Chapter 6 Part Two Learning How to Cope Chapter Four The First Steps Out of Depression

Depression is not a one-dimensional illness; there are many types with different causes.Depression, unlike typhoid or the flu, is a diagnosis that applies to patients with a range of different symptoms, shattering their self-confidence and sapping their energy.Depression in some people is caused by a life event, such as job loss, housing problems, poverty, or a major loss of property.In others, depression appears to be genetic.In others, early negative life experiences predispose them to depression.In still others, depression stems from problems with family, relationships, or social isolation.Of course, people may have one or more of these problems, so it's no surprise that we need a variety of treatments and approaches to dealing with depression, and what works for one person may not work for another.

In this section, we describe several treatments that may help you.They can help you cope with the difficulties you face and change your pessimistic attitude towards things.Because depression can cause people to have negative ideas about themselves and the future.Perhaps it is these negative concepts that have influenced you to take further measures to solve the problems in your life.change your behavior When we're depressed, we feel powerless to carry out our daily activities.Therefore, we should arrange these activities reasonably so that we can complete them one by one.Take bed rest, for example. If it makes us feel better, lying in bed is certainly a good thing.But for depressed people, things are often not that simple.They do not lie in bed for rest or recovery, but as a means of escape.Because we have nothing to do with our heart, we feel guilty and blame ourselves for this avoidance.And, lying down gives us more time to contemplate our plight.The bed may seem like a safe place, however, over time, we're worse off.So above all else, make an effort to get out of bed and make a plan to do one positive thing each day.Remember: your imitation brain tricks you into telling you you can't, and tells you to give up trying, and you have to slowly convince the other part of yourself that you can get things done little by little.

sometimes.Some depressed people often force themselves to get out of bed with the thought: "Get up, you slob, how can you just lie here?" In fact, the opposite strategy may help, which is to learn to enjoy the time in bed .At least once a week, you can lie in bed, read the newspaper, listen to the radio, and think to yourself: How pleasant this is.You should learn that when you tell yourself to get up and do things, you should no longer simply "force yourself to get up", but encourage yourself to get up.Because lying there thinking about the difficulties you're facing will make you feel worse.

Break complex problems into simple ones Take shopping as an example. Before you set off, try not to think about how troublesome it will be.Instead, take a look at your bulletin board and make a grocery list.After doing this, you can give yourself an encouragement, after all, you are one step ahead than you were just now.Next, grab the bag and the rest and go shopping.On the way, you want to think that you are ready to shop, and try to avoid thinking about the troubles you may encounter while shopping in the mall.When you arrive at the mall, go shopping slowly until you have bought all the items on the shopping list.

This may sound like a prescription, and in a way it is.The core issue is not to be distracted by notions like "it's too much trouble for me to handle".Studies have shown that when we are depressed, we lose the habit of making plans and doing things in an orderly manner, and become easily afraid of difficulties.The way to fight depression is to make a plan step by step.As troublesome as it may be, remember that you are training yourself to think in a different way.If you break your leg, you will learn how to gradually add strength to the injured leg until it is fully healed.The same must be true of the systematic approach to combating depression.

plan some positive and rewarding activities When we are depressed, we often feel that we have to do something boring.Now, although there is no less weariness, we can plan to do some active activities, that is, those activities that bring you joy.For example, if you want, you can sit in the garden and read a book, go out to visit friends or go for a walk.Sometimes depressed people are not good at scheduling these activities in their lives. They spend all their time struggling in pain; they feel guilty about running out with unwashed clothes.In fact, we need active activity, otherwise, we will be like constantly withdrawing money from the bank but never saving.Positive activities are equivalent to your savings in the bank. Even if the activities you engage in can only bring you a little happiness, you have to tell yourself: My savings have increased again.

coping with a boring life Some types of depression are closely related to feelings of boredom.The life of some depressed patients becomes mechanical and boring.Sometimes, it seems inevitable.The key to solving the problem is still to diagnose boredom and then gradually overcome it.One of my patients once formed / such a life pattern: work, go home, watch TV, sleep.He forgoes opportunities to hang out with friends and engage in other activities.After therapy, he gradually began to think about which activities he liked and tried to do them.Later, he joined the football club and became a member of the group.In addition, he joined a charity to help raise funds.

