COPING WITH DEPRESSION

How do you deal with depression?Dealing with depression requiresaction, but taking action when you’redepressed can be hard. Sometimes,just thinking about the things youshould do to feel better, like exercisingor spending time with friends, canseem exhausting or impossible to putinto action.

It’s the Catch-22 of depressionrecovery: The things that help the mostare the things that are the mostdifficult to do. There is a big difference,however, between something that'sdifficult and something that'simpossible. You may not have muchenergy, but by drawing on all yourreserves, you should have enough to

take a walk around the block or pick upthe phone to call a loved one.

Taking the first step is always thehardest. But going for a walk or gettingup and dancing to your favorite music,for example, is something you can doright now. And it can substantially boostyour mood and energy for severalhours—long enough to put a secondrecovery step into action, such aspreparing a mood-boosting meal orarranging to meet an old friend. Bytaking the following small but positivesteps day by day, you’ll soon soon liftthe heavy fog of depression and findyourself feeling happier, healthier, andmore hopeful again.

Depression drains your energy, hope, and drive,making it difficult to take the steps that will helpyou to feel better. But while overcomingdepression isn’t quick or easy, it’s far fromimpossible. You can’t just will yourself to “snapout of it,” but you do have more control thanyou realize—even if your depression is severeand stubbornly persistent. The key is to startsmall and build from there. Feelingbetter takes time, but you can getthere by making positive choices foryourself each day.

TIPS FOR OVERCOMING DEPRESSIONONE STEP AT A TIME

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Getting support plays an essential role inovercoming depression. On your own, it canbe difficult to maintain a healthy perspectiveand sustain the effort required to beatdepression. At the same time, the very natureof depression makes it difficult to reach outfor help. When you’re depressed, thetendency is to withdraw and isolate so thatconnecting to even close family members andfriends can be tough. You may feel tooexhausted to talk, ashamed at your situation,or guilty for neglecting certain relationships.But this is just the depression talking. Stayingconnected to other people and taking part insocial activities will make a world of differencein your mood and outlook. Reaching out isnot a sign of weakness and it won’t meanyou’re a burden to others. Your loved onescare about you and want to help. And if youdon’t feel that you have anyone to turn to, it’snever too late to build new friendships andimprove your support network.

How to reach out for depression support• Look for support from people who

make you feel safe and cared for. Theperson you talk to doesn’t have to be ableto fix you; they just need to be a goodlistener—someone who’ll listen attentivelyand compassionately without beingdistracted or judging you.

• Make face-time a priority. Phone calls,social media, and texting are great waysto stay in touch, but they don’t replacegood old-fashioned in-person qualitytime. The simple act of talking tosomeone face to face about how you feelcan play a big role in relieving depressionand keeping it away.

• Try to keep up with social activities evenif you don’t feel like it.Often when

you’re depressed, it feels morecomfortable to retreat into your shell, butbeing around other people will make youfeel less depressed.

• Find ways to support others. It’s niceto receive support, but research showsyou get an even bigger mood boostfrom providing support yourself. So findways—both big and small—to helpothers: volunteer, be a listening ear for afriend, do something nice forsomebody.

• Care for a pet. While nothing can replacethe human connection, pets can bring joyand companionship into your life and helpyou feel less isolated. Caring for a pet canalso get you outside of yourself and giveyou a sense of being needed - bothpowerful antidotes to depression.

• Join a support group for depression.Being with others dealing with depressioncan go a long way in reducing your senseof isolation. You can also encourage eachother, give and receive advice on how tocope, and share your experiences.

10 tips for staying connected1. Talk to one person about your feelings2. Help someone else by volunteering3. Have lunch or coffee with a friend4. Ask a loved one to check in with you

regularly5. Accompany someone to the movies, a

concert, or a small get-together6. Call or email an old friend7. Go for a walk with a workout buddy8. Schedule a weekly dinner date9. Meet new people by taking a class or

joining a club10. Confide in a clergy member, teacher, or

sports coach

Reach out and stay connected1

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In order to overcome depression, you haveto do things that relax and energize you.This includes following a healthy lifestyle,learning how to better manage stress,setting limits on what you’re able to do,and scheduling fun activities into your day.Do things you enjoy (or used to)

While you can’t force yourself to have funor experience pleasure, you can pushyourself to do things, even when you don’tfeel like it. You might be surprised at howmuch better you feel once you’re out in theworld. Even if your depression doesn’t liftimmediately, you’ll gradually feel moreupbeat and energetic as you make time forfun activities.

