Help Yourself Out Of Depression
Experts give advice about steps people can take to help ease their depression.
Recovery from depression can be a long process. A variety of treatments for depression exists, but they may take time before an effect is noticed. Weeks, if not months, may pass between the time when you see a health care provider about depression and when your mood starts to lift.
While some improvement may be seen after starting antidepressants, they can take at least three weeks to start having an effect on your mood. What’s more, the first medication or combination of medications you try may not work for you in that case you’ll have to start over.
In the meantime, there are things you can do, as well as things you can avoid, to help yourself feel better, or at least keep from sinking deeper into depression.
You are somewhat responsible — but not entirely responsible — for your state of mind, says psychologist James Aikens, PhD, an assistant professor of family medicine and psychiatry at the University of Michigan.
“You’re not responsible for being depressed. Your responsibility is to make some reasonable efforts towards feeling better,” he tells WebMD.
But The Bad Days Are Unbearable
âNow for a bad day⦠I fight with myself to wake up and have to truly shame myself into showering and getting myself together. I put on makeup alert people about my internal issues. I donât want to talk or be bothered by anyone. I fake being personable, as I have rent to pay and donât want to complicate my life any more than it is.
âAfter work, I just want to go to my hotel room and mindlessly scroll on Instagram or YouTube. Iâll eat junk food, and feel like a loser and demean myself.
âI have more bad days than good, but Iâve gotten good at faking it so my clients think Iâm a great employee. Iâm often sent kudos for my performance. But inside, I know that I didnât deliver at the level I know I could.â
â Christian
What Are The Symptoms Of Depression And How Is It Diagnosed
The NHS recommends that you should see your GP if you experience symptoms of depression for most of the day, every day, for more than 2 weeks.
Doctors make decisions about diagnosis based on manuals. The manual used by NHS doctors is the International Classification of Diseases .
When you see a doctor they will look for the symptoms that are set out in the ICD-10 guidance. You do not have to have all of these to be diagnosed with depression. You might have just experience some of them.
Some symptoms of depression are:
- low mood, feeling sad, irritable or angry,
- having less energy to do certain things,
- losing interest or enjoyment in activities you used to enjoy,
- reduced concentration,
You may also find that with low mood you:
- feel less pleasure from things,
- feel more agitated,
- find your thoughts and movements slow down, and
- have thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Your doctor should also ask about any possible causes of depression. For example, they may want to find out if youve experienced anything traumatic recently which could be making you feel this way.
There are no physical tests for depression. But the doctors may do some tests to check if you have any physical problems. For example, an underactive thyroid can cause depression.
On the NHS website, they have a self-assessment test which can help you to assess whether you are living with depression: www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/clinical-depression/overview/
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What Treatment Should I Be Offered
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence writes guidance on what treatment doctors should offer you. But your doctor does not have to give you these treatments. And the treatments may not be available in your area.
Different treatments may be available in your area. Your doctor might think these suit your symptoms more than the recommended treatments.
NICE recommend that depression is treated in different steps depending on how severe the condition is for you. The steps are as follows.
Step 1: Everyone who may have depression
Your doctor should offer you:
- an assessment of your symptoms,
- support, such as regular appointments in person or by telephone,
- information on how to deal with your symptoms,
- monitoring of your symptoms and follow-up, and
- referral for further assessment and treatment if needed.
Step 2: Mild to moderate depression
Your doctor may offer you:
- low-intensity interventions, such as self-help guided by the doctor or computerised cognitive behavioural therapy ,
- physical activity programmes,
- group cognitive behavioural therapy ,
- medication if you have a history of moderate or severe depression, or you have had symptoms for a long time, and
- referral for further assessment and treatment if needed.
Step 3: Moderate to severe depression, or mild to moderate depression when other treatments havent worked
Your doctor may suggest:
Step 4: Severe and complex depression or if your life is at risk Your doctor may suggest:
Some Suggestions For Your Visit
There are things you can do to get the best out of your visit to a health professional:
- When making the appointment, ask if you can have extra time to talk with your doctor
- List the signs and symptoms youve been experiencing
- Consider taking a friend or whnau member with you for support
- List the things youve tried that have or have not helped
- Let your doctor know if youre on any other medicine or treatments
- If your current treatment doesnt seem to be working, ask to discuss another approach
- If youre not satisfied with the help from your health professional, consider changing to another one.
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Don’t Believe Depression Misconceptions
Don’t buy into the misconceptions about depression. Depression is not a sign of weakness or laziness. It is a biologically-based illness, most likely caused by imbalances in important mood-regulating chemicals in your brain.