Some depressed individuals often feel isolated, lonely, and blocked, which is caused by society and the environment.Depression is a natural response to a dull, unstimulating life. Women who are stuck at home with their children all day can easily get bored.The main solution is to make them aware of their boredom and try to get out of the old life pattern and form a new way of life.They can join mother-baby groups and engage in other activities with friends.If a person has symptoms of social anxiety, try getting out into the world, or ask your family doctor if there is a small local group that can help with the disorder.

Increased activity level, distraction Sometimes, when people feel tense, depressed, they become irritable.Trying to relax in this situation is not ideal, because the brain cannot be quiet.Therefore, you need to engage in - some physical activity, in order to distract you.Such as tidying up flowers, running, doing aerobics, doing home decoration, etc.Any activity that includes physical activity is beneficial, and if you're getting stressed out from anger or frustration, physical activity is the best way to help. When the brain is depressed, our minds are preoccupied with negative events in our lives.Sometimes, we may even fall into despair.If you find yourself in a vortex of negative events, you should immediately do something to distract yourself.Otherwise, these negative thoughts will keep flashing in your mind and make your situation worse.

Your perception does affect how your brain works.Imagine a group of non-depressed people taking part in the following experiment: Every night at 8 o'clock, they start having sexual fantasies.What do you think will happen to their bodies and emotions? The most likely result is that their sexual desire is aroused, and the secretion of sex hormones in the brain increases, which is physiologically prepared for sex. You may have discovered that people's bodies can be altered (or aroused) by their fantasies.However, you may not have thought that depressive thoughts can also affect changes in the body and affect the secretion of brain chemicals.Just as people use cold baths or other activities to distract, control sexual thoughts, and avoid excessive arousal when they don't want it, so can depressive thoughts be controlled.You should try to find ways to distract your attention so that you don't get depressed by dwelling on negative thoughts.In future chapters, we will discuss how to change negative thinking.Before we can do that, we must first understand how the mind: how ideas affect our bodily functions.

