ANXIETY
Some degree of anxiety is perfectly normal. We all experience situations that make us fearful and apprehensions. However, there are some people who feel anxious even when there is no discernible cause. In these cases, the anxiety usually becomes overwhelming and may interfere with day to day whole brain body functioning. People who regularly have a debilitating level of anxiety are suffering from an anxiety disorder.
Anti Anxiety
It’s perfectly normal to feel anxious, nervous or even stressed-out from time to time. It would be impossible to go through life without encountering at least one stressful event or situation. But sometimes anxiety can develop for no apparent reason, and wreak havoc in an individual’s life. Left unchecked, anxiety can affect every aspect of daily life, from relationships at home, to productivity at work, even a person’s ability to drive.
If you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, it’s important to make the effort to learn what you can about this condition and how it’s affecting you.
Next, you need to understand the source of your anxiety and the methods you can use to tame it.
The Source of Anxiety
Many people encounter similar circumstances in life, whether they are financial, marital, or otherwise related. But some people find it difficult to take the many bumps and curves that life has to offer without skipping a beat. Others become debilitated by the slightest setback. What accounts for the difference in the way one person handles anxiety as compared to another? The difference can be found inside. Many researchers have come to believe that the difference between happiness and misery is a choice that each of us makes. That setbacks and misfortunes are only as debilitating as we allow them to become. This is an incredibly difficult concept for some people to grasp, after all, who would choose to be miserable? But in reality, misery is often an unconscious choice based on learned and habitual negative thought patterns. If you continually dwell on negative events, you’ll soon begin to avoid certain events for fear that they may have a negative outcome. This leads to the belief that happiness is impossible, and consequently misery takes its place. So, is it possible to change this negative outlook and learn to be happy? Yes. And it’s not as hard to accomplish as one might think.
The first step in taming your anxiety is an understanding that it’s not the stressful situation that’s causing your anxiety; it’s your response to it.
If you can learn to pay attention to your brain body and the ways you react to stress, you will become better able to counter anxiety before it becomes a problem.
Reconnecting With Yourself
The more you know about yourself, the better. Stop, find a quiet place and drop into Meditation.What thoughts are coming up? Notice that whatever thoughts are there, they have little or nothing to do with right now. Think about yourself as you think others might view you.
What are your best qualities, the ones that others always seem to point out about you?
What qualities do you think you need to work on?
Think about your daily tasks and activities and the expectations you place upon yourself. Are they realistic?
Do you focus too much on what friends, family, or co-workers think about you? •Finally, think about your thoughts and feelings, the real thoughts and feelings that you experience when you totally let your guard down.
Do you talk negatively about yourself?
Are you filled with fear and anxiety?
Look at yourself honestly and deeply.
Make notes if you think it would be helpful and try to gain a better understanding of the person you are and the attitudes that you posses.
Now that you have a better understanding of who you are, and where your anxiety is coming from, you’ll be better equipped to tame that anxiety. There are plenty of self-help books, and self-professed experts that offer suggestions for the best methods for handling anxiety. But it doesn’t really matter what the experts say, or what works best for most people, what matters is what will work for you. So if you have tried other methods and techniques, without receiving any noticeable relief, don’t despair. Whole Brain Body Meditation is a solution that will work for you. It’s just a matter of taking your time to learn it.
Types of Anxiety
Child Anxiety
Many of us only associate anxiety attacks or obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorders with adults. But anxiety can affect children as well. In fact, experts estimate that severe anxiety afflicts 10% of children in the United States. We tend to think of childhood as being a time free of any cares or worries. But it is completely normal and natural for children to feel anxious, sad or depressed. It only becomes a problem when this anxiety begins to interfere with their relationships and daily activities. Separation anxiety, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are common anxiety conditions that affect children.
Separation Anxiety
At around eight months of age, your child will begin to recognize their loved ones (usually their parents) and notice when they are out of sight. In addition, your child has not yet developed a complex sense of time. So they cannot tell the difference between mommy leaving the room for a few minutes and mommy leaving the house to go to work for the day. Your child may respond to this kind of stress by crying until mommy returns. This type of anxiety is known as separation anxiety. Although its onset can vary widely, it generally occurs in children from eight months to two years of age and peaks around age one. If your infant is experiencing separation anxiety, it may be both flattering and distressing for you. It’s nice to know that you are so loved, but difficult to deal with you the fact that they won’t let you out of their sight. Try to gradually introduce new people to your baby to minimize their anxiety when you aren’t around. And if you must leave them with someone else for a time, try not to make a big deal about it. They’ll likely take their cues from you, and if you stay calm and relaxed, so will they. Your child may need treatment for separation anxiety if it persists beyond the toddler years. Seek the advice of your child’s pediatrician or a qualified counselor if your child is refusing to go to school, has frequent stomachaches and headaches, seems overly clingy, or has trouble sleeping.
