How to Cope with Depression

How to Cope with Depression

At some time in your life, you will be impacted
by depression, whether it is your own, or the
depression of someone else close to you.[1] In
any given year, approximately 18.8 million
American adults (9.5% of the population) are
coping with depression,[2], 1 in 5 New Zealanders
are impacted,[3], 20 percent of Australians are
affected,[4], and 1 in 4 Britons experience a
mental health problem (with depression being a
major source).[5] Depression is serious – the
World Health Organization considers that by 2020,
depression will be the second leading contributor
to the global burden of disease behind heart
disease, with it already affecting about 121
million people worldwide.[6]

Feeling down or blue is a natural part of life when people let us
down, things go wrong, or we lose people we love or the dreams we've
valued. It's normal to feel sad when faced with setbacks, as we come
to terms with what the setback means for us and struggle to find our
way back to feeling normal again. This sadness becomes a problem when
it fails to pass and we fail to bounce back. If the sadness stretches
over weeks, is occurring frequently, and interferes with your ability
to get on with life, interact with people, and to enjoy your life,
then it's likely that you're experiencing some form of depression and
it's vital to speak with your doctor quickly. Provided you're able to
access information, and that you've got a good support network around
you, even severe depression is a highly treatable condition.[7]

!! Steps !!

!! Seek Help !!

Identify depression as a possible challenge
you're facing and seek professional help. If you
haven't already sought help for your depression,
it's vital that you do so and don't try to go
this alone. If you're unsure what's wrong with
you and some of the things you read here
resonate with your own situation, seek advice
from your doctor. Signs of depression include
(you might experience some or a range of
these):[8][9]

* An inability to function normally in everyday life, including
lethargy, fatigue, and inability to get excited about things you
used to love doing, finding that doing things takes a lot of your
energy

* Persistent sadness, including fits of crying either uncontrollably
or set off easily, feelings of anxiety or emptiness

* Feeling blue, sad, down all of the time over a period of at least
two weeks

* Feeling worthless, self-blaming

* Sleeping a lot more or less than usual, insomnia or excessive
sleep

* Unusual weight gain or loss, overeating or appetite loss

* Finding thinking or concentrating difficult, "foggy" thinking,
inability to make clear decisions, forgetfulness

* Pessimism – feeling a sense that life is hopeless, pointless,
futile, and meaningless; may even lead to a feeling of numbness

* Body pains, cramps, digestive problems, headaches, and other aches
unable to ease with treatment (for some people)

* Irritable a great deal of the time, restless

* Suicidal thoughts, thoughts about dying; sometimes attempts at
suicide.

Ask your doctor to explore possible medical causes behind your
depression. Some depression results from, or is a side effect of,
medical conditions or treatment for other medical conditions, and in
some cases, medical conditions can mimic depression.[10] It's
important for your doctor to identify any physical causes for
depression that require specific treatments, or to eliminate other
reasons for your condition. Common medical conditions that might
trigger depression include:

* Vitamin or mineral deficiencies, especially for people on
restrictive diets. B vitamins are associated with depression,[11]
although it's unclear whether lower levels of B vitamins
(especially B12) cause or are caused by depression.[12] Either
way, if you know your vitamin and mineral input isn't optimal,
fixing it is an important first step.

* Thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances (including pre-menstrual),
or disease.[13][14]

* Medications – the side effects of some medications include
depression. Read the warnings and talk with your doctor about any
concerns you might have.

* Alcohol, drug, or other addictions.[15]

* Genetic links to depression.[16]

* Co-existing illnesses – depression often accompanies anxiety
disorders (for example, post-traumatic distress disorder, OCD,
social phobia, etc.), alcohol and substance abuse, heart disease,
stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.[17]
These diseases may precede, cause or be a consequence of the
diseases.[18]

* Depression is more common among women than men, including
post-partum depression (the "baby blues"), premenstrual syndrome
(PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).[19][20]

!! Begin Your Healing !!

