Effective Strategies for Emotional Healing: Coping with Depression

Effective Strategies for Emotional Healing: Coping with Depression

Depression is a modern reality and a quite common mental illness that more and more people experience at some point in their lives. Failures, unfulfilled desires, genetics, drugs, and numerous other factors can cause depression. The issues caused can be mild, moderate, or severe. Find out more about depression and discover possibilities to deal with a depressed state of mind.

Medically speaking, one episode of depression lasts at least two weeks and anything lesser than that cannot be qualified as depression (that sounds partly true, but what if I disagree with this?). The common symptoms of depression, which can vary from person to person, are feelings of sadness, loss of interest in the activities a person normally enjoys, loss of appetite, low self-esteem, weight gain or weight loss, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, and many more.

What helps people cope with depression?

1. Meet yourself where you are

Depression affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles.

Being open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what you’re going through may help you navigate depression.

2. Consider a walk around the block

On days when you feel you can’t get out of bed, exercise may seem like the last thing you’d want to do. But exercise and physical activity can help reduce symptoms of depression and improve energy levels.

3. Know that today isn’t indicative of tomorrow

Internal emotions and thoughts can change from day to day. Tracking experiences through journaling or keeping a mood diary can help you to remember this.

If you were unsuccessful at getting out of bed or accomplishing goals today, remember that you haven’t lost tomorrow’s opportunity to try again.

4. Assess the parts instead of generalizing the whole

Depression can tinge recollections with difficult emotions. You may find yourself focusing on things that are unhelpful or perceived as difficult.

Try to stop this over generalization. Push yourself to recognize the good. If it helps, write down what was meaningful about the event or day. You can track what you achieved that day and which activities were enjoyable.

5. Do the opposite of what the ‘depression voice’ suggests

The automatic, unhelpful voice in your head may talk you out of self-help. But if you learn to recognize this voice, you can learn to work through it.

If you believe an event won’t be fun or worth your time, say to yourself, “You might be right, but it’ll be better than just sitting here another night.” You may soon see that automatic thought isn’t always helpful.

Stories of Recovery

• The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
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• On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
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• I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
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• "Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
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