Managing Depression

September 7th, 2008

The BBC recently reported that World Health Organisation research deemed depression more disabling than angina, arthritis, asthma and diabetes. Whether or not we admit it, all of us have experienced depression at some point in our lives. So how can we stay healthy? Perhaps it cannot be avoided altogether, but there are ways we can manage it.

It has long been claimed that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help with depression. Aaron Beck, a popular CB Therapist, wrote about depression leaving people feeling deficient and often anticipating a negative outcome from anything important. The two are linked, so that if something bad happens, that just proves to the depressed person that he is worthless or defective. The trick here is to break the cycle, realising that bad things do sometimes happen, but so do good things. And if bad things happen, that does not necessarily mean that the root cause is always you. Yes, it may hurt if you walk into a room full of people and no one talks to you, but the next time someone may talk to you, and if they do not, it could be for a whole number of reasons which have nothing to do with you. They could be depressed too.

It is sometimes a difficult lesson to accept, for a number of reasons, but the world does not revolve around you! This can help with modesty, but it can also help with taking the pressure off of you. Walking into that next room full of people, it might help to remember that this may be a room full of people more concerned with how they seem rather than preoccupied with how you look and sound.

Reality testing is important here. I like Becks example of a person who spoke of a leak in the bathroom, broken stairs and a defective stove, and deduced that The whole house is deteriorating. CB Therapists refer to this as catastrophising and yet we need to test reality, breaking it down and looking at what is really happening. The person had some jobs to do around the house, but there was no need to throw his hands up in defeat!

There is also a practical side to all this. Depression can often be linked to lethargy, and so taking up physical exercise, even if that is a short walk every now and again, can help the circulation as well as lighten the mood. I will not blind you with scientific studies but the link between inactivity and depression has been widely demonstrated.

Part of this management package should always include a list of things that can usually stimulate you. This may be pleasant smells, sights, tastes or sounds, and rewarding yourself when you are feeling depressed can be useful. We all too often forget about these little treats, especially when we think we have no time, but we can always make more time, even if that means getting up ten minutes earlier in the mornings to give yourself a hot bath, watch a funny programme or have a hot cup of tea.

If you still think What is the point of even trying, because nothing has helped before, have you sat down and reflected on what has or hasnt helped in the past? I am sure every day of your life has not been spent in depression, and so think about what was different about those days when you were not depressed. Is there something you are missing? Writing things down can help give you distance to reflect on all of this.

It is possible that depression is triggered or exacerbated by a whole number of factors including poor nutrition, inactivity, negative assumptions about yourself and unrealistic expectations about others. But in the end, the most helpful thing to remember is that it can be managed. Give yourself time to think about how you view yourself and others. Is it realistic? Is it helpful to you? Give yourself time to think about how you can look after yourself when the darkness descends. You know yourself better than anyone else.

What are your thoughts on this?