When it comes to dealing with depression, you might be looking for ways to deal with your own depression, or you might be trying to find how to deal with the depression of others such as a spouse or loved one. Dealing with depression can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be.
Depression is a severe mental illness that takes its toll on not just the sufferer, but also the friends and family of the person suffering from depression. Depression is often described as a feeling of sadness, melancholy or unhappiness. Most people experience some periods of depression at some point in their life, however about 19 million Americans suffer from serious and prolonged episodes of depression. The majority of depression sufferers do not know how to go about dealing with depression and instead just simply choose to not seek treatment. Dealing with depression is important because not dealing with such a serious mental illness can lead to serious repercussions including extreme or suicidal tendencies.
- Prolonged feelings of sadness and pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and hopelessness
- Loss of interest in activities of all kinds like work as well as in activities you used to enjoy including sex
- Worsening of other chronic illnesses
- Weight gain or loss
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
- Fatigue and lack of energy, increased apathy
- Thoughts of suicide or death
- Headache, stomachache and other digestive problems
- Anxiety
If you have been feeling any of these symptoms regularly or for more than a few weeks, it is important to begin dealing with depression starting out by getting professional help. For those who have a loved one that is depressed and needs to start measures to deal with their depression it is important to be as encouraging as possible, although it can prove to be difficult at times. The first way to help someone who is depressed, is to help them realize that treatment is key. They have to understand the only way they will feel better is to get treatment. Sometimes when a person is depressed they have a sense of worthlessness and low self-esteem, which is why they don’t seek professional treatment because they don’t feel like they deserve it in the first place. This is when the friend or loved one must step in and help the depressed person realize they are worth treating. Even though it can be depressing to be around someone that is depressed themselves, it is important to maintain in contact with them even if they act like they don’t want to see you. Persistence is key in helping them continue working toward recovery. It is also important when dealing with depression in a loved one to encourage doctor visits, talk about their illness with them, learn about depression and encourage your loved one to meet small goals in their recovery. These are all ways to help your loved one in dealing with depression.
If you are finding yourself dealing with depression on your own, it is important to realize you need professional help. Getting help is the first step even if this just means talking to a loved one or friend about it. Not everyone that faces depression has to get in-treatment center care or has to take medication in order to recover. While these methods often do lead to a successful recovery for many, it is not always the first step you have to take. If you are depressed, but find solace and success in simply talking with a friend or family member, resuming old exercise programs, finding a new hobby, then you can seek treatment on your own. However, for some this path is too difficult to take. This is the case for the majority of severely depressed American adults. However, it is unfortunate that most do not actively seek treatment on their own. However, once those treatment options are available like counseling, antidepressant medication and support group therapy, the road to recovery becomes a lot easier and more successful for the individual. This leaves us with the overall concept of continuing to encourage ourselves and others to take an active role in dealing with depression. This is the best way to ensure a healthy recovery.
Sources: webmd.com