Tips for dealing with depression. Sports and nutrition. It consists of two lists that list the symptoms of this mental disorder.

Everything is so terrible that you no longer have the strength to endure this feeling, it seems to you that you are alone in the whole world, and no one is able to understand you. But you are not alone! Depression is a fairly common disease, which, according to experts, affects about 10% of the population of our country! . Depression is a serious illness. If you do not take timely treatment, then all areas of your life can suffer! Don't let despair get the better of you. So, are you ready to fight depression? Then start right now!.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, seek help immediately! Call to emergency services or by hotline psychological assistance services: 8-800-100-01-91.

Steps

Recognizing depression

Visit doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor. Depression can lead to mental and even physical problems! It is important to understand exactly how you feel. The doctor will help you with this. The doctor will help rule out physical causes of your condition.

Your doctor may recommend a psychiatrist to help you manage your depression.

Prepare for your doctor's visit. The survey is usually fast. Here are some tips to help you meet deadlines with maximum benefit:

Ask someone to go to the doctor with you. Ask good friend or one of the relatives to accompany you. They will not only support you morally, but will also help inform the doctor necessary information in case you forget anything.

Lifestyle changes

Take the medicines your doctor has prescribed for you. Observe the dosage and frequency of use. Do not stop taking your medicine without talking to your doctor.

If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, it is important to let your doctor know. Some antidepressants can pose significant health risks to you and your baby. Discuss your situation with your doctor so that he can prescribe the most appropriate treatment for you.

Take a course in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy courses are counseling and identification of psychological problems, as well as finding solutions to them. This is one of the key methods of dealing with depression. . Psychotherapy can help you gain a sense of harmony and control over your life, as well as relieve symptoms of depression. You can also gain experience in order to easily cope with stress in the future.
- Talking about your depression can help more than just you! Too many have suffered this disease alone, and you can end the suffering of hundreds of others by talking as much as you can about your depression.
Think of something good every day. In the clinic, this is called cognitive behavioral therapy. It is one of the best treatments for depression. . You need to make an effort to discover negative thoughts and beliefs, and then try to replace them with positive ones. After all, you can't always change the situation, but you can always change how you feel about it.
- To succeed in this endeavor, seek the help of a counselor or therapist who can help you identify negative experiences in your life and replace them with positive ones.
Do exercises. Physical activity significantly reduces symptoms of depression. so move as much as you can. Find something that brings you pleasure and do it regularly:
- Walk
- Team sports (volleyball, football, basketball, etc.)
- Gardening
- Swimming
- Fitness
Control emotions. Try meditation, yoga, tai chi. . Try to find harmony. If you don't have enough time, skip things that can wait. Find time for yourself.

Get enough sleep. Healthy sleep has a strong impact on your physical and mental health. . Talk to your doctor if you have trouble sleeping.

Depression is a dangerous condition for anyone. It sucks energy out of a person even in those areas that seemed inaccessible: passion and relationships, leaving behind a real wasteland of indifference. This condition is dangerous, and, undoubtedly, the help of a specialist is often required. But, contrary to popular belief, depression can and should be fought on your own.

Depression can hit everyone sooner or later. True, depression comes to some people all the time, and to others it looks extremely rarely, but this does not make a person's condition less dangerous.

Detecting depression

To cope with depression, it must be recognized at the very beginning of its appearance. Only in this case there is a chance to cope with it on your own without the help of medicines and specialists.

Signs of depression:

Loss of working capacity. A person has a breakdown. He is so strong that there is no way to do the usual things. Even household chores like cooking seem incredibly difficult.
Loss of interest in life. A person should be interested in something, this is the norm. The state of depression causes apathy - a loss of interest in everything. Even familiar situations, such as choosing clothes for a walk, playing with your beloved pet, needlework or hobbies, seem boring and uninteresting.
Loss of appetite. Man is so constituted that he has a cult of food. Of course, you can meet people who have a completely indifferent attitude to food, but this is more likely the exception than the rule. In a depressed state, a person becomes completely unimportant what exactly he eats, since he generally loses the desire to eat.
Sleep problems. Sleep disorders can be of a different nature:

difficulty falling asleep;
restless sleep;
nightmares;
complete lack of sleep.

