What Should You Do If Your Depressed

What To Do When You Are Depressed

There are millions of people who struggle with depression each year. Imagine how much lives could be saved if depressed individuals knew what to do and how to work through their depression. This type of mental health issue is very serious, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be overcome. One of the best ways to beat depression is to know how to handle it. In order to make that happen, you have to know what to do when you are depressed.

Set Plans

Setting plans may sound basic and redundant, but planning is an excellent way of giving yourself something to look forward to. One of the best ways to set plans is either using a virtual calendar on your phone or a physical calendar. Taking notes of what needs to be done when is always helpful and it can also prevent you from feeling overwhelmed or unsure of what to tackle next. Following through with plans has a way of keeping people focused and busy having something to do can furthermore take your mind off depression or additional triggers.

Interact with Other People

Exercise

Soak up Some Sunlight and Fresh Air

Take it One Day at a Time

Embrace Positive Thoughts

Seek Professional Help

At the end of the day, the choice is yours. However, if and when you are ready to seek therapy from BetterHelp, we will be here to support and guide you.

Remind Them You’re There For Them

Depression can feel as though no one understands what you are feeling or even cares enough to try to understand, which can be isolating and overwhelming.

Research has shown that people tend to withdraw when they are depressed, so reaching out to a friend in need is an important first step. If your friend isn’t ready to talk, continue to offer your support by spending time with them and try to check in regularly, either in person, on the phone, or by text.

When you reach out to a friend, letting them know that you are going to be there every step of the way can be very reassuring.

You may not quite know what this will look like at first, but know that just reminding your friend that you are someone they can lean on can mean the world.

How Is Depression Diagnosed

To be diagnosed with depression, an individual must have five depression symptoms every day, nearly all day, for at least 2 weeks. One of the symptoms must be a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities. Children and adolescents may be irritable rather than sad.

If you think you may have depression, talk to your health care provider. Primary care providers routinely diagnose and treat depression and refer individuals to mental health professionals, such as psychologists or psychiatrists.

During the visit, your provider may ask when your symptoms began, how long they last, how often they occur, and if they keep you from going out or doing your usual activities. It may help to make some notes about your symptoms before your visit. Certain medications and some medical conditions, such as viruses or a thyroid disorder, can cause the same depression symptoms. Your provider can rule out these possibilities by doing a physical exam, interview, and lab tests.

Read NIMHs Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider to help prepare for and get the most out of your visit. For additional resources, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website.

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Know That The Odds Are In Your Favor

Up to 80 percent of people report seeing an improvement within four to six weeks of starting treatment, according to statistics from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Usually, the road back is relatively simple: antidepressants, counseling, or a combination of the two, they report. That said, recovery may take time and patience, Walfish says. There may be an initial trial-and-error period while you try various antidepressants or see whether various therapy techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal counseling, are helpful. The results are worth it.

What Can I Do To Help Myself If I Feel Depressed

Depression is a serious but treatable illness. See your doctor and get help for recovery. It’s always a good idea to get a physical exam in order to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms. You should tell your doctor that you think it might be depression, so that he or she can ask you the right questions and come to the most accurate diagnosis. Therapy is also very important. Many studies have shown that the most effective way to fight depression includes a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and self-care.

Self-education is an important part of self-care. One of the features of depression is that it distorts thinking. Everyone who has depression should learn as much as they can about the disorder. This achieves three things:

• It will allow you to understand the disorder better.
• It will underline the fact that these are very real medical disorders and will help to fight prejudice and stigma.
• It will give you knowledge and tools that you can use to help yourself.

Here are some other ways that you can help to take care of yourself, prevent relapse and maintain wellness:

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Improve Your Eating Habits

Research continues to find clear links between diet and mental health. In fact, there have been so many studies that have shown improving nutrition can prevent and treat mental illness that nutritional psychiatry is becoming mainstream.

There are many brain-essential nutrients that can affect depression. For example, a 2012 study found that zinc deficiency is associated with symptoms of depression.

Improving your diet could be key to reducing your symptoms.

But before you make any major changes to your diet or begin taking vitamins or supplements, talk with your physician.

