How to Battle Depression

Depression often paralyzes the sufferer, which makes it difficult to fight. When a person is depressed, it can feel like she is trapped in an emotional mud pit. Depression is exhausting and wears a person down. This traps them in a cycle where they need energy to fight the depression, but the depression saps that energy. By using touchstones as a lifeline, a depressed person can break this cycle and move towards recovery.

Instructions

• 1

  Decide on what you want in your future. Imagine what life would be like if you weren't struggling with depression, and think about where you want to be a year in the future. What about 3 or 5 years down the road? Come up with both short-term and long-term goals.

• 2

  Imagine the steps it would take to get to those goals. If you weren't paralyzed by depression, what could you do to make them reality? What concrete actions could you take?

• 3

  Use the goals as neutral touchstones to help you start taking small steps forward. Depression is a passive emotion, so you need to keep yourself focused on action. When you're feeling stuck, ask yourself, "Am I being a reactor to the depression, or am I choosing an action that moves me closer to my goals?" If your answer is the former, ask yourself, "What can I do right now to get out of the reactive position and take a step forward?"

• 4

  Celebrate small successes. You can't cure depression overnight. It usually takes a while to get to a depressed and hopeless point, so it will take time and effort to conquer it. Every time you managed to take a step towards your goals and touchstones, congratulation yourself. If you have a bad day and don't make any progress, don't beat yourself up. Instead, ask yourself, "What can I do differently tomorrow so I'll be able to make some progress?"