Overcoming Depression (For Good)

One thought that sometimes crosses my mind (although I do still go to my therapist once a month) is: what happens if I start to get depressed again? I know it's entirely possible, after all, I've spent over half my life dealing with the symptoms of depression. The thought is very daunting, but, thanks to the many resources on the Internet and my personal experience, I've come up with a list of things that can help with avoiding a relapse:

• Keep everything in context: Remember that a bad day does not mean that you are getting depressed again. Everyone has those days where it feels like everything is going wrong. Sometimes it's easy to brush it off, but there are other days where it's nearly impossible to do so. If you're having a bad day, it's okay. It does not mean that you'll feel bad forever and that is crucial to staying in recovery. When I have a bad day, I try to keep my emotions under control and remember that tomorrow will be better. Another tactic that has worked for me is using an "I'll feel better when..." statement. There are times when I'm incredibly annoyed or feeling sad, but I just remind myself that I'll feel better after I do yoga and get some rest.
• Maintain relationships: Sometimes I feel like I have a gift and a curse. I'm really good at being alone. I've never been the type of person to feel like I have to be in a relationship or like I have to go out and party all the time. However, I do feel better when I make time to spend with my friends and my family and I know it's an important part of my development and recovery to actively make time to spend with more people. I now make an active effort to make plans with people and keep in better touch with the people I care about (which was never an easy task for me). Since I started treatment, I've become closer with older friends and made great new ones, which has made a huge change in my life.
• Take care of yourself: Of course, the first thing I'm going to say is stay active! The adrenaline rush I feel after an intense cardio workout is an immediate mood booster.Yoga also calms me down before I go to sleep, so it's another important part of my day and my mental health. Taking care of yourself is more than just exercising, however. Getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and taking vitamins is also important to maintaining positive mental health. When you take care of your body, you feel better about yourself.
• Get organized: Stress is a major risk factor for depression. One way to significantly reduce stress is to get organized. I personally love lists and calendars. It's the easiest way for me to see what tasks I have to accomplish and systematically tackle them so I'm not incredibly overwhelmed. I'm currently working on re-organizing my room before the semester starts because having a clean, fresh living environment reduces stress as well.
• Focus on goals: I always have goals, whether they are career, fitness, or personal goals. Focusing on meeting those goals is an important way for me to try and make myself better. For a perfectionist, focusing on goals can be tricky. What's necessary to remember is that goals do not have to be insurmountable. Even meeting a small goal is a step in the right direction, which is all that really matters.
• Know your options: If you do relapse, it isn't the end of the world. Know that therapy is always an option and so are anti-depressants. After my first few therapy sessions, I worried that I was going to need to go on anti-depressants. I'm no proponent of using drugs to treat everything, so I hated the thought. Fortunately things began to get better and medication wasn't a necessity. I'm aware though that things could change, especially since I know there's a genetic component to my depression. I'm okay with that. If I relapse, I'll make whatever effort to get better because I know how much better life is when I'm not struggling with depression.

It's not easy worrying about any relapse, whether it's depression or an addiction. With so many resources available to treat depression though, it's not an inevitability.

Posted in: depression, fitness, mental health, wellness