Avoiding contact with people. When a person is depressed, other people tire him out. He unconsciously tries to avoid communication: he closes himself in a room, does not answer calls, referring to employment or a broken phone, avoids communication with colleagues, strives for loneliness.

So, we immediately note that we will talk about the initial stage of depression. Only in this case a person can control his condition and correct it. To get out of a depressed state, you need to take a few steps:

Step 1: Get enough sleep

Despite sleep difficulties, this problem needs to be addressed, even through the use of sedatives for sleep disorders. Your sleep doesn't have to be limited to an alarm clock or important morning chores. Relatives or household members should not disturb your sleep.

You should just sleep. It does not matter what time you get up, it is important that you wake up with independence and with a sense of good rest.

Step 2. Sports and physical activity

Despite being completely passive, force yourself to engage in physical activity. It can be a long run or agricultural work. The main thing is that sport or work should make you extremely tired. A tired muscular system will release a large amount of toxins from the body. And most of will come out later.

Physical fatigue relieves negative thoughts and puts only the need for rest in the foreground. For an organism in a state of depression, it is very important to redirect the center of concentration from a mental state to a physical one. The so-called principle of self-preservation works.

Physical activity should be long, considerable and effective. From sports activities, psychiatrists recommend running with accelerations, cycling, swimming, exercises with heavy projectiles. Aerobic exercises, especially accompanied by rhythmic music, give a good effect.

In the implementation of this paragraph, the main thing is the presence of great fatigue.

Step 3. Change of activity

Often depression is caused by routine monotonous work. Often, to combat depression, it is enough to change the field of activity. Even small and short-lived changes can often work wonders.

Of course, it would be better to completely change the field of activity, or at least your immediate responsibilities. If this is not possible, then make it a rule for yourself not to do work at home. After a hard day and on weekends, completely change the situation: go hiking or skiing, go on a visit or to the country, organize a meeting with friends, take care of a postponed business, such as a game of tennis or horseback riding. The new environment plays a big role in the prevention of depression.

Step 4. Mental unloading

Often depression is caused by deep emotional experiences. The thoughts of a person occupy his time so much that they literally do not give rest. Remember an important psychological rule: thoughts must find an outlet in the form of words in order for them to leave the head. In other words, you need to speak up.

The best way to get rid of negative thoughts is to talk about your problems to someone you can trust. This could be a family member, a close friend, or a psychotherapist. It is important that the trust is complete. Tell us about the most secret experiences, any thoughts, even the most dangerous and depressing ones.

If a frank conversation cannot be due to a lack of trust or your special proud status that does not allow you to open your soul, then start a diary. Learn to describe your condition in it to the smallest detail.

If the cause of depression is a specific person, write him a conditional letter, expressing everything you would like in it, without any delicacy and censorship. After writing, re-read several times and get rid of it - tearing it into small pieces, you can also burn it on fire.

Step 5. Small pleasures

Give yourself pleasure. Think about what makes you happy and do what pleases you. For women, shopping or visiting a beauty salon has a great effect. A new haircut, a change in hair color, a beautiful manicure - all this raises in your own eyes and above the depressive state.

Bad mood, chronic fatigue and simple laziness are quite consistent with the symptoms of this mental disorder.

Having no idea how to deal with depression, many are sure that it is not worth indulging whims and whims, that everything will disappear by itself.

Meanwhile, the damage caused by depression in the world caught up with the consequences of cardiovascular disease.

To date, there is no unanimity among specialists in explaining the nature of depression. Sigmund Freud believed that depression causes a number of interacting causes.

Majority contemporary research devoted to depression, are inclined to believe that its causes are psychosomatic in nature.

Summarizing modern views, we can identify the main causes of depression:

biological reasons;
psychological reasons;
social reasons.

