How to Live with Depression

The first thing to living with depression is understanding depression. If you are living with this at the moment it is necessary to understand that depression is a medical condition and anyone can get it. It most certainly is not a personality disorder and is not a sign of weakness. The way to deal with depression effecively is to understand just what it is ,how it can affect you and what causes it.

To some people depression feels like a black curtain of despair covering them, others feel irritable for no apparent reason and others just feel 'down'. It varies from person to person.Should a person feel 'down' for more than two weeks and their daily life is being intererfered with then there is a possiblity of clinical depression.

There are two common types of depression - major depression and dysthymia.

Major depression can severely disrupt a persons life and can affect the appetite,sleep patterns,work and relationships. There are many symptoms which characterize major depression. Here are just a few - frequent feelings of sadness lasting most of the day,no interest in once enjoyed interests and activities,feelings of hopelessness,worthlessness or guilt, loss of self esteem,sleep problems,difficulty in concentrating,irritability,changes in appetite,restlessness and in some thoughts of death or suicide.

Dysthymia is another form of depression where a person feels mildly depressed on most days over a period of two years. The sypmtoms of dysthymia are similar to those of major depression but are less severe.

Should you be wondering what has caused your depression you need to understand that depression is often a result of a combination of things. Among those things can be named family history,trauma and stress,pesimistic personality,physical conditions and other psychological disorders eg eating disorders,anxiety disorders etc.

Depression can now be successfully treated either by medication or therapy. Over the past decade there has been a revolution in medication used to treat depression. Anti-depressants work by balancing the chemicals in the brain. You and your Doctor will have to discuss which anti depressant it right for you but remember as with most medications there can be some unpleasant side effects eg dry mouth,weight changes,sexual problems. Plus keep in mind these are not a miracle cure and can take up to four weeks to start relieving the symptoms,

A great tool in the treatment of depression is psychotherapy (talk therapy). Here a person talks to a qualified therapist about how they are feeling. There are several therapy approaches used to help relieve depression amongst them are cognitive-behavioral,interpersonal,psychodynamic and group therapy.

Now a person battling depression can help themselves albeit a struggle. The first thing is to recognize the early signs and take action. Goal setting can help. Make sure that the day is not overloaded and be realistic so that the goals can be met. Try and do what you enjoy. Find time for a walk with friends, or to go to the movies or take up a hobby that you enjoyed years ago. There is evidence that exercise can help but again nothing too ambitious so that you will achieve what you set out to do. The feel good factor is essential.

During bouts of depression hold off making big decisions. Depression can color your outlook on a number of things so its best not to sell your home,quit your job until you feel better.

Alcohol should really be avoided at all costs. People with depression are at a special risk for developing substance abuse problems.

It is good to be pro active in your treatment for depression. Ask yourself a few simple questions to help you build a plan of action.

What physical activities do I like?
Do I prefer group or individual activities?
What programs best fit my schedule and lifestyle?
What can I do to educate myself about depression?

Last reminders depression is a medical condition,depression is treatable,take prescribed medication,keep in mind that medication and therapy take time to take effect,tell the doctor about any side effects from medication,do not stop medication without first notifying your doctor,tell people that are close to you about your depression so that you can turn to them for help.