Performance Anxiety
Performance anxiety is a singular term that has come to describe two enormously different conditions. To musicians, actors, and public speakers, performance anxiety means the fear of speaking or performing in front of others. Performance anxiety can also describe fears associated with sexual performance.
On The Stage
Performance anxiety can affect any of us, from the seasoned actor, to the newest performer. And it can create self-fulfilling negative self-talk such as “I will mess this up,” or “everyone is going to laugh at me.” Performance anxiety can range from mildly upsetting to completely paralyzing. And it can defeat even the most qualified performer. It usually begins with a minor distraction. As we lose more and more of our concentration, self-destructive thoughts are allowed to enter our minds. Before we know it, we are nervous, uncomfortable, forgetful, and convinced that we will fail if we perform.
Managing Performance Anxiety
In order to control this type of performance anxiety, you need to control the negative self-thoughts before they are allowed to become a problem. Practice is crucial. Just as you would practice your dialogue or your instrument over and over again until your performance is flawless, you must also practice controlling your fears. Here are a few tips that you can use both before and during your performance to control performance anxiety.
Practice Positive Self-Talk: The premise here is simple. Negative self-talk can be upsetting and debilitating. And positive self-talk can have the opposite effect, helping you to reaffirm your skills and boost your confidence.
Learn To Breathe: Oh sure, we all think we know how to breathe. We would pass out if we didn’t right? Wrong! Poor posture and daily stresses have forced most of us to develop the habit of taking shallow breaths that only fill the upper portion of our chest cavity, this kind of breathing gets the job done as far as bringing oxygen into the body, but it does nothing to relax the body or clear the mind. Practice talking deep, slow, controlled breaths that fill your tummy first, followed by your lower chest and then your upper chest. Breathing in this kind of controlled, conscious manner can help you calm your body and your mind and clear negative thoughts.
Accept Your Thoughts and Shift Your Focus: It’s very natural to become anxious or distressed during a performance. Especially if you allow your mind to wander and then dwell on negative thoughts. But instead of trying to simply push negative thoughts out of your mind, accept them and move on to a less frightening image. For example, if you notice a man and woman whispering in the front row, you may begin to think that they are laughing at your disheveled hair or the quality of your performance. But instead of focusing on this negative thought, accept it non-judgmentally, and then move on. Think to yourself, “That couple is laughing at something, and what an interesting dress that woman is wearing.”
Enjoy Your Performance: Stay in the moment. Don’t judge what has happened in the past or what your think might happen in the future. Rather, allow yourself the opportunity to really enjoy your performance and leave the responses to the audience.
In The Bedroom
Performance anxiety can also describe the fears associated with sexual performance in the bedroom. This type of anxiety can affect a person’s sexuality in several ways. It can put strain on a relationship, damage a person’s self-esteem, and cause lowered self-esteem and sexual dysfunction. Similar to performance anxiety that occurs on stage, one who experiences performance anxiety in the bedroom tends to have negative self-talk that becomes self-filling. If one is completely preoccupied with being a good and responsive lover, they are likely to become too focused on the details of lovemaking, destroying an enjoyment for themselves or their partner. The memory of one failure then usually arouses the same anxiety the next time around. One who suffers from this kind of performance anxiety may avoid sexual encounters all together. Men who suffer from erectile dysfunction, even temporarily, may develop sexual performance anxiety as a side effect of their physical condition. It’s not uncommon for a man to occasionally have difficulty getting an erection. Stress, illness, and over consumption of alcohol can all result in a temporary erectile dysfunction. However, most men become so distressed when this happens that it tends to affect their future lovemaking ability. Some men experience negative thoughts and doubts that actually interfere with their ability to get and keep an erection. Sexual performance anxiety is not limited to men. Women too may develop worries over the amount of vaginal lubrication attained or the quality of their lovemaking. Fears of sexual performance are very common and can usually be easily resolved, especially with the support of a loving caring relationship. If necessary, the advice of a counselor or health care professional can help to break the cycle of performance anxiety.