_ Start your journey to wellness. Depression can
feel endless when the lethargy takes over and everything seems too
hard. For this very reason, it's important to view getting well as a
journey of gradual steps, rather than something with an instant cure.
Even when you make up your mind to get well, there will be times that
your determination is challenged by self-questioning and despair. And
yet, this is precisely when you must do your best to avoid being
"depressed about being depressed!" Here are good ways to start:

* Name your beast. Winston Churchill called his depression his
"black dog". By turning it into a pet, he made a difficult
situation into a controllable one – although depression sticks
to us much as does a dog, our thoughts about depression can be
trained, much as we train a dog: patience, persistence, and
habituation can turn around depression.[21] Moreover, in naming
it, you set it apart from you – it's a condition, not a
definition of who you are. You can talk about "My black dog is
making me feel irritable today" instead of saying "I'm always an
irritable no-hoper".[22]

* Find a role model. Think you're alone in being depressed? Go to
the library and pull out five biographies. It's highly likely that
at least one of those high achievers suffered from depression. Do
a little research online to find famous people who have overcome
the odds of depression; even celebrities are revealing their
battles with depression. Read their stories. And take heart; they
managed it, so can you, only you have the benefit of their
experiences to draw from too!

* Be gentle on yourself. Life isn't a race or a competition, even
though it sometimes seems this way in our marketing hyped
consumerist lifestyles. The reality is that you matter, you have
great value as who you are and making things harder for yourself
is akin to beating yourself up. Avoid obsessing about your
depression or creating a shrine to it to hide behind when things
all seem to hard. The feedback loop of hopelessness and despair
created by being angry with yourself for being depressed will
deepen your despair; go back to naming your beast and setting it
apart from who you are. Additionally, accepting that the journey
to wellness is one of baby steps will free you up from potentially
devastating high expectations.

* List the things that are bothering you outside_ of your
depression.[23] For example, unpaid bills, mortgage, rotten
career, disrespectful children, poorly maintained house, lack of
vacations, tough job, etc. In another column, write down some
practical things that you think you can do to deal with the things
that are bothering you. For example, get a new job, go back to
university, ask family to help fix house, see a counselor with
kids, plan a vacation, talk to boss, etc.

Work with your doctor. Many doctors will prescribe medication. Ask
questions about the medication you're taking, including duration and
side effects. Be sure to report back to your doctor on anything you
notice doesn't feel right or if you're experiencing side effects -
you may need to have a change of dosage or switch to a different
medication.

* Follow all the instructions relevant to your medication, including
food and medicinal restrictions, dosage levels, and withdrawal
requirements.[24]

* If you don't want to take anti-depressants, raise this preference
with your doctor. Do your research beforehand to discuss the
options because you will need to convince your doctor that you
have the ability to actively work on your depressive thinking
patterns and your lack of resilience without the aid of
medication. While doing this can take some convincing (have a list
of questions for the doctor), it is your right to express your
preferred approach to treatment.[25] It is important, however, to
realize that battling depression without the aid of medication is
challenging and can take longer; you may want to consider
increasing the frequency of sessions with a cognitive therapy
specialist.

Research about depression. Learn what you can
about depression. You don't have to, and indeed
should not, rely only on what the medical
professionals tell you about the illness.
Knowledge is an important way to reassure
yourself that depression is real, that it is a
concern to be treated with seriousness, and
that there are many ways to defeat it. A wider
understanding of depression will help to allay
some of your fears and worries; it will also
give you many tools to try for yourself to see
if they work for your situation.

* Visit your local library and borrow books about depression,
anxiety, and happiness. Look in the psychology, self-help,
therapy, and medical sections. For youth, ask about books
specifically written for teenagers and children (children do get
depression[26]). Or, look at online auctions or book sites for
affordable books about depression.

