SELF HELP TIPS FOR MANAGING DEPRESSION

[AGrace]

Hi Everyone,

Here are some ideas you might like to try for managing symptoms of depression. Of course everyone's different, so let us know what works for you, and please feel free to add to the list...

Mindfulness – through breathing or engaging the 5 senses

Distress Tolerance – Accepting Emotions and Self Soothing

Distraction – Put the thoughts/feelings aside and come back to them when you are ready to deal with them

Positive Affirmations – Have some affirmations written down repeat them to yourself daily

Sleep/Exercise/Diet – All 3 aspects of our lifestyle can impact the way we think/feel

Increasing Pleasurable Activities – Engage in at least one pleasurable activity per day

[jessicas94]

Hi. I’m new to the forum.

I am feeling lost right now. Like I have no where to go and no where I belong. I just don’t understand. I used to have this feeling every second day about a year ago and now all of a sudden I am getting these horrible feelings again. And so randomly! I have a great life, I have a partner who loves me, a great and happy family who cares for me and a well paying job that I work 5 days a week. Why am I feeling like this? This is the third day now and all I want to do is chuck everything away and run and hide somewhere where no one will find me. I’m not sure if this is depression or just being emotional for nothing.

[Jeff42]

I found a free app called mood mission that gives you little things that you can do when you’re having a hard time. It helps me sometimes. Maybe it could help someone else.

[SPOONO]

I would like to add to this impressive list:

I write down things that are bothering me so I don't have to think about the nasty, only where it's written down.

[Megan2019]

How to help a family member with depression who is on medication that isn’t entirely working? A mother, she can’t get up in the morning, can’t be around crowds, can’t get on with daily household chores, relying on others to take her out, it’s exhausting! Needing some more immediate tips to provide to her....

[Angelique03]

She may be eligible for a mental health support worker. They work with you to get the house work done if you are struggling with a mental illness. A mental health support worker will help to motivate her to do things for herself and work alongside her. She can tell her doctor she is not coping with things round the house and get them to give her a referral. Going for a half an hour walk every morning helps with energy levels

[IreneM]

One of the best pieces of advice I had was from a doctor when my husband was suicidal from having no work.

He offered an antidepressant and he refused because he knew someone who had died from them, so the Doctor suggested Fish Oil.

"Fish Oil?" we thought what good can that do? So that got us researching and we found that it helps to produce Serotonin. Along with that we found that Sunlight helps to produce Serotonin. Now we both have our first drink of the day outside, whether it is sunny or not and the sunlight does make a big difference not only to your mood but also to your energy levels. Now we only use the Fish Oil if we still get really down.

[BellaM]

Depending what your interests are, you could try drawing or writing your thoughts/lack of thoughts, when feeling like this. Creates a distraction and time waster.

[ColeCole]

I find when thoughts can get a bit intrusive, listening to podcasts gives me something to focus on. Listening to other people having interesting and comedic discussions allows me to direct my focus away from negative thoughts.

[IreneM]

When thoughts become too much I now just write them down.

As part of my new online Wellness course that is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) based, learning the art of Thought Challenging is initially confronting but at the same time rewarding. So now I use a Thought Diary and just write down anything that comes into my head or out of my mouth without me realising it.

Later when I have the time I use the opposite page to change that to something more realistic and positive. I also use stickers and cards in my purse, on my bedside table, desk and other common places, to remind me of the realistic thoughts. It is all about Replacing the Negative Thoughts with Realistic and Positive Thoughts.

Irene.

[demonblaster]

Hi everyone this is a great thread and very good input thanks I haven't read it all yet but like what I have so far

This has to do with mindfulness, it's not an overnight fix but then again often depression is a lifetime of niggling pain built up.

Being aware of our thoughts which with practise is well worth it. Until we learn to find positives and happy memories goals gratitude of what we do have which is blurred or buried with depression it's difficult to stop or avoid our first thought

What we can do is learn to hear it but not allow the pain associated with emotion that follows the thought and cascades. With depression we see things in a negative light.

By hearing our thought then either distraction whether looking around the room and focusing on items or thinking of a positive can be of great help. The more positive and good memories we think of means less room for negatives I believe we can only have although lightening speed one thought at a time.

Good memories can also be positive triggers.

It's our reaction to the original thought that takes us into deeper painful thinking that we feel.

Ultimately it's our thoughts that lift or undo us.

I like the idea writing them down and later in better headspace more strength from bettet sleep we can work through them more consciously.

Don't give up people there is ways of coming out the other side for most of us.

Once we take the drivers seat to our thinking and learn new ways there is light at the end of the dark tunnels.

It's in us, we have the strength, it's finding and learning to use the tools we have

We're capable of tremendous power in our favour, our minds are complex amazing computers just needing our direction towards peace 🕊

Best to everyone ⚘🌱new beginnings can start now ☺