What Do I Do If Im Worried That A Relative Or Friend Has Depression Or Anxiety

If you think a friend or relative is experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, try to talk to them about it.

You may feel uncomfortable bringing up a sensitive topic, especially if the person you’re concerned about doesn’t often talk about their emotions. Explain why you are concerned but avoid diagnosing their problem or forcing solutions.

They may be unwilling to talk about it, but let them know that you’re willing to listen when they’re ready.

There are various ways you can help them, such as:

• Offer your support, listen and reassure them that how theyre feeling can be improved.
• Stay in touch, call or visit regularly. The risk of depression increases when people feel alone and unsupported.
• Encourage them to make an appointment with their GP or another health professional. Offer to go with them to appointments.
• Encourage them to keep active and healthy. Plan occasional outings to get them out of the house.

Supporting a relative or friend with depression can be both rewarding and stressful. There is information and support for carers where you can get help for the difficulties you experience. Contact Carers Direct, Carers UK and the Carers Trust for more information.

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My Girlfriend Is Depressed How To Help

It is quite challenging to be in a relationship with someone suffering from anxiety or depression. While you may definitely wish you could turn a switch to make things better for other person in your life, things do not work that way. You need to handle things carefully and understand that one wrong step can hurt your relationship big time. Many people ask, “What should I do when my girlfriend is depressed?” The most important thing is to be patient and compassionate. Your girlfriend needs your support and you should always be there for her. Here are more things you should and should not do.

Create A Wellness Toolbox

A wellness toolbox is a set of tools that you can use to help soothe yourself when you are feeling down.

The tools you find most helpful might not work for someone else so it’s important to carefully consider what things can help you feel your best.

Think of things you like to do when you’re happy. Then, when you’re feeling down, try one of those activities.

Cuddling your pet, listening to your favorite music, taking a warm bath, or reading a good book are just a few tools you might find helpful.

Create a list of the activities you might try when you’re feeling bad. Then, choose an activity to try when you’re having a particularly rough time.

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Is Depression Actually A Unique State Of Consciousness

As such, this journey invites you to adopt the attitude that you are attempting to:

With this background in hand, let us move on to Step 1.

Step 1: Realize that you are not alone

We can start with a general point of awareness that is important for not just people who are depressed but for everyone in society. Depression is common. It affects people across all social groups and classes. Consider that the World Health Organization identifies depression as the single most detrimental medical-health condition of all .

There are three key points for this first step. The first is that almost everyone is affected by depression, either directly or indirectly. As such, it is crucial that we are aware of this and create a community that is aware of this. Second, it is crucial that individuals dealing with depression know that they are not alone. The experience of profound loneliness is common in depression and, as we will see, it can contribute significantly to depressive states. However, the fact of the matter is that it is something many people deal with.

This concludes Part I.

Here is Part II.

You Can Help Your Teenager

Keep talking with your teen.

• Give them your support. Let your teen know that you are there for them.
• Listen. Try not to give too much advice and do not try to talk your teen out of being depressed. Try not to overwhelm your teen with questions or lectures. Teens often shut down with that kind of approach.

Help or support your teen with daily routines. You can:

• Schedule your family life to help your teen get enough sleep.
• Create a healthy diet for your family.
• Give gentle reminders for your teen to take their medicine.
• Watch for signs that depression is getting worse. Have a plan if it does.
• Encourage your teen to exercise more and to do activities they like.
• Talk to your teenager about alcohol and drugs. Let your teen know that alcohol and drugs make depression worse overtime.

Keep your home safe for teens.

• Do not keep alcohol in the home, or keep it securely locked.
• If your teen is depressed, it is best to remove any guns from the home. If you feel you must have a gun, lock up all guns and keep ammunition separate.
• Lock up all prescription medicines.
• Work out a safety plan of who your teen feels comfortable talking to if they are suicidal and need urgent help.

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Encourage Them To Think About What They Enjoy Doing

Take a step-by-step approach towards helping them do these activities when they feel able to. This could be things like exercising or playing sport, listening to music, doing something creative like colouring or drawing, watching a favourite film, reading a favourite book or going for a walk with you.

