Are you trying to treat your depression for the first time? You probably don’t even know where to start. It’s no secret that seeking treatment for the first time can be very scary. Below are some tips that can help to make seeking a new depression treatment a tad bit easier.
Do not depend on herbal alternatives to medication like St. John’s wort. trials of herbal remedies show that they are far less effective than pharmaceuticals, especially for moderate to severe depression. If you are wary of using medication to treat your depression, try talk therapy as a first-line treatment.
Make sure you’re getting about eight hours of sleep a night. People with depression tend to either sleep too little or far too much. In either case, both your mood and your health will suffer. Schedule your sleep patterns so that you’re getting just the right amount of sleep each night.
If you are opposed to taking prescription medications for depression, try St. John’s Wort. This natural, herbal remedy for depression can be very effective. It works in much the same way as Prozac by increasing the availability of mid-brain serotonin. This helps elevate your mood and alleviate your feelings of sorrow.
One of the best ways to fight against depression is to develop hobbies. People are mostly depressed when they are idle. By keeping yourself occupied on something that you love, you automatically keep your mind off negative problems and emotions. This is also an easy way to build appreciation for life.
One of the best ways to battle depression is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and avoid emotional eating. People often times tend to overeat as a way to escape their depression and avoid dealing with uncomfortable inner feelings. By overeating, you are only putting off feelings that need to be dealt with and, in the long run, making your depression worse.
There are depression support groups available in cities all over the country and in online forums. It’s really helpful to find others who have successfully beaten depression so that you can get advice and knowledge that you can use for your own struggles.
If you are struggling with depression and low self-esteem, one of the best things you can do for your mental health is to spend time interacting with animals and nature. Animals show unconditional love and live life in the moment. Spending time with animals is a great way to help you improve your mood.
Try to pamper yourself if your depression symptoms are bothering you. Going to a salon to have your nails done or going to a spa to have a massage can help relax your mind and body and thus, reduce your depression symptoms. You may also want to buy yourself a special treat, like a shirt you have been wanting.
Try more than one medication. While some people prefer to treat their depression without medication, others give up on medication too soon. Depression is not yet well understood, and everyone’s brain and body chemistry is different. What works for one person may not work for another. Just because your first experience with antidepressants was ineffective, does not mean you will react the same way to a different class of drug.
If your job is part of the cause of your depression, you may want to think of cutting down on some of your harder duties. Talk to your boss about how you are feeling and ask if you can do lighter projects. Try not to bring the stresses of your job home with you.
Developing a new interest can often boost your spirits up and out of depression! Life can sometimes become dull and routine so finding a new hobby to wake up your mind can lead to a happier spirit. It could be anything from taking up a craft to visiting the sick or elderly so find something new to do with yourself and you just might find a new you!
Developing a strategy to combat depression is essential. Find triggers that cause depression symptoms. These triggers are important to recognize so that you can understand what it is that is making you feel depressed. When you spot a trigger, do what you can to get rid of it or change it.
A great tip that can help you beat depression, is to simply realize that depression doesn’t last forever. It only lasts for a period of time. If you remind yourself of this, you can look through the fog to see the light. You have to realize that things will get better.
As you have seen, treating depression is not as scary as it may appear at first. Just think of all of the benefits it can give you and how beginning treatment now can improve the quality of your life much sooner. Get some help from your doctor, and try applying these tips to help you conquer your depression.
