Friday, March 29, 2024

Who Can Help Me With My Depression

Debts Effects On Physical Health

How To Cope With Depression

There is no wall between your mental and physical health. The two overlap and affect each other in ways both good and bad.

When debt and stress are involved, the effects are seldom positive. Debt and stress can affect your physical health in a number of ways, including but not limited to:

  • Blood pressure, which is also influenced by diet and overall condition. Add stress and this can become a serious problem.
  • Heart rate, which can also affect your hearts rhythms, which can in turn lead to stroke and other events.
  • Immune system functions, which have been very much in the news during the pandemic.
  • Mood, which has consequences internal and external .
  • Memory, which can be impacted and which then can create further stress.
  • Weight gain or loss, which has implications for blood pressure and heart health.

What You Should Avoid Doing

Its easy to make mistakes when youre trying to help someone through depression, and you shouldnt beat yourself up too much. This is as new to you as it is to your friend. Forgive yourself for mistakes instead of withdrawing because you got one thing wrong.

Heres some things to avoid when supporting your loved one.

Don’t Be Hard On Yourself For Losing Faith

Depression will make anyone question their role in life. So why wouldnt you start questioning other things about religion? Faith is what you believe and in the darkness, faith often finds other illumination. When you start getting out of depression, you begin to see the world in a more profound and true way than before. People might think youve lost faith, but youve actually become a more spiritual person. What you are now is a more loving, honest and true reflection of your soul.

Depression takes a toll on your mind and soul. Healing your mind and soul when depressed needs to be hand in hand solution. You cant ignore the questions your soul is confronted with, nor should you. Questioning faith isnt something thats meant to be frightening. Its meant to enlighten and take you to the next higher level of being.

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How To Find Treatment Near You

The first step in getting treatment for depression is making an appointment with your general practitioner. They can recommend doctors in your area.

If youre religious, ask your religious leader if they have counselors to recommend. Some people prefer faith-based counseling, which incorporates their religion into a treatment plan.

You can also check healthcare databases for therapists, psychiatrists, and counselors. These databases can provide you with information such as certifications, accepted insurance providers, and reviews left by other people. You can start with these databases:

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

10 Self

Also known as SSRIs, these typically have fewer side effects than other types of antidepressants. Fluoxetine , sertraline , and escitalopram all fit into this category.

Depression is linked to low levels of serotonin . SSRIs work by preventing your blood from absorbing some of the serotonin from your brain. This leaves a higher level of serotonin in the brain, and increased serotonin can help relieve depression.

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How Can I Help Someone With Depression

Depression is a serious but treatable disorder that affects millions of people, from young to old and from all walks of life. It gets in the way of everyday life, causing tremendous pain, hurting not just those suffering from it but also impacting everyone around them.

If someone you love is depressed, you may be experiencing any number of difficult emotions, including helplessness, frustration, anger, fear, guilt, and sadness. These feelings are all normal. Its not easy dealing with a friend or family members depression. And if you neglect your own health, it can become overwhelming.

That said, your companionship and support can be crucial to your loved ones recovery. You can help them to cope with depression symptoms, overcome negative thoughts, and regain their energy, optimism, and enjoyment of life. Start by learning all you can about depression and how to best talk about it with your friend or family member. But as you reach out, dont forget to look after your own emotional healthyoull need it to provide the full support your loved one needs.

Understanding depression in a friend or family member

Depression is a serious condition. Dont underestimate the seriousness of depression. Depression drains a persons energy, optimism, and motivation. Your depressed loved one cant just snap out of it by sheer force of will.

Dont Take Their Responses Personally

It can be difficult to help a friend with depression. You may become the target of their anger or they may regularly bail on meeting up.

Although your feelings can get hurt, youve got to remember that its nothing personal. It may just be that your friend needed to lash out at someone, and you were the person they felt most comfortable unleashing on.

The expression you only hurt the ones you love can be pretty accurate in this situation you can even take it as a compliment.

Remember that its okay to take a break for a couple of days and wait until things have cooled down. Lashing out at you, and the likely guilt that follows for doing so, is another example of the lack of control your friend may be feeling.

It might be difficult not to feel resentful and irritated at being the target of your friends difficulty with emotional management, try to process this in a productive way, such as journaling or educating yourself on ways depression shows up.

