Managing Depression
Managing symptoms of a Major Depressive Episode can be challenging, and symptoms of depression can occur outside of a diagnosis of an episode of major depression. Here are some tricks and strategies to manage the day-to-day struggles.
Exercise is great, but not the answer to every problem. Physical movement of your body will probably help you feel better. The important thing to focus on is simply movement. Give yourself credit for walking and standing. Try not to stress over completing traditional exercises. Focus on what you are comfortable doing. If you only have the energy to walk for a few minutes. Then fine. Do what you can move when you can, and give yourself a break. As long as you are trying your best, and pushing yourself to do a little bit more every day, then you are doing fine.
Accept feedback, but don’t take it personally. This is easier said than done, but you need to try your best to listen to feedback. There are going to be times when your ability to accurately sense the world around you is a bit off. The feedback that people give you may be useful, but only to a degree. Unfortunately, it does not take much for the feedback you receive to take on a life of its own and begin to become a putdown. Sometimes the feedback can be extremely hurtful if you let it. Focus on the useful bits and mentally trash the rest. Someone telling you that you are taking forever to make a decision is only useful in that you now know your sense of time is a bit off. You can disregard the implication that you are purposely wasting time, that you are defective, or otherwise doing anything wrong. You are not. The person communicating with you may just lack tact. That is a reflection of their communication skills, not of your self-worth.
Depression is more than a mood disorder. It is a common misconception that if you are depressed, you are just sad all the time. There is a lot more to depression than this. Your physical body most likely hurts a lot. Traditional pain medicines and remedies might not be helping. Simple tasks may now feel impossible because they are painful. Clinical depression has many symptoms, make sure to acknowledge all aspects of the medical condition.
Simplify your wardrobe and other stuff. Focus on being responsible for a week or two weeks’ worth of clothes at the most. You are dealing with a severe illness. It is okay if you wear the same shoes every day for a while. It is okay if you forgo makeup or simplify what you take the time to do. Just focus on being healthy like bathing regularly, even if it means sitting while you take a shower because standing is too much right now. Just focus on wearing clean clothes and other basic maintenance of yourself. There is no need to impress anyone right now. Just focus on being healthy.
You might not like every doctor or therapist you meet. You want to work with doctors and therapists that you respect and trust. It is less important that you like them. At times, you probably will not. If they are doing their job well, he or she will have to tell you things that are difficult for you to hear and understand. It will probably frustrate you and you may not like your doctor for a while. It is okay to feel this way, just continue with your commitment to seeking care.
If you ever feel like it is time to change therapists, consider meeting with a therapist at Maverick Insights Counseling. Feel free to check out our team and ask questions. We are happy to talk to you about therapy options.
