Depression

      Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable.

       Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.

What To Do When Depression Strikes

Depression is something that you must take seriously! 

1. When depression strikes it is important to seek professional help. Talk to your doctor and tell them how you feel. It is important that you take this step because only then can you have the facts and information to make a full recovery. It is not a quick path, it will take time, there is no guarantee that it will fully go away, and it can just become a part of who you are, something you deal with on a daily basis.
2. Listen to your body; it knows what it needs. If it is more sleep then by denying it rest, will make the process to feel better, even longer. Denying that you are unwell will also cause you problems; there comes a point where you will crash, it is better to catch it and deal with the illness rather than waiting until your body can’t take any more. I think this is a step often left out, it is important to feel and to listen to what your body is telling you.
3. What you eat can affect how you feel, if you are feeling good on the inside, it will help your mood. However, if you aren’t putting the good healthy food into your body then it is going to have a negative impact on how you feel. This is difficult when you just don’t feel good about yourself and this can lead to you reaching for the quick fixes like chocolate or other high-calorie foods, making you feel worse. It won’t help your mood or your body in the long-run.
4. Exercise is the last thing you want to hear about when you are feeling low and depressed but it is true it can help you feel better. It doesn’t mean you have to go out and hit the gym unless you want to, of course, what it does mean is to move, it is as simple as going for a walk. This for me is the hardest task of all, going out the door is hard and I put this off as much as possible, but I know that it is important so I am adding it to my daily to-do list. Once I am outside walking with my dogs it doesn’t seem as bad, it is just putting on my shoes that is the hardest part.
5. Give yourself time, tackling depression takes time to develop and it takes time to feel better, it is not something that’s cured overnight. It is important that you realize that you will need time to heal, it is an illness. There is no magic pill that will make it go away. Yes, there are medications that can help but it might reduce the symptoms rather than completely removing them. For some people, they can start to feel better within a few weeks but for others, it is a lifelong battle, it is something that you have to learn to live with, but it doesn’t define who you are.