Biological causes

Neurophysiological causes are associated with a failure in the transmission and processing of information in the limbic region, the pleasure center and the hypothalamus of the brain. The responsibility for this lies with the neurotransmitters contained in the pathways - serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, dopamine.

With their help, the brain controls the manifestation of emotions, sleep, appetite, memory, anxiety, sexual desire, activity, response to stress, fear, panic. Most of the antidepressants used in the treatment are aimed at disbalancing these substances.

Biological reasons also include genetically burdened heredity. If the closest relatives had a tendency to depressive manifestations, alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, then a person more chances succumb to this disease.

Provoke the onset of depression disease:

endocrine and nervous system;
insufficiency and disorders of cerebral circulation, traumatic brain injury;
cardiovascular diseases;
anemia;
oncology;
tuberculosis, asthma;
chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
disorders in the urinary-genital area;
severe infectious diseases;
chemical addiction (alcoholism, drug addiction) and behavioral (gambling addiction);
pharmacological dependence;
hypodynamia;
avitaminosis and hypovitaminosis.

Psychological causes of depression

These reasons are due to the specifics of thinking and life circumstances:

critical perception of life, pessimism, self-flagellation, introversion;
violations in the field of self-esteem, self-perception;
tendency to conflict type of behavior;
increased psychological sensitivity;
loss or serious illness of loved ones, orphanhood, divorce;
lack of affection, attention in childhood and adolescence, domestic violence;
retirement;
hypochondriacal disorder (fear of getting sick, getting infected, getting hurt);
lack of productive communication, psychological support from others, childlessness;
destruction of formed values, confidence in one's own inconsistency with the ideal and its unattainability, loss of the meaning of life.

Social causes

The social component of our life provokes most depressive illnesses.

A large amount of information that requires constant processing, an unstable political and economic situation, the unpredictability of tomorrow, the need to constantly compete and meet the requirements in the professional field, difficulties with employment, the race for material values, the need to hide one's weaknesses and shortcomings from others - these are constantly acting stress triggers.

More than 20% of humanity is experiencing an oppressed, depressed state leading to disability, the destruction of social and personal ties, and a decrease in interest in what is happening.

In a severe, protracted illness, 15% of those suffering from depression make suicidal attempts.

How to get rid of depression

Consider how to deal with depression and apathy. It should be understood that prolonged, chronic manifestations of depression require the intervention of a specialist.

Only by contacting a psychotherapist or a counseling psychologist for help, you can establish the causes and methods of treating a depressive state.

Treatment for depression is usually a combination of psychotherapy, medications, and non-pharmacological treatments.

The drug method involves taking antidepressants with constant medical supervision. Non-drug methods are represented by physiotherapy, magnetotherapy, aromatherapy, light therapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy exercises, various types of massage.

Modern psychotherapy has a whole arsenal of methods and techniques to combat depression. Most often they practice cognitive, psychodynamic, behavioral, family, group, individual, suggestive, rational psychotherapy. As an auxiliary method, use different kinds art therapy (drawing, modeling, music) and animal therapy involving animals (dolphin therapy, hippotherapy).

To get rid of depression, you must remember that the causes of depression are diverse, often complementary and depend on many factors.

How to get rid of depression in women

The female psyche is more mobile, they easily fall into a depressive state, but they endure it more easily than men.

Only two out of ten suicide attempts are made by women.

The most striking symptom of depression in women is the loss of interest in their appearance, unwillingness to communicate with friends and colleagues.

Unsuccessful marriage, divorce, excessive domestic responsibilities, the need to combine work with caring for a child, parents, lack of material resources and uncertainty about the future, cases of sexual violence, cheating on a husband, unrequited love often cause depression in women.

Women are subject to systematic changes in the amount of estrogen in the blood associated with the menstrual cycle, menopause and menopause.

Everything related to reproductive function also affects: pregnancy, prenatal and postpartum periods, infertility or the decision to resort to abortion.

Close and significant people can help get rid of female depression by showing attention and participation.