Anxiety Panic Attack Disorder
You’ve just come home from a typical day at work. As you put down your briefcase and plop down in your chair, you suddenly get the feeling that you are running out of oxygen. You feel smothered and lightheaded. Are you going to pass out? Is this an asthma attack? As your panic intensifies, your heart beat begins to race, your breathing become shallow, your chest hurts, and your mouth is completely dry. Are you having a heart attack? You feel very shaky, sweaty, and disconnected from reality. But finally, after what seems like an eternity (but is probably really just a minute or two) your symptoms begin to subside. You’ve just had a panic attack.
Anxiety Panic Attacks
Anxiety panic attacks are a terrifying experience. The signs and symptoms of a panic attack can be frighteningly similar to those of a heart attack. If you have a tendency to suffer from anxiety panic attacks, you may be unsure how manage your symptoms. Rest assured, it is possible for you to control your symptoms and resume a life without fear. Read on to learn more about anxiety panic attacks and what you can do about them. You’ve just come home from a typical day at work. As you put down your briefcase and plop down in your chair, you suddenly get the feeling that you are running out of oxygen. You feel smothered and lightheaded. Are you going to pass out? Is this an asthma attack? As your panic intensifies, your heart beat begins to race, your breathing become shallow, your chest hurts, and your mouth is completely dry. Are you having a heart attack? You feel very shaky, sweaty, and disconnected from reality. But finally, after what seems like an eternity (but is probably really just a minute or two) your symptoms begin to subside. You’ve just had a panic attack. Does this sound familiar? Millions of Americans suffer from anxiety disorders. And many suffer in silence due to embarrassment or lack of information about their condition. If you or someone you love suffers from panic attacks, rest assured, help is available. A panic disorder is a medical condition characterized by severe and sudden episodes. With patience, information, and the appropriate treatment method, you can break the cycle of fear and anxiety and regain control of your life.
Anxiety and Panic
The main symptom of this type of anxiety disorder is the panic itself. It can occur in direct response to a situation (such as a darkened room or an unfamiliar social setting), or a specific object (such as water or dogs). The intensity of a panic attack will typically only last for a minute or two; however, it may take thirty minutes to several hours before all of the symptoms and emotions surrounding the panic attack to fully subside. Panic attacks seem so similar to the description of a heart attack that most people go immediately to an emergency medical facility during their first attack. Subsequent attacks may continue to occur several times a week, often with the same intensity as the first attack. Whole brain body Meditation will calm a panic attack but you will need to practice getting into Meditation before it will work well for you.
Who Suffers From Anxiety Panic Attack Disorder
Almost 75% of the individuals who suffer from panic attacks are women. However, this statistic is calculated from the people who seek treatment for their condition. And men are more likely to avoid seeking help out of a fear of embarrassment. Anxiety Panic Attack Disorder begins to develop in most people between the ages of twenty and thirty, and it’s uncommon for the disorder to suddenly appear in an elderly person. There are several personality types which are most often associated with Anxiety Panic Attack Disorder. These include those who are extremely analytical or sensitive, those who have a tendency to overreact, those with low self-esteem, those who obsess, those who need to be in control at all times, those who have high expectations, those who worry easily, those who are easily irritated, and those who have a nervous disposition.
When to Call a Doctor
If you think you’re suffering from an anxiety related panic attack, your health care provider can help you evaluate and diagnose your condition. If you are unsure if your symptoms are caused by a panic attack, or another medical condition, call 911 or go to an emergency medical facility immediately. Also, seek immediate medical attention if you experience crushing chest pain, especially with shortness of breath, dizziness, or sweating; or if you symptoms are more intense or lasting for a longer duration than normal; or if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts.
At the Doctor’s Office
When you make an appointment to be evaluated for your condition, you can expect a serious of physical and mental tests to help diagnose your particular disorder. Your health care provider will ask for your medical history as well as any family history of anxiety disorders. They will also perform a physical examination, paying close attention to your pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. And you may also undergo diagnostic tests such as a CBC (complete blood count), thyroid function test, and an electrocardiogram. Be prepared to answer the following questions to help your physician better understand your symptoms:
When did your attacks begin?
Are they triggered by a specific object, situation, or event?