You are not attention-seeking when you ask for help. You are simply trying to find the best way to hang on until you can get well. No matter what someone else says to you, don’t lose sight of these facts. It takes a great deal of courage to ask for help. So, keep asking until you find the right person.
How Can Friends And Family Help
This information is for friends and family who want to support someone with depression.
The support of friends and family can play a very important role in someone recovering from depression. Here are some suggestions for how you can help.
- Support them to get help. You can’t force anyone to get help if they don’t want it, so it’s important to reassure your loved one that it’s OK to ask for help, and that there is help out there. See our pages on how to support someone else to seek help for their mental health for more information.
- Be open about depression. Lots of people can find it hard to open up and speak about how they’re feeling. Try to be open about depression and difficult emotions, so your friend or family member knows that it’s OK to talk about what they’re experiencing.
“The best things that friends and family can do is simply listen. They often don’t need to say anything, just being willing to listen to your problems makes you feel less alone and isolated”
- Keep in touch. It might be hard for your loved one to have the energy to keep up contact, so try to keep in touch. Even just a text message or email to let them know that you’re thinking of them can make a big difference to how someone feels.
“Talking… not even talking about how I felt. Just talking about stupid things that didn’t matter over coffee, without pressure and knowing that I can talk about the tough stuff if I want to.”
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You Have To Prove That Youre Struggling And Need Help
âLiving with high-functioning depression is very hard. Even though you can go through work and life and mostly get things done, youâre not getting them done to your full potential.
âBeyond that, no one really believes youâre struggling because your life isnât falling apart yet. I was suicidal and close to ending it all in university and no one would believe me because I wasnât failing out of school or dressing like a complete mess. At work, itâs the same. We need to believe people when they ask for support.
âLastly, a lot of mental health services have needs-based requirements, where you have to appear a certain amount of depressed to get support. Even if my mood is really low and I am constantly considering suicide, I have to lie about my functioning to be able to access services.â
â Alicia, mental health speaker/writer, Toronto
You Feel Like Youre Constantly Faking It
âWe hear a lot now about imposter syndrome, where people feel that they are just âfaking itâ and arenât as together as people think. Thereâs a form of this for those who deal with major depression and other forms of mental illness. You become quite adept at âplaying yourself,â acting the role of the self that people around you expect to see and experience.â
â Daniel, publicist, Maryland
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What Are The Different Types Of Depression
You might have heard a number of terms used to describe depression. In this section, we explain what some of these terms mean.
What is clinical depression?
Clinical depression is a common term, but it is not a formal diagnosis. People sometimes say clinical diagnosis to just mean they have been diagnosed by a doctor.
What is a depressive episode?
Your doctor might say that you are going through a ‘depressive episode’. This is the formal name that doctors give depression when they make a diagnosis. They may say that you are going through a ‘mild’, ‘moderate’ or ‘severe’ episode.
What is recurrent depressive disorder?
If you have had repeated episodes of depression, your doctor might say that you have recurrent depressive disorder. They may say that your current episode is ‘mild’, ‘moderate’ or ‘severe’.
What is reactive depression?
If your doctor thinks that your episode of depression was caused by particular stressful events in your life, they may say that it is reactive. For example, divorce, job or money worries. This is sometimes separated from an adjustment disorder, where you may struggle with some symptoms of depression because of adapting to a major change in your life. Such as separation from people, retirement or migrating to a new area.
What is a severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms?
You can find more information about Psychosis by clicking here.
What is dysthymia?
What is cyclothymia?
What is postnatal depression?
What is manic depression?
Load Up On Vitamin D And Vitamin B
I was relieved that Dr. Weiss included blood tests to check vitamin D and vitamin B-12 levels, as well, because deficiencies in both of those vitamins can cause severe depression. They are included in my list of 10 Nutritional Deficiencies That Can Cause Depression. According to a 2009 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, as many as three-quarters of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D. Last year Canadian researchers performed a systematic review and analysis of 14 studies that revealed a close association between vitamin D levels and depression. Researchers found that low levels of vitamin D corresponded to depression and increased odds for depression. In another 2009 study, more than a quarter of severely depressed older women were deficient in B-12. I take each of those vitamins in liquid form so that they absorb quickly and efficiently.
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We Can Find Small Victories
The desire to make an effort to ward off depression is important. I know when its time for a change. At that point, Im ready to argue back against depressions whispers.
Learning to say no in life can preserve our mental health and save our personal bandwidth in many ways. It establishes healthy boundaries and helps us develop respect and expectations among our peers.
It also saves me from myself.
