lifeafterdepression

Perhaps you are not struggling with depression yourself, but you know someone who is. Being the friend of a severely depressed person can be very difficult, scary, and trying. Many times the sick individual is unwilling to seek treatment, and you often don’t know what to do.

First, find little ways you can help your depressed friend. Be there to listen when she needs to talk, even if she makes no sense. Do not try to rationalize with her, because it will do no good. Don’t remind her how good her life is and tell her to look on the “bright side,” because she honestly cannot do this right now.

If you can, help out around the house. A depressed person is not able to take care of the very basic tasks that need to get done. This is not laziness, but is due to the illness.

If your depressed friend talks about suicide, listen! This is a serious thing and you need the help of a professional. Do not overlook these comments as wasted threats or attempts to get attention. Many depressed individuals do commit suicide, and getting professional help can stop this from happening.

 Finally, encourage your friend to seek help, and make sure she is following the treatments prescribed. Remember, depression is a medical condition and needs to be treated medically. You can provide the support necessary, but the medication will bring about the real change, so make sure that your friend is getting help.

Yes, children can get depressed. Have you ever known a depressed child? Nothing is quite as sad as a child who is not bubbly and happy about life. Children can be treated for depression in similar manner as adults, but they have to have an adult in their lives who will take them to get treatment.

How can you know if your child is depressed? Some common symptoms of childhood depression include:

• Low self-esteem

• Not interested in normal activities

• Change in eating or sleeping patterns

• Anger or irritability issues

• Concentration problems

• Sudden change in behavior that has no cause

• Physical ailments, like a headache, that has no cause

If you know a depressed child, have him evaluated by a qualified physician. Chemical imbalances can be treated, and emotional difficulties can be helped with therapy. Depressed children can enjoy life again, with a little help from the adults around them.

Hello everyone!

Sorry for my lack of posts over the past few days. We were out of town and offline for the weekend. Did everyone have a great holiday?

Since we visited family over the weekend, I got to thinking about the benefit of family support when you are dealing with depression. For me it was my mom who saved me from my disease. When I was being stubborn about treatment, she insisted that I get it. How was your family when you were struggling?

 If you don’t have great support from your spouse or significant other, try to find another family member you can turn to. You need someone you can call at a moment’s notice. My mom was there for me. Was someone there for you?

Are you getting enough sleep? Being over tired is a great way to invite back the depression monster. If you have beaten your depression, make sure you are taking care of yourself or it will return. One of the most important ways to fight depression is to get enough sleep.

 Everyone’s sleep needs are slightly different, but the national sleep foundation says that adults need between 7 and 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you are not getting this much sleep, you could be facing sleep deprivation. Oh, and naps help, but they are not enough. If you are going to use your sleep to battle your depression, you need to adjust your schedule to ensure that you are getting a good night’s sleep if at all possible!

If you are working on enjoying life after depression, one of the easiest ways to boost a bad day is to go outside. Spring has sprung accross the country, and it is time for us to enjoy it! Being outdoors is one of the best cures for depression. Go outside, take a walk, and enjoy nature. You will be surprised how much better you feel afterwards!

I’m not sure what it is about the fresh air and sunshine, but they are known mood boosters. In fact, when a city experiences weeks on end without sunshine, doctors report far more depression cases than when the weather is normal. If the sun is shining, you need to be enjoying it, especially as someone who is enjoying life after depression!

Do you talk about your depression? When I was struggling with depression, I was amazed at the number of people around me who had also struggled. I was shocked, because no one talked about it. It was like being depressed was something to hide. When I started looking for support, I found many people around me who had been where I was. 

I talk about my depression. I don’t do it for attention, but rather because I think people need to know that it is a real disease that affects normal people who have every reason to be happy. Do you talk about your depression? Why or why not?

If you find that your friends or family members are not providing you with the support you need, then it is time to find a depression support group. Having support as you heal is essential to beating the disease. However, you need to choose your support group with care.

Some support groups may make your depression worse. If you spend the entire meeting listening to other people’s “sob stories,” rather than focusing on the good things in your life after depression, you could find yourself sinking back into the blues. Choose a support group that helps you feel better about yourself, your situation, and your condition. If you leave your meetings feeling uplifted and excited about life, you have found a good support group!

Are you still on medication? I believe that the Zoloft my doctor prescribed saved my life. I didn’t need it forever, though. After forgetting to take it for two days, I realized I didn’t need it anymore. However, I know some people need to be on depression medication for many years. What category are you in?

 My philosophy about depression medications is this: if they help you enjoy life after depression, continue taking them. If you can overcome the disease with medication and then stop taking it, this is a great route to take. I have known people in my life who thought that being on depression medication was the worst possible situation, but I disagree. Without those medications, I would not be here today. What do you think?

One of the things I struggled with the most when I was dealing with and healing from depression was talking to my husband about what I was thinking and feeling. I often knew that what I was feeling was not logical, but nonetheless it was very real to me. It was easier for me to hide inside myself than talk to him and ask for support. However, getting support from your significant other is essential when you are dealing with this disease.

When you talk to your spouse, remember that he or she will not understand what you are going through. While your spouse will not understand, you still need to talk. Your spouse needs to know what is going on in your head and your heart in order to support you as you recover.

I found that being brutally honest with my husband was the best route. Sure, he didn’t get it completely, but it did help him understand why my behavior was so strange. He helped me plan ways to be around people so I would feel less blue. He offered to take the baby or take us all out to eat so that I could have some relief. So my advice to you would be to be honest, even if your spouse doesn’t “get it.” So now it’s your turn. What tips do you have for those who are trying to explain what they are going through to their spouses? What worked for you, and what didn’t work?

One of the main things that saved my sanity as I was working my way out of depression was my friends. I had two ladies that I could call up on a moment’s notice to pray, talk, or just go to the store. They didn’t judge me, they didn’t tell me I was being irrational, but they simply listened.

Now that I am enjoying life after depression, I find that I still need to have friends around me. If I isolate myself too much, which is easy to do in our busy society, I start feeling the clouds rolling back into my life. For those of you who are feeling the blues returning, don’t run out and get more medication right away. Often life after depression is much better if you surround yourself with supportive, understanding friends! Give one of them a call!