DEPRESSION!! What a scary word and an even scarier time if you’ve ever gone through it. There are different types of depression, such as depression brought on by a life change (situational depression), depression that can occur after the birth of a child (post-partum depression) or even depression that occurs from low levels of light during specific seasons (seasonal affective disorder syndrome). Some depressions are long term while others are short lived. Whatever the case may be, depression is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The feeling of hopelessness and loss of joy is terrible. So, what do you do if you’re feeling depressed and you either don’t know what’s causing it or you can’t seem to move out of it?
All too often people rush to their doctor to get medications because they’ve felt depressed. Medications are their first line of defense and a way to deal with it without really dealing with it. Pills don’t ask questions or make you feel worse before you start feelings better. So, taking meds may feel a lot less risky than actually addressing what’s really bothering you. However, talking about what’s going in your life might be what’s really needed. A good friend but be all you need to do this. However, in processing the situation with a mental health professional you not only have a safe place to relieve the feelings, you also learn and develop techniques and tools that you will be able to utilize for life. You might wonder, “but what do I do if I really don’t know what’s bugging me?” Well, that’s the job of a good therapist. They will ask the right questions to help you get to the root of your problem. So a combination of talk, cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectic techniques can be extremely beneficial.
That being said, there are times that medications are needed. When we’ve experienced depression for a long period of time our systems can become chemically out of balance and we really do need them for, at least, a short time. Seeing a therapist or counsellor while taking medications can be a great treatment combination.
You also need to keep in mind that our bodies, minds and souls are so interconnected that you really need to take a look at all levels of your being. Whenever a person first comes to see me with symptoms of depression I explore what they are doing in the way of exercise, dietary intake, sleep and self care. I think these are elements that are often overlooked and easy to remedy. By taking a look at all these levels and beginning to implement healthy lifestyle changes, we can immediately set in motion a positive move forward. Just by virtue of doing something for yourself the positive momentum begins.
The last thing I’d like to say is that it’s so very important not to loose hope. There is nothing more hopeless than the loss of hope. Believe that it can, and will change, and that each day can be a bit better than the next. People over the centuries have endured many terrible times by having hope for a better day tomorrow. So don’t lose hope; believe in a new and better day!