Take Care Of Yourself
What do you do when no one cares about you? You mustcare about yourself. Exercising and feeding your body the right fuel go a long way to improving your mood and mindset. Take up healthy habits likepriming, meditation, yoga or journaling. Do something you love. Put on your favorite song and sing as loud as you can. Remind yourself that you dont need anyone else to feel happy.
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Medication Therapy Or Both
Not everyone improves with therapy alone.
Some therapists may wait to recommend talking to a psychiatrist about medication until you ask, so be sure to let them know if youd like to try a combined approach.
Whether youre considering therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, or all of the above, you have plenty of options.
Many therapists use cognitive behavioral therapy to treat depression, but thats not the only effective treatment.
Its absolutely normal to feel frustrated and powerless when depression intensifies and your usual coping methods no longer seem to make much difference.
This bleak outlook doesnt have to become your reality. These tips can help you get support.
Common Signs And Symptoms Of Depression
Here are some common signs of depression you may experience.
How you might feel
- guilty, worthless and down on yourself
- isolated and unable to relate to other people
- finding no pleasure in life or things you usually enjoy
- a sense of unreality
- avoiding social events and activities you usually enjoy
- self-harming or suicidal behaviour
- difficulty speaking, thinking clearly or making decisions
- losing interest in sex
- difficulty remembering or concentrating on things
- using more tobacco, alcohol or other drugs than usual
- difficulty sleeping, or sleeping too much
- feeling tired all the time
- no appetite and losing weight, or eating too much and gaining weight
- physical aches and pains with no obvious physical cause
- moving very slowly, or being restless and agitated.
“It felt like I was really tired, all the time. I had no energy or emotion about anything.”
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Types Of Health Practitioners
Finding a health professional who you can work with may depend on a number of things, including the approach they use and how comfortable you feel with the person.
Not everyone is right for you, and its important to get the right fit. The first health professional you see might not be right. When you first talk to a health professional, it can be useful to ask, How can you help me? or What can you do for me?. If you dont like their answer, or if youre not happy after the first session, you dont have to stay with them. Even though its hard to have to start again, its worth it to find someone who you feel comfortable with. You can always ask your friends if they use someone who they would recommend.
You can check if your health professional is a registered practitioner under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act. Being a registered practitioner means they are recognised and regulated by a professional body.
Your doctor
A visit to your family doctor or general practitioner is often the first step in getting help for physical or mental health problems.
Your doctor can assess your symptoms and talk with you about what might be the best way for you to get treatment. That might mean taking medication, going to talking therapy or referring you to someone else who has specialist knowledge.
Your doctor can also help you work out a self-help programme and keep an eye on your progress along the way
Psychotherapists or counsellors
Psychologists
Psychiatrists
So What Do We Do To Win Against Depression
Waking up one morning and realizing your depression has magically disappeared isnt likely to happen. I desperately want it to work like that, believe me. Ive laid in bed for hours, staring at my ceiling. Ive slept more than Ive been awake because sleeping is the only full escape I have.
My depression is never gone when I wake up.
Depression is a formidable foe, and like all adversaries, I cant avoid it. I have to find the strength to stand against it.
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Should You Worry About Antidepressant Withdrawal
insomniaPsychiatric Times
More to the point, while you should slowly stop your antidepressant with the help of your doctor, antidepressants do not cause dependence and withdrawal like other substances. Unlike substances that are known to cause addiction, such as alcohol, opioids, and barbiturates, people don’t crave antidepressants. You dont get high from them, and they arent intentionally or compulsively overused. Serious reactions like the seizures and agitation that can follow sudden withdrawal from addictive substances are unheard of when these antidepressants are tapered gradually, note the authors of the Psychiatric Times report.
Or Spend Time With Loved Ones
Depression can tempt you to isolate yourself and withdraw from people you love and trust, but face-to-face time can help wash away those tendencies.
If youre unable to spend time together in person, phone calls or video chats can also be helpful.
Try to remind yourself these people care about you. Resist the temptation to feel like youre a burden. You need the interaction and they likely do, too.
Research has shown that keeping a journal can be a beneficial add-on method for managing mental health conditions.
Writing down your thoughts can help you express what youre feeling more clearly. It can also help you keep track of what symptoms youre having each day and identify what causes them.
You can make a goal to write for a few minutes each day or week. Most importantly, what you want to write about is completely up to you.
When you do the same thing day after day, you use the same parts of your brain.
Research shows doing new things can feel rewarding improve your overall well-being and strengthen your social relationships.
To reap these benefits, consider trying a new sport, taking a creative class, or learning a new cooking technique.
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