Depression is a real “spiritual plague”modern man. Sometimes it even becomes interesting - is this a truly modern phenomenon, or was it simply not documented in more ancient times, which is why it seems that people did not suffer from depression before? Most likely, it oppressed people before, it is just that the modern intense pace of life and unfavorable environmental conditions contributed to a more severe and protracted course of depression. What defines depression? It is a state of oppression and dejection. Depression is characterized by a lack of motivation for any activity, a significant decrease in self-esteem, deep despondency, sad feelings and immersion in darkness and hopelessness. When people become depressed, life itself seems to them to be painted in black colors. Depressed people show passivity, indecisiveness, they lose their appetite, they are characterized by sleep disorders. Quite often, thoughts of death and suicide come to mind. Of course, this is a very unpleasant, sometimes really difficult condition, and we sincerely sympathize if you have encountered depression in your life; and, nevertheless, getting out of depression is not such an impossible task. The main thing is that you must decide for yourself that you really want to do it. And what methods and ways of fighting depression there are – we will tell you.

The first step in fighting depression

Of course, you should talk to your doctor,to explore possible medical causes behind your depression. You should know that some types of depression can be caused by certain medical conditions or as a side effect of certain medications. In addition, in some cases, medical conditions can produce symptoms similar to those of depression. Only a doctor can help you understand the causes of your condition, and you should schedule a visit to him or her without delay. The doctor will identify any physical causes for your depression (unless it is caused by some emotional shock) and will prescribe specific treatments. Common medical conditions that can cause depression include:

• Vitamin or mineral deficiency, especially for people with restrictive diets.
• Diseases of the thyroid gland, hormonal imbalance.
• Taking certain medications (we have alreadythey said). Carefully read the instructions for taking medications, and for consultations about depression, do not forget to tell your doctor about all the medications you take.
• Alcohol or any other addiction.
• There is also a genetic predisposition to depression.
• Anxiety disorders, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. These diseases can precede, cause or be a consequence of depression.
• In women, depression often becomes a companion of hormonal changes in the body (postpartum depression, premenstrual syndrome, menopause)

If the doctor deems it necessary, he will prescribeantidepressants. But you should understand that for most people, medications cannot be the only solution to the problem. It is necessary to look for other ways to overcome depression, using all possible and accessible tools (for example, reading self-improvement books or spiritual support from friends and loved ones). If you are categorically against taking antidepressants, tell your doctor about it. He will explain whether there are alternative treatment options in your case - for example, with the help of calming herbal infusions. In most cases, treatment with medications is not required; but it is also important to understand that fighting some forms of depression without medication is a very difficult task, and ultimately it will take much more time.

Know the enemy in person

By learning as much as you can about depression, you will be able tohelp yourself better. Your knowledge should show you that depression is a real thing that should be taken seriously and that there are many ways to help you overcome it. A broader understanding of depression will help allay some of your fears and worries. It will also give you tools to help yourself. What can you do to learn about depression? Visit your local library and check out books about depression, grief, anxiety and happiness. Look for relevant literature in the psychology section. If you are very young, ask the librarian to select books on this topic written especially for teenagers and young adults. Recovering from depression through reading is called “bibliotherapy” and has long been recognized as an effective method. If you are motivated enough to embark on this path of recovery, it can be very beneficial for you. This method is especially suitable for those people who always turn to scientific research and literature as an opportunity to find an answer to all life's challenges.

Maintain a healthy relationship

Support from people who love andcare about you is an important part of the recovery process. Share your feelings with people you trust and let them know that you would appreciate their understanding and sympathy. It will be difficult for your loved ones to help you if you are secretive and many of the things you do will seem strange and inexplicable to them. However, if they are aware of your problem, it will help them to be more forgiving and they will be more intentional in supporting you. Be honest with your loved ones about the bouts of irritability that have been haunting you so often lately. Ask them not to be offended if you direct your irritability towards them, explaining that it is nothing personal, you just need some time to get your emotions under control. Perhaps you should agree that when you feel irritated, you will go into another room and your interlocutor will not disturb you to be alone for some time? Find a good psychologist, you can trust him with all your thoughts and experiences, and he will teach you how to properly survive this period of your life. If you do not have the opportunity to contact a psychologist, then think about which of your friends or relatives you could talk to completely frankly about your feelings. It happens that a person who is depressed wants to find a way out of the impasse, but simply does not see one. And in a confidential conversation, he can receive information that will change the course of his thoughts, and the way out will become obvious. You must understand that during depression, you should limit communication as much as possible with people whose views on life are predominantly pessimistic. Even if someone is just in a bad mood, you should not enter into a dialogue with this person today. Stay away from negatively minded people until your mood becomes more stable. And vice versa, try to spend as much time as possible in the company of optimistic people, next to whom you will feel especially comfortable. Talk to people who see the world in a positive way, ask them to share their views on certain issues, ideas, worldviews and approaches to life. Most of them will be more than happy to share with you what helps them stay optimistic. And you listen and learn from them!

Change your behavior

To return to your previous life, you need tostop doing what you are doing now. You must change your behavior, and only then will your mood change. Find something to do Try to avoid idleness. Keeping busy is the best way to prevent negative thoughts that may come into your head during the day. For a person who is depressed, the first step to finding something to do can be very difficult, because depression is characterized by a loss of interest in everything. But it is necessary if you decide to help yourself get out of depression.

• Find a hobby for yourself and try to learn as much as possible about what interests you. Immerse yourself in your favorite business entirely, devoting all your free time to it.
• Write down your entire day by schedulingdoing the necessary things. Do this every day, doing the planned without fail. Expand the range of tasks as soon as you feel a little better. And it does not matter at all, you have a working day for you tomorrow or a day off - every day should be painted so that there is not a single minute left when you could feel empty and useless.

