Life with Depression

Everyone has their off days when they feel down and don't want to get out of bed, but for a lot of people everyday hurts just to be alive and they just want to stay in bed hoping that the world and their problems will go away.

It doesn't matter who you are, your age, sex, where you live or how much money you earn, depression can still affect you and your life, as well as the people around you.

The symptoms can range from just feeling down but you can still function even though you don't want to, to feeling that miserable and hurt that you don't want to keep going and you hope that maybe tomorrow you don't wake up or you attempt suicide.

There's things you can do when you start to feel depressed that will lessen how you feel.

Listen to music
Have you ever turned the radio on and a song is being played and your mind instantly goes back to a time in your life when you felt good about being you, when you were happy and didn't have to pretend to be someone else to "fit in". Music changes the way you feel, so try to turn on the radio or a CD and start singing out loud. It doesn't matter if you are totally tone deaf and can't carry a tune, what matters is that it changes your mood and they way you feel, It will stop you from beating yourself up with all the internal self talk that happens 24/7.

Drink Water
Don't ask me how this works, but it makes you feel better. Dehydration can cause depression as your body needs water and most people don't drink enough. It will help stop food cravings as a lot of people can mistake feeling thirsty as they're feeling hungry. The water from your kitchen tap is fine,

Avoid Chocolate
In some people , chocolate can make depression symptoms worse even though chocolate is meant to make you feel so much better and comfort you. It can act like a depressant and the worse you feel, the more chocolate you eat to try and get a happy feeling.

Exercise
This means getting out of bed, getting dressed and going out for a walk. Exercise can change the way you feel and release some feel good chemicals in your brain. It will clear away all the cobwebs, make you fitter, improve your mood and you will feel better, as you won't be in a house staring at four walls and watching TV.

Friends, Family, Support System
It's not good to keep everything bottled up and just talking to someone can really help. think of a bottle of coke when it's been shaken and the pressure has been built up and it feels ready to explode, what if you took the lid off?... It would decompress and all the pressure would be released, same thing with having everything bottled up then by talking to someone you feel safe talking to you let go of the pressure. The person should be someone that you trust, you know that they will listen and won't judge you.

Do something that will make you feel good
For you it might mean getting pampered, hanging out with friends, being with a pet, drawing, writing, reading, housework anything that will make you feel better about yourself.

Find professional Help
Depression will disappear and you can live a happy and fulfilled life, but the first thing on the road to recovery should be a trip to a doctor. They can help you by medication if you need it and can recommend therapists in your area. You can talk to them about how your feeling and just talking to someone that isn't involved in your life, can help.

Therapists
We now live in a technological age with the Internet and email, so it means that you can pay for a therapist on line and get therapy over the Internet. Therapy can range from 6-12 hour long sessions with a hypnotherapist to conventional talk therapy which can last longer depending on your circumstances, it's up to you but have a support system behind you when you need someone to talk to when your not at the therapists.

Find a therapist that you feel comfortable talking to, listen to your gut instinct, ask your friends, family, church or doctor for recommendations.

I've lived with depression, I've had days when I didn't want to get out of bed and it hurt too much to keep living. I got help and I'm living life without depression and if I can do it, so can you... Keep smiling