More Spirit Fillers Less Time Killers
Very often, the cycle of depression feeds on itself. We feel depressed, so its really hard to find the motivation and energy to do the uplifting things that have the potential to feed our spirits. Then we feel even more depressed. And so it goes.
This tip is about raising your awareness of how you fill the hours in your day. Its far too easy to spend our days doing things that fill our time, but dont necessarily fill our spirits. I know it can be hard to break out of our usual routines and do something thats new or different or that might bring up emotions. But in the end, finding activities to fill our spirits helps so much with decreasing depression and increasing peace.
Of course, everyone needs to find what feeds their spirits. One person might love gardening and another person might find it to be a chore. One person might enjoy cooking and someone else doesnt like cooking at all. Its such an individual exploration, but the bottom line is, if we keep doing what were doing, were going to keep getting what were getting. If you have been spending a lot of time in negativity, inactivity, or isolation, in order to lift your spirits, youll need to make some changes.
Think about the ways that you spend your time. Not just the usual things you do each day like work, school, childcare or meal preparation, but the things you do in between the things you do:
National Alliance On Mental Illness
The National Alliance on Mental Health is a national organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with mental illness. They provide information, support, and referrals to people with mental illness and their families. You can contact them through their website or by calling 800-950-NAMI or texting NAMI to 741741.
Why I Chose To Go Public About My Battle With Depression
This spring, I did something that was totally out of character. I went on social media, and I posted about one of the most difficult topics there is to talk about. I wrote about the time I contemplated suicide three years ago. Then, I hit publish.
Im a very shy person and very self-conscious. I knew there would be people reading the post that I didnt know well. I knew that opening myself up that way was a risk.
On this day, 2 years ago, I thought about ending my life. I was in such a dark place, and I was in so much emotional pain. I questioned why I was even around, what my purpose was, why I felt so alone…
There was no one factor that brought me to that place. Ive been running my own pet and equine care business since 2015, and its my lifes work. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be around animals. I started riding at 10, showing at 18, and early on in my business, I used to work with a lot of green horses, and helped to rehab horses that were returning from injury.
I love my work because I get to have my dog, Autumn, with me, and I get to be around my horses. I have an RPSI mare, Nora, whos eight, and my mostly retired Andalusian-cross, Leo, whos 18. When I have my low times, and I go and see my animals, they always seem to know. Theyll do something to perk me up or put a smile on my face. Its worth the hard times to have those special moments with them.
Read Also: How To Cure Depression And Anxiety
Are There Physical Signs Of Depression
Yes. In fact, a great many people with depression come to their doctor first with only physical issues. You might notice:
- Back pain
- Gut problems
- Constant tiredness
- Sleep problems
- Slowing of physical movement and thinking
You might notice these symptoms and signs even before you notice the mental health symptoms of depression, or you might notice them at the same time. Your doctor can help you figure out the source of your symptoms.
Consider Seeing A Psychiatrist First
There’s a tendency for some new patients to visit a counselor or psychologist for their initial mental health evaluation rather than a psychiatrist. This can be beneficial for many people, especially if your case is not severe, but for others, it’s often not enough.
Only psychiatrists are also medical doctors, which means that they are able to prescribe medications.
If your depression stems from a chemical imbalance, talk therapy will not be sufficient to treat you. It’s best to make your initial visit to a psychiatrist, who can both prescribe medications and offer you psychotherapy if it’s needed. This two-pronged approach of medication and talk therapy is often the most beneficial to patients.
Psychotherapy is a broad term for a variety of different verbal and psychological techniques that are employed to help an individual work through their mental health condition or source of underlying stress. These techniques include but are not limited to psychoanalytic therapy or psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy . Oftentimes, other mental health professionals in the field such as counselors and social workers will draw from psychotherapeutic techniques and use them with their clients.
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Properly Charge Your Body Battery
Sometimes when people struggle with depression, it can be very challenging to practice good self-care. In fact, some people take better care of their smartphones and devices than they do their own bodies.
How often do you forget to charge your phone compared to how often you forget to properly nourish yourself or get adequate sleep?
Taking care of your body might sound like a common sense tip, but its too important for me to skip over.
When depression is high, logical thinking and energy levels tend to be low making it far too easy to neglect our bodies. And yet, taking good care of your body can really help to decrease depression. So how well are you taking care of your body battery? Lets take a look.
