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Posted by: gardensallday on 2009-12-29, 17:34:31
Get counseling if you have serious issues from the past or present, increase social support, exercise more, get better nutrition and sleep, and possibly get a light box. Antidepressant medication only helps a few people - most people who get better on antidepressants would have recovered from their depression anyhow, so the drugs only help maybe 10% of people for a recovery rate of 40% (30% get better on a sugar pill or spontaneously improve without any treatment at all). If these self help tips don't do enough, then you will have to go the medication route if you have serious enough depression, but it takes a lot of trial and error to find a pill that works, and you may not like the side effects, like your sex life is over, you get horrible nightmares, etc. (which not everyone gets these side effects, but almost all get the sexual side effects, which are not reversible in 100% of cases, but most people go back to normal.) depression tips: If your depression is worse in winter, try to get more sun. You may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or your depression could be partly seasonal. Use a light box (10,000 Lux (light intensity) at about 20” - about $300 online, don't get at a local store, they charge more, you don't need full spectrum, it needs a UV filter, the Sunray is a good brand). I have extra windows, spend time in bright rooms, painted the walls peach & yellow & have a skylight ( it helps!!!!!) Try meditation like progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery. It reduces stress, & depression. See The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne for examples. Free 15 minute guided imagery download at healthjourneys.com. ***** #1 MOST HELPFUL Go out with friends, & if you don't have any, join a club & MAKE yourself go until you look forward to it. “Isolating” makes depression worse. Exercise 1/ 2 hour a day, & anytime you feel depressed. Exercise is a great mood stabilizer & reduces anxiety. LOTS OF RESEARCH SUPPORTS THIS. Make it a priority!! Insomnia?: Go to bed & get up the same time each day, even weekends. Don't use your bedroom to watch TV, read or use the computer. Don't do stuff that revs you up before bed, like exercising & using the computer. Light from computer screens & TV wakes you up. Use that last hour to wind down-Take a bath? Make the bedroom very dark, even cover up the alarm clock. Use a noise machine (makes wave sounds etc.) to cover up disturbing sounds. Avoid caffeine in afternoon & evening. Try soundsleeping.com for free relaxing sounds downloads. Put a lot of colorful, happy things around the house & let the sun in. Do nice things for yourself. Make a list of things that make you happy. On my list: bread fresh from the oven, the scent of Jergen's cherry almond lotion, the crisp sound of a saltine cracker breaking, fresh sheets on the bed, standing in the boat flicking topwater lures onto the water, etc. Use all your senses & read that list when you are breaking down Work on time management if you are overwhelmed. Cut back on other responsibilities so you can spend more restorative time with friends & family. Ask for help if depression makes it hard to keep up with chores. You got a significant other? Extra physical touch is helpful. Many people are touch deprived, so hold hands more, hug more, give shoulder rubs, etc. A pet is great if your home situation allows you to get one. (Don't if you can't commit to it for 15 years) Do NOT listen to sad music! It makes things worse! Listen to upbeat stuff- same with movies & novels. DISTRACT yourself when you are hurting. Read a novel, watch a comedy, go out with friends, play cards, play a video game, whatever is mentally all-consuming. This is a VERY helpful tip!! Volunteer. Research shows that helping others makes you feel better about yourself. It also keeps you more involved in the community. Many people find comfort being involved in religion. Get help from your pastor. Be aware that some pastors from conservative faiths don't “believe” in mental illness & will tell you to go off your meds & pray more – don't go to such a pastor for “help” if your faith is like this. Put a half-smile on your face. Changing your expression is proven to help change mood. I have severe psychiatric symptoms from bipolar disorder & PTSD & these things help me (I haven't found any meds to help me yet). Cognitive Behavioral therapy is the most effective kind of counseling. Try free computerized CBT at moodgym.anu.edu.au. Computerized therapy appears to be almost as effective as counseling, research shows. Good luck. I learned this information from numerous classes & books. PS some people are depressed because they are in a bad life situation. That isn't really clinical depression - that is your brain telling you you need to get your act together and get out of that bad situation, or learn to cope with it better if you can't get away. Work out a plan on how to change the things in life that are making you sad, if this is the case with you. Some people just genetically have depression, though, or were abused as children, and then this isn't an option that will work for them 100% (although it helps). That group of folks will have to use the coping strategies I mentioned and should consider meds if the strategies above aren't enough. |
