How To Overcome Depression

How To Overcome Depression Systematically

Written by Admin in depression, overcome depression, Support

My effort to learn more about how to overcome depression as I suffered with it I was lead to the point today where I felt like I might begin to offer some suggestions on a systematic method to overcome depression that some might find useful. The overall strategy would have to be well-rounded to include all major areas of one’s life as well as whatever practice was involved, it would have to obviously contribute to the person’s well-being so much that it would potentially assist in helping to overcome depression. This will be a work in progress and I will add to it over time as I intend to make it lengthy and filled with things that I have found in my research and useful in my life. So here we go with the first in my system to overcome depression.

How To Overcome Depression With Meditation

Top on my list for working in a systemic way to overcome depression was the practice of meditation. For several years in the late 90s and intermittently since I have practiced meditation twice a day and during that time it helped me become more balanced emotionally and I must say quite resilient in my mental capacity.

I have read Research that has indicated that the practice of meditation can significantly lessen the impact when a return to depression chances upon a person especially if that depression is a more frequent visitor.

The Archives of General Psychiatry reported on a study where people that were suffering from repeated bouts of depression and at the same time were taking antidepressant drugs to keep it under control successfully, were enrolled in a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy about how to overcome depression program. This study shows that the mindfulness based cognitive therapy was equally as successful in keeping their symptoms at bay as were the drugs. The study’s conclusion was:

For that sizeable group of patients who are unwilling or unable to tolerate maintenance antidepressant treatment, MBCT offers equal protection.

From National Post:

Participants in the study…were all treated with antidepressants until their symptoms went into remission. The 84 subjects were then divided into three groups: one that stayed on the drugs, one that took placebos, and one that stopped taking the drugs and received MBCT. Relapse rates after 18 months for patients in the MCBT group did not differ from patients on antidepressants, both being in the 30% range, compared to a 70% relapse rate for those on placebos.

I’m sure in the years since I have had interest in meditation, I have run across more articles on that very topic and probably more medical studies where meditation offers support even in the dark days that accompany this kind of suffering.

Meditation is a little difficult to explain without experiencing it but once you have experienced it you will completely understand how it could benefit a person with depression. My experience with depression was that it completely stripped me of the will to change my circumstances. Meditation does not necessarily give me the will to do anything but what it did do was take away the negative aspects of those feelings and that helped make the difference so I was able to more aggressively pursue things that helped my depression. It made things that were bothering me more neutral so that I was better able to imagine and execute a reasonable plan for change. So if you were to project that onto a person while they had depression (provided other people’s experience was the same as mine) you can see how meditation might be useful for someone suffering from depression.

By nuteralizing the feelings surrounding the events of one’s life those circumstances might no longer hold the power to cause depressions destruction. It could at least minimize the force so that those circumstances did not have so much power to control. I am speaking mostly about a person suffering from situational depression (depression brought on by life circumstances) but I can imagine that a person would benefit even if their depression were organic, meaning that is related more closely to a chemical imbalance in the brain. The latter would take more scientific study to prove but it is a logical conclusion based on my limited understanding of how meditation works that it could be very helpful.

So my first recommendation in this system for depression recovery would be for a person to seek out some sort of meditation in an effort to almost effortlessly ease some of the burden caused by depression. There are many different ways to meditate so I suggest you try out different methods and figure out what works best for you. Most meditation can be a powerful tool against the grip of depression and aid in the treatment to overcome it. A side benefit is often one will see significant results in a very short period of time plus you can practice it almost anywhere, anytime.

Since I am not a doctor or trained in any sort of therapy I certainly would not want a person to take my advice with any more authority than that of a person that has suffered with depression and overcome it. And there may be situations where meditation could be detrimental in that it is a process and there are successes and failures involved while going through the learning stage so depending on the individual’s ability to handle even these small problems or setbacks, it may be best to decide to undertake it or not with the help of a professional.

Depression can be a very wily competitor and some might even call it an enemy but speaking as a person who has suffered from depression, it can also be an impetus to make tremendous change in one’s life.

Because the requirement to start and stay with meditation is low it can be one of the easiest therapys to start and thus begin to build some successes in. By its very nature, most meditation does not require much action that has to be taken after person has learned a particular technique for meditation.

How To Overcome Depression Future Topics

How To Overcome Depression With Thankfulness
How To Overcome Depression With Diet
How To Overcome Depression With Physical Exercise
How To Overcome Depression With Spiritual Practice
How To Overcome Depression Without Medication
How To Overcome Depression Naturally

These are just a few of the ideas I will use to round out this systematic elimination of this most unfortunate situation that some many people find themselves in. How many people suffer from depression, you ask? I have several sets of answers in my research on the Internet but this one I found on wiki.answers.com was the most complete. Here is what they had to say:

Answer

Statistics of American depression is 9 million people and rising.

340 million people in the world suffer from depression and rising.

1 in 4 women will suffer from depression

1 in 10 men will suffer from depression (this statistic is not absolutely correct because more women are apt to see their doctor for depression than men do.)

That is my motivation to explain how to overcome depression in a systematic way by continuing to write here. If I can just help a few find some light at the end of the tunnel my mission will have been completed.

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Learning How to Overcome Depression

Written by Admin in depression, overcome depression, Support

Learning how to overcome depression, the blues, feeling low when you have hardly any drive can be especially challenging but it is vital that you make the effort to have an hope of beating down this common problem. The soul-draining monster that can leave you paralyzed, confused, sad and unable to cope with life in general. It can often sneak up on a person with no seeming cause. According to a 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, nearly 10% of the 235,000-plus survey respondents could be classified as depressed — with 3.4% of those struggling with heavy depression.