Pick up a former hobby or a sport you usedto like. Express yourself creatively throughmusic, art, or writing. Go out with friends.Take a day trip to a museum, themountains, or the ballpark.

Support your health• Aim for eight hours of sleep.

Depression typically involves sleepproblems; whether you’re sleeping toolittle or too much, your mood suffers.Get on a better sleep schedule bylearning healthy sleep habits.

• Keep stress in check. Not only doesstress prolong and worsen depression,but it can also trigger it. Figure out allthe things in your life that stress youout, such as work overload, moneyproblems, or unsupportive relationships,and find ways to relieve the pressureand regain control.

• Practice relaxation techniques. A dailyrelaxation practice can help relieve

symptoms of depression, reduce stress,and boost feelings of joy and well-being. Try yoga, deep breathing,progressive muscle relaxation, ormeditation.

Develop a "wellness toolbox" to dealwith depressionCome up with a list of things that you cando for a quick mood boost. The more“tools” for coping with depression, thebetter. Try and implement a few of theseideas each day, even if you’re feeling good.1. Spend some time in nature2. List what you like about yourself3. Read a good book4. Watch a funny movie or TV show5. Take a long, hot bath6. Take care of a few small tasks7. Play with a pet8. Talk to friends or family face-to-face9. Listen to music10. Do something spontaneous

Do things that make you feel good2

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When you’re depressed, just getting outof bed can seem like a daunting task, letalone working out! But exercise is apowerful depression fighter—and one ofthe most important tools in your recoveryarsenal. Research shows that regularexercise can be as effective as medicationfor relieving depression symptoms. It alsohelps prevent relapse once you’re well.

To get the most benefit, aim for at least30 minutes of exercise per day. Thisdoesn’t have to be all at once—and it’sokay to start small. A 10-minute walk canimprove your mood for two hours.

Exercise is something you can do rightnow to boost your mood• Your fatigue will improve if you stick

with it. Starting to exercise can be

difficult when you’re depressed andfeeling exhausted. But research showsthat your energy levels will improve ifyou keep with it. Exercise will help youto feel energized and less fatigued,not more.

• Find exercises that are continuousand rhythmic. The most benefits fordepression come from rhythmicexercise—such as walking, weighttraining, swimming, martial arts, ordancing—where you move both yourarms and legs.

• Add a mindfulness element,especially if your depression is rootedin unresolved trauma or fed byobsessive, negative thoughts. Focuson how your body feels as youmove—such as the sensation of yourfeet hitting the ground, or the feelingof the wind on your skin, or therhythm of your breathing.

How to Start Exercising and Stick to It:Making Exercise Enjoyable• Pair up with an exercise partner. Not

only does working out with othersenable you to spend time socializing,it can also help to keep youmotivated. Try joining a running club,taking a water aerobics or dance class,seeking out tennis partners, orenrolling in a soccer or volleyballleague.

• Take a dog for a walk. If you don’town a dog, you can volunteer to walkhomeless dogs for an animal shelteror rescue group. You’ll not only behelping yourself but also be helpingto socialize and exercise the dogs,making them more adoptable.

Get moving3

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What you eat has a direct impact on theway you feel. Reduce your intake of foodsthat can adversely affect your brain andmood, such as caffeine, alcohol, trans fats,and foods with high levels of chemicalpreservatives or hormones (such as certainmeats).

• Don’t skip meals. Going too longbetween meals can make you feelirritable and tired, so aim to eatsomething at least every three to fourhours.

• Minimize sugar and refined carbs. Youmay crave sugary snacks, baked goods,or comfort foods such as pasta orFrench fries, but these “feel-good”foods quickly lead to a crash in moodand energy. Aim to cut out as much ofthese foods as possible.

Diet and Nutrition Tips for Women:Eating to Look and Feel Your Best• Boost your B vitamins. Deficiencies

in B vitamins such as folic acid andB-12 can trigger depression. To getmore, take a B-complex vitaminsupplement or eat more citrus fruit,leafy greens, beans, chicken, andeggs.

• Boost your mood with foods rich inomega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fattyacids play an essential role instabilizing mood. The best sourcesare fatty fish such as salmon, herring,mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna,and some cold-water fish oilsupplements.

