4 EASY STEPS TOCOMBATING

DEPRESSION ANDDEPRESSIVESYMPTOMS

B Y M A R Y B A R B A

THIS IS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHOARE AFRAID OF EVEN THE IDEA OF

GETTING HELP WITH YOURTHOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS.

I want to tell you that it’s not as big and scary as you might think. This blog is not

exhaustive by any means, but it provides a great starting point for those of you who are

thinking they need further assistance with their mental and emotional state of mind.

IT SUCKS.When you feel depressed, it feels like the whole world is collapsing in

around you. There is very little wiggle room for good feelings. “Be

thankful,” someone might tell you. “That will make you feel better.”

“I’m already thankful,” you might think, “and yet, I’m still depressed.”

IT'S NOT EASY.Depression isn’t about being thankful enough, happy enough, or

positive enough–it’s all about our brains being healthy or not

healthy. Depression isn’t about someone “not trying hard enough.”

It’s about the brain not being well. Sure, are there sometimes

people who just have situational depression and their brains are

chemically balanced? Absolutely. However, even though people

know that, one can’t just wish away depression.

DO I HAVEDEPRESSION?…OF ANY KIND?If you think you are experiencing depression of

any kind, here are some symptoms you may be

experiencing, according to Mental Health

America:

THE SYMPTOMS“Persistent sad, anxious or ’empty’ mood,

“Sleeping too much or too little, middle of the night or early

morning waking,

“Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and

weight gain,

“Loss of pleasure and interest in activities once enjoyed,

including sex

“Restlessness,

“Irritability,

“Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment

(such as chronic pain or digestive disorders),

“Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions,

“Fatigue or loss of energy,

“Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless, [or]

“Thoughts of suicide or death.”

A HELPFUL TESTIf you are experiencing any of these symptoms,

look here for the, “Mental Health America

Screening Tools.” You can take a test to seejust how depressed or not depressed youreally are. These tests are completely

confidential, so you don’t have to worry about

anyone finding out your results but yourself. You

might as well take the screening test. Like, why

not? Actually, I’m going to challenge you to go

take the screening test right now. Then, come

back to this point in the SlideShare and keep

reading.

Now that you have taken the screening, ask

yourself, “How do I feel about my results?”

Do you feel relieved? Anxious? Nervous?

Satisfied? Afraid? Whatever your feelings

are, give yourself a dose of compassion.

Goose frabah. It is ok to feel the feelings

you are feeling. Let’s move on to the next

step in this process.

TIPS FOR DEALING WITHDEPRESSION

So, let’s assume you found out you have some form of depression, whether it’s

clinical or situational, mild or severe. Now what? When you are feeling depressed

there are a variety of things you can do to help yourself.

MOVING FORWARDWhen you are depressed, embrace it. Don’t

tell yourself you are not a good person for being

depressed. Don’t tell yourself that you are a

lonely fool who is worthless. Tell yourself that

you are upset for a reason. You are logical,

smart, talented, and loved. You are all of those

things. You are simply either going through a

difficult situation, or you have improper things

happening in your brain. It’s that simple. The

brain is an organ just like any other body part,

and you have to take the time to give it some

love when you are down.

EMBRACE IT.When I say “embrace it,” I do not mean embrace the dark

thoughts. I mean give yourself the compassion and freedom to

feel the way you do, but love yourself in the midst of it. Giveyourself some self-affirming words to think about, as well asthe dark thoughts; you don’t want to be unbalanced betweenthe good and bad. Think of things, such like, “I am good enough.

I am brave enough. I am strong enough. I am loved. I am

special. I am unique and lovely. I am handsome. I am pretty. I

am worth people’s time. I am allowed to feel how I feel, and that

is okay.”

Ask yourself, "What do I want to do right now in

this moment of depression?" Do you want to cozy

up on the couch in some comfy clothes and watch

a show? Then, go do it. Do you think that might

make things worse? Go for a walk. Outside. Get

that fresh air in your lungs. Take a shower. Brush

your hair. Eat something good for you. Call a

friend. Read a book. Don't read a book.

Whatever works for you. Here is a list of some

more things that may help you when you're

depressed.