What are the physical symptoms associated with your attacks?
What other symptoms do you experience?
Does anything make your symptoms better? Worse?
What medications are you taking?
Anxiety Treatments
Anxiety is an exhausting condition, both mentally and physically. It can zap your energy, reduce your physical capabilities, and diminish your mental condition. But there are several steps that you can take to reduce your level of anxiety and return your enjoyment of life. Anxiety is an exhausting condition, both mentally and physically. It can zap your energy, reduce your physical capabilities, and diminish your mental condition. But there are several steps that you can take to reduce your level of anxiety and recapture your ability to enjoy life.
Eat Up and Eat Right
The first step to controlling anxiety is taking care of your body. It needs over forty different nutrients on a daily basis to maintain and repair cells. Make an effort to eat a balanced and nutritious diet and drink plenty of water to give yourself the physical energy you’ll need to handle stressful occasions.
Use Whole Brain Body Synchronicity Meditation All you have to do to protect your future happiness and health from anxiety is make Meditation a part of your daily routine. Regularly using Meditation will allow you to grow physically, mentally and emotionally, helping you to become the best you can be. Quite simply, it will open up a whole new way of thinking and feeling. It will create in you, inner-peace, happiness and a passion for life and most of all a return to “Whole Brain Body Functioning”
Get Physical
Exercise can be a great stress and anxiety reliever. It helps to improve your circulation, boost your self-esteem and take your mind off of stress. Swimming, running, biking, skiing, hiking, aerobics, and tennis are just a few of the physical activities you can engage in to stay in shape and reduce anxiety.
Sleep Tight
Poor sleep and high levels of anxiety can go hand in hand. And it’s often difficult to determine which situation is the cause and which is the effect, so in order to break this vicious cycle, make an effort to get quality sleep. Try to go to sleep at the same time every night. Take several deep breaths and relax for the last half hour before bed. Avoid stressful activities like watching the evening news, paying bills, or cleaning the house. Make it a family activity to spend the last half hour of your day reading, sharing stories, Meditating or relaxing some other way.
Relax
If you frequently suffer from anxiety, it’s a good idea to practice relaxation techniques to calm your mind and alleviate some of the symptoms of your condition. Regularly practicing relaxation will also give you the tools necessary to stay calm and focused when a particularly stressful event pops up. Yoga, tai-chi, guided Meditation imagery, and deep breathing techniques can help you reconnect your mind and your body, ease your stress, and calm your self. Find Natural Relief For those who suffer from chronic and persistent anxiety, nature offers a number of safe and effective anxiety treatments. The most common and popular herbs used for anxiety are kava, valerian, hops, and passionflower. Kava works to calm the body, relax muscles, and clear the emotional center of the brain. It’s useful for headaches, backaches and other tension. Valerian reduces anxiety, alleviates tension, and improves sleep. Hops, or Humulus lupulus, have been used for centuries as a mild sedative and sleeping aid. It helps to calm the nerves and induce sleep. And passionflower can be used to promote a deep, restful, and consistent sleep. It’s also commonly used in the treatment of concentration problems in children.
Get To the Point
In traditional Asian theories, anxiety is seen as a dysfunction of the heart because the heart is said to be the seat of the mind and spirit. This heart dysfunction can either be due to a deficiency of the Chi or the presence of phlegm and heat. Acupuncture can be used to treat this condition by stimulating the Chi, or eliminating phlegm and heat in the heart. Insertion points may also be chosen to strengthen and calm the mind and spirit.
Get Help
If you can’t manage your anxiety by yourself, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Friends and family may be able to provide the emotional support that you need to overcome your anxiety. A therapist or counselor can also be a useful resource for helping you manage your anxiety. Desensitization therapy helps those who suffer from anxiety disorders develop a resistance to the objects or situations that are triggering their symptoms. This type of therapy requires a great deal of physical and emotional energy from the patient. But it can also produce long-lasting results. Group therapy can help you connect with others who suffer from anxiety and understand it’s physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. If your condition is severe, your health care professional may recommend a prescription medication. A number of medications are used in the treatment of anxiety. Antidepressants, such as tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs,) or monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), work by inhibiting the absorption of a chemical or several chemicals in the brain that could lead to feelings of anxiety. Benzodiazepines are high potency anti-anxiety medications that can be effective at quickly relieving the symptoms of anxiety. Buspirone, or Bu Spar, is a newer anti-anxiety medication that is used in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Propanolol and other beta blockers that are commonly used in the treatment of heart disorders have also been found effective in the temporary treatment of anxiety, especially social anxiety disorder. If an anxiety-causing social situation, such as a public speech, can be predicted in advance, the patient can take a beta blocker to prevent heart palpitations, sweating, shaking hands, and other similar symptoms of anxiety.