Nourishment
When people are depressed, it can often lead to a loss of appetite and/or overeating. How are you doing at lovingly nourishing your body? Are you making daily efforts to eat a balance of all the various food groups and stay properly hydrated? These are really important ways to manage blood sugar, energy levels, and depression.
Sleep
Movement
One thing that helped me move my body when I was in my darkest days was to tell myself I could go for five minutes and if I wanted to stop, I could. Sometimes I stopped after five minutes, but most of the time it actually felt surprisingly good and I wanted to keep going.
Read more: Learn how your asana practice in yoga can open a new awareness of body, mind and spirit.
Hygiene
Substance Use/Abuse
Medical Care
Whats The Difference Between Grief And Depression
Given that the primary symptom associated with depression is sadness, it can be easy to think of grief or bereavement as depression. But grief is a natural response to specific experiences, such as the end of a relationship or the death of a loved one. While you might feel regret or remorse, and you might withdraw from usual activities if you are experiencing grief, youre unlikely to feel the overwhelming sense of worthlessness, thoughts of self-harm or suicide, and other symptoms of depression. Another important difference is that in grief, painful feelings usually come in waves and are often mixed with positive memories.
In some cases, however, grief and depression do coexist, or grief can trigger depression, according to experts writing in the journal American Family Physician. Having a mental health professional help you distinguish between them can ensure you get the support you need.
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How Typical Is Bipolar Affective Disorder
Psychological health therapy can often be complicated as your physician, specialist, and group aid find a drug or therapy strategy that benefits you. Try to rely on the procedure as well as give on your will depression just go away own poise as you all interact to locate what assists you the most effective, and most significantly, be honest with your treatment group. If you find a drug isnt functioning the way you assume it should, review it with your medical professional.
Which Lab Tests Can Help Make The Depression Diagnosis
After reviewing the information from your appointment, including the signs and symptoms, patient history, family history, and physician exam, your doctor may ask for some lab tests to rule out a physical condition that may be causing your symptoms. Certain viruses, medicines, hormonal or vitamin deficiencies, and illnesses can cause depression-like symptoms. Your doctor will also want to review all medications youâre taking as well as the alcohol or recreational drugs you may be using.
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What If My Symptoms Dont Improve
If youre not responding to treatment, you may live with treatment resistant depression. This is when your symptoms have not improved after at least 2 standard treatments. This can also be known as treatment-refractory depression.
There is currently no official criteria used to diagnose treatment resistant depression.
What treatment is available for treatment-resistant depression?There are treatment options for treatment resistant depression. Even if antidepressants have not worked already for you, your doctor may suggest a different antidepressant from a different class.
The new antidepressant you are offered will depend on the first antidepressant you were given.
Sometimes your doctor can prescribe a second type of medication to go with your antidepressant. This can sometimes help the antidepressant work better than it does by itself.
Where antidepressants have not worked, your doctor may suggest talking therapies, ECT or brain stimulation treatments. See the previous section for more information on these.
What is an implanted vagus nerve stimulator, and how is it used in treatment resistant depression?If you live with treatment resistant depression, and youve not responded to other treatments, you may be able ask for an implanted vagus nerve stimulator.
Please speak to your doctor if youre interested in this treatment and for more information. You may be able to get this treatment funded through an Individual Funding Request.
- NHS – Your Rights by clicking here.
Other Ways To Help Include:
- Offering him support, understanding, patience, and encouragement
- Listening carefully and talking with him
- Never ignoring comments about suicide, and alerting his therapist or doctor
- Helping him increase his level of physical and social activity by inviting him out for hikes, games, and other events. If he says, no, keep trying, but don’t push him to take on too much too soon.
- Encouraging him to report any concerns about medications to his health care provider
- Ensuring that he gets to his doctor’s appointments
- Reminding him that with time and treatment, the depression will lift
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Youre Experiencing An Adverse Impact On Important Relationships
It isnt uncommon for personality changes to occur as you deal with feelings of hopelessness and anxiety. Because of this, depression can take its toll on your relationships. It may make it difficult for you to function at home, resulting in frustration for your loved ones. In turn, this may make you withdraw even further until the relationships you care about are damaged or destroyed.
If you are worried that your depression is affecting your children, or that you might be heading for a divorce or breakup unless something changes, you may want to consider treatment options in a rehab facility.