Do things that are pleasant for yourself There are moments,when you convince yourself that you don't deserve anything you could enjoy. The antidote to this devastating feeling should be immediate action: do something that could give you pleasure. One pleasure a day is your minimum program!

• Like everything else, start small. One nice thing a day, such as watching your favorite comedy or reading a funny book, can give you a charge of fun even for a while.
• Plan positive events in your life. Write in your schedule an invitation to a friend for a festive dinner, going to the movies or going for a walk with friends.
• Gradually increase the number of events and activities that are pleasant for you. You yourself will not notice how you will begin to experience joy more and more often.

Help others This is one of the best waysget out of depression. Helping other people who are in trouble and need someone's support will help you get through your own difficulties easier. Having to think about people who are going through serious problems will help you focus less on your own feelings, which is especially useful if you are too prone to introspection and self-flagellation. Just don't overdo it. If you feel that participating in charity work makes you feel exhausted, then this may be a sign that you are not yet ready to help others. This does not mean that you cannot help others; it means that you need to take care of yourself first for now.

Change negative thinking stereotypes

Understanding the importance of overcoming negativitythinking is a very important aspect of working with depression. Depression is characterized by information processing bias. This is the tendency to independently choose a distorted and sharply negative point of view on any stimulus, which only further strengthens the depression. Change your thinking You need to change your habit of thinking negatively and create a thinking pattern that will support your self-esteem and increase your self-confidence. Of course, it would be best to read about this in the relevant literature or talk to knowledgeable people. But there are some things that will help you look at many things with different eyes if you keep them in mind:

• Recognize that the depression will pass. This can be a very difficult step, but it is very important, because this recognition will help you start expelling thoughts about the hopelessness of your situation.
• List all your advantages. When you are depressed, it is easy to understate your positive qualities. Take a sheet of paper and write down on it all that you remember about yourself good. Include in the list achievements of the past and hopes for the future. If you can not remember anything, ask the person who is especially close to you to write the beginning of this list for you. Accepting yourself is an important part of recovering from depression, so you have to admit that you have a lot of good in you, as well as recognize that no one and nothing can be perfect. This will help you stop condemning yourself more harshly than anyone else.
• To make decisions - very little, it is necessary alsoto begin to act. Again, although this can be very difficult during a depression, but it is vital in overcoming feelings of helplessness. Start small: make the decision to get out of bed - and get up; Call on friends, clean up the kitchen - all this will bring you closer to healing. As soon as you start acting and doing what is planned, each of your actions will be your achievement.
• Try to systematize your thoughts. Write down different thoughts - all that will come to your mind. Can I assume that the worst will happen? Can I blame myself for something bad happened? Can I pay attention only to my weaknesses, forgetting about strengths? It is very useful at the same time to distribute one's thoughts on two columns - in one column only negative thoughts should be recorded, while in another one inscribing rational thoughts. So you can control the number of your negative thoughts.
• Analyze those cases when you managed toRespond to the problem constructively, without experiencing anger, fear or feelings of powerlessness. Recreate and write down the sequence of your thoughts, thereby creating for yourself a pattern by which you will learn to think positively, without following the depressive pattern of behavior in the future.

Look for the good in your life UseHere is an exercise to learn to perceive life more positively. Sit comfortably, turn on your favorite music and start thinking about the good things that happened in your life. You can take a piece of paper and write down every event, every important thing for you - everything that brought you happy memories. Return to this list again and again, each time trying to add new items to it. At first, it may be very small - for example, "my home" or "my spouse". But over time, this list will grow as soon as you begin to notice more of the happy aspects of life. You will learn to cut off unpleasant memories and thoughts about misfortunes, giving preference to thoughts about the good.

Other features

Don't limit yourself to specific methods of dealing with depression. Try to use every opportunity for healing.

• Music is a form of self-help, becauseit is known to be able to greatly influence our mood. Choose music that cheers you up. Do not be tempted to cry for a sad melody; go to a more rhythmic, cheerful music and even try to sing or dance. Bad mood as a hand will remove!
• Art therapy is another commonalternative practice of treating depression. Draw, dance, sing, write poetry - transfer your feelings to canvas or paper, splashing out of the secret corners of your soul. Such self-expression helps to get rid of spiritual pain.
• Care for pets can also help. The pet society helps to prevent feelings of isolation; They do not judge us for our mistakes and are always ready to share their boundless love. Even if you do not own a pet, you can try to make friends with a neighbor's cat or with your friend's dog, regularly spending some free time with them.

Go forward

Find your own paths to emotionalintegrity. There are many ways to find a way out of depression, and there is a lot of information on the subject that can help you. However, the most important thing you should do is look deep inside yourself and find what will really work for you. This is why it is useful to keep a diary of your recovery process, which will help you determine the best approach to solving your problem. Accept that depression can return. Getting rid of it is a difficult and sometimes long process, and you must understand this. Be prepared not to miss the warning signs and take constructive measures to combat depression before it returns. It is important not to give up; your goal should be to minimize the impact of depression and its duration. Talk to other people who are also experiencing depression. Now that you have learned to keep your depression under control, you can help others work on their condition. Try to convince them that what they are experiencing can be learned to change for the better, and that there is light at the end of even the darkest tunnel. By helping, you will be able to heal yourself faster. One can only respect those people who persistently follow the path of getting rid of depression. They show real courage to get out of the darkness. And they really deserve to live happily ever after! We recommend reading:

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