Help For Depression

Depression is an illness, and like any illness, it attacks mind, body, and spirit. In order to fight depression, you need to heal the whole person. Your doctor can help you fight depression with medication. Your therapist can help you by offering empathy and new ways of thinking about old problems. What can you do to help yourself?

You may believe that you're powerless to fight depression. You're not. I've struggled with depression for most of my life. Doctors and therapists have been essential allies, but all of the pills and all of the talk in the world would not have been enough if I hadn't done my part. I've had to learn how to fight depression day by day. When the latest meds haven't kicked in yet and the next therapy appointment is a whole week away, I have to find my own path to wellness.

The following suggestions are ways to fight depression. They've worked for me. They may or may not work for you. This article is not intended as medical advice. If you're depressed, seek help from a competent mental health professional. Your primary physician can assist you with referrals.

How to fight depression, step 1: Create a "wellness checklist."

Mine is saved on the hard drive. When I get stuck and forget how to fight depression, or start to doubt my ability to fight depression, my checklist is ready and waiting. I change it according to my current challenges.

A wellness checklist should address the needs of mind, body, and spirit by providing realistic daily goals. It's meant to encourage you as you fight depression, not overwhelm you, so keep it simple. Stick to a single page. Use a "friendly" font in an easy-to-read size. If black and white is too stark, try a font in a soothing color. Print a new copy of the list each day.
If you're really struggling to fight depression, your list may include the simplest of everyday tasks -- the very things we do without thinking when we're feeling good. "Get out of bed in the morning," "Take a shower," and "Brush my teeth" may need to go to the top of your list. You'll probably feel silly at first, checking off such mundane tasks. The idea is to remind yourself that you can fight depression by taking care of yourself in the most basic ways.

The following steps include items which can be added to your checklist...

How to fight depression, step 2: Make good nutrition easy.

Good nutrition is essential when you need to fight depression. This is tricky, since depression tends to disrupt the appetite. In order to fight depression, you need to take in enough calories and nutrients to give your body and mind strength.

Preparing a meal may be a daunting task when you're depressed, and it'll seem pointless if you're not interested in eating. If you make healthy eating as easy as possible, you'll not only fight depression, you'll be better able to resist junk food. Sugar highs and the crashes that inevitably follow will only make you feel worse.

Fight depression by buying healthy, appealing foods that require little or no preparation: soups, fruit, string cheese, yogurt, whole-grain cereal, etc. If you can't manage to eat full meals, you can still get a good portion of the calories you need daily from nutritious snacks and light meals. If you tend to overeat when depressed, better to have the healthy stuff around for grazing. You'll be less likely to reach for the box of donuts.

How to fight depression, step 3: Try to get an adequate amount of sleep every night.

Sleep provides the armor you need to fight depression. Without adequate sleep, you're more susceptible to those negative messages swirling around in your mind, and less able to do good things on your own behalf.

If you're struggling with insomnia, make sure your bedroom is "optimized" for sleep. It should be a place for rest, not stimulation. Get rid of anything related to work and other sources of worry, such as paperwork and bills. If you keep a TV or computer in your bedroom, move it somewhere else. Fight depression by making the hours before sleep as peaceful as possible.
When it's time to turn out the lights, cover up digital clocks - those glowing numbers that keep you constantly aware of how late it's getting, and of how much sleep you're missing. Do your best to block all light sources; the goal is to create a space of total darkness. When I've had trouble sleeping, I've hung heavy blankets over my windows to block out light from street lamps. Sound crazy? Sometimes, you need to get a little weird in order to fight depression.


How to fight depression, step 4: Get exercise - any way you can.

It's hard enough for most of us to exercise regularly. It's really hard when you're trying to fight depression. Depression steals energy, so it may be hard to imagine how on earth you'll ever drag yourself to the gym, let alone work out once you get there.

Remember that exercise provides your brain with a natural high and releases the stress that otherwise stays coiled in your body. Exercise is like a magic antidepressant that works immediately. Consider it your knock-out punch as you fight depression.

I'm not necessarily talking about the Stairmaster or lifting weights. As with nutrition, make exercise easy. Fight depression - don't fight with yourself about what you "should" do for exercise." The gym may be the last place you want to go, so don't. Find a pleasant activity you can do every day, or every other day. This is not the time to focus on building muscles or losing weight. Right now, just look for a mood boost.

Walking is a great way to fight depression: 10 minutes at a moderately brisk pace can be enough to rouse you from a slump. Yoga is my own activity of choice. Using a yoga DVD for a mere 20 minutes gets me breathing, stretching, and yes, even relaxing.

You may not believe you can fight depression. In fact, you are your own number one ally. You can fight depression - and win.

article published by M. Trahan