day after I take it.  Normally I get this thing going on where I feel like my brain is full of cotton or something and I can't really focus.  A 15 minute nap makes it go away if it hits.  Once I started taking melatonin I didn't get it anymore.

Also, drink lots and lots of water.  Loooots of water.  I cannot emphasize this enough, as someone who used to refuse to drink it for unknown and stupid reasons.  Flush out your system and you'll be able to think a lot more clearly.

 I cut back on how much I eat to loss weight recently. I stopped eating anything but meat/fish, fruits, and vegetables. I do eat random things here and there sometimes though. I only have one meal a day (dinner time). Its worked out pretty well I would say. I was at 290-298 pounds when I started and today I weighed in at around 257-258. Probably going to try to balance out at 200 pounds, my natural weight is probably pretty high due to my size anyway. Also, I should say that I don't drink anything but purified water anymore. Usually several 34oz mugs a day (I love large mugs, I want a huge one made of granite someday). As for sleeping, I have actually had quite a bit of insomnia lately. That is a good thing though, I couldn't sleep well before I was depressed either. After I became depressed I could sleep all day lol. In this state I end up laying in bed for 4 or 5 hours before I finally fall asleep. I do some of my best thinking laying around in bed .

 I'm feeling kinda lazy today, maybe I will skip researching mental exercises until tomorrow and instead try meditation. Err, actually I'll have to look up how to do that right anyways lol.

[G-Flex]

Most of what I've read/heard about modern nutrition indicates that one meal per day is a bad idea, and that generally speaking, spacing meals out more, and not less, is the way to go. Of course, that probably depends on what you're actually trying to do.