* Visit trusted online resources targeted at your population.
Government and national institutes set up for mental health
treatment are reliable sources of information. For example, in
Australia, check out the Beyond Blue National Depression
Initiative;[27] in New Zealand, check out the New Zealand
Government's Depression site;[28] in Canada, check out the
Government's site on Depression;[29] in the USA, check out the
CDC[30] or the NIMH[31]. These are simply a small selection; there
are many good resources available online; just be sure to verify
their trustworthiness.

* Helping recovery from depression through reading is referred to as
"bibliotherapy". If you're motivated enough to take this path of
recovery, it can be very beneficial, and seems to be well suited
to people who always turn to research as a way of answering
anything they're experiencing in life.

* Use your deeper knowledge to educate others around you as to what
you're going through; it can help to fend off awkward or
unsympathetic comments if you've got the bigger picture and facts
about depression.

* Keep a journal of your journey through your depression. Document
your feelings somewhere personal and completely private. This will
be the place where you let out your darkest thoughts, no holds
barred, because you don't need to worry that anyone will judge you
for them. It can be cathartic to let out all of your thinking, to
form it in words on a page. And it is better than unleashing a
torrent of pain or incomprehensibility on another person in your
life, or worrying that you've told anyone too much negative stuff.
A diary becomes your collaborator in the struggle against your
depression and can provide you with great evidence of what
improves your mood as well as what brings it down.[32] It also
allows you to begin afresh every day, with the last day's and
week's writing behind you as you continue to push forward. Find a
decent journal to write in, a book or notebook that makes you feel
like writing in it, and keep it somewhere safe. Write in it
whenever you feel like, although trying to add to it at least
daily can be a really soothing ritual until you start feeling
stronger again.

!! Body Care !!

* Take care of your body. Your body needs to be
well-nourished, well-rested, and cherished. If you've been
neglecting it or pushing it too far, you will pay a price and part
of that will result in lowered resiliency and openness to
depressive thoughts. The following things matter a great deal when
trying to cope with depression:

* Sleep well. Sleep is essential to a healthy, balanced body. Lack
of sleep can aggravate negative thinking and easily becomes a
vicious cycle whereby your negative thoughts keep you awake and
disable your ability to get enough sleep. Waking unrefreshed and
feeling tired is a commonplace complaint during depression, and
even too much sleep can leave depressed persons feeling tired.[33]
Breaking this cycle requires enforcing a strict sleep routine of
the same bedtime and waking time every day, avoiding caffeine and
alcohol, not exercising three hours prior to bed, removing
anything distracting from your bedroom, keeping your room at a
suitable temperature, etc.[34] Read How to fall asleep for more
help. It won't be easy breaking a disturbed sleep cycle and many
things can restore the insomnia or wakeful nights, so it's
important to be vigilant about keeping to a routine, as well as
very forgiving of yourself when you can't sleep.

* Exercise. A recent study showed exercise to be as effective as
Zoloft (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SSRI) in
treating depression.[35] Exercise releases a natural
anti-depressant chemical in your brain, and gets you out of your
bed or chair and into doing something active. Start small - a
simple walk to the local store, around the block, or to your
garden gate might be the way to begin. Gradually work up to a
regular walk, run, cycle, etc. routine that fits with your needs
and enjoyment. It should be enjoyable and comfortable, not
rigorous and defeating. Possibly tagging along with a friend to a
group exercise session might motivate you, or attending something
that permits you to express extreme emotions, such as kickboxing
or running.

* Eat healthily. Reduce your intake of sugar, high fructose corn
syrup, fast foods, and processed foods. Eat more fruit,
vegetables, and whole foods. Drink plenty of water and do some
research on foods that are said to improve your state of mind and
well-being. Improving your diet can be a positive project to keep
you constructively occupied and focused when you're working
through your depression.

* Restore any neglected grooming. It's can be easy to let yourself
go when depressed and to pay no attention to appearance and
clothing. Reintroducing daily attention to grooming can help
improve your mood and give you a sense of well-being. Get a new
haircut or new clothes as part of cheering yourself up. And
concentrate on the parts that you do love about yourself instead
of fretting over what you don't like.[36]

!! Support And Healthy Relationships !!

