HELPING YOU THROUGH DEPRESSION

 

 

Simple steps on how to identify deppresion

If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms—especially the first two—and they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from depression.

• You feel hopeless and helpless.

• You’ve lost interest in friends, activities, and things you used to enjoy.

• You feel tired all the time.

• Your sleep and appetite has changed.

• You can’t concentrate or find that previously easy tasks are now difficult.

• You can’t control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try.

• You are much more irritable, short-tempered, or aggressive than usual.

• You’re consuming more alcohol than normal or engaging in other reckless behavior.

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Facts about depression

• Roughly 20 million people in the United States suffer from depression every year.

• 1 in 4 young adults will suffer an episode of depression before age 24.

• Women are 2 times as likely to suffer from depression than men.

• People who are depressed are more prone to illnesses like colds than non-depressed people.

• Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse, or poverty may make people who are already susceptible to depression all the more vulnerable to the illness.

• Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from depression.

• There are interrelationships between depression and physical health. For example, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression and vice versa.

• Depression affects all people regardless of age, geographic location, demographic, or social position.

• The World Health Organization estimates that depression will be the 2nd highest medical cause of disability by the year 2030, 2nd only to HIV/AIDS.

• Many creative individuals experienced depression, including Ludwig van Beethoven, John Lennon, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Georgia O’Keefe, Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Sylvia Plath.

• Over 8% of adolescents in the United States suffer from depression at a given time

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    Lifestyle changes you can implace to help prevent depression

• Exercise. Regular exercise can be as effective at treating depression as medication. Not only does exercise boost serotonin, endorphins, and other feel-good brain chemicals, it triggers the growth of new brain cells and connections, just like antidepressants do. Best of all, you don’t have to train for a marathon in order to reap the benefits. Even a half-hour daily walk can make a big difference. For maximum results, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity on most days.

• Nutrition. Eating well is important for both your physical and mental health. Eating small, well-balanced meals throughout the day will help you keep your energy up and minimize mood swings. While you may be drawn to sugary foods for the quick boost they provide, complex carbohydrates are a better choice. They'll get you going without the all-too-soon sugar crash.

• Sleep. Sleep has a strong effect on mood. When you don't get enough sleep, your depression symptoms will be worse. Sleep deprivation exacerbates irritability, moodiness, sadness, and fatigue. Make sure you're getting enough sleep each night. Very few people do well on less than seven hours a night. Aim for somewhere between seven to nine hours each night.

• Social support. Strong social networks reduce isolation, a key risk factor for depression. Keep in regular contact with friends and family, or consider joining a class or group. Volunteering is a wonderful way to get social support and help others while also helping yourself.

• Stress reduction. Make changes in your life to help manage and reduce stress. Too much stress exacerbates depression and puts you at risk for future depression. Take the aspects of your life that stress you out, such as work overload or unsupportive relationships, and find ways to minimize their impact. Volounteering is a wonderful way to get social support and help others while also helping yourself.

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Ways to help beat depression

•   For most people, the first treatments a doctor will try are antidepressants and psychotherapy. Some studies have found that combining therapy with medication works better than medication alone.

• Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it won’t mean you’re a burden to others. The truth is that most people are flattered if you trust them enough to confide in them.

• Talk to someone face to face. The simple act of talking to someone face to face about how you feel can play a big role in lifting the fog of depression and keeping it away. But it has to be face to face—communicating via text, social media, or phone just doesn’t have the same effect.

• Turn to friends and family members who make you feel loved and cared for. The person you talk to doesn’t have to be able to fix you; he or she just needs to be a good listener, someone who’ll listen attentively without being distracted or judging you.

• Try to keep up with social activities even if you don’t feel like it. Often when you’re depressed, it feels more comfortable to retreat into your shell, but being around other people will make you feel less depressed.

• Join a support group for depression. Being with others dealing with depression can go a long way in reducing your sense of isolation. You can also encourage each other, share experiences, and gain valuable advice on how to cope.

• If you don’t feel that you have anyone to turn to, it’s never too late to build new friendships and improve your support network.

• Having thoughts of hurting yourself or others does not make you a bad person. Depression can make you think and feel things that are out of character. No one should judge you or condemn you for these feelings if you are brave enough to talk about them.

• If your feelings are uncontrollable, tell yourself to wait 24 hours before you take any action. This can give you time to really think things through and give yourself some distance from the strong emotions that are plaguing you. During this 24-hour period, try to talk to someone—anyone—as long as they are not another suicidal or depressed person. Call a hotline or talk to a friend. What do you have to lose?

• If you’re afraid you can’t control yourself, make sure you are never alone. Even if you can’t verbalize your feelings, just stay in public places, hang out with friends or family members, or go to a movie—anything to keep from being by yourself and in danger.

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