Recovering from Depression

You know when you don't feel like yourself. If you're suffering from depression, it's likely you're feeling varying degrees of exhaustion, worthlessness, helplessness, and/or hopelessness. When such negative thoughts and feelings persist, some people may feel like giving up treatment.

The encouraging news is that negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. In the meantime:

Seek treatment and continue the treatment plan prescribed by your therapist, including keeping scheduled therapy appointments and continuing to take prescribed medication. Know that signs of improvement may take several weeks. If no improvement occurs, consult your therapist about a different treatment plan rather than give up.

*Find small tasks that can be comfortably accomplished and most important; that are enjoyable.

*Try to be with other people; it's usually better than being alone.

*Engage in pleasurable activities such as going to a concert, a movie, or a ballgame.

*Try some form of moderate exercise each day, choosing something you usually enjoy, such as walking, swimming, or yoga.

*Accept help from family and friends.

*Expect your depressive mood to improve gradually, not immediately. Feeling better takes time.

Remember, positive thinking will replace the negative thinking that is part of the depression and will disappear as the depression responds to treatment.

What You Can Do To Help Someone You Care About Recover From Depression

Support from family and friends can have a big and positive influence throughout a depression sufferer's treatment and recovery. Seeing someone you care about in pain is always difficult, and being with someone who is depressed can make you feel stressed and confused as you try to figure out how you can best help them. The National Institute of Mental Health offers the following suggestions for how family and friends can help a loved one recover from depression:

If they have not yet sought out professional help, encourage them to make an appointment with a therapist.

You can use the 4therapy.com Therapist Locator to find therapists in their area who are especially experienced in helping people suffering from depression. For even further support, offer to go along with them to their therapy appointments.

Encourage them to stick with the treatment plan prescribed by the therapist, including keeping scheduled therapy appointments and taking prescribed medication.

Give emotional support by listening carefully and offering hope.

Invite them to join you in activities you know he or she used to enjoy (please keep in mind that expecting too much too soon can lead to feelings of failure).

Do not accuse them of faking illness or expect them to "snap out of it."

Take comments about suicide very seriously and seek professional advice.