Find support among family and friendsMaintain a good support
network. Support from people who love and care about you is an
important part of the healing process. Tell people you trust that
you're depressed; do it in a way that makes it clear that they're
not responsible for you or a cause of your depression but that
you'd really appreciate their understanding and sympathy. If it
is hard for you to let on that you're depressed, remember that
depression is now recognized and taken seriously by the medical
profession everywhere and that it is not something to be ashamed
of. It is far harder for people to help you if you're secretive
and do inexplicably strange things; knowing will help people to
make allowances and support you as best they can.

* Find a good doctor or therapist to work with, or someone you can
trust to share your feelings with as you learn to cope.

* Realize that some people will find this confrontational or
upsetting if they're also feeling down, and others may be
dismissive. You'll need to reach a decision yourself as to whether
it's worth persevering explaining things further with them, or
whether it's just best to stay away from them until you're more
resilient.

* Be willing to be honest about your irritability and reclusive
behavior with those you trust. They need to know it's not them but
that you need space or time out every now and then.

Be around people who are good for you. Directly related to having a
good support network is being around people who buoy you and don't
drag you down. Talk with friends, family, and colleagues who make
you feel good and who are good to be around. Spend time with people
who see the world in a positive way and ask them to share their
visions, ideas, and approaches to life with you. Most positive
people will be more than happy to reveal the things that help them
keep upbeat and happy about their lives. Learn from them.

* Remembering that misery loves company, it can be incredibly hard
to keep away from people as down and out as you're feeling, but do
your best to avoid them. You won't be doing either of you a favor
by confirming one another's fears that the rest of the world is
terrible.

* In particular, avoid toxic personalities. People who are
entrenched in negativity, or who have difficult personalities or
personality disorders are the very people your psyche cannot
tolerate right now. Steer clear of them and if they zoom in on
you, be polite and retreat as quickly as you can with excuses
about needing to be somewhere, or having something to do right
now.

!! Changing Your Behavior !!

Find things you enjoy doingKeep occupied. Being busy is a way to
prevent negative thoughts from going around your head repeatedly.
For depressed persons, often the first step is the hardest, so
making yourself do things can make a huge difference to your day
and get you started.

* Do a hobby you enjoy or think you'll enjoy. Immerse yourself in
it. It doesn't have to be expensive or difficult, as long as it's
interesting it will serve the purpose.

* Care for pets. The routine involved in pets needing to be fed,
groomed, and played with can be very satisfying for a depressed
person. This is especially so because pets don't provide a sense
of judgment but return love and acceptance.

* Introduce structure into your everyday life. Make a schedule of
what to do every day, no matter how mundane and gradually expand
this as you start to feel better. It doesn't matter whether you
work or not, a schedule can put some direction back into a day
that might otherwise feel empty or aimless.[37]

Do happy things and treat yourself. Feeling down feeds on itself and
it soon becomes a catch-22 when you convince yourself that you don't
deserve to enjoy anything. The antidote is to do things that you
used to enjoy or that are fun for people around you - "one fun thing
a day to keep the blues at bay".

* As with everything else, do this gradually. One fun thing a day,
such as watching a beloved comedy, or reading a funny book can
give you a sense of fun for a while.

* Schedule positive events into your life. Go out to dinner, the
movies, for a meal or walk with friends, do a puzzle, visit a
neighbor, sit in the sun, have a massage, write a poem, go
window-shopping, sing, take a short swim, etc.

* Take it slowly. If you used to enjoy gardening, plant a single
plant. If you used to enjoy a long walk, take a short one. And
gradually build up to more enjoyable experiences.

