How to Win Over Depression

Individuals with depression may show signs of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, irritability, loss of interest in normal activities, fatigue, inability to concentrate, insomnia, changes in appetite, suicidal thoughts and/or body aches and pains, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. If you have any of these symptoms over an extended period of time, there are approaches to treating depression that will help you cope in order to allow you to function in your life. These approaches include doing certain activities to help decrease the symptoms of depression, taking prescription antidepressant drugs or seeking psychological/psychiatric therapy.

Instructions

Self-Help

• 1

  Become physically active. This may include starting an exercise program that you may enjoy and that you can commit to. Planning to walk for 20 minutes, three times a week could be one option. The National Institute of Health recommends that those with depression can also elect to accomplish physical activities that are simple, such as going to a baseball game. The idea is to attempt to be as physically active as you can be during depression so that your mind is focused on something other than your depressive thoughts.

• 2

  Seek social activities. You may like to go to the movies with friends, visit a park, go to church or get out and see the sights with others. Being around other people may assist in refocusing your thoughts and give you a new perspective, even if temporarily.

• 3

  Set reasonable limits for yourself and jobs that you want to accomplish. This may mean that you will divide a large project into smaller parts, or avoid setting goals for yourself that you know you cannot achieve. Setting yourself up for failure will only add to the emotional upset that you are experiencing.

• 4

  Reach out to others for support. You need to have a select group of people that you can share your feelings and thoughts with confidentially, which will help you be able to sort out your feelings and understand those things that are adding to your depression.

• 5

  Be realistic. Despite the fact that there may be those that expect you to "get over it," depression takes time to work through and you have to allow yourself as long as it takes to win over depression.

• 6

  Avoid making decisions based on your mood. This is especially true related to life-changing situations that you may view one way while in a depressive state of mind and quite another when not depressed.

• 7

  Seek the advice of others when you must make life-altering decisions when you're depressed. This can help you view the situation as clearly as possible. Make sure that you get advice from those who know you well and will evaluate the decision logically.

• 8

  Evaluate situations as positively as possible. During depression it is easy to look at everything negatively. However, try refocusing your thoughts to look at a situation positively, so that you can weigh whether or not your opinion is influenced by your depression.

Therapy

• 9

  Locate a therapist through your primary care physician, through telephone inquiries or through referrals of friends and family. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, you may want to check with your HMO, at community mental health centers, state hospitals or employee programs.

• 10

  Be honest about your present experience with depression, as well as other bouts of depression that you may have experienced in your lifetime. This will aid the therapist in determining the type of depression that you may have, as well as in determining the type of treatment that may work for you.

• 11

  Be prepared to take an active role in your treatment, as your participation is essential to overcoming depression.

Antidepressants

• 12

  Talk to your psychologist or psychiatrist about using antidepressants to treat your depression.

• 13

  Learn about all of the side effects and potential changes in your mood that the particular antidepressant you may be prescribed can cause.

• 14

  Make sure you are aware of the warning signs of serious side effects associated with the medication.

• 15

  Take the medication exactly as prescribed. Inform the psychologist or psychiatrist of any effects the medication has on you that do not seem normal.

• 16

  Be aware that many patients change antidepressants until one is found that works.