Alleviating Depression: Six Steps You Can Take Now to Begin Feeling Better

Depression is a much more common illness than many people realize and affects two out of every ten people sometime during their lifetime. It can involve feelings of low self-esteem, hopelessness, exhaustion, insomnia and actual physical aliments. Feeling ‘blue’ can be considered a normal response to upsetting or difficult experiences, and these feelings will usually pass.  Feeling down or completely out of energy for extended periods of time, however, is not normal.

Keep in mind that we often want to solve difficulties in life that we have no control over.  It is important, in a preventative sense, to find ways of managing difficulties so those difficulties do not totally overwhelm our lives and rob us of vital life-energy. 

Feeling Alone

Depression sometimes causes a person to withdraw from others. This, in turn, creates an ugly cycle of lessened self-worth, lowered confidence, and increased isolation from the outside world.  “The world doesn’t feel safe anymore and I can’t stand to be out in public...,” was something I heard from a client just recently.  Fortunately, she realized that she needed to seek medical help and make some changes. 

Alleviating Depression

First of all, if the blues have lingered for more than a few days, a visit to the doctor is in order to determine if you are clinically depressed. In addition to professional support, there are several self-help strategies that can be used to make life happier:

·        Self care

Looking after general health can maximize the chances of feeling better sooner and is an important part of self care. It is difficult to feel an overall sense of well-being if sleep is disturbed or inadequate, or if the individual is avoiding healthy lifestyle habits.

·        Physical exercise

Although depressed people often don’t feel they have the energy to exercise, it is well documented that endorphins—which create positive feelings of well-being--are released into the body during exercise.

·        Creative activities

Creative activities such as drawing, writing, or painting can lift the mood by giving a sense of release, control over one’s time, and a sense of accomplishment.

·        Reaching out

By contacting a friend or relative, individuals can engage with other “safe” people.  A small but doable gesture for someone who is suffering from clinical depression may be that of sending a greeting card to someone they care about as a way of reaching out.

·        Finding pleasure 

Taking time for simple pleasures will often lighten and lift one’s mood. Something as simple as buying a bouquet of fresh flowers, watching the sunset, or spending time with a pet can bring about a great deal of relief.  “I forget to take time for me,” is a common complaint among those who suffer from depression.

·        Fake it till you make it

Occasionally, just acting as if one is happy and confident can have the effect of changing the down-and-out feelings.  People around us react more positively to a person who is more cheerful and upbeat. 

Many times it is challenging for people who feel depressed to take action—and they find themselves immobilized in life. Seeking outside help can be the first step to making positive progress and managing depression.

Group Therapy

Connection with a group of people who have similar experiences can provide the positive support and concomitant reassurance that we are not alone in our struggles.  Likewise, support groups often organize complementary therapies, such as art therapy, music therapy or aromatherapy.  Groups can also provide a safe and supportive environment when the world isn’t feeling safe.

Medical involvement is important because the physical symptoms of depression may resemble those of a number of other conditions ranging from a low-grade environmental/allergic response to something much more problematic such as alcohol or chemical addictions. Doctors can diagnose the root of the depression and suggest a course of anti-depressant drugs or alternative therapies. Please keep in mind that taking prescriptions of any sort must be considered carefully.

Can it be Cured?

Depression can be a deeply disturbing experience for the patient and those around them.  The good news is that the majority of depressed people make a full recovery with appropriate treatment and go on to become more aware of themselves and those around them, more aware of their own needs and stronger in the long run. For further information and a free self-assessment test, please visit www.ManageClinicalDepression.com

If you feel that you are suffering from depression, it is important to visit a doctor to discuss symptoms. Medication, counseling, therapy or a combination of modalities may be suggested.  You owe it to yourself to take the first step toward feeling better.