Coping With Depression: 5 Tips to Coping With Depression

Depression is a very real and can be a very debilitating disorder. For anyone that has never truly dealt with depression in a more advanced form, it can appear that those that are suffering more severely are merely acting in an inappropriate manner. But this could not be further from the truth.

Depression has been labeled by some as a disease. This could be because of how it attacks a person. Like a disease, depression begins deep within an individual hidden at first. A person often does not realize that they are beginning to sink into a deeper depression. For them they are just down and out and will rebound soon enough. Terms like, “I am just having a bad day”, or “I am just not myself lately”, could be early warning signs that a person is beginning to feel the onset of depression. Also like a disease, if depression goes unattended it simply grows worse over time. Eventually if untreated depression can overcome an individual and affect every aspect of their life.

How do I know this? I have suffered from severe depression and am actually just now beginning to pull myself from the depths of it. I understand how overwhelming the feelings of depression can be. I know how it feels to have feelings of complete hopelessness and helplessness. I also understand that it is not easy to overcome it.

Another thing I know is that not everyone suffering from depression can afford a therapist or medicine to help combat these feelings. That is why I have put together a short list of five things an individual can do to help improve their life as they deal with depression. I do not claim that these things will by any means cure anyone of depression, but hopefully it will help them to at least cope.

1) Think Positive….

Now this bit of advice may seem to be a very obvious tip for anyone dealing with depression, but it is one that is most often overlooked. The key is to not only know you must think more positively, but surround yourself with it. One of the things I have done to try and become more positive with my thought process is changing my welcome screen on my cell phone. I placed the phrase “think positive” on the inside screen of my phone so that anytime I open it I have to read it. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much this little change has helped me so far.

There are many things a person can do to surround themselves with positive things. Read books that are positive in nature. Watch TV shows that have a positive feel to them. Hang out with people that have a positive attitude. Tell yourself positive thoughts as soon as you wake up in the morning. Listen to positive music. If you are religious, read literature that pertains to your religious beliefs. The list of things you can do is endless. So, be positive and begin to do them!

2) Remove the Negative… Yes, this is another tip that seems obvious and may seem to go hand and hand with the first. But it is actually another thing that is often overlooked and is completely separate from thinking positive. Anyone that has ever suffered from severe depression will more than likely tell you that everything from the type of music they listen to, to the type of people they hang out with changes. When I am severely depressed I tend to listen to more dark and dreary music. I also tend to isolate myself from the world, whereas some may actually find others who are depressed to hang out with. The important thing to do though is identify those negative things and remove them.

When it comes to being around others that are also depressed, or generally just negative, I am not saying you have to stop being their friends or being around them period. But you must at the very least limit your amount of contact you have with them. As the old saying goes, “Misery loves company.” If you remain around other negative people, they will merely feed your depression and you will feed theirs. Also, remove whatever else makes you feel more depressed if you can. If watching the nightly news seems to only fuel your feelings of depression, then stop watching the news for a while. If the music you are listening to has a negative feel to it, stop listening to it. The important thing is to first identify whatever makes you feel more negative and then begin to separate yourself from it.

3) Write It Out… If you ever written a personal journal before, you know how powerful just writing out your feelings can be. You do not have to be a professional writer or even be a good speller to write a personal journal. The journal is for your eyes only and it does not matter how well you form your sentences or how well your grammar is. The important thing is that you are getting out your frustrations. Sometimes this can be more effective than expressing your feelings to someone else. This is because you can express yourself in a open and free manner that you may be afraid of doing with anyone else. So break out the pen and paper, or computer, and let all those feelings flow from your fingers into words.

4) Hobby Time… Everyone has things they like to do more than anything else. The problem with depression is that we often stop doing those things. This is a huge mistake! When you are depressed you often do not feel like doing anything at all, but you must make yourself do something. By picking things that you truly enjoy doing, you will provide yourself with opportunities to enjoy yourself.

One of the things that I truly love doing is writing. So one of the key things I have began doing to overcome my latest bout of depression is not only writing out my frustrations, but writing for pleasure. This has helped me as much, if not more, than anything else I have done thus far to battle depression in my life. For another person it may be playing golf. Another may enjoy cooking, while yet another may love hiking. Whatever hobby or activity it is you enjoy doing, do more of them and allow yourself some enjoyment in your life.

5) Get Out of the Rut… This bit of advice can go hand and hand with number four, but it also applies to your entire life. A person that suffers depression often finds themselves in what they consider a rut in life. They feel like no matter how hard they try they cannot seem to make positive changes in their life. One way to begin to change this way of thinking is to not allow yourself to be complacent.

Some of the things a person can do to help break out of the rut is by making small changes to your daily routine. If you always have your cup of coffee at home, try stopping at a local coffee shop on your way to work instead for your morning fix. If you always watch the six o’clock news, try reading a good book instead during that hour. You can also try new things to break out of your rut. Is there something you have always wanted to do, but just never tried? Break out of your shell and give it a shot. Is there somewhere you always wanted to go in your hometown, but just never took the time to go? Then get up and go see what you have been missing. The point is to prove to yourself on a daily basis that change is possible in your life and that you can be the one to make that change. Knowing you can change your life is a powerful tool when attempting to fight depression. So start changing the small things and the bigger things will follow.

This list is far from a complete list of things a person can do to help themselves overcome depression. But my hope is that if you or someone you know is suffering from depression that these small bits of advice will help. If professional help can be obtained, then I always suggest receiving it if you are suffering from depression. The main thing is that you are at the very least trying to help yourself.

 

 

MSvlog #1 Coping with Isolation & Depression – How do you cope with isolation and depression. Please share your story and give any advice on ways of dealing with it.

 

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