Depression

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There are several different types of depression. 

Major clinical depression is a real illness that requires professional medical treatment and is characterized by severe symptoms:

Loss of interest or pleasure in your activities       

Weight loss or gain   
Trouble getting to sleep or feeling sleepy during the day                

Being tired and without energy
Feelings of being "sped up" or "slowed down"                                   

Feeling worthless or guilty  

Trouble concentrating or making decisions                                       

Thoughts of suicide 

Other forms of depression are:

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Postpartum Depression
Situational Depression

Atypical Depression

These milder forms are most often caused by life events and stressors combined with our thinking habits and worldview. These are common and can be addressed with these methods in conjunction with other treatments, depending on severity of symptoms.

It is increasingly recognized that the milder forms of depression can be prevented and that prevention should be the focus of more research and practice. As with any mental/emotional issue there is a broad continuum of severity and each person has to find the combination of tools that works for their particular set of issues and the severity of challenges those issues bring. For all but the most severe drastic cases, changes in lifestyle, thinking habits, expectations and behaviors can bring  enormous relief of depression and anxiety. Those who are courageous enough to seek help in our fractured healthcare system may be quickly sent to the pharmacy, but the over-reliance on a one-size-fits-all quick fix may not be the right answer for many people suffering milder forms  of these afflictions.

As you develop your own life-long tool kit for mental health, medication my be part of that tool kit in extreme cases. That is up to you and your healthcare provider to carefully determine after weighing all the health risks.

It is becoming clearer that no one method works for all people; therefore, it is vital that each person do their 'homework' here at the Lab or elsewhere, (there are tons of resources out there), and figure out how  to inoculate themselves against future depression and anxiety. We now  know that it is possible to recognize the early on-set of anxiety and depression. For a person who has developed this skill, it is also possible to develop tools and methods to PREVENT the episode from gaining steam and over taking you. It is possible to prevent it. Not every time and not in every case. But it is possible that with better cognitive skills these milder forms of affliction can be overcome by the individual without drastic measures.

People consistently say this is what works:

* physical exercise (extremely important for many reasons)

* the ability to handle stress in productive ways (can be learned)

* do not accept your negative thinking. It is part of the depression and will ease up as you gradually come out  of it.

*emotional intelligence and cognitive skills to recognize unrealistic expectations and adjust our feelings appropriately

* processing negative and traumatic experiences and memories

* understanding our triggers - both physical and mental: what makes us upset/sad?

* ability to get outside support from family, friends, societal agencies when needed

* eat healthy foods -  (sugar and sodium in fast foods can further sap your energy)

* sleep is important (7 hours a night. Use earplugs for noise.)

* express your feelings, either to friends, in a journal, or using art to help release some negative feelings

* do not set difficult goals for yourself - wait until you are stronger

* do not expect too much from yourself too soon as this will only increase feelings of failure

*  being with other people is usually much better than being alone. Seek out people you can chat with about anything other than how depressed you are.

* participate in activities that may make you feel better

* don't expect to feel better right away. Fighting depression is a long-term thing. Gradually the darkness lifts and the brain bends back "toward the sunlight".  Give it time.

*  do not make major life decisions, such as changing jobs or getting married or divorced without consulting others who know you well.  Postpone important decisions until your depression has lifted.

*do  no set yourself up to fail by expecting too much. Help yourself as much as you can, and do not blame yourself for not being up to par.

*  plan how you would get help for yourself in an emergency, like calling  friends, family, your physical or mental health professional or a local urgent care or hospital if you were to develop thoughts of harming yourself or someone else.

*  limit your access to things that could be used to hurt yourself or others (for example, do not keep excess medication of any kind,  firearms, or other weapons in the home).

Everything  we do here in the Lab is designed to increase an individual's ability to do these things for themselves in conjunction with whatever other treatments they engage in, if any.

Try Sample Affirmations for depression until you write your own.