Depression and Anxiety - How to Deal With Depression

Depression and Anxiety - How to Deal With Depression:

How many times have you felt so down and out? This is a phenomenon that each and everyone of us have in one way or the other experienced, some within a little period of time, others for some certain period.

A significant study showed that introverts tend to experience depression more than the extroverts. Solitude is one factor which creates a route for depression to set in; and because extroverts are overtly buoyant and socially much active, they don't often experience the pangs of depression.

What makes one depressed? Depression is a state in the mind or the brain, and it could cause some shallow or even deep rooted problems, not just the body but also to ones entire life and well-being. Some of the onsets of depression could be as a result of:

• Mood swings

• Tiredness (mentally and physically)

• Environmental Effects

• Family situations/ problems

• Depressing thoughts

MOOD SWINGS: Mood refers to ones current state of mind. When ones mood keeps swinging and changing from a calm to a more boisterous mode, depression tends to set in. Sometimes, the person might start wondering why his/her mood keeps changing. Giving much thoughts to it might negatively influnnce the persons general outlook and then comes the pangs of depression. Mood swings should be handled with care. Flow with the tide and never try to force your mood back to what you want it to be. Mood is a psychological change and should not be treated like a physical change - where you can use force to determine what you want and when you want it. 

For example: when you notice you aren't in the mood to play games. Don't force yourself to play such a game. Attempting to do it will get you frustrated and that could make you depressed. Just step out from the gaming console and find something else appealing instead of forcing your way through your mood.

MENTAL AND/OR PHYSICAL TIREDNESS: When you engage in an energy consuming activity for a long period of time, your strength wears out and you'd soon feel tired. You could get tired when you also engage in a mental activity for sometime, like having a hard test/quiz, long reading hours and reciting, lots of mental games. These can get your brain tired. When this happens, then stop and take a break. Also, if you're the one making someone do those tiring activities, when you notice some signs of tiredness, make the person to stop. Continuing further will bring the onset of depression.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: The environment is a great source of exposure to all sorts of things, and those things could get one depressed and begin feeling inferior towards his/her fellow persons.

There are some people who are emotionally fragile, and just to see a little accident around the neighborhood will get them depressed for a whole week. That is the reason why the environment is also a source or causative for depression and proper care should be taken.

FAMILY AND PROBLEMS: Family could be bothersome at times. This is entirely nobody's fault. When people tend to get close, problems seems to arise, not because of what they do but because of their various differences. These problems arise so that differences will be resolved; but sometimes, these problems could get one depressed usually in serious cases where some emotional problems arise.

The last on the list is: 

DEPRESSING THOUGHTS: Thinking really negative things can depress your mind. Introverts think a lot when they're alone and usually, their thoughts rotate around family, friends, and their social life. Sometimes they tend not to be satisfied with how much they have achieved and this wears them out. Sometimes they just feel inappropriate that they can't do something well; sometimes it's because of a way he/she is being treated by either friends or family and that makes them feel low and it sure has an effect on them psychologically. These can increase the number of mood swings and get them depressed often; and sometimes, they take a lot of time to come out from it and that in turn limits what they should do or see to be done within that depressing time; and guess? That continues the cycle! 

So it is very important to avoid things that could lead one into depression and see to it that you evade from its prying eyes and feasting claws.

According to Ian Cook MD, a Psychiatrist and Director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA, these are some practical ways to deal with depression.. Think them through:

1. Get in a routine: If you’re depressed, you need a routine. Depression can strip away the structure from your life. One day melts into the next. Setting a gentle daily schedule can help you get back on track.
2. Set goals: When you're depressed, you may feel like you can't accomplish anything. That makes you feel worse about yourself. To push back, set daily goals for yourself. "Start very small," Cook says. "Make your goal something that you can succeed at, like doing the dishes every other day." As you start to feel better, you can add more challenging daily goals.
3. Exercise: It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It may also have long-term benefits for people with depression . Regular exercise seems to encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways, Cook says. How much exercise do you need? You don’t need to run marathons to get a benefit. Just walking a few times a week can help.
4. Eat healthy: There is no magic diet that fixes depression . It's a good idea to watch what you eat, though. If depression tends to make you overeat, getting in control of your eating will help you feel better. Although nothing is definitive, Cook says there's evidence that foods with omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon and tuna) and folic acid (such as spinach and avocado) could help ease depression.
5. Get enough sleep: Depression can make it hard to get enough shut- eye, and too little sleep can make depression worse. What can you do? Start by making some changes to your lifestyle. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Try not to nap. Take all the distractions out of your bedroom -- no computer and no TV. In time, you may find your sleep improves.
6. Take on responsibilities: When you’re depressed, you may want to pull back from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Don't. Staying involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can help counter depression. They ground you and give you a sense of accomplishment. If you're not up to full-time school or work, that’s fine. Think about part-time. If that seems like too much, consider volunteer work.
7. Challenge negative thoughts: In your fight against depression, a lot of the work is mental -- changing how you think. When you're depressed, you leap to the worst possible conclusions. The next time you're feeling terrible about yourself, use logic as a natural depression treatment . You might feel like no one likes you, but is there real evidence for that? You might feel like the most worthless person on the planet, but is that really likely? It takes practice, but in time you can beat back those negative thoughts before they get out of control.
8. Check with your doctor before using supplements: "There's promising evidence for certain supplements for depression," Cook says. Those include fish oil , folic acid, and SAMe. But more research needs to be done before we'll know for sure. Always check with your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you’re already taking medications .
9. Do something new: When you’re depressed, you’re in a rut. Push yourself to do something different. Go to a museum. Pick up a used book and read it on a park bench. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Take a language class. "When we challenge ourselves to do something different, there are chemical changes in the brain ," Cook says. "Trying something new alters the levels of [the brain chemical] dopamine, which is associated with pleasure, enjoyment, and learning."
10. Try to have fun: If you’re depressed, make time for things you enjoy. What if nothing seems fun anymore? "That's just a symptom of depression," Cook says. You have to keep trying anyway.

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