Do you or someone you know suffer from depression? Hopefully not, but the odds are good that all of us will be touched by depression at some point in our lives. There are things you can do to help. This article is intended to provide some tips for dealing with this serious problem.
A great tip that can help you battle depression is to make sure you’re getting enough sleep everyday. It’s important that we get enough sleep because it helps our bodies function. If we don’t get enough sleep, we can get tired and that can lead to feeling depressed.
A great tip that can help you fight depression is to not listen to sad music. A lot of people are drawn to sad music when they’re depressed because it validates their thoughts. This can keep you in a depressed state. Ditch the sad music and you’ll find yourself feeling better.
It is wise for those who suffer from depression to find a hobby. By getting involved in a sport or other activity, you will help to keep your mind off of the negative feelings you may have. Try to get a friend or family member to join you in this activity.
One great tip when battleling depression is to force yourself to smile. This may be hard especially because you are depressed but if you can do it you will not regret it. Scientists have shown that smiling releases endorphins and as such helps bring your mood to an elevated and happy state.
Consider taking a dietary supplement. Studies have shown that vitamin deficiencies can affect brain function, leading to disorders such as depression. Especially implicated are B vitamins, including folic acid and B-12. A chromium supplement, while not fixing a deficiency, will also help boost energy levels and reduce junk food cravings.
Just as you shouldn’t be afraid to tell someone that you are suffering from clinical depression you also shouldn’t feel obligated to tell everyone. If you are in a professional environment or any situation where you feel that others may not understand the severity of your situation, feel free to keep quiet.
Eat a healthy diet. Many times someone who is depressed my try to cover those feelings with overeating, binge drinking, or even starving themselves. Suppressed feelings are one of the largest contributing factors in depression. When you find yourself reaching for the bag of cookies or bottle of wine, remind yourself that you are making the feelings worse. In addition to forcing you to deal with your feelings instead of covering them, maintaining healthy eating habits will improve your health as well as your mood.
If you suffer from depression, you should take time out to focus on your past accomplishments. After failures and life setbacks, it is easy to forget all of the positive things that you have achieved in your life. Focus on your strengths and build yourself up by remembering these past successes.
If you have been prescribed a medication that you feel comfortable taking, you should not feel embarassed to take it. People who have heart problems or lung problems are sure to take their medicine and the same should be true for people who have head problems, it is there as a way to help you.
Listen to motivational speakers. When you are depressed, your inner voice becomes increasingly negative. Don’t give that voice a chance to bring you down. When you feel your inner voice start to be negative grab a recording of your favorite motivational speaker and let them be your inner voice for a while. It will fill your mind with uplifting words instead of pessimism.
Get dancing! Exercise is good for depression, but getting the motivation for a workout is hard enough when you are not depressed. Instead, throw on your favorite upbeat music. No slow, depressing songs allowed. Close your curtains if you are shy, and let loose. Not only will the movement get your blood pumping, the music can lift your mood.
Keeping a personal journal can be a very effective method of trying to cope with your depression. A daily journal gives you a safe place to vent your frustrations and explore your feelings, safe from prying eyes and unwanted questions. As you reflect back on your journal over time, you can chart your progress, track your status emotionally and pick up patterns of behavior or possible triggers for problem issues.
If you are the parent of a child or teenager and feel like they may have depression, it is important that you get them seen by a psychiatrist or therapist as soon as you can. When a child is treated for depression at a young age, they are more apt to live a productive life as an adult.
For too long, our society has stigmatized mood disorders, and people have gone without treatment. Increasingly we can discuss these matters openly. With that change comes the opportunity to learn from each others’ experiences and use advice, such as that found in this article, to make the lives of depression sufferers and their loved ones a little easier.
