How to Cope With Fear & Depression

When feelings of fear and depression last for more than a few days, they can be difficult to cope with. These feelings may be brought on by a loss, a change in life circumstances or an abundance of stress. It's beneficial to have some coping skills to get you through this difficult time in your life.

Instructions

• 1

  Recognize fear as negative thinking. It is easy to get into a pattern of negative thinking, and not as easy to get out. Fear is imagining the worst that could happen in a given situation. It is constantly asking yourself, "What if?" Once you recognize that fear is coming from your own negative thoughts, and that you can stop your negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts, the fear will begin to go away. Once the fear begins to go away, the depression will lift as well.

  Stop asking, "What if?" and say, "So what!"

• 2

  Make an appointment with a cognitive-behavioral therapist. A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry that compared the efficacy of antidepressant medication and cognitive behavioral therapy concluded that cognitive behavioral therapy was just as effective as medication. The authors note that this may be true only in cases in which an experienced clinician is used, so choose your therapist wisely.

• 3

  Avoid all newspapers and other sources of news. Reading and hearing about events that we have no control over can trigger additional depression and fear. Go on a news diet and take a break from it all for a minimum of two weeks.

• 4

  Maintain your support network. When you are depressed, it is easy to let relationships stagnate. You may even feel that no one wants to be around you. This is the fear and depression talking. Continue to reach out to people. Make a commitment to call or visit at least one person a day, even when it is difficult to do so.

• 5

  Leave the house. The worst thing you can do if you are suffering from fear and depression is to stay inside. Find an activity outside of your home that can distract you from your feelings. Spend some time exercising. Volunteer to help someone. Work in the garden or paint the house. You don't have to feel good in order to do these things, but you will have to behave as though you feel good. Once you're acting as though you feel good, good feelings will come.