Good means of getting rid of depression can be: walks, travel, gifts, signs of attention, compliments, holidays in warm regions, self-realization in your favorite business, shopping.

Depression in pregnancy - how to deal with it

The best ways to deal with depression are:

direct warm communication with close, significant people (not on the Internet);
yoga, light exercises, communication with nature, trips to exhibitions, attending concerts, theater performances;
courses and fitness groups for pregnant women;
balanced diet.

How to get rid of depression in men

Male depression, as a rule, has a latent character, but leads to more serious consequences: alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide.

Men are characterized by experiences due to the wrong choice of profession, compliance with their own ideas about success. The cause may be problems in the sexual sphere, family relationships.

In the treatment of male depression, several effective techniques are used:

verbalization, pronunciation of problems, their detailed discussion in the family circle;
engaging in an emotionally comfortable hobby (sports, fishing, creativity);
systematic analysis of the situation, revision of priorities;
refusal to make hasty decisions.

Often, a traumatic experience, the cause of depression is military service, participation in hostilities.

Do you know what neurotic depression is? Following the link, we will consider what this type of disorder is characterized by and what methods can be used to deal with it.

How to get rid of depression in the elderly

Depression in the elderly - how to deal with it? Older people most often develop senile depression due to genetic predisposition, coupled with age-related diseases, loss of loved ones, decreased vitality, and worsening financial situation.

Senile depression is accompanied by outbursts of anger, irritability, dissatisfaction with reality, others, selfishness, tearfulness, the desire to die.

Having retired, many people cannot get used to the changed pace of life, adapt to new conditions.

The cure for older people is pleasure. The pleasure of communicating with family and nature, from new acquaintances, easy travels and new responsibilities, from a sense of significance for loved ones, participation in charitable and public affairs, reading, gardening, needlework and crafts.

How to deal with depression on your own at home

The main conditions for getting rid of depression at home are: a comfortable emotional environment, patience, benevolence, interest in success, the unobtrusive attention of relatives, their desire to support, listen, understand the cause of unrest, and involve them in significant matters.

Patients with depression should follow a diet. Refuse products that include caffeine, tannin, stimulants. Reduce meat consumption. Eat at certain hours, do not eat 3-4 hours before bedtime. Avoid overeating and undereating.

The diet should be supplemented with natural antidepressants: bananas, dates, nuts, seeds, dairy products, soy, mushrooms.

Adequate sleep is required. A contrast shower helps a lot.

Breathing exercises will support depression. Meditation and aromatherapy will do. Baths with sea salt are effective.

IN folk medicine for the treatment of depression, decoctions of medicinal herbs are used: valerian, chamomile, hops, oats, St. John's wort, mint and lemon balm.

For a successful exit from a depressive state, psychologists advise:

set small and realistic goals, achieve them;
accept the help of others, do not be shy to discuss the problems that have arisen, to find the causes of these problems;
walk more;
do things that bring positive emotions;
pay attention to their appearance and physical health;
with a long-term depressed, depressed state (3-4 weeks), seek help from a specialist;
if you have suicidal thoughts, immediately seek help from loved ones and a doctor.

No one is immune from depression. It can suddenly arise and also suddenly pass, or it can oppress a person for many years. The main thing is to see the symptoms in time, analyze the causes and take measures to eliminate the causes. It is best to do this not alone, but together with specialists and close people.

Relevance of the problem

How to deal with depression if a person does not have the mental strength to overcome this disorder? Scientists are wrestling with this question. different countries. This disorder is the number one cause of absenteeism from work worldwide. According to rough estimates, at present, about 150 million people become disabled every year because of it. To date, depression is the most common "female" disorder.

The currently generally accepted definition of depression is as follows: it is a mental disorder accompanied by a "triad" - impaired thinking, loss of the ability to rejoice, and motor retardation.

signs

Almost every person at least once in his life experienced at least a state of mild blues. If this type of disorder can be dealt with by improvised means - for example, with the help of "little joys" like watching a favorite movie or buying a new thing, then dealing with more serious conditions is not so easy. What are the main symptoms of depression?