Eat a healthy, depression-fighting diet4

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Sunlight can help boost serotonin levelsand improve your mood. Wheneverpossible, get outside during daylighthours and expose yourself to the sun forat least 15 minutes a day. Removesunglasses (but never stare directly atthe sun) and use sunscreen as needed.

• Take a walk on your lunch break, haveyour coffee outside, enjoy an al frescomeal, or spend time gardening.

• Double up on the benefits ofsunlight by exercising outside. Tryhiking, walking in a local park, orplaying golf or tennis with a friend.

• Increase the amount of natural lightin your home and workplace byopening blinds and drapes and

sitting near windows.• If you live somewhere with little

winter sunshine, try using a lighttherapy box.

Dealing with the winter bluesFor some people, the reduced daylighthours of winter lead to a form ofdepression known as seasonal affectivedisorder (SAD). SAD can make you feellike a completely different person towho you are in the summer: hopeless,sad, tense, or stressed, with no interestin friends or activities you normally love.No matter how hopeless you feel,though, there are plenty of things youcan do to keep your mood stablethroughout the year.

Get a daily dose of sunlight5

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Do you feel like you’re powerless or weak?That bad things happen and there’s notmuch you can do about it? That yoursituation is hopeless? Depression puts anegative spin on everything, including theway you see yourself and your expectationsfor the future.

When these types of thoughts overwhelmyou, it’s important to remember that this isa symptom of your depression and theseirrational, pessimistic attitudes—known ascognitive distortions—aren’t realistic. Whenyou really examine them they don’t holdup. But even so, they can be tough to giveup. You can’t break out of this pessimisticmind frame by telling yourself to “just thinkpositive.” Often, it’s part of a lifelongpattern of thinking that’s become soautomatic you’re not even completelyaware of it. Rather, the trick is to identifythe type of negative thoughts that arefueling your depression, and replace themwith a more balanced way of thinking.

Negative, unrealistic ways of thinking thatfuel depression• All-or-nothing thinking – Looking at

things in black-or-white categories, withno middle ground (“If I fall short ofperfection, I’m a total failure.”)

• Overgeneralization – Generalizing froma single negative experience, expectingit to hold true forever (“I can’t doanything right.”)

• The mental filter – Ignoring positiveevents and focusing on the negative.Noticing the one thing that wentwrong, rather than all the things thatwent right.

• Diminishing the positive – Coming up

with reasons why positive events don’tcount (“She said she had a good timeon our date, but I think she was justbeing nice.”)

• Jumping to conclusions – Makingnegative interpretations without actualevidence. You act like a mind reader(“He must think I’m pathetic”) or afortune teller (“I’ll be stuck in this dead-end job forever.”)

• Emotional reasoning – Believing thatthe way you feel reflects reality (“I feellike such a loser. I really am no good!”)

• ‘Shoulds’ and ‘should-nots’ – Holdingyourself to a strict list of what youshould and shouldn’t do, and beatingyourself up if you don’t live up to yourrules.

• Labeling – Classifying yourself based onmistakes and perceived shortcomings(“I’m a failure; an idiot; a loser.”)

Put your thoughts on the witness standOnce you identify the destructive thoughtspatterns that contribute to your depression,you can start to challenge them withquestions such as:• “What’s 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

didn’t have depression?”

As you cross-examine your negativethoughts, you may be surprised at howquickly they crumble. In the process, you’lldevelop a more balanced perspective andhelp to relieve your depression.

Challenge negative thinking6

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We offer a completely confidential service tohelp you improve the quality of your life.

If you’ve taken self-help steps and madepositive lifestyle changes and still find yourdepression getting worse, seek professionalhelp. Needing additional help doesn’t meanyou’re weak. Sometimes the negative thinkingin depression can make you feel like you’re alost cause, but depression can be treated andyou can feel better!

If you require professional help contactPlatinum Health's Mental Health Services(MHS) for assistance on 014 590 1700. We offera completely confidential service to help youimprove the quality of your life.The MHS Main Office is situated in Rustenburgat the Platinum Health Medical Centre, 175Beyers Naude Avenue and Therapists are alsoavailable at most Platinum Health facilities. Noreferral or authorisation number is required toaccess the service and members can make anappointment either directly, or via a GP.

Don’t forget about these self-help tips, though.Even if you’re receiving professional help, thesetips can be part of your treatment plan,speeding your recovery and preventingdepression from returning.

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