Doing More For Depression
If you've sought professional help for your depression, that's an excellent step towards feeling better. Consider incorporating some of the suggestions below to support your progress in overcoming depression, in addition to the professional care you receive.
Sometimes, therapy a few times a week and medication are not sufficient to help you feel that your life is back on track. Therefore, your own efforts and feelings that you want to make additional efforts to feel better are both a sign of improved health and a means of further improving your health. Don't disregard your own instincts to adopt lifestyle changes that you believe will support your mental health, in addition to the medical steps you've taken.
Consider adding exercise into your daily routine when you begin to feel better. By now, you probably know that exercise can be beneficial not only to your physical, but also your mental well-being. Incorporating a routine of working out can be a positive and permanent part of your lifestyle to maximize your mental health.
Don't worry about every negative feeling you experience, even if you're on medication for depression. While many people react to anti-depressants differently, it is usually not the goal of such medication to help you achieve numbness so that you won't experience the full range of human emotions. Your medical care, whether medication, counseling, or both, should assist you in better handling your human emotions rather than numbing them.
If your goal is to ultimately obviate your need for medication and counseling, you should talk with your healthcare providers about this goal as soon as you can so that you can make sure you're working with professionals who support your vision for your own life.
Don't limit yourself to traditional healthcare professionals if you believe that other less traditional care or counseling can be beneficial for you, such as acupuncture or a spiritual class of some kind. You should share other activities and efforts you're making to improve your life with your healthcare professionals so that they can provide you with their input.
Deliberately establish goals for yourself to keep yourself as an active participant in your own life in order to improve your feelings of control over your life, and therefore, improve your chances of permanently improving your outlook. While depression can sap energy, engaging in activities and projects can frequently energize you.
Consider whether you have to change the people with whom you socialize as you feel better, whether it's people with whom you engaged in some unhealthy activity, such as drinking when you were feeling depressed, or it's people whose critical or negative attitude exacerbate your feelings of depression. Make sure you discuss the fact that you're dropping certain people from your life, as well as the reasons why, with your counselors.
You can help yourself with managing depression even if you're using the services of a mental health care professional. Use the suggestions above for taking an active role in your recovery and management of depression, in addition to using the services of healthcare professionals.
