Seven Ways To Deal With Your Depression


It has just been announced, after a study by a team from King's College Hospital, that depression is now the biggest reason for people claiming long-term sickness benefit in the UK, having taken over from musculoskeletal problems such as back problems. The research shows that 176 million working days were lost because of depression in 2003. Depression now affects 1 in 5 of the population, with most people using various types of medication. Most people would like other types of treatments, such as 'talking cures', but there is a huge shortage of such therapies or therapists in the NHS system.

The aim of this article is to highlight 7 things that anyone with depression can do to help themselves. This is not meant to be instead of any treatment you may be having, rather, these are things you can do in addition that will help you to regain control of your life as quickly as possible.

1. Change Your language
2. Focus on a better future
3. Stop blaming yourself
4. Stop telling yourself you are a failure
5. Have a safe moment every day
6. Have a fun moment every day
7. Get reading

These may seem simple, and to some of you may seem difficult, but the more you practice these 7 things, the more you will help yourself to get over your depression. I want to say a little bit about each of these things, so you know exactly what I mean.

1. Change Your Language

The language we use expresses how we understand ourselves and our world. Too much language around depression is the language of the victim or is the language of a war. Indeed, put them both together and you can be a depression war victim. Stop saying things like, 'I suffer from depression'?', or 'I am going to beat this damn illness.' Change you language to one of experience, if you have to use language at all. If you stop telling yourself you are a suffering victim in a battle, you will stop being one.

2. Focus On A Better Future

This can be a tough one, for depression is so often about the inability to see a great future. But, too much depression is actually about a morbid focus on the past and what went wrong, and this will only make you feel more depressed. Start to daydream what you would like your great future to look like, or build up a scrapbook of lots of photos and ideas about what it will look like. Think about or write down how you would like to feel in this glorious future.

3. Stop Blaming Yourself

Most people with depression go through the blame thing. You will start to blame yourself for being weak, not being able to cope, letting friends and family down and that sort of thing. Apart from the fact that it is wrong, blaming yourself for your depression is about as useful as blaming yourself for the weather - and I'm sure the really depressed among you might have even done that! But seriously, there is nothing to blame yourself for; your only job is to deal with your depression and get your life back on track.

4. Stop Telling Yourself You Are A Failure

When depression strikes, apart from blaming ourselves, we often combine this with the belief that we are failures. I have failed at my job, my life, my relationships and so forth. Many of you might see depression itself as some sort of failure to cope. Again, this is not true, and neither is it helpful. You have not failed just because you've got depression, and the more you tell yourself that you are not a failure the more you will begin to believe it.

5. Have A Safe Moment Every Day

Depression makes us feel unsafe. Feeling safe is essential to good health and well-being, so it is important to practice feeling safe again. You need to find something that you can do, that you know that you can do without thinking - something you feel safe just doing. It could be cooking, reading, making something, writing or whatever. Once you have found something that you feel safe doing (or several things) you then need to make sure you do this for at least 30 minutes a day. At first it may seem pointless or difficult, but very soon you will start to feel much safer again, and therefore much better.

6. Have A Fun Moment Every Day

One of the most damaging things about depression is that it takes the fun out of life. This may seem trivial until you have had the fun removed, then you know what a serious business it is to have fun. Life feeling safe, it is important to establish a fun moment every day in order to practice having fun again. So, as with the feeling safe, you need to think of some things that are (or were) fun for you, and start to do them for 30 minutes a day. It does not matter how silly your fun thing is, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't feel like fun at first. Give it a chance, and those feelings of fun will begin to return.

7. Get Reading

There is an old saying that knowledge is power, and in terms of depression this is absolutely true. It is important to understand what depression is, and what it is not, so start to read some good books about it so you know what you are dealing with. But, even more importantly, there are millions of people that have had depression, got over it and built wonderful new lives, and many of them write about it in magazines and books. Start to read inspirational stories about how other people have dealt with their own depression and see what you can learn from them. Reading can also mean listening or watching as you will also find great stuff on the radio, television and in some films.

These 7 things are not a miracle cure, but I do know from my own experience that they will help you to transform your depression. The problem with depression is that it is like a prison and it is very easy, and sometimes actually easier, to just stay put in this bleak and depressing place. These few things will help you to unlock the door of that prison, walk out and throw away the key.

Remember that depression is now a very common complaint, so you are not alone. The more you practice these 7 things, and embed them into your life, the more you will start to regain control of your life. Depression is a temporary phase, and you have the tools to create a new and wonderful life. Good luck.

Rick is a licensed master Practitioner of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), and the developer of the unique, From Mess to Success coaching programme. He runs workshops and works with people on a one-to-one basis, helping them to heal and transform their lives. He suffered from manic depression and agoraphobia for 7 years. He has been totally cured for over 10 years.