Lack of strength, complete apathy. For people who haven't been through it, it's hard to understand why it's hard for a depressed person to get out of bed and brush their teeth. Depression always brings with it a serious decrease in the level of psychic energy, enormous fatigue.
Negative thoughts. Studies conducted by cognitive psychologists show that in a state of depression, a person's mind is filled with negative thoughts about himself, about relationships with others. Often these are negative ideas about oneself, a feeling of one's own worthlessness. A person can be too anxious, feel guilty, endlessly reflect on the mistakes made in the past.
Irritability, aggression. Everything that happens around seems completely ridiculous. Anger and irritation are caused by people around, asking their questions or distracting from the case inappropriately.
Decreased need for intimacy. Sometimes libido may be absent altogether.
Alcoholization. It is not uncommon for depressed people to try to drown their grief in alcohol, but the difficulty is that this does not solve the problem. Alcohol affects the human brain as a depressant and only makes the condition worse.
Sleep disturbances, loss of appetite (or, conversely, overeating). Depression can penetrate almost every area of a person's life. Getting up early or, conversely, insomnia throughout the night are not in themselves signs of severe depression, but these symptoms are worth paying attention to. When a person refuses to eat, this is a symbolic rejection of life, and drowsiness is a means of escaping from reality.
Difficulty concentrating. For some people suffering from depression, even just reading a book is an overwhelming task. They can lose the thread of events, constantly being distracted by disturbing thoughts. Sometimes attention becomes so distracted that it is difficult for a person to make the simplest everyday decisions.
Thoughts of suicide. Every person faces difficulties in life from time to time. Scientists believe that every person visits thoughts of suicide at one time or another in life. However, if they are accompanied by a reluctance to get out of bed and do daily activities, this is a serious reason to seek help from a psychotherapist.

Causes

What can cause this disorder? Scientists identify several root causes of depression:

Genetics. The tendency to depression can be inherited.
Side effects of drugs (for example, antipsychotics).
Parkinson's disease.
Cerebral circulation disorders.
The use of hormonal drugs.
Financial difficulties.
Difficulties in personal life.
Elderly age.
postpartum period.
Prolonged stress.

Main stages

There are three stages of depression in psychology:

The first stage, otherwise called rejection. A person does not realize what state he is in. At this stage, irritability and insomnia appear.
The second stage, in which the symptoms of depression become even more pronounced. Immunity falls, existing diseases worsen, new ones arise.
The third stage, or "corrosive", when the body performs only basic functions. At this stage, only a psychiatrist can help.

Possible consequences

If depression is left untreated, the consequences can be most adverse. Not only is it scary, but also its effect on the body. Reduced immunity and exacerbation of diseases during depression is not uncommon. One of the main dangers of such a violation is a tendency to suicide. However, in addition to these consequences, depression can significantly impair the quality of life. Observed:

deterioration in appearance, physical condition;
difficulties in relationships, problems in the family (for example, in a state of depression, a woman cannot support her household, charge them with positive emotions);
a significant decrease in performance;
sleep disorders;
reproductive health problems;
weakness, fatigue;
allergic reactions.

Features of depression in adolescents

IN Lately depression and suicide attempts among young people are becoming epidemic. Parents should know that the problem should not be left to chance. all the problems that an adult faces (loss of a loved one, difficulties in adapting, problems with learning) seem insurmountable. Adequate treatment is prescribed only when contacting a doctor. Signs of depression in teenagers are:

lack of hope for a better future;
disregard for oneself;
suicide threats;
avoiding friends;
irresponsibility;
loss of appetite;
sleep disorders;
alcohol, drugs, promiscuity.