Separation Anxiety
You’ve always been the apple of your baby’s eye. But suddenly, it seems that your one year old is terrified of everyone else except for you. She’s anxious and distressed when you visit friends or relatives and she clings to you for dear life if you try to leave the room. She may even be upset around relatives or caregivers that see her on a daily basis. Sound familiar? If so, then your toddler is going through separation anxiety, a very normal phase of childhood development. But just because it is normal, does not mean you will feel any better if you have to pry her off of your leg to go to the bathroom.
Managing Your Everyday Stresses and Anxieties
Looking for all of the answers in how to manage your persistent anxieties and stresses? Here is a brief list of techniques that you can use to help manage your every day stresses and anxieties.
Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.
Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that make us feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket. Whenever you feel anxious, open up your small notebook and read those statements.
When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, the first thing you can do is to break the task into a series of smaller steps. Completing these smaller tasks one at a time will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.
In dealing with your anxieties, a person should learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of focusing on exaggerated assumptions that may or may not happen, focus on the present and rely on the facts of the present situation. Our anxieties and stresses can sometimes get the best of us; however there are many helpful resources available to us. It might take some hard work and persistence, but it is possible to find answers to managing your anxieties.
DEPRESSION
Some people have described depression as a heavy black curtain of despair that envelops their brain, body and their lives. Depression affects your life, and the lives of those around you. It can severely disrupt how you function, eat, sleep, and get along with others. Although most people who suffer from depression feel as though they are suffering alone, roughly 20% of the American population suffers from depression. Depression is a disease, and like any other disease, it can be treated and managed. Read on to learn more about depression and what you can do to get help.
Types of Depression
Depression comes in many different forms and varieties. The most common types of depression include major depression, dysthymic depression, bipolar disorder, atypical depression, psychotic depression, and postpartum depression. The intensity, duration and cause of symptoms are often used to distinguish the many different types of depression and determine the most appropriate treatment method.
Major Depression
Major depression, or clinical depression, is the most common type of depression. It’s also considered one of the most serious types of depression based on the quantity and severity of its symptoms. When a person becomes severely depressed for a period longer than two weeks, they are said to have major depression. It’s characterized by extreme sadness, guilt, hopelessness and helplessness. Fatigue, sleep disorders, appetite changes, and loss of interest in daily activities are also common signs of major depression. Major depression can be caused by a childhood trauma, a life-changing event, a chronic illness, certain medications, or chronic stress and anxiety.
Dysthymic Depression
Mild depression is often referred to as dysthymic depression. The symptoms are not as severe as those that are often associated with major depression, but they still may require treatment, therapy, and possibly medication. With dysthymia or dysthymic depression, the sufferer may experience infrequent or recurrent episodes of depression.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme emotional mood swings as well as a variety of other symptoms that distinguish it from other forms of depression. This condition is also referred to as manic depression or manic-depressive illness to describe the two extremes of mood and personality changes which usually accompany it. The sufferer will experience extreme highs in mood and personality characterized by restlessness, insomnia, extreme happiness, exaggerated self-confidence, and hyperactivity. This manic episode would then be followed by extreme lows in personality and mood exhibiting extreme sadness, lethargy, guilt, and loss of interest in life or daily activities. The roller coaster of ups and downs is caused by an imbalance in the sufferer’s brain chemistry. In roughly 8% of cases, bipolar disorder can be treated with the appropriate medications.
Atypical Depression
Atypical depression occurs most frequently in women. It’s an intermittent depression that may fluctuate in both severity and duration. Common symptoms include oversleeping, low self-esteem, overeating, and a hypersensitivity to rejection.
Psychotic Depression
Approximately 15% of individuals who suffer from major depression also experience psychotic depression. This type of depression is characterized by episodes during which the sufferer hears voices in their head; has visions or hallucinations, and experiences delusional thinking. People who suffer from psychotic depression have lost contact with reality and therefore cannot judge the consequences of their actions. These individuals therefore are in need of immediate medical treatment before they become a danger to themselves or others.