If depression has been part of your experience, obviously you’re not alone. Many people deal with this on a daily basis and there is even a website that has a slide show of more than a hundred famous writers, photographers and actors whose depression affected their lives. It is reassuring to know that others have had the same problem you may have and especially since these people dealt with the problem while in the public eye. Just knowing a person with a recognizable name had depression lifts the load just a little. The struggle, though, is learning how to overcome depression, combat the low moods and tendency to hide from the people and activities you normally love. The following tips may be of help:

*See a doctor. Sometimes disease may be causing the problem. Hormonal or chemical imbalances could be the culprit, or your thyroid may not be working properly, leading to hyperthyroidism. Even a long-term flu or a debilitating episode of mononucleosis can drain your energy, and leave you depressed. A thorough physical and testing can point out possible organic reasons for your low moods.

*Get some sleep. “We have in our society this idea that you can just get by without sleep or manipulate when you sleep without any consequences,” said Lawrence Epstein, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “What we’re finding is that’s just not true.” (“Scientists Finding Out What Losing Sleep Does To A Body,” Washington Post, 10/9/2005) Low lights, cooler temps, a light snack or book just before bed — all these help with a good night’s rest. Short naps during the day can also contribute to your well-being.

*Exercise. A multi-mile run may chase away the cobwebs and give you time to work through problems and stress — but so can a neighborhood walk or some time spent gardening. Give yourself an opportunity to exercise, and not only your body, but your mind, will thank you for it.

*Consider homeopathic or prescription medicine help. Some natural herbs and foods, like St. John’s Wort, basil, gingko or even licorice have a reputation for helping ease symptoms, when ingested or used in tea. There are also many medications that may be of help, when used responsibly. Ask your doctor (remember your doctor, from the first tip?) for advice and guidance.

Going through depression is enormously difficult, but not insurmountable. Help is out there. And eventually, there comes a day when you realize it’s past — and the sun is shining. Learning how to overcome depression often starts with just recognizing you may have a problem and seeking out help to surmount the issues that lead to it.

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How to Overcome Depression

Written by Admin in depression, overcome depression, stress, Support

Learning how to overcome depression and anxiety in your life can be challenging. Depression can feel like an awful secret you are keeping from those around you, but you don’t have to face it alone. Depression is a general term which can refer to a depressed mood or a major depressive disorder (also known as clinical or unipolar depression). Everyone has mood swings and can feel depressed, but if you feel that your depression is controlling your life, some of the following tips may help.

Depression is more than just feeling sad. In fact, many people with depression do not feel sad at all, but simply lifeless or apathetic. You may feel tired all the time and are unable to sleep or sleep too much. You may have a constant flood of negative thoughts racing through your head. You may have a lack of interest in doing the things you once enjoyed or seeing your friends. A loss of appetite and problems concentrating are also common symptoms. There are many factors in what makes a person vulnerable to depression. A major stress creator such as a divorce or job loss could trigger a depressive episode. Even a genetic history of depression in your family could put you at a higher risk of depression.

Dealing with depression in your life is not easy. One of the most important thing you can do is rely on the support you already have in your life. Talk to friends and family about your feelings and what you are going through. Even though you may feel like staying at home, try to stay social. Make sure to take care of yourself. Try to spend time with the hobbies you enjoy even if you don’t feel like doing anything. Try to keep a healthy lifestyle. Stay active, exercise, eat healthy, and try to get 8 hours of sleep. Keep a positive attitude and try not dwell on negative thoughts. Think objectively about the negative thoughts you have and try to realize that they are not realistic. Try to manage the stress in your daily life with relaxation or breathing techniques.

For many with depression, learning how to overcome depression on your own can be done by just keeping active and staying positive. However, if you feel overwhelmed by your depression, it may be helpful to seek out a support group for others who are dealing with the same problems.

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How to Overcome Depression and Stress

Written by Admin in depression, overcome depression, stress, Uncategorized

When beginning to determine how to overcome depression and stress it is important to be sure of the exact meanings of these words. Depression is a mental state characterized by severe despondency and dejection often accompanied by the feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. It is often accompanied by a lack of energy and extreme difficulty in maintaining focus on ordinary things in life. Stress is as yet psychologically undefined but generally understood to be an emotional pressure or constraining force experienced during times of high expectations

Stress happens in life when the expectations for a person appear to exceed the person’s own feelings of ability. For example when a boss expects a task to be completed in a day and the worker believes that it will take two days to get the job done adequately then the worker feels stressed. Stress often leads to a feeling of inadequacy, which is part of the definition of depression. Thus it follows that one of the ways to overcome depression is to deal first with the stressors that are causing it. If the task cannot be modified so as to be less stressful, it might be possible to modify the worker’s expectations for the task. Expecting less of the outcome for a task makes it a much less stressful activity. A sports analogy would be to go to the plate just looking to make contact instead of expecting to hit a home run at each at bat would lessen the stresses of batting.

Overcoming depression requires that the depressed person first recognize that he or she is depressed and not just blue or sad. Being blue or sad happens for a short duration while being depressed extends over much longer periods of time. The goal in dealing with depression is to make small inroads into the affect over time so that the person begins to feel better about him-or herself gradually. The old maxim of quick fix-quick break is one to take to heart when working to overcome depression.

The one surety in how to overcome depression and stress is that the person’s expectations of him- or herself have to be modified to some extent. The person needs to accept his or her limitations and appreciate their abilities in order to be able to see their own potential as adequate and right. Once the feelings of inadequacy have been dealt with the depressed affect can begin to lighten. Depression can be dealt with but it take effort from the sufferer to take the first step.

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