What Risks And Complications Can Depression Cause

Having depression can cause other problems. It can affect your mental health as well as your physical health, and it may affect other areas of your life too. For example, depression may cause:

• disturbed sleep,
• difficulties with work and your hobbies,
• difficulties keeping contact with friends and families, or
• suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harming.

Some people might also drink more alcohol to try and relieve depression. However, as we said in the previous section above, this can actually make depression worse.

If you have any of these problems, speak to your GP.

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What Are My Options If Im Depressed During Pregnancy

If you are experiencing depression during your pregnancy, there are steps you can take to help improve how youre feeling. Preparing for a new baby is a lot of hard work, but remember that your health is important and needs to come first. There are a few things you can do to help with depression during pregnancy, including:

• Resisting the urge to get everything done. Cut down on your chores and do things that will help you relax. And remember, taking care of yourself is an essential part of taking care of your unborn child.
• Talking about your concerns. Talk to your friends, your partner and your family. If you ask for support, youll find that you often get it.

If you are not finding relief from anxiety and depression by making these changes, seek your healthcare providers advice or a referral to a mental health professional.

How Can You Get Yourself Out Of A Funk

Although depression can become a very clinical subject, many of the ways to help yourself through this mood disorder are very simple and practical. Self-care is a key component to living a happy, healthy life and between your diet, exercise, daily routines, and social interactions there are plenty of steps you can take to influence your mood. As you move through your depression, be open to trying new approaches and understand that it might take a combination of these self-care practices before you notice a change in your mood.

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How To Make New Friends: Where To Start

We tend to make friends with people we cross paths with regularly: people we go to school with, work with, or live close to. The more we see someone, the more likely a friendship is to develop. So, look at the places you frequent as you start your search for potential friends.

Another big factor in friendship is common interests. We tend to be drawn to people who are similar, with a shared hobby, cultural background, career path, or kids the same age. Think about activities you enjoy or the causes you care about. Where can you meet people who share the same interests?

Think About Trying Some Yoga

“I either look up videos on YouTube or just Google ‘relaxing yoga.’ There’s so many videos that range from five minutes to an hour, and it really helps take my mind off of everything. It’s relaxing and gets your endorphins going without full on exercising. It’s really good for your health, too. So it’s a win-win to help you both emotionally and physically.”

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Know The Different Forms Depression Can Take

Depression often involves sadness or a low mood, but it also has other, less well-known symptoms.

For example, many people dont realize depression can involve:

• confusion, difficulties with memory, or difficulty focusing
• excessive fatigue or sleep concerns
• physical symptoms such as stomach distress, frequent headaches, or back and other muscle pain

Your friend may often seem to be in a bad mood, or feel exhausted a lot of the time. Try to keep in mind that what theyre feeling is still part of depression, even if it doesnt fit into the stereotypical versions of depression.

Even if you dont know how to help them feel better, simply saying Im sorry youre feeling this way. Im here to help if theres anything I can do may help.

Socialize With Friends And Family

Even if you are experiencing mild depression or a funk, you might find yourself drawing away from others, avoiding social situations, or not wanting to burden people with your feelings. One of the hardest but most helpful things you can do to see yourself through depression is to find that strong support circle and spend time with the people you love.

Schedule times to visit with family and friends or plan to grab lunch with a coworker so you have a specific time and place where you can lean on others when youre feeling blue. You might also find that some of these people have experienced depression themselves and they might be able to relate with you on the subject and share ideas of what has helped them in the past or just lend an open ear.

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Tip : Get A Daily Dose Of Sunlight

Sunlight can help boost serotonin levels and improve your mood. Whenever possible, get outside during daylight hours and expose yourself to the sun for at least 15 minutes a day. Remove sunglasses and use sunscreen as needed.

• Take a walk on your lunch break, have your coffee outside, enjoy an al fresco meal, or spend time gardening.
• Double up on the benefits of sunlight by exercising outside. Try hiking, walking in a local park, or playing golf or tennis with a friend.
• Increase the amount of natural light in your home and workplace by opening blinds and drapes and sitting near windows.
• If you live somewhere with little winter sunshine, try using a light therapy box.