Overcome depression on your own

For many people, the question of how to deal with depression is almost always relevant, because this condition can be caused by external (and not always pleasant) events, change of season, stress at work. Therefore, it is always useful to know a few practical ways in which you can quickly cheer yourself up. Psychologists give the following recommendations on how to get out of depression on your own:

Be in crowded places. It could be a library shopping mall, street concert. You don't even have to interact with people. It is enough that the person is no longer alone.
Meditate on alternative options outcome of events. Since it is not always appropriate or safe to treat depression with medication, changing your mindset may be the best way to go. In particular, this method is suitable for those who suffer from anxious thoughts, painful expectations of the future. Thinking like this helps activate the mid-prefrontal cortex. And this, in turn, helps to control and improve the emotional state.
Sleep. When the brain works, it produces a large number of"waste" - a variety of bio-garbage. First of all, it is represented by all kinds of decomposed chemicals. This bio-debris must be removed from the brain, otherwise it can damage neurons. In a dream, such cleaning takes place. That is why for those who are interested in how to get out of depression on their own, often the best solution is to just sleep.
Have fun. Recently, you can find a lot of recommendations regarding the fact that in a state of depression it is useful to cry and express the accumulated feelings in every possible way. It is difficult to argue with this - unexpressed emotions often lead to psychosomatic disorders. However, prolonged suffering will not help get rid of depression. Sometimes this requires a shift in attention - and here light entertainment in the form of books, video games, puzzles or movies can be very useful.
Physical exercise. This is the most universal prescription for depression, appropriate at any stage. Light exercise can help get rid of the blues. The effective effect of sport on mood, according to scientists, is associated with the ability of physical activity to change the neurophysiology of the brain. Depression is a state in which all processes proceed at a slow pace. Sport helps to "push" the whole body into a state of activity.
You can improve your mood by arranging an easy victory for yourself. Organizing success for yourself is quite simple: for example, it can be cleaning the kitchen or doing work that has been put off indefinitely. Thus, self-esteem is increased, which helps to overcome the characteristic of depression.

Methods of pharmacology

Often, when contacting a doctor, pills for depression are prescribed. Medicines are prescribed depending on the characteristics of the disorder that are detected at the reception. The following groups of drugs are distinguished:

Sedatives - stop the state of anxiety and fear. These are drugs such as Phenibut, Phenazepam, Afobazol and others like that.
Tranquilizers "Grandaxin", "Medazepam", "Oxazepam") - weaken internal tension, aggression.
Antidepressants ("Amitriptyline", "Fluoxetine", "Paxil") - strengthen the emotional state.

Pills for depression allow you to cope with a painful condition and are often a good addition to working with a psychologist.

What to do with feelings?

It is important not only to know how to treat depression with medication, but also to work out the psychological problems that caused this condition. Often the most optimal scheme is the simultaneous administration of drugs and work with a psychologist, during which the expression of repressed emotions occurs. After all, depression is often triggered after experiencing external traumatic events. Unspoken feelings become the fuel for depression.

Eat a big difference between experiencing emotions and expressing them. If small children could not let adults know what they are going through, they would die - because then no one would know how to take care of them. When a person yawns, the people around them also yawn. It's easy to get infected with laughter when someone is laughing nearby.

negative emotional habits

In a state of depression, all the feelings of a person seem to be "hidden" inside - they are there, although in fact he does not notice them. That is why a person experiences spiritual emptiness. During a depressed state, many develop the following habits:

Denial - a person is not aware of his feelings, does not notice the anger that actually overwhelms him.
Isolation of emotions - experiences are "turned off". Not only are they hidden, but they are not experienced as such.
Somatization - experiences are expressed through bodily symptoms: headaches, nausea.
Repression. A person experiences bouts of unmotivated longing, sadness.
Anger addiction - temper tantrums seem to be taken for granted, the depressed sufferer expects quick forgiveness from others.
Inability to rejoice (anhedonia).
Apathy - indifference to current events.

Regain the ability to feel

Since it is impossible to fight depression without working through feelings, the first thing to do is to “unfreeze” hidden emotions. How?

The first thing to do is to stop repressing the experience. The constant suppression of emotions that occurs with apathy, repression and their isolation can lead to a complete loss of feelings, mood swings. Quite suddenly, they can cover bouts of longing, anger. Since it is possible to defeat depression and return to life only by working through hidden feelings, this issue must be given Special attention. To work through feelings, it is useful to keep a diary in which they will record:

date and time;
change of mood;
the events that caused it (where, who, what);
experiences.