Will A Vacation Help My Depression Mental Health Effects Of Traveling
How great is it to soak yourself in clear blue water, to breathe in the fresh air, to bask under the warm sun, and to marvel at the magnificent sight before you? Everyone has their dream destination.
However, not everyone can easily book a flight and leave. Some people badly want to visit their dream destination but are held back by depression and other mental illnesses.
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Would You Feel Better After Your Trip
You are planning to leave your everyday life behind. You havent found the solution to your problem that is causing you to go on vacation impulsively. Do you think your problems will disappear if you are on a trip? If you think that you will feel worse when you come back from your trip, it is best not to pursue it at all.
Why Are Anxiety And Depression Often Co
Its a cycle, says Sally R. Connolly, LCSW and therapist. When you get anxious, you tend to have this pervasive thinking about some worry or some problem. You feel bad about it. Then you feel like youve failed. You move to depression.
These two disorders anxiety and depression have a complicated relationship:
- The chance of acquiring depression is much higher when an anxiety disorder already exists. Nearly half of those with major depression also suffer from severe and persistent anxiety.
- People who are depressed often feel anxious and worried. One can easily trigger the other, with anxiety often preceding depression.
- People with post-traumatic stress disorder are especially prone to developing depression.
- A biological predisposition for both of these conditions if often at the root of an individuals battle. This seems to be true with anxiety disorders even more than with depression. Connolly explains, Some people are just worriers and pass it down.
People with an anxiety disorder should speak with a psychiatrist, therapist or other healthcare professional about their symptoms. Treatment for an anxiety disorder should not be delayed. If not caught in time, depression may find the door wide open for moving in and setting up house in those individuals.2
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What Is The Meaning Of Chronic Depression
Persistent depressive disorder, also called dysthymia , is a continuous long-term form of depression. You may lose interest in normal daily activities, feel hopeless, lack productivity, and have low self-esteem and an overall feeling of inadequacy.
While its practical to recognize the spectrum of depression prior to you can overcome it, that doesnt indicate youll have the ability to create a medical diagnosis by yourself. Keep in mind that individuals might experience depression and depressive signs and can depression come and go symptoms in various means, which on-line resources alone may not catch the fullness of your signs and symptoms and are not enough to recognize a problem. All sorts of depression can be taken care of with appropriate therapy.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Depression In Men
Different men have different symptoms, but some common depression symptoms include:
- Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness
- Feeling anxious, restless, or on the edge
- Loss of interest in work, family, or once-pleasurable activities
- Problems with sexual desire and performance
- Feeling sad, “empty,” flat, or hopeless
- Not being able to concentrate or remember details
- Feeling very tired, not being able to sleep, or sleeping too much
- Overeating or not wanting to eat at all
- Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts
- Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
- Inability to meet the responsibilities of work, caring for family, or other important activities
- Engaging in high-risk activities
- A need for alcohol or drugs
- Withdrawing from family and friends or becoming isolated
Not every man who is depressed experiences every symptom. Some men experience only a few symptoms while others may experience many.
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Why Does Going On A Vacation Make You More Depressed
Planning for a trip is stressful. Coordinating your transportation, hotel, and activities to go smoothly is an overwhelming task. Because of this, many people prefer to plan and schedule their trips early to reduce stress.
You also have to consider the unexpected inconveniences of traveling, such as delayed flights and bad weather. If you plan to carry your baggage of depression, you will surely come back from your trip with even heavier baggage.
Coping With Depression Tip : Reach Out And Stay Connected
Getting support plays an essential role in overcoming depression. On your own, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy perspective and sustain the effort required to beat depression. At the same time, the very nature of depression makes it difficult to reach out for help. When youre depressed, the tendency is to withdraw and isolate so that connecting to even close family members and friends can be tough.
You may feel too exhausted to talk, ashamed at your situation, or guilty for neglecting certain relationships. But this is just the depression talking. Staying connected to other people and taking part in social activities will make a world of difference in your mood and outlook. Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it wont mean youre a burden to others. Your loved ones care about you and want to help. And if you dont feel that you have anyone to turn to, its never too late to build new friendships and improve your support network.
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Encouraging Phrases To Say To A Person With Depression
Here are some phrases and ideas that might help you support a person you care about who has depression.
When youre using these, it can help to stay mindful of your context. Only say something if it feels like it makes sense in the situation, and always be genuine and keep an open mind.
Listen and be sensitive to the persons cues. If they dont seem receptive, consider trying at a different time or taking a different approach.