How to Be Happy With Yourself and Cure Depression

Learning how to be happy with yourself may not happen overnight, but it can certainly be done. Feeling bad about yourself can lead to depression, and it is also a symptom of depression.

If you have been diagnosed with depression you should seek the advice of a physician, either a general practitioner or a psychiatrist who can prescribe medicine if it's necessary. Cognitive therapy with a qualified therapist can help whether or not you are on medication. Changing certain thoughts, feelings and behaviors can improve mood.

Things You'll Need

• Psychiatrist or medical doctor
• Cognitive therapist
• Notebook
• Pen
• Trusted friends or advisers

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Instructions

See a Doctor if You are Depressed

• 1

  Have a complete physical to rule out any obvious causes of depression. If the depression is serious or life-threatening (i.e. you are having suicidal thoughts), the doctor may recommend medication.

• 2

  If depression is diagnosed, consult with a psychotherapist who specializes in cognitive therapy for depression.

• 3

  Engage in thoughts, feelings and behaviors, described below, to help yourself, but do so only with approval of your therapist. If your depression is not clinical (i.e. not serious enough to be diagnosed) the suggestions below may help.

Interpret your Negative Feelings

• 4

  Write down all the negative feelings you have about yourself. Then examine the list.

• 5

  Do you feel bad about yourself because of something negative or destructive you've done or are doing? If so, it's time to stop the destructive behavior, apologize to whomever you have harmed and make amends.

• 6

  Ask other people who you trust, including a qualified counselor, if they think your negative thoughts are realistic. If nobody thinks you are at fault, it's possible that your negative feelings about yourself and your guilt are simply due to the depression, in which case you should seek out medication and/or cognitive therapy.

• 7

  Are you feeling bad about yourself because you are not doing things in life that you want to do, or because you are doing things that you don't want to do? If so, it may be time to make some changes in your life. A career counselor, spiritual advisor or therapist can help.

Analyze Your Patterns of Thinking

• 8

  Seek out a cognitive therapist who can help you look at your thought patterns to see if your thoughts are contributing to your problems with self-image and depression.

• 9

  Notice when you are feeling particularly depressed. Ask yourself what thoughts you are having at the moment. Write them down. Write down the beliefs you have about yourself that are driving those negative thoughts.

• 10

  After each sentence, ask yourself the following questions: Is it true? Do others think it is true? Am I exaggerating? Is there another way to look at it? If a friend felt this way, what advice would I give her? Replace the negative thought with an alternative positive thought, based on the answers to those questions.

• 11

  If you can't come up with any ideas that are more positive, ask other trustworthy people for input. If answering these questions make you feel worse, consult a therapist right away.

• 12

  Get in the habit of tuning into these negative thoughts and replacing them.

Develop More Positive Behaviors to Ease Depression

• 13

  Develop a routine and stick to it. Each day get up, get dressed, do the things you have to do and schedule some things you want to do.

• 14

  Make a list of healthy things that are pleasurable to you. Include small things that are easy to do, like listening to music. Each day spend time doing at least one, if not two or three of these things.

• 15

  Exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, studies show that exercise can be as effective as antidepressant medication in some cases. Do some aerobic activity like running or step class for 30 minutes four to six times per week.

• 16

  Make a plan for your life. Each day, set and work on small goals that are achievable and will lead up to something that you want to accomplish.

• 17

  Enlist the support, help and friendship of other people. Isolation makes depression worse.