Keeping a diary will allow you to track your mood, to understand which events please and which depress.

Is it easy to deal with the "lady in black"?

Many would like to know the answer to the question of how to deal with depression. It should be noted that overcoming this state is always associated with the application of certain efforts. The next step is to learn how to specifically cultivate positive emotions, and this is not always easy. In depression, a person believes that joy can be dangerous, because later something good is always followed by something bad. However, to get rid of it is necessary to learn to rejoice, intentionally stay in a good mood.

Therapy of depression in line with cognitive psychology

To date, one of the most best ways Coping with long-term depression is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

It is based on a change in the outlook on things and events that happen to a person. Since it is extremely difficult to deal with depression using this method alone, this technique is used in the vast majority of cases in the process of psychotherapy. A person in a difficult life situation most often goes on a knurled track. And it is quite natural to indulge in sad thoughts if a separation occurs (or, even worse, the death of someone close). The problem is that it only exacerbates the suffering.

However, if you manage to step back from the current situation and re-evaluate it, look at things in a more positive light, this can be a cure for depression. For example, cancer patients, regardless of the severity of their condition, were in the best location spirit, if you saw pluses even in your condition (“it’s good that I still walk, but sick N. can no longer even move independently”).

Can depression be prevented?

There are several preventive measures you can take:

if possible, do not make too high demands on yourself;
do not blame yourself for all mortal sins;
make a daily routine and follow it;
reward yourself for accomplishments;
exercise every day;
communicate more often with loved ones;
periodically rest - both independently and with the family.

Conclusion

Even in the most severe depression, there is hope. Recent research in the field of neurophysiology shows that even minor changes in a person's lifestyle help to correct the neurophysiology of the brain. And as the mode of its work changes, changes occur in the dynamics of the depressive state. We do not always have the opportunity to change our location - however, there is always a chance to change the direction of movement.

Perhaps there is no more dangerous condition for successful person coping productively with their life tasks than depression. So much has been said and written about it that at first glance it seems that it is not difficult to deal with this disease. But when faced with her everyday life face to face, it becomes clear that everything is not so simple. how to fight? How to expel it from your "soul"? How can I learn to enjoy life again? Is it possible? Definitely yes! Depression is a manageable disease, but it needs the right approach.

Depression: how to deal with it and survive difficult days

If you decide to fight depression, change your attitude to everyday affairs and duties, otherwise the war with it will drag on for a long time.

Change your attitude towards daily activities and responsibilities

Family, communication with colleagues, friends and relatives, work, study, household chores - all this requires a person to perform a certain range of duties. Every day, each of us has to solve many problems. Depression robs us vitality. And what seemed to be the norm yesterday, today becomes an unbearable burden and contributes to the development of the disease.

Don't set too many tasks for yourself. Now your priority goal is recovery, which you need to fight for. You should strive to get as much information as possible about how to deal with depression. Work only at a pace that you can bear, that is comfortable for you. Divide large tasks into smaller ones, then depression will not manifest itself so sharply, and you can begin to act in the right direction, effectively deal with it.

Postpone major decisions until better times

Depression reduces the body's internal reserves, significantly affects self-esteem in the direction of its decrease and "colors" the vision of tomorrow in black tones, if you do not start fighting it. It is for this reason that you can make a mistake: either to shoulder the burden, out of habit, focusing on the reserve of strength that you previously owned, before depression “visited” you, or to abandon what is important and essential, afraid of not being up to the task.

In order for depression to go away completely and irrevocably, try not to make serious decisions. If the task requires you to take immediate action, consult with relatives or close friends. It's good if they help you fight it.

Avoid stressful situations

Depression is also dangerous because along with it, a decrease in the threshold of stress resistance and the adequacy of the assessment of the situation "come" to you. In the stage of euphoria, it may seem to you that everything is on the shoulder and there are no tasks that you would not have coped with. In a depressed state, on the contrary, there is a feeling of impossibility to fulfill even the most a simple task, fear and exaggeration of complexities. All this sooner or later leads to nervous breakdowns and mental strain.

