Depression
is a serious mental health condition that makes one have extreme feelings of
sadness, hopelessness, and unworthiness. It makes one irritable and angry. Many
life events can trigger depression, especially divorce or the death of a loved
one, negative thinking habits and unfair self-criticism, poor sleep, nervous
system changes, etc. Other causes include genetics, some medications, or drug
abuse.
There
are several symptoms of depression, which include having a constant sad mood
for over two weeks, a feeling of disinterest in life activities, a loss of
appetite or overeating, etc. Depression, just like any other mental illness,
has its own medication prescribed by qualified physicians. But since the cause
of depression is actually more mental than physical, the best way to combat it
and have a lasting result is to have a mental redress of the situation, taking
into cognizance the initial causes of depression and how major changes in
thought and lifestyle can free one from the overweighing load of depression.
In this article, we shall be discussing the
major ways in which you can overcome depression without antidepressant
medication. There are three antidepressant skills that have been found effective
in overcoming depression. This skill helps to prevent mood swings, making you
feel less depressed and even stopping depression from reoccurring again.
Below
are the three ways you can eliminate depression permanently from your life
without medication:
1. Realistic Thinking
One
of the causes of depression is poor and unrealistic thinking about situations
of life. You have an unrealistic negative thought about your situation, a
negative and demeaning thought about yourself, and an unrealistic negative
thought about your future. You perceive life situations as one way: if you
don’t get a job before your next birthday, you will never get any again; if you
are having a problem understanding a subject, you conclude that you can never
understand it again; and if life doesn’t go the way you planned it, no other way
can be better. You conclude that you are a failure if there is a slight
deviation from your expected outcome. You overgeneralized things, that as one
event turned out bad in the past, you concluded that every thing in your life
will turn out bad. You call yourself names, tagging yourself as a
failure.
All
this is the product of your false and unrealistic thoughts about yourself. In
overcoming depression, you will have to be more realistic with your thoughts.
Realistic thinking is being more accurate about your situation, seeing things
clearly as they are, being fair to yourself, looking at situations from a
balanced point of view, considering both the positive and the negative, and quit looking at the negative side. Also have an accurate view of your future
without nurturing the thoughts of a bad outcome. The key point is to not
let negative, unrealistic thoughts cloud your mind. It weighs you down and you
won’t see things from the right perspective. Challenge it with a more
realistic thought, and you will see the positive side of things. In this way
you overcome depression and you begin to see light at the end of the
tunnel.
2.
Identify the problems and solve them.
It
is normal to have a low mood when faced with an overwhelming problem, which can
make one depressed. Research has shown that people who experience depression
have at some point experienced stress, deprivation, or the loss of someone. The
first step in problem solving is identifying the problem and its source. And
the best way to identify this problem is to remind yourself what you were
thinking about that led to the change in mood. That is a pointer to the problem
that’s leading you to depression. Understand the problem and write out
practical ways to solve it; start with the smallest and continue to the bigger
ones until you become accustomed to problem solving.
A
problem solved is a glimmer of hope and a booster of confidence in oneself.
Problem solving is one of the way to be a happy human. We can’t live in
this world without problems; our defense mechanism is to solve them as they
appear. So take a look at that problem that has got you depressed, ask yourself
questions, find out the origin, and start brainstorming solutions to it.
3.
Goal Setting
setting
is having a clear direction on what you want to achieve. It's about moving from
knowing what to do to planning how to do it. You might have a great idea for
solving a problem, but you may never get around to doing it.
Setting a clear and realistic goal is a
powerful way to make sure you actually do it. When you are not skilled at goal
setting, you are less likely to solve any problem or get into any pleasurable
activities, so it makes them more prone to depression. You set goals by
starting from simple to complex things. Feel the joy that comes with
accomplishing a simple goal, then move ahead to accomplish bigger ones. Make
sure your goals are realistic and organized. Goal setting helps you monitor
your progress and achieve a lot in a little time. It brings positive energy and
helps you get out of depression.
The
three skills discussed above help to overcome depression by killing it from the
root; however, there are also other helpful methods or lifestyles that one can
adopt that help in overcoming depression.
These
are;
1. Exercise
Regular
exercise helps to improve mood by helping the body release feel-good hormones
such as endorphins, a natural hormone that creates a sense of ecstasy and
exhilaration.
2.
Get more sleep
A
good night's sleep helps reduce stress and mental fatigue. Sleeping refreshes
and energize your brain, it helps to sharpen your focus and clarity about your
life. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night and have a regular sleeping
schedule. Once you can minimize stress, you can stop depression from occurring.
Good sleep is a good antidote to stress.
3. Eat
good food
Eating
a well-balanced diet can help improve your mood and make you feel good. A diet
rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein helps to increase the
production of hormones responsible for good mood and ecstasy.
4. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness
is the act of paying attention to the present without judgement or
distraction. Mindfulness is being aware of your thoughts and feelings,
spotting the negative thoughts and replacing it with the positive ones.
Mindfulness can be practiced through meditation, deep breathing exercise or by
being focused on your sense and surroundings.
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