Help others. This can be a good way of moving through your
depression once it's under better control, and is often an ideal
technique to use when your healing seems to have temporarily
"plateaued". In helping other people going through hardships, you
will be able to channel some of your sadness and inability to cope
into ensuring that other people can cope. This removes the
concentration from you to others, which can be good if you're prone
to too much introspection.

* Don't overdo volunteering. If you become involved in charity or
volunteer work and you feel exhausted or used up, that's a sign
you're overdoing it, or that you might not even be ready to be
helping others just yet. It doesn't mean you won't be able to do
this but it does mean take care of your own self first. Also be
careful not to get into a situation where you feel that your
self-esteem is continuing to be eroded – don't volunteer in
stressful situations until you're ready for them; seek the "back
room" work first.

!! Changing Your Negative Thinking Patterns !!

* Negative thoughts breed... more negative thoughtsUnderstand
the importance of overcoming negative thinking. This is a vital
aspect of working through depression and requires more than a
small place in an article but is presented here briefly to help
guide your future exploration in ways to change your negative
thinking patterns. Depressed persons tend to have what Aaron Beck
termed an "Information processing bias", referring to the tendency
to self-select the distorted and negative viewpoints of
everything, entrenching the depression even further.
Change your thinking. As part of progressing, recognizing and
defeating negative thinking patterns is a very important aspect to
concentrate on. Cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, or
other forms of psychological therapy are helpful when you're
unlearning negative thinking and relearning patterns of thinking
that support your self-esteem and increase your self confidence.
While it is best to read up in this area and to speak with someone
qualified to help guide you through the ways to change your
thinking, some things to keep in mind include:

* Acknowledge that although you feel bad right now, this feeling
will pass in time (weeks, months). This can be a very difficult
step but it's vital because it helps you to start banishing
thoughts of hopelessness.[38]

* List all of your good points. When you're depressed, it's easy to
understate the positive things about yourself. Turn this around
and start learning how to accept yourself by listing everything
that is good about you. Include achievements from the past and
hopes for the future, however few or random they may seem. And if
you can't write this list, have a trusted friend or family member
start one for you. This is a list to keep building upon as you
work through your depression. Self-acceptance is a vital part of
recovering from depression because you acknowledge that there are
good things about yourself and also that you cannot be perfect and
to stop judging yourself more harshly than anyone else.

* Make decisions, however small, and act on them. Again, while this
is very difficult to do during depression, it is a vital element
in facing the sense of helplessness that tends to overwhelm
depressed persons.[39] Small decisions include making a decision
to get out of bed, to call friends, to clean up the kitchen, to
get help for your depression. You do have choices – act on them
and once you have, they become achievements.

* Learn how to replace faulty thinking by focusing on it. Ask
questions such as: Am I assuming the worst? Am I condemning myself
because something bad has happened? Am I focused on my weaknesses
rather than my strengths? Am I ignoring all the positives? Am I
seeing everything as all or nothing rather than seeing the gray
areas in between? Am I taking on the blame for everything that
seems to go wrong? Am I overgeneralizing about things? Am I making
something worse than it really is?[40] It is helpful to arrange
the negative thought in one column and a rationalization in
another column, so that you can confront and undo the negative
thinking.

* Learn assertiveness techniques once you've challenged the harder
aspects of your negative thinking processes. Assertive techniques
will allow you to find a pathway to standing up for yourself
without giving in to feelings of anger, fear, or powerlessness.
Knowing how to assert yourself is an important part of not falling
back into depressive patterns in the future.

Look for the good. Without being a Pollyanna, sit back and try to
find the good in your life. Whatever it is, it is something worth
finding. Return to this list regularly and continue to update it. In
your initial recovery, it might have one or two things, for example,
"my house", "my spouse", "my pets", "my children", "my garden". Over
time it should grow as your dark glasses are removed and you start
to experience the more joyful side of life again.

* Replace unhappy thoughts with memories of happier times. You are
in control of what you're thinking about: make the choice to
prefer the positive, happier memories over the unhappy thoughts.

!! Other Possibilities !!

