Depression and anxiety are truly awful and those who have never been in such a state rarely understand them fully. It's a dark hole that feeds on itself and grows and grows, it is possible to escape but often times it is not, you just sort of learn to live with it. Least that is what I do. I've tried the medications, tried the therapist and talking about it, tried self medicating, been hospitalized for it, tried to OD on sleep meds, etc... I just gave up fighting it and accepted that it's just something I will have to deal with forever. I have my good days here and there but, I am more content with life now than I ever was, so there is that.
It sucks to live with, but the small gestures can go a long way. You never know when that positive comment thrown someones way will cheer them up just enough to get them through another day.
There are lots of things that can help with all of this though. Here are some common things I've picked up over the years.
- The most important thing is.. Don't be afraid to seek help!
- Medication, some of it is bad and not worth it, but some is actually pretty helpful. Though it's hard to find what might work for YOU, cause everyone is different. So this will take time and many back and forth trips to the doctors to do it.
- Therapy, it can be a lot of help to have a professional to talk to, it helped me a little. Therapist vary though so find one that is good for you. I went threw a few to find a good one when I was doing it. Don't be afraid to ask to see another if you can. Most therapist will move you to another after so long if they feel they can no longer help.
- Goals & Rewards, set small goals and rewards for yourself, even if it is as simple as getting out of the bed!
- Socialize, this one is the hardest I feel, I am very anti-social and go out of my way to avoid others... but humans are social creatures so it helps more than you'd think to just hang out with a friend or family member for a day. Find like minded communities for your hobbies, especially local groups. Having that hobby in common helps ease the anxiety a bit and gives you something to talk about and learn about.
- Busy work, down time means you have time to dwell on things and that just feeds the depression even more, find something you enjoy like gaming, drawing, etc... a nice hobby goes a long way. Just something to help keep your mind off things.
- Relaxing techniques, there are a few I picked up from my therapist that can help with relaxing for anxiety and sleeplessness. It's pretty simple and you can do it anywhere. First you practice by tensing up your muscle, like you're flexing your arm to show off. Then you release the tension. You practice this by trying to do it all over and do a full body relaxation as the final goal.
- Breathing techniques, this is another one for anxiety mostly. But there are a few ways to do this and they are all mainly on putting all your focus on your breathing. Breath in slowly, notice how it feels, how you move, etc... do the same for breathing out. This helps by shifting focus from things that cause you anxiety to the breathing. Also helps you relax a bit, so you can tie this into the prior tip.
- Herbal Teas, if you're into teas there are a lot of good teas that can help relax you. Just be careful and research them. If you're on medication ask your doctor, as some herbs can conflict with certain meds.
- Diet, I'm sure you've heard it before but a good diet goes a long with with mental health as well as physical health.
- Pets, having a pet can be a lot of support for you and also gives you something to do and that feeling that something relies on you. I understand not everyone can have pets, but if you can, they can do wonders to help cheer you up on a bad day.
- Nature, go outside get some sun that vitamin D is good for you, as is the fresh air and disconnection from everything. This helped me a great deal. You don't have to do anything fancy, just sit outside for a few minutes a day and practice your relaxation/breathing techniques. This is best if you have a nice quiet area to go, so this might be tough for you folks who live in cities.
I'm no professional, so take this with a grain of salt and do your own research. Remember everyone ticks differently so what works for others might not work for you. It's a tough road but you're not alone.