Recommended Reading: Free Online Support Groups For Depression

How To Listen To Someone With Depression

Its a good idea to:

  • Start the conversation with I statements, such as Ive noticed youve been quiet lately, or Im worried about you. This is better than you statements like, Youve been acting differently lately. These can sound accusatory.
  • Ask lots of open questions like, How have you been doing?
  • Show that you understand their feelings in your answers.
  • Show genuine interest, and make them your focus.
  • Avoid being pushy.

Misconception: Depression Is A Sin

Why Anxiety and Depression Are Connected: Avoidance and Willingness With Painful Emotions

Variation: Being depressed means you are failing to trust God. Being depressed means you are failing to be joyful in all things or to give thanks to God.

Reality: Depression is an illness, not a sin.

If you get a cold or suffer from back pain or any physical illness, does anyone ever tell you that youre being sinful or failing to trust God because you are in pain? It sounds unreasonable because it is. Its just as unreasonable to say suffering from depression or any other mental illness is a sin.

God created a perfect world, but when evil entered, perfection was shattered and the world was never the same. We all suffer in some ways from the results of evil breaking into Gods perfect creation. Illness, whether it be physical or mental, is one of the many ways we see how broken our world truly is.

Yes, mental illness is often triggered by stressors or negative environmental factors, but that does not mean it is not real. Physical illness is also frequently triggered by stressors and negative environmental factors. Stress can cause ulcers and increase the risk of a heart attack, very serious illnesses that, like depression, need treatment, not condemnation.

Also Check: Can Depression Be Cured Without Drugs

Do The Opposite Of What The Depression Voice Suggests

The automatic, unhelpful voice in your head may talk you out of self-help. However, if you can learn to recognize it, you can learn to work through it.

If you believe an event wont be fun or worth your time, say to yourself, You might be right, but itll be better than just sitting here another night. You may soon see the automatic thought isnt always helpful.

Gods Love And Faithfulness Never Depend On You

Depression makes it hard to make some of the right Christian choices you might normally. I did not usually trust God, make a gratitude list or even recite prayers and Scripture during my darkest moments. My shield of faith often lay next to me on the ground, unused.

I wish I had done those things. But in my not doing them, God taught me the most valuable lesson of my life: His love for me is solely dependent on His character, grace and goodness.

Thats it.

Because Ive placed my faith in Jesus and Hes paid for all my sin and brokenness on the cross, He will never walk away from me.

Recommended Reading: Life Events That Cause Depression

Put Your Thoughts On The Witness Stand

Once you identify the destructive thoughts patterns that contribute to your depression, you can start to challenge them with questions such as:

  • Whats the evidence that this thought is true? Not true?
  • What would I tell a friend who had this thought?
  • Is there another way of looking at the situation or an alternate explanation?
  • How might I look at this situation if I didnt have depression?

As you cross-examine your negative thoughts, you may be surprised at how quickly they crumble. In the process, youll develop a more balanced perspective and help to relieve your depression.

How Does Light Therapy Work

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To use light therapy or phototherapy, you purchase a special lamp. It has white fluorescent light tubes covered with a plastic screen to block ultraviolet rays. The light is about 20 times brighter than regular indoor light. The intensity of light emitted should be 10,000 lux.

To use phototherapy, dont look directly into the light. Your exposure to the light should be indirect. Place the lamp about two to three feet away while you read, eat, work or do other activities.

Also Check: How To Notice Someone Is Depressed

Dear Therapist: My Boyfriends Depression Is Making Me Question Our Future Together

I want to be there for him, but his depressive episodes are difficult for me to handle.

Dear Therapist,

My boyfriend and I are in our early 20s, and we recently moved in together after being in a long-distance relationship for four years. I’ve always known that he battles depression and has mild Aspergers. Recently, his depression has gotten much worse, and because this is the first time he has gotten very depressed since weve been physically together, I have no idea what Im doing. It is like Im walking on eggshells every time we speak, and if I say the wrong thing, he just shuts down. I cant push him for information or try to get him to help me with something around the house. I can barely get a normal conversation. I feel so alone.

I love him very much, and I plan to spend the rest of my life with him, but I dont know how to live feeling like the floor could come out from under me at any time. He is trying to get help, but he refuses to go on any medications or stick with a plan to get better for very long. I am so scared that this is going to always be his lifea constant roller-coaster ride controlled by depression. I want so much more for him, and for us.

