14 Sep Effective Methods to Cope with Depression

Depression can adversely affect a person’s cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and physical state. One of the most harmful characteristics of depression is that it fools you into believing that nothing will help you get out of it, and it traps you in a loop of dysfunctional thinking, emotion, and behaviour. 

It takes time to recover from and cope with depression. What heals one may not work the next, which is why you should be aware of as many methods to help you with your current situation. That way, you will discover what works best for you.

This new article by Calm Rehab, the first choice rehab facility in Bali, will go into the many available ways to help you manage depression. Additionally, we will also attempt to have a better knowledge of depression to treat the issues directly.

What is depression? 

Depression is a mental illness that is characterised by an ongoing sense of melancholy and loss of interest. Also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, this condition impairs your feelings, thoughts, and behaviour and can result in a range of emotional and physical difficulties.

The majority of people experience sadness or depression at times, as it is a  natural response to loss or even life’s difficulties. However, if extreme sorrow persists for several days to weeks and prevents you from living your life, it may be something more. In this case,  you might be suffering from clinical depression.

What are the different symptoms of depression? 

Depression is a broad term that is frequently used to describe how we feel after a difficult week at work or school. However, major depressive disorder is far more complex. There are distinct symptoms that distinguish depression from the sorrow that we all experience on occasion throughout life. 

• Suicidal thoughts and behaviours: Depression is recognised as a major cause of suicide. Suicidal people are overcome with terrible feelings and perceive death as the only way out, losing sight of the reality that suicide is a permanent “fix” to a momentary situation. 

• Sad or empty feeling: Deep sorrow is a typical symptom of depression and can become chronic and severe. Melancholia is a form of sadness that progresses to the point where you lose interest in virtually everything in your life.

• Incapable of accomplishing anything: Some people who suffer from depression lose interest in activities they formerly enjoyed. Sports, social gatherings, and even hobbies are examples of this. Furthermore, they usually turn down invitations or opportunities to join in activities or connect with others. 

• Feeling worthless and guilty: A sense of worthlessness go with pessimism and insignificance. While these sentiments are frequently associated with depression, they can also occur as a result of poor self-esteem, neglect, abuse, trauma, or challenging events.

• Constant anger and irritability: When someone is sad, they are more prone to be irritated. Moreover, this often results in snapping at others over insignificant occurrences. Depression may also intensify unpleasant feelings at the time, making them difficult to control.

How can I cope with depression? 

While depression may have a devastating effect on a person, the good news is that it is treatable. With that, below are just some of the ways one can overcome depression: 

• Get a decent quantity of sleep: Sleep deprivation can impair your ability to think rationally and maintain a stable emotional state. Furthermore, this has been shown to affect work performance, destabilise relationships, and contribute to anger and depression.

• Determine your ultimate life purpose: To avoid depression, one should try to find their purpose in life. Research states that this can help you live a better and longer life.

• Make a list of minor goals to complete: Creating lists of goals you want to achieve essentially gives you something to look forward to. In exchange, you enrich your life with greater depth and even excitement. 

• Make a note of recurrent thoughts: Mental health professionals advocate journaling as a way to enhance your mood and manage depression symptoms. Moreover, writing in a journal can help you recognise and become more aware of your feelings and thoughts.

• Minimise procrastination: Procrastination makes you put off a complex activity in favour of something more pleasurable or simple. If you get used to delaying tasks, you become at risk of developing a lack of motivation and even depression.

• Keep in touch with friends and family: Your family and friends contribute to your sense of belonging, self-confidence, and ability to cope with stress or worry. Research has indicated that people who have close connections throughout their adolescent years have a decreased risk of anxiety and depression late in life.

• Adjust your focus: If your mood is so heavy that it feels difficult to question your ideas, take a step back and focus on something else. 

• Maintain social activities: Although it may feel more comfortable to withdraw into your shell while sad, being around other people will help you feel better.

• Avoid consuming alcohol or other harmful substances: While drinking and other drug abuse may appear to be a good method to distract, remove, or numb oneself from the pangs of depression, they only worsen the problems.

• Seek expert assistance: It is critical to seek mental health treatment since a trained therapist is best equipped to assess your symptoms and determine the severity of your issue. Moreover, the knowledge and experience these professionals hold are critical for developing treatments.

Different approaches to treat depression: 

According to the Beyond Blue study, A guide to what works for depression, the following are the top six methods and therapies for depression’s indications and symptoms: 

1. Behaviour Therapy 
2. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy 
3. Interpersonal Therapy
4. At-home or Online Therapy 
5. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy 
6. Antidepressant Drugs