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is a form of major depression that occurs in new mothers immediately after the birth of a baby. About 10% of new mothers suffer from this condition. It can last anywhere from several days to several months after the birth of the child, if not properly treated. Common symptoms include helplessness, hopelessness, guilt, sadness, lack of confidence in mothering abilities, and a deeply rooted conviction that something is wrong with the baby or that something bad will happen to the baby.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Also known as seasonal depression or simply, SAD, this type of depression is a form of major depression that fluctuates with the seasons. It most often includes a depressive period in the fall and winter months. Because the frequency of this type of depression increases in direct proportion to increases in latitude, mental health experts surmise that seasonal affective disorder is linked to the amount of available sunlight. Common symptoms include extreme irritability, sadness, and fatigue along with over sleeping and over eating. This type of depression is usually cured by the arrival of spring and the lengthening of the daylight hours. However, some sufferers are so affected by seasonal affective disorder that they manage their symptoms with medications or light therapy during the fall and winter.
Cyclothymic Disorder
Cyclothymic disorder is a mild form of depression that is similar to bipolar disorder, with less frequency and severity. It’s characterized by alternating mood swings of highs and lows that are not severe or debilitating enough to interfere with daily activities. Often, a person with cyclothymic disorder may later develop bipolar disorder if their condition is left untreated.
Postnatal Depression (PND)
This type of depression is similar to postpartum depression, however rather than developing as a result of the hormonal imbalances of childbirth, postnatal depression usually develops as a result of the pressures and responsibilities of new motherhood. The hormonal upheaval of motherhood and lactation combined with physical exhaustion, loss of independence, financial pressures, and a strained marital relationship are all potential causes of postnatal depression.
Depression Treatments
Depression is a highly treatable disease. Every person's situation is different, and there are many options you and your mental health professional may want to pursue. Depending on your particular needs, your treatment program will likely include lifestyle changes and some form of talk therapy combined with some form of medication as a balancing resort.
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes are not always easy to make, but they can have a big impact on depression. Take a good look at your own lifestyle. What changes could you make to support depression recovery? Self-help strategies that can be very effective include:
Spend time in therapy or spiritual groups to talk about your thoughts and feelings
Meditate for ‘Whole Brain Body Functioning’
Cultivating supportive relationships by networking
Getting regular exercise and sleep by joining a gym Eating healthfully to naturally boost mood
Managing stress before it goes too far Practicing relaxation techniques like Meditation
Challenging negative thought patterns by remembering that you are not the thoughts
Keep in touch with your friends & family and be appreciative of their friendships
Talk Therapy
Talk therapy – also called psychotherapy, counseling, or cognitive behavioral therapy – is another key element of depression treatment that is often used in combination with medication. Working with a professional will help you identify potential causes of your depression and learn how to deal with difficult emotions and situations. This can include identifying unhealthy behaviors, unproductive thought processes, and negative relationships. If you are going through a crisis or major life challenge, talking with a knowledgeable and non-judgmental professional can help you find ways to cope with what you are going through.
The Common Sense of Helping Yourself
Depressive disorders can make you feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Such negative thoughts and feelings make some people feel like giving up. You should realize that these negative views are part of depression, and typically do not accurately reflect your life situation. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. Psychotherapy, especially cognitive psychotherapy, is specifically designed to change the negative thinking associated with depression.
While getting help and adjusting your lifestyle also practice the following:
Do not set difficult goals for yourself, or take on additional responsibility.
Break large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what you can as you can.
Do not expect too much from yourself too soon, as this will only increase your feelings of failure.
Try to be with other people; it is usually better than being alone.
Force yourself to participate in activities that may make you feel better.
Try engaging in mild exercise, going to a movie, a ball-game, or participating in religious or social activities.
Don't overdo it or get upset if your mood is not greatly improved right away. Feeling better takes time.
Do not make major life decisions, such as changing jobs, getting married or divorced, without consulting others who know you well and who have a more objective view of your situation. In any case, it is advisable to postpone important decisions until your depression has lifted.
Do not expect to snap out of your depression immediately, although some people do. Help yourself as much as you can, and do not blame yourself for not being up to par.
Remember, do not accept your negative thinking. It is part of the depression and will disappear as your depression responds to treatment.
Continue to get help from a professional. No matter how much you want to beat it yourself, a psychologist can help you recover faster.