I understand that theres nothing I can do to fix his depression. I just want to be there for him, but I cant sacrifice myself to his depression either. I need my boyfriend back. Help me, please.

MaggieDestin, Fla.

Dear Maggie,

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.

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Mental Health Financial Assistance: Top 7 Ways To Get Help

Mental illness is a widespread issue that affects nearly 53 million individuals. Sadly, less than half of people in need ever receive mental health care. If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health issues, know that there are many resources that provide mental health financial assistanceso you can get back to the life of well-being you deserve.

Is Light Therapy Safe

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Light therapy is typically safe and well-tolerated. But you may need to avoid light therapy if you:

  • Have diabetes or retinopathies: If you have diabetes or a retina condition, theres a potential risk of damaging the retina, the back of your eye.
  • Take some medications: Certain antibiotics and anti-inflammatories can make you more sensitive to sunlight. Light therapy can then cause harm.
  • Have bipolar disorder: Bright light therapy and antidepressants can trigger hypomania or mania, uncontrolled boosts in mood and energy level. If you have bipolar disorder, let your provider know. This will play a role in your treatment plan.

Read Also: How Do Doctors Know You Have Depression

Negative Effects Of Debt On Young Adults

Debt is aggressively egalitarian, eager to afflict anyone regardless of age, race, education level or personal resources. Each of those groups, however, handles debt and its related challenges in different ways.

Those challenges are especially daunting for young people, who increasingly begin their adult lives with crippling student loan debt that affects every other aspect of their lives. These unique challenges give rise to unique kinds and levels of stress.

A study published by Silvercloud Health underscored the impact of debt and financial difficulty on the mental health of people aged 18 to 24. Those ages marked the parameters of the survey, but there is no magic cutoff at age 25. The lesson is that earlier debt obligations lead to earlier struggles to cope with debt, both financially and mentally.

The Silvercloud study showed:

  • 24% of those surveyed reported theyve already experienced financial difficulties and debt.
  • Of those, 81% said debt negatively affected their mental health.
  • 31% have sought mental health support.
  • 84% feel general anxiety about their future.
  • 69% are worried about unpaid bills.

While there are no easy solutions for these challenges, it is important to address them. Developing a healthy, proactive strategy for handling financial problems before they spiral out of control can help young people navigate the deeper, rougher seas ahead.

Continue Supporting Them And Respond To Emergencies

On a bad day, your friend might not want to leave their room. If they say something like Im going to cancel my appointment today, encourage them to follow through with the appointment.

Whether or not your friend has decided to get professional help, its important that they know they can get support from you, or other friends and family.

If you think your friend may be in danger or at risk of hurting themselves or someone else, seek help from a trusted adult or emergency mental health service immediately. Call 000 to reach emergency services and also tell someone you trust.

In more serious cases, its important to let an older/more responsible adult know whats going on. You dont have to be perfect all the time and making mistakes are inevitable and a good thing as we can learn from them. Anzelmo

Also Check: Bible Verses When Feeling Depressed

To The Depressed Christian

I close my eyes, turn toward the back of the couch and curl my knees up to my chest.

Dont hang up, I cry softly into the phone. Im afraid to be alone.

My husbands coming home early. Todays one of the bad days.

If I admit my thoughts to someone, theyll think Im crazy. Am I going crazy?

No, youre not.

For me , depression came with the winter, though warning signs could be felt and seen much sooner. A born and bred Southern girl, Id gotten married, started a new job and moved across the country to Minnesota all within two weeks, and just in time for the cold.

I was tired. Really tired. I was edgy and emotional and anxious. I began noticing that I felt exactly like it looked outside gray and miserable. Numb. I sank further and further until finally breaking down one day at a work conference. I just could not go through the motions anymore. I felt like I was dying inside.

If youre in the thick of the dark and lonely place that is depression, I wish I could wrap my arms around you and cry with you, because I know how badly you hurt.

I am a Christian, but depression tempted me to distrust God. I was desperately seeking deliverance. He seemed to be withholding it from me.

“Why will you not lift me out of this pit?” Id cry. “Are you not a deliverer? Why do the voices of despair sound so much louder than yours?”

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