Art therapy is one possible recovery aidTry alternative therapies
or remedies. Investigate the potential of alternative therapies
such as homeopathy and acupuncture. In conjunction with other
healing choices you've made, these can sometimes help restore
your emotional balance. It's important to find a respected
practitioner in any alternative therapy, and don't be surprised
if you meet resistance from some medical practitioners to any
reliance on alternative therapies.

* Music is a form of self-help therapy that is known to change mood.
Choose music that improves your mood; if you must listen to sad
music, at least graduate to more upbeat music after a few songs or
tunes.

* Art therapy might help you.[41] Draw, paint, or create designs
that unleash your feelings on a canvas or paper. There are
qualified art therapists who can assist you if needed.

* Pet therapy can help. Pets prevent a sense of isolation, they
don't judge, and studies have proven that they induce a feeling of
well-being in people who are depressed.[42] Even if you don't own
a pet, try to get access to someone else's on a regular basis and
spend time together.

!! The Way Forward !!

* Look forward to the future and know that you're amazingFind
your own pathways to emotional wholeness. There are many possible
ways to cope with depression and there is a lot of information
available to help you. But more important than anything you read
or hear, is the ability to look deep inside yourself and to find
what really works for you. This is why it's helpful to keep a
diary of your recovery process, to help you to identify the best
approaches and to build on those.

* Accept that depression may return. Once touched by depression,
your vulnerability to it can mean it has a higher chance of
returning in your life if you don't manage its causes well. Be
smarter next time though; by recognizing the growing warning signs
that it's returning to your life, take constructive actions to
deal with it earlier on and you may even nip it in the bud. At the
best, aim to minimize its impact and duration.

* Talk with other people who are experiencing depression. When
you've passed through depression, you can help others to work
through it too, and to reassure them that what they're
experiencing is real, and is worthy of treatment, and that there
is light at the end of the tunnel.

!! Video !!

!! Tips !!

* For many people, having something to believe in makes an enormous
difference to their emotional and spiritual well-being.[43]
Turning to your existing faith, a new one, or finding a cause you
believe in, might be a pathway to finding your way out of the
darkness and into renewed purpose. If you believe in a religious
faith, you may find solace in praying, meditating, or reading holy
texts. Consult a local religious leader in your community with any
questions. If you're not religious, try reading a book of
philosophy or a self-help book.

* Have beautiful surroundings. You define what is beautiful but
remove the things from your life that upset you, or bring you
down. It might be as simple as removing clutter or as complex as
redecorating, all depending on your budget of course! Brighten up
a dark room or let in more fresh air. Let some of the outside
world bathe your inside life.

* Make your sleeping room as dark and quiet as possible. Any noise
or light disturbances will often be enough to awaken or prevent
sleep for a depressed person.

* Keep your alarm clock by your bed but away from you. This will
make you get up enough to check the time. Use the very act of
rising physically to check the clock as a reason to get up
completely and proceed to the bathroom.

* If you find therapy a little strange, try seeing the therapist as
a non-judgmental great aunt or uncle on whom you can unload all of
your feelings without getting back any "shoulds" or "pull yourself
together" commentary! It does you good to offload the thoughts to
another person, and if you can't find that person among your
circle of friends or within your family, a therapist is a sound
and confidential substitute. If you're prone to overthinking or
analyzing everything, don't try to read too much into therapy
other than accepting it helps to talk things through. Allow it to
be a simple experience rather than complicating it.

* Reduce your stress levels. Stress both nourishes and harbors
depression, exacerbating any tendencies to react in a depressed
way to life's problems, and providing ongoing fuel for sustaining
depressed thinking. Learning to deal with stress constructively in
the future increases your chances of preventing depression and
remaining resilient in the face of pressures.

* Talk to people who have been where you are and come through. Their
experiences can help convince you that there is an end to the
depressive state.

