Posts Tagged ‘Depression’

Depression Self Help

“I am depressed.” Have you ever said these words? Have you heard someone say these words? What exactly does that mean? Let’s take a moment to explore what depression is and can it be cured with self help methods.

What is depression?

According to the website Medline Plus, a site by National Institutes of Health, depression is “feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps.” This is the “depression” that most of us experience periodically. I like to refer to this as the funk of depression.

NIH goes on to define “True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time.” Here at Mood Swings Remedy, I strongly encourage you to seek medical advice if you think you would define your depression this way.

If you are just in a period of feeling “blah” and are looking for inspiration to pick yourself up, it is my hope that this article and the Mood Swings Remedy website will be a source for your depression self help guide.

What causes depression?

According to WebMD it is not that easy to define. Just as we are all unique individuals, the causes of depression are unique too.  Depression can be genetically inherited, as in-it runs in the family. It can be triggered by medication, for example during or after surgery. As we all know certain events in our lives can leads us to feel depressed, like the feeling we experience when a loved one dies.

Self Help

Let’s accept that a general feeling of melancholy is normal. You should allow yourself to experience the mood. Then before you start to wallow in self pity seek a solution to lift your spirits.

The first step is to identify what triggered the feeling of depression.

Second, understand why you reacted the way you did.

Third, accept that this is the way life goes. By this, I mean, you can only change what you can only change.

Do not let negative self talk take over. There is no need to dwell on past failures and disappointments. Do not create a negative self image.

Instead, engage in positive self talk. Take a moment to focus on your accomplishments and things that make you feel proud of yourself. Create a positive self image.

Our moods do swing as we live our lives. The remedy for depression is to help our self. We can take charge of our lives. We can live a rich and rewarding life.

Seek medical advice

You Can Get Help For Your Depression.

Are you overwhelmed by life? Is the down economy triggering your anxiety? Do you wake up feeling tired and go to bed feeling tired? Do you feel like you are in a constant state of fatigue? In the past few years one of the most increased diagnosed disorders is depression. Depression is not just a sad mood. It can have physical symptoms too, such as fatigue and feeling tired. It can raise your anxiety and give you a sense of loss of motivation.

Here at Mood Swings Remedy, I often refer to “the funk of depression.” I also encourage you to seek medical advice if your depression is more than a “funk.” I think depression is more than an emotional low when it is negatively affecting the way you think and behave on a long-term basis. How do you know if you should seek medical advice? Take a Test!

If you are not sure if you should see a doctor about your depression, you can take a test online. Mental Health America website offers a “Depression Screener” questionnaire.  The Mayo Clinic offers a depression self-assessment on their website.

If the results of your online depression test indicate you need medical attention, please make an appointment with your doctor. Don’t let your depression keep you from getting a treatment plan.  You should not feel ashamed to get a little help. You deserve to enjoy life.

Happy Life

Do you feel alone? Feeling alone is a part of being human. It’s ok to be sad. Everyone has moments when they feel sad and alone. Events such as when someone close to us passes away, being overly criticized at work, friends letting us down or being rejected by a loved one can trigger that funk of depression.

Remember a deeper depression may require medical treatment. Without seeking medical advice depression can leave a life-long impact on your self-esteem, health and overall well being. Today, I am just going to share some tips to help you overcome that everyday ‘melancholy mood.’ I want you to have these tips so you can swing your mood from sad and alone to happy and content.

Tip #1: Do you get enough light and sunshine?

• Lack of sunshine triggers your body to produce Melatonin.
• Melatonin lowers your body temperature and can lead to that sluggish feeling.
• Your body may produce more Melatonin during winter when there are longer hours at night.
• More people feel depressed during winter than in other seasons.

Remedy: Get more light and sunshine!

• Eat your lunch outside.
• Take a 10 minute break in the afternoon and take a walk
• Make sure the lighting in your office, your den or whichever room you spend a lot of time in has adequate and bright enough light.

Tip #2: Are you sitting around and moping?

• Our spirits get down when we let our mind over focus on one negative incident.
• We are more apt to feel depressed when our body is lethargic.

Remedy: Keep your mind busy

• Choose activities that inspire you.
• It is difficult to be depressed when you are engaged in something you are passionate about.
• Remember to set a goal; focus on your accomplishments and what you can do.

Tip #3: Relax!

• Let’s face it-life gets hectic.
• Work, friends, family-issues come up and we can feel overwhelmed.
• When we let stress take over we are giving the melancholy mood a chance to take hold of us.

Remedy: Take a break

• Learn some deep breathing exercises.
• When you are in that moment and stress is at an all time high take five minutes, close your eyes and breathe deeply.
• At the end of a stressful day take a soak in a warm bath or listen to music you like that will sooth your soul.
• Take a day off-have a day to yourself where you can just have fun. Life is so short you might as well enjoy it.

Tip #4: Be Fit

• Brace yourself because I am going to say it: Diet and Exercise.
• Does a large bowl of your favorite ice cream sound like the perfect band-aid to make the hurt go away?
• How about a glass of wine? Or two?

Remedy: Maintain a healthy diet and stay fit. It’s important.

• Sugar and caffeine contribute to feeling anxious and tension.
• Alcohol is a depressant. If you are already feeling depressed alcohol aggravates the condition.
• When you exercise your body releases endorphins.
• Endorphins are your body’s natural stress-reducing “happy substance.”

Tip #5: Be Social

• Feel like putting on your most comfortable clothes, crawling in bed and forget the world?
• Have you ever heard someone say, “I just want to curl up in a ball and hide”?

Remedy: Do It

• Cultivate a circle of friends that you can rely on for moral support.
• Need words of encouragement?  Turn to your core group of friends.
• Remember give someone a hug because when you give one you get one.
• Be intimate.
• Love and care expressed by the people closest to you will help boost your immune system.

Got a melancholy mood? Want to see it swing the other way? The remedy is to apply these five tips: let the sunshine in, keep your mind busy, take a break, maintain a healthy diet-stay fit, do it.  Here’s to your happy life.