How to deal with depression

Being depressed is more than just feeling down. Depression can affect every area of your life. Often people who are depressed don't enjoy things like they use to. Your eating habits may change, energy levels drop, and libido may decline. Friends and relatives sometimes may put more pressure on you expecting you to just snap out of it. There are many things you can do to help yourself deal with depression.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Belief that things will improve.

1. Exercise. Exercise helps lift depression. Take a walk outside four to five times a week for at least a half an hour. A psychologist once told me that runners hardly ever suffer from depression. Start a exercise program slowly. You'll be surprised at how soon you can move faster and exercise for longer periods of time.
2. Avoid alcohol, drugs, and nicotine. Alcohol is a depressant. Using drugs and nicotine diminish your body' s ability to detoxify itself. The better physical shape you're in, the better you will feel emotionally.
3. Get a complete physical to eliminate any health problems that might be causing your depression. Sometimes conditions like a thyroid problem can cause depression. You might also need to adjust the dosage of any prescriptions you are taking.
4. Eat as healthy as possible. Drink a lot of water. Take a daily vitamin.
5. Many people who are depressed come from families with alcohol or drug problems. You might have been or are being affected by some one else's drinking or drug use or have your own dependancy problems. There are 12 Step programs that can help you deal with underlying issues that might be affecting your depression.
6. Meditate and relax often. Find peace through nature, religion, spirituality or whatever works for you.
7. Seek psychological help especially if you are feeling a lot of anxiety, feeling like you can not function doing everyday things, and feeling suicidal.
8. Find a self-help group that deals with depression. Be gentle with yourself. Remember, you are not alone. Many people suffer from depression.

Tips & Warnings

• People who are depressed sometimes have a chemical imbalance that can be helped with medication. See a psychiatrist M.D. if you feel you might need to take an antidepressant.
• Check with your doctor before staring any exercise program.