1) GET THAT PEOPLE LOVIN'According to Melinda Smith, M.A., Robert Segal, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. of

HealthGuide.org, you should stay connected:

"Talk to one person about

your feelings

"Help someone else by

volunteering

"Have lunch or coffee with a

friend

"Ask a loved one to check in

with you regularly

"Accompany someone to the

movies, a concert, or a small

get-together

"Call or email an old friend

"Go for a walk with a

workout buddy

"Schedule a weekly dinner

date

"Meet new people by taking

a class or joining a club, [or]

"Confide in a clergy member,

teacher, or sports coach"

HAVING PEOPLE AROUNDDURING YOUR TIMES OFSORROW CAN MAKE AN

IMMENSE DIFFERENCE IN YOURJOURNEY TO WELLNESS. DON'T

EVER DOUBT THE POWER OF AFAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND

JUST BEING THERE WITH YOUWHEN YOU ARE OUT OF SORTS.

2) TAKE A SOLID LOOKAT YOUR THOUGHTSSmith, R. Segal, and J. Segal go on to show you how to put a

spotlight on your thoughts and challenge them. Some of these

thought patterns may be creeping up into your mind when you feel

depressed. Recognize what you are thinking about and label it.

Then, go about correcting your thoughts to show you that you are

going to be okay, because you will be.

"All-or-nothing thinking –

Looking at things in black-or-

white categories, with no

middle ground (“If I fall short

of perfection, I’m a total

failure.”)

"Overgeneralization –

Generalizing from a single

negative experience,

expecting it to hold true

forever (“I can’t do anything

right. [I'll never find the right

person to date/marry.]”)

"The mental filter – Ignoring

positive events and focusing on

the negative. Noticing the one

thing that went wrong, rather

than all the things that went

right.

"Diminishing the positive –

Coming up with reasons why

positive events don’t count

(“She said she had a good time

on our date, but I think she was

just being nice.”)

"Jumping to conclusions –

Making negative

interpretations without

actual evidence. You act like

a mind reader (“He must

think I’m pathetic”) or a

fortune teller (“I’ll be stuck in

this dead end job forever.”)

"Emotional reasoning –Believing that the way you

feel reflects reality (“I feel

like such a loser. I really am

no good!”)

"‘Shoulds’ and ‘should-nots’ – Holding yourself to a

strict list of what you should

and shouldn’t do, and

beating yourself up if you

don’t live up to your rules.

"Labeling – Labeling yourself

based on mistakes and

perceived shortcomings (“I’m

a failure; an idiot; a loser.”)"

3) THINK OFGETTING HELPFROM OTHERS INSOME CAPACITY

Click here for a list of resources for people who

are thinking of getting some or any kind of help.

You can get involved in "psychotherapy,

medication, case management, hospitalization,

support group[s], complementary or alternative

medicine, self help plan[s], [or] peer support."

Click here for a massive list of resources for

local support groups you could join.

Click here for a resource on finding mental

health care of any kind, such as a counselor,

agency, or psychiatrist--whatever you think you

may need.

4) PRACTICE SELF-CAREGoodTherapy.com, a website focused on helping people to find

ethical therapists, came up with a 134-bullet-points list of self-care

tips for those who have a hard time coming up with their own self-

care plan. Click here to see it. According to GoodTherapy.com, the

definition of self-care, "is any intentional action taken to meet an

individual’s physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional needs." So, what

are you waiting for? Dig in!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESMental Health America Screening ToolsYou can take a simple test online to see if

your Depression is a sign of a deeper problem.

You can also test your anxiety levels, if you

have Bipolar or PTSD, if you're using alcohol or

substances correctly, if you are a youth and

you think you have a problem, if you are a

parent who thinks their child might have a

problem, if you have psychosis, or if you simply

have good occupational health.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline1-800-273-TALK (8255)

International Foundation for Research andEducation on Depression

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance1-800-826-3632

American Psychiatric Association703-907-7300

Anxiety and Depression Association ofAmerica(240) 485-1001

Click below to access these resource's websites!

THANK YOU!@ M E R B T H I N K S

B Y : M A R Y B A R B A