Rick's unique combination of skills and experience, both professional and personal, combined with his work as a highly successful guide and coach make him supremely qualified and experienced to help you create the life you want and deserve.

Further details can be found on his website at: http://www.inspiredways.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Depression Information:

Related Articles


Mental Health Stigma - What Can We Do About It?
What is Stigma? Stigma is the use of stereotypes and labels when describing someone, and it is often attached to people who suffer from mental health issues. We don't fully understand how the brain works yet, but one thing we DO know is that it is an organ.
Learn To Take Control of Depression
While depression is a growing epidemic in western society, it remains to be one of the most treatable as well. While the medical profession looks first to medication, I believe only the most severe cases require any long-term medical treatment.
Dont Be Surprised!
Life wasn't easy for cave men. They had to hunt all day, kill their dinner with a club, and drag the carcass to the cave.
5 Surefire Tips to Beat Depression Now
Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives..
New Treatment for Depression to be Presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting
Within the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of a medical breakthrough treatment for chronic or treatment-resistant depression. This new therapy will be presented at the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting in Atlanta from May 21st-May 25th.
Neuromodulation Is Now The Mainstream Therapy For Chronic Depression
The cover of the March 7, 2005 issue of Business Week titled REWIRING THE HUMAN BODY, describes how neuromodulation brings new hope to the four million desperate patients in the United States who suffer from the debilitating disease of chronic or treatment-resistant depression.The neuromodulation industry is just in its infancy and could double over the next several years as doctors are thrilled by this vision of the body electric.
More Than You Can Handle?
There's a dangerous illness afflicting women everywhere across the nation. It's linked to considerable physical and mental suffering.
Stress and Depression are Killing Us!
A short generation ago, families could set their watch by the time the father got home from work each day. My dad always walked through the front door at precisely 6 PM and supper was served at 6:10.
Quick Steps To Improve Your Mood
Looking to improve your mood?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker, author and TV show host, who specializes in quick tips on how to move your life ahead even faster, offers the following advice.
Disability is NOT a Life Sentence
On September 30th 1998 I was crossing the street in a crosswalk when a young man ran through a red light running me over at 40 mph. He dragged me down the street as he tried to leave the scene of the accident.
Reclaiming Your Life From Anxiety Symptoms
Only somebody who has lived with anxiety - as either a sufferer or a carer - knows how devastating it can be. The affect can be seen and felt across every aspect of your life for years and years.
How to Uncover the Reason You Cant Sleep Tonight
If you are like me ..
What's Causing My Depression and Fatigue?
Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Depression are absolutely systemic in our society today. Recent studies done by the AMA and CMA purport one in four people in North America are suffering from some form of chronic fatigue or depression and it's expected eight out of ten of us will experience similar afflictions in our lifetime.
Anxiety and Depression - Why Depression Drugs May Not Be Necessary - Fight Depression Naturally
Millions of people, especially in the United States, are currently suffering the symptoms of depression, and have even gone as far as taking prescription antidepressants that may have harmful side effects and dampen the quality of their life in other ways in the hopes it will just go away.The fact is, many prescription antidepressant drugs do have undesirable side effects that really can affect other areas of your life, but they are looked at by many as "the lesser of two evils".
American Indian Youth and Depression - Using Traditions To Heal The Wounds
When most people hear the words American Indian, visions of warriors on horses, feathers, or an 'Indian Princess' dance vividly in their heads. Instead, who they are is a culture of people who traditionally educate their children through oral traditions taught from generation to generation, day-to-day life, and sacred ceremonies that included song, dance and stories told to them by elders and spiritual leaders in the community.
Do You Think You Have Depression?
Do you have days where nothing can make you happy? You are not alone. I ignored my depressive thoughts about life for years.
Major Depression and Manic Depression - Any Difference?
Countless number of patients and their family members have asked me about manic-depression and major depression. "Is there any difference?" "Are they one and the same?" "Is the treatment the same?" And so on.
First Thing You Should Do to Get Out of Depression
Depression, in psychiatry, is a symptom of mood disorder characterized by intense feelings of loss, sadness, hopelessness, failure, and rejection. The two major types of mood disorder are unipolar disorder, also called major depression, and bipolar disorder, whose sufferers are termed manic-depressive.
Suffocate
I felt cold, my body was stiff and my back ached. I was trying to open my eyes but nothing was happening.
What About Drugs for Anxiety and Depression?
As a counselor, I am often asked, "Can drugs be helpful for anxiety and depression?" The answer I give is "Yes" and "No."Yes, drugs may be useful for short-term help.