How to deal with the inadequacy of the assessment of stress factors in depression? The answer above is to limit the impact of stress and avoid situations that trigger these conditions. If you are working, take time off for treatment. Depression should be treated comprehensively, and you need to fight it with maximum effort.

Healing Paths: Your Priorities

Perhaps now you can’t even imagine how to overcome depression and take the first steps towards a full happy life. But believe me, there is a way out, and much in this situation depends on you.

More communication with people

Very often, depression leads to the fact that a person does not want to communicate with anyone. Only one desire takes possession of him - to hide in a shell, to close himself with armor from the rest of the world. But contact with people who are close to your interests is one of the most effective ways to deal with your illness.

Choose a social circle that promotes recovery. Exclude from the reach of pessimists, whiners and manipulators, as it is much more difficult to deal with depression in their environment. But do not reproach your relatives for being impatient with you - communication with a sick person is not always a pleasant and easy task.

Do what really makes you happy

Depression is a pit, a hole full of despair, melancholy, sadness and hopelessness. With her, you feel suffering and unbearably sad. But always remember that you can get out of any hole. Gradually climbing the steps of small joys that you will give yourself daily.

How to overcome depression? Go for a walk, watch your favorite movies, buy trinkets dear to your heart, lie in a warm bath with plenty of foam, indulge in your favorite hobby, mess around with pets, read books, go to exhibitions, theater and cinema. In general, do what brings you pleasure (what previously brought pleasure). If, in the course of such a pastime, you feel guilty, consider that this doctor has written you a prescription for joy, and with it a good mood will return to you.

go in for sports

We are not talking about professional sports here, we are talking about any physical exercise. You do not need significant efforts, but light and easy ones will only benefit. If you, reading these lines, want to object to us: what kind of physical activity can we talk about when even any habitual movement seems to you an impossible task? We will answer you the following: depression inhibits the production of "hormones of joy and pleasure", and physical activity causes the release of endorphins in the brain, due to which there is a significant improvement in the patient's condition. Therefore, do not neglect exercise and any other physical exercises: cycling, Pilates, yoga, brisk walking.

Avoid idleness

Yes, depression provokes a state of total inactivity, when you just want to lie on the couch, burying yourself in an absent gaze at the TV, but you must understand that this is a dead end path that in no way contributes to your healing. This must be fought! Don't know how? To get started, just “get out of bed” and get yourself interested in doing something you love, whether it’s cleaning your room or transplanting houseplants into new flower pots. The main thing - do not be lazy!

Eat right

Depression provokes a violation of appetite: with it, it either decreases significantly, up to a complete refusal of food, or increases significantly. As a result, such eating disorders lead to the fact that when overeating, a person has a feeling of guilt and his own worthlessness, he gets better, and he ceases to be satisfied with him. appearance. Refusal of food, in turn, completely deprives the patient of physical and emotional energy.

Think for yourself how to deal with depression if you simply do not have the strength? Eat right: follow the principles of a healthy and balanced diet. Eat food that you like, but at the same time make sure that it is not harmful.

Don't Refuse Doctor's Help If Depression Hinders You

Unfortunately, most people see no other way out than to deal with depression on their own. And over time, a specific deformation of the patient's psyche occurs, which forms a "new personality". To avoid this, you need to fight it not alone.

It is important to understand that this "personality" has nothing to do with your healthy attitude. It's not you - it's a disease! It must and can be fought.

We looked at what depression is and how to deal with it. Remember that you can not avoid going to the doctor and refuse to take the prescribed drugs. Then your condition will begin to stabilize first, and then improve.

Set realistic goals for yourself, even if it seems to you that you will never be able to achieve what you want. Fight with yourself, no matter what. Have the courage to stay on the path to recovery. If you decide that you are able to cope with depression, you are able to erase it from your life forever, then that is exactly what will happen.