Numerous depressed individuals have been through my door in the 17 years I have been a working mental health clinician. This is hardly shocking considering that one in five Americans may experience depression at some point in their lifetime, according to the National Network of Depression Centers. According to the Center for Disease Control, depression is the primary cause of disability among people between the ages of 15 and 44.
Despite the fact that Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), which frequently has genetic and biochemical roots, can be very challenging to manage and frequently necessitates the use of psychiatric medications, studies show that within four to six weeks of beginning treatment, more than half of depression sufferers show improvement.
Try These Five Strategies To Reduce Depression
There isn't an instant remedy that will leave you free from the blues forever. However, there are methods for overcoming the emotional paralysis and ruminating that frequently go along with sadness. Both of which make it very challenging to concentrate on the behavioral adjustments required to avoid a relapse. Fortunately, there are techniques to pierce the thick veil of darkness.
Think Differently
Psychological myopia is a common side effect of depression, and the person who is depressed will often tell themselves soul-sucking things such, "Nothing I try ever turns out." "How did I get to be so stupid?" "I am not deserving of love." If left unchecked, a patient who is experiencing this type of thinking may spend the entire session staring at one object, frequently the floor.
"You are so hooked on only seeing things one way that you ignore any other viable vision," I prod at those times. Literally. There are many things in the room to contemplate and study if you force yourself to look up, including a bookcase, lights, paintings, and a window with sunlight flooding in. Not because my office is particularly exciting, but because you miss so much by not looking. "There are a variety of ways to perceive everything," I hammer home as the patient apologetically lifts his or her eyes to survey the entire area ("Oh, I never noticed that amusing placard! Consider all your possibilities rather than telling yourself again and over that there is no hope. Plan B is always an option.
Think of a pleasant memory
When a patient keeps thinking about a difficult memory (such being rejected in a relationship or having a business venture fail), it can bring on emotional catatonia. I advise, "Wait, go to a joyful recollection in your mind before you 'fall down the rabbit hole' and all the terrible feelings overwhelm you." * Paul recalled, "I felt fantastic and powerful when I graduated from college and looked out at the audience and saw my family looking so proud." "Great, go there," I said. Let's recapture that great moment.
His stance changed from hunched over to peacock proud as he detailed specifics from that glorious day (his mother's periwinkle blue outfit; standing on the stage with his diploma…). In fact, he grinned. I advised, "Take a breath and immediately visualize graduation day the second you feel yourself returning to a terrible memory that overwhelms you. Add some optimism right away to combat the doom!"
Tell Me a Good Story
The Art and Science of Self-Hatred is taught at the PhD level by a depressed individual. How do you view yourself when I ask? I receive responses like, "I'm dull." I'm a coward, I say. I am ugly. "I'm not clever," These ideas are indisputable facts in the speaker's eyes; they represent his or her concept of self, a pleasant but soulless place to inhabit, providing a "comfortable discomfort," and they lack an exit. Nothing positive can penetrate as long as these annihilating thoughts govern your self-image. I initially receive quiet when I ask, "Tell me favorable aspects about yourself." A halting "I'm kind" or "I'm caring" is then heard.
I offer assistance if the patient gets stuck and say, "You're a wonderful mother." You have survived. You are nurturing, and you're very considerate. "You are trustworthy," I instruct the patient to make a list of all of their beautiful qualities and to keep repeating them whenever the "poison wheel of self-hatred chatter" starts. I advise asking friends and family to email me a list of the things they appreciate most about my patient. "To compile, print off the list and carry it in your wallet like a talisman," will be the next step.
I advise the patient to write positive attributes on post-its and scatter them over the house as an additional immunization against the pervasive negativity: paste "I have wonderful eyes" on the bathroom vanity, "I'm reliable" on the refrigerator, and so forth.
You are spiritually what you "feed" yourself. Change the mantra "everything I despise about myself" to "all the things that make me a unique, exceptional person who is lovable."
Plan ahead
When depressed, a person merely wants to be in bed, preferably with the shades drawn and under the covers. It feels far too difficult to even pick up the phone to a kind voice, much less make plans beyond the essential necessities (job, school, and the grocery store). The Internet has made keeping to oneself terribly alluring. According to studies, keeping social media usage to no more than 30 minutes per day reduces depression. It's a catch-22 because when you're depressed, leaving the house is the last thing you feel like doing, I tell my patients. However, it's imperative to put in the effort to shower, dress, go for a walk, visit the gym, and interact with others.
Near the end of our Saturday afternoon session for months, I would enquire of Gina, "What are you doing after you leave here?" Gina, who was a single woman, would always murmur, "I'm going home to wash laundry." I began directing her to have a precise post-session plan. She started going to meet-ups, going to the botanical garden, baking cookies with her sister, and thinking, "Wow, ballroom dancing is sort of fun!" Her mood improved as she made more trips outside of her house.
Look for something to anticipate
I frequently employ this method as a blues immunization. (I already said that I have high functioning depression.) When I'm feeling sad, I look for events to add to my calendar that will make me joyful and enthusiastic. In fact, this 2007 study shown that thinking about a pleasurable event in the future rather than reflecting on a memorable prior experience makes people feel better. Anything that makes you feel happy and makes your face flush and your stomach grumble with excitement should be done.
My biggest mood swings occur when I start a project that might benefit the world and result in satisfying connections. For instance, I've taught workshops, applied for publishing deals to write a book, volunteered as a mentor to underprivileged young women who want to write, and submitted a video to give a TedX presentation (haven't heard back on that one yet!). The key is to quit telling yourself over and over again that nothing positive will ever happen to you again.
The Bottom Line: Depression is an illness that may be identified and treated. There's no need to suffer in silence or to try to determine whether what you're experiencing is depression. Your primary care physician can help you find a mental health professional. Here is a guide to the symptoms in the interim, along with a brief assessment test. For more information, you can also download one of these apps for mental health.
Reach out to a licensed mental health professional immediately if you are going through a mental health crisis or if someone you care about is in risk. Please have a look at our directory of urgent mental health options to help in your quest.
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