* If the counselor you're seeing isn't helping, don't be afraid to
try a different one. It can take a while to find someone that is
suited to your particular needs. Look for someone who specializes
in your problem area, whether it be eating disorder, addiction,
relationship problems, etc. There is always someone out there who
can help you but it might take looking around.

* Sometimes not connecting with your therapist can be a good thing;
it might actually be that your therapist is telling you things you
don't want to hear, or it could be that the therapist projects
things about yourself you don't much like. Take this as an
incredible opportunity to either listen, or learn how to love
those parts of you you're less kind with. Don't always eschew the
hard work involved in facing your deeper self.

* Avoid comparing yourself to other people. Compare yourself to you
at your lowest point in the past and think about what's better
now. Pat yourself on the back for it. If you think you're at your
lowest point ever, then imagine one small thing (the tiniest thing
you can think of) that you know you can make better. And then move
on from there.

* Change your life. Often times depression results from a
deep-rooted desire to be in a different situation than you are
right now. If you don't like living with your parents well into
your 20s, move out of your house. If you don't like your city,
move to a different one. If you don't like your job, find a new
one. Allowing uncomfortable, unsuitable, or untenable situations
to control you is a way of living life in an unhappy fog. Take the
initiative to change what isn't working; it will be hard but
staying in a rut is even harder.

!! Warnings !!

* When finding a person to help you with depression, always ask to
see their qualifications and understand the differences between
the different types of therapists. If one type of therapy doesn't
suit you, do not despair. You may need to change either the
therapist or the type of therapy; keep trying until something
clicks for you. Even the searching and changing of therapists is a
form of making decisions and keeping active, so it is a good
exercise for you; do not see it as a dead end or another hopeless
situation you've ended up in!

* Don't go it alone. Depression is hard enough when cocooned with
your own thoughts. Let in people you can trust; you'll probably be
surprised to learn that some people who are close to you have
already been where you are and can help to pull you through. A lot
of people try to hide their depression and negative emotions from
others, including family and friends, in an attempt to ignore what
is happening to them, or because they don't want to be a
burden/hassle to anybody. If this is you, then remember that there
are people out there who love and care about you, people who have
been trained to help you, and people who are in the same situation
as you. Although depression does an excellent job of making you
feel unworthy of care and completely alone, it's all untrue. Don't
ever try to cover up feeling this way, because it instantly makes
it a whole lot worse. Depression can be helped so much just by
knowing that the people around you are trying to help you and will
always be there. In addition, support from the medical and therapy
professions is essential, even if only at the start of your
recovery from depression.

* Leaving depression to work its terrors in the hopes that time will
heal it all is the worst possible thing to do. The longer you
leave getting help, the worse the depression will become and the
harder it will be to self-help. Most, if not all types of
depression will simply intensify over time, taking over your life.
If you realize you may be or are definitely suffering from
depression, *get help immediately* - by talking to someone or
seeing a professional. Remember it's never too late to get help,
either - if you've been battling depression for a year, it doesn't
mean nobody will listen when you speak up.

* Depression can often lead to self harm and suicide. Although both
of these may seem like the only possible options when you're at
rock bottom, remember all the positive outlets and choices -
talking to people, getting support, seeking professional help.
Don't become another statistic in today's society - help yourself
fight it, by getting help. At the very least, think of all the
others you will hurt by leaving them behind.

* See your doctor or health professional for appropriate diagnosis,
treatment, and medical advice.

!! Related WikiHows !!

* How to Tell if You Are Depressed

* How to Overcome Sadness

* How to Deal With Geopathic Stress

* How to Deal With Teenage Depression and Nostalgia

* How to Know if You Have Depression

* How to Get Closure

* How to Help a Friend With a Serious Depression Problem

* How to Seek Help for Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)

* How to Get Help in Living With Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)

* How to Deal With Severe Clinical Depression

* How to Cope With Depression Without Seeking Professional Help

!! Sources And Citations !!

!! Article Tools !!

* Read on wikiHow

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