Depression is a singular word that encompasses a wide array of mentally and physically debilitating behaviors. While some aspects can be narrowed down to a specific disorder such as Bipolar Disorder, sometimes coping with depression isn’t as easy as receiving a diagnosis. Even if you have not been diagnosed, depression is one of the most unreported illnesses in the United States.
Symptoms include lack of appetite, apathy, disinterest in daily activities, and mood swings. Such symptoms can last for just a couple of days or over the course of many months.
If you are experiencing any of these challenging emotional obstacles, how can you possibly overcome that overbearing feeling of dread that accompanies victims of depression? There are many options, and always remember that you are not alone in seeking help.
Explore Your Options
Don’t fight depression on your own. Confide in your closest friends and family that you are having a difficult time coping with an overwhelming darkness within your life. With assistance, and maybe even without professional help, you can overcome depression by modifying your daily routine with just a few minor tweaks.
It won’t be easy; depression has a nasty habit of making even the most energetic, bubbly people feel like never getting out of bed. Drag your feet, get out of the house, and meet up with some friends.
Call your family. Let those you love know what you are going through and make a point to see them as often as you can. More often than not, being out and about on any given day can boost your mood. Every little smile counts as a step forward, even if you’re still asking yourself, ‘Why can’t I just go home?’
What Causes Depression?
There are many factors that can cause an individual to experience symptoms of depression. Drastic changes in lifestyle routines, relationships with significant others, family members, and coworkers, and even just the general state of the world can be enough to make anyone feel like they have a heavy thundercloud looming over their head.
When you are able to pinpoint the cause of your specific depression, find ways to combat it. If you’re having issues with a relationship of sorts, seek guidance counseling or learn to communicate how the stress is affecting you personally. If you’re going through a major change within your life, such as a divorce, remember that it’s okay to be sad but every storm eventually runs out of rain.
Get Out and DO!
Remember when you used to enjoy getting up out of bed starting a new day with a clean slate? Focus on the things that made you happy. Find a hobby that you once let yourself obsess over.
Sit down with a cup of coffee and a good book. Take an hour long shower. Make little adjustments to your daily schedule that make the stress of living life more manageable. Remember to take care of yourself, and that like any illness, depression can be cured, combated, and eventually left behind!
Still Having Trouble?
There will always be days that are difficult for those of us that struggle with depression, and that is okay. If you’ve tried micromanaging your hobbies and relationships, perhaps you need to add an exercise routine to your day.
Physical activity is proven to release mood enhancing hormones that make the human mind and body feel great and function even better. And, if all else fails, you can always seek professional help.
Sometimes depression needs more than just routine modifications and better choices, it needs professional assistance, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you’ve been struggling with how to deal with depression on your own, perhaps you need to find help in the form of a therapist.
Supplements and Aide
If you aren’t an individual for therapy, maybe the form of vitamin substances is more your style. In addition to revamping your diet with healthy foods optimized for boosting your mood, there are supplements that you can take to help combat your nagging depression.
B-12 vitamins are fantastic at fending off sour moods, and if your body is lacking in any of the B vitamins, it’s possible that guzzling a glass of orange juice can boost your mood in just a couple of hours. However, just adding something to your diet doesn’t always work.
Sugar rushes from morning coffee might give you the energy to make it through to lunch, but that crash from high amounts from sugar, carbohydrates, and caffeine cause our body’s hormones to take a roller coaster back to normalcy.
If you slowly work to remove sugars, caffeine, and carbs from your diet, you will see a steady increase in your mood over a longer period of time with fewer bouts with depression. Don’t ever skip meals, as going too long without food in your system causes your blood sugar to drop, meaning your system will be on another roller coaster sooner than later.
It’s All Up to You!
Sometimes the best way to deal with negativity that your imagination cooks up is to give yourself a long look in the mirror. Ask yourself questions. What are you sad about? What causes you to be droopy all day?
Once you start answering a few simple questions about your thought process and mindset, you can begin to logic yourself out of your depression. It can be quite challenging, and mentally exhausting for someone with a busy life, but would you ever lie to yourself? Remind yourself that things are not always black and white.
It’s perfectly okay to be sad, upset, or even distraught over certain things. But what you need to focus on is the positive. Learn to filter out the negative thoughts and emotions that plague your day to day life, and start to hone in on the positive. How beautiful is it outside? How many people love you unconditionally? Aren’t you happy to be in good physical health?
Those kinds of questions remind you that not everything is as nightmarish as your imagination can make things out to be. Once you have mastered your mental state, you will slowly see an improvement in your moods, and be well on your way to overcoming depression.