Five Ways to Get Over Depression

How can a man who has it all - a top-notch job, a loving family and financial security -- become depressed? Mike Wallace, a TV journalist in the US, is himself lost for answers. He candidly talks about the endless darkness and the paralysing force of depression he suffered before he sought professional help. "The seasons, friends, good food mean nothing. All you focus on is yourself and how bad you feel," confesses Wallace, painfully. Wallace had to undergo extensive psychotherapy and anti-depressant medication before he could snap out of his depression.

So if you are depressed, have you done anything about it or are you just pretending that nothing's wrong? Deep depression is a clinical illness that needs medical treatment. It is important that if you are depressed you take it seriously as severe depression can cause years of unhappiness and low performance. Depression can be handled before it gets serious. Here's how:

    * Change your attitude : An important way of guarding against depression is by adopting a positive attitude. Many people become used to thinking that they are depressed. Their depression becomes more than an illness - it becomes their whole way of life. The way to overcome this is to redefine your attitude. Stop thinking of yourself as depressed and start thinking of yourself as an ordinary person with ordinary problems instead. If this sounds very simple it is because it is. But remember that however simple, it necessarily does not mean that it is easy. All you have to do is commit yourself and you will live a depression free life.

    * Break out of the old thinking: Related to your attitude is the fact that you need to change your thinking too. For example, most people think that if life is difficult then they will have no option but to become depressed. Interestingly those people who always seem to be cheerful - have a totally different way of thinking. No matter how hard it gets they still find reason to laugh and simply be happy. Not surprising that both beliefs are true for people who hold them. Whatever you believe about yourself will be true for yourself.

    * Avoid pessimism: Whenever you catch yourself thinking pessimistic thoughts just remind yourself that everything is going well and that your life is working out exactly as it should. Keep telling yourself that something good is about to happen to you. This sort of repetition is known as affirmation and it is an excellent way to change your thinking habits. Remember that you do not have to give up hope. It takes about 21 days of consistent effort to completely break a habit. So relax and keep working.

    * Get active: People who have been or are suffering from depression, experience physiological changes. For example, changes are experienced in breathing patterns, sleep alterations, eating habits etc. A very effective way to combat depression is to restart all those activities that you enjoyed doing. For example, if you were a frequent visitor to the gym, start again. Go for a walk if that's what you enjoyed. If you were eating three self-cooked meals, then get into the kitchen and start cooking. Try not to oversleep.

    * Keep yourself busy: If you have been off work for a long time, get involved in activities that you always wanted to do but never got the time to do. Get involved in some project or social work that is more important than you. What is important is to take responsibility for something and take positive action in pursuit of a goal that is worthy and noble.

Finally remember that actions speak louder than words. It's one thing to talk about mental health recovery and quite a different thing to work towards it. No medicine in the world or any amount of therapy will help you without a genuine effort on your part. You do not have to put up with your depression any longer. Take charge of your life. The choice, as always, is yours.