Create a "personal space" Sometimes we also have problems creating a "personal space".We are often so busy meeting the needs of others (such as those of our family) that we don't leave enough room for ourselves.We were too busy and we wanted to get away from it all.In fact, if you feel you need some alone time, talk to your loved ones and explain it.You have to understand that needing your own time is not the same as abandoning them, on the contrary, it is a positive choice for you, so that you can better face yourself. Many people feel guilty about needing their own space.Instead, you should tell your loved ones about these needs.Don't assume that needing personal space means that there is something wrong with you or that your relationship with him is wrong.Any relationship will have tension from time to time.If you know how to make room for yourself in your relationships, you will reduce your potential dissatisfaction and desire to escape. know your limits Many of my patients feel overworked and overwhelmed.They realize their failure and feel so ashamed that they sink into depression.Many depressed people are true warriors: I rarely see depressed people put their feet on a table and enjoy a moment of rest; and very few depressed people are aware of their limits.Sometimes, this goes hand in hand with perfectionism.Experts like to use the term "burned out" to describe individuals who are in a hollowed-out state.For some, "burning out" is the trigger for depression.Whether you're staying at home juggling childcare or juggling work assignments, it's important to remember that you, like everyone else, have a limit to what you can do. Think about the ways you use to "hollow out" yourself, don't berate yourself for feeling "burned out", be honest with the fact, and find a way to solve the problem.Do you have enough happy events in your life? Can you make an effort to increase such an event? Can you talk about your feelings with others and ask for help? If we don’t create enough personal space, we will have The feeling of ''burning out''. For example, young doctors often experience the phenomenon of ''burning out'' due to overwork and not creating enough personal space, and eventually fall into depression. Different people burn out to different degrees, and while some people seem to be able to handle everything (which makes us feel like we have to be like them), we may not be able to be like them.Everyone's limits are different, and our limits change from time to time. Addressing Sleep Disorders Sleep patterns vary from person to person.My daughter is not a good sleeper like I am, however, my wife and my son can sleep with their heads covered everywhere.Also, as we age, the ease of falling asleep and the need for the amount of sleep change.So, our sleep patterns are completely personal.You don't have to worry about not getting enough sleep. Mrs. Thatcher only slept 4 hours a day! The manifestations of sleep disorders are various: some people have difficulty sleeping, some people wake up after one or two hours of sleep, some Some people wake up early, while others fall into a very light sleep. You should think of sleep as a behavior that needs to be adjusted.Such as: drinking a glass of milk before going to bed may help sleep.You should make sure the bed is comfortable, the room is well ventilated, and it is a habit to plan your sleep.Don't work late into the night like I used to, so that when I go to bed, the work I just done is roaring in my head and I can't sleep.Planned sleep requires you to try to relax within half an hour to an hour before falling asleep.If possible, read a book to free yourself from the tension (but don't put more energy into it).If it's appropriate, turn to your partner for comfort.You can also do some light activity during the day. You want to avoid alcohol as much as possible.Having a glass or two of wine may seem like it will help you sleep, but it doesn't.Alcohol affects your sleep patterns: you wake up early and feel withdrawn (and stronger if you drink a lot).Also, try not to sleep during the day.If I sleep for more than 15 minutes in the afternoon, I can't sleep at night.If you wake up early, get up instead of lying in bed thinking about your troubles.Frankly, I'm a poor sleeper, and if I wake up early, I'm usually up and working right away.Sure, I get tired sometimes, but I have to see that as my style of life.Antidepressants can help if you have severe sleep disturbances.Others find that staying up all night and not catching up on sleep during the day can help improve mood, but this should only be done under expert guidance.At present, there are many books on the market to help you adjust your sleep, which may be of some benefit to you.bodily functions Physical condition is very important.Your body is like a garden, and it needs to be tended to if you want it to function properly.It gets tired and needs your maintenance.You should learn to respect and care for your body: learn to relax, exercise properly, pay attention to nutrition. My best advice is to find a sympathetic family doctor with whom you can talk frankly about your depression. In 1992, the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom launched a "Beat Depression" campaign, which aimed to increase the sensitivity of family doctors in the profession to psychological problems and improve psychotherapy techniques. Some medical conditions can trigger depression, such as: · Thyroid problems ·Insomnia ．vitamin deficiencies (such as B12) ．abnormal hormone secretion ．stroke ．drug complications It is wise to troubleshoot the above issues before treating depression.Of course, we should also realize that most depression is not caused by a medical condition. antidepressants The next question is whether you should take antidepressants.Many people fear that taking these drugs will lead to addiction, which is not the case.These drugs work in a completely different way than sedatives such as Valium.First, while they improve some symptoms (such as sleep disturbances) quickly, it takes two to six weeks to improve mood.Some people don't like the side effects of antidepressants (including drowsiness, dry mouth, and weight gain). In fact, these symptoms go away on their own after a few weeks.Although many antidepressants have side effects and work in the same way, if one drug doesn't work for you, another drug may work for you.If the drugs are effective in improving your mood, any side effects can be tolerated. You should discuss medications in detail with your GP.If your depressive symptoms are severe: insomnia makes you tired, withdrawn, and loses interest in the world around you, antidepressants may help relieve these symptoms and bring recovery from depression.Some types of depression are very difficult to recover from without the help of medication. Your GP may recommend that you see a psychiatrist, and you should not be ashamed of that.Psychiatrists are highly medically trained, and although some depression goes beyond what drugs can treat, a psychiatrist's opinion can go a long way.You should be honest about your situation and get the best advice from your doctor. It is difficult to make general advice here, because what advice to take depends on the type, severity, and duration of your depression.However, with or without medication, there is growing evidence that changing thinking and perceptions can help relieve mild to moderate depression and prevent relapse.There are some problems that drugs cannot solve. After all, drugs cannot help us change our minds or solve social problems. seasonal affective disorder Some depression, which occurs in the fall and winter, when the days get shorter, is called "seasonal affective disorder," or SAD, and is thought to be caused by a decrease in natural light from the eyes to the pineal gland in the brain.This kind of seasonal affective disorder, in addition to appearing regularly with seasonal changes, also has another symptom, that is, increased sleep (some fall asleep for more than 10 hours) and do not wake up in the morning. If you suspect that your depressive symptoms are related to seasonal changes, you can talk to your GP.Some people have found that getting more sun exposure in the morning is beneficial, and others have found that. - A light box with a fixed wavelength of light is also helpful. change the way you treat your body healthy diet Depressed people often eat poorly.A nutritionally balanced diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables and more carbohydrates (such as bread, potatoes).Because these foods slowly release energy, they help boost certain brain chemicals that are often underproduced when you're depressed.There is growing evidence that weight loss itself can affect the secretion of a variety of brain chemicals.Therefore, you need to consider whether your weight loss has been accompanied by depression or depression has become severe.Other studies have shown that eating a lot of sugar or other sweets can increase susceptibility to depression in some people.Therefore, you should eat desserts such as cakes as little as possible.It's not clear if some people are used to taking too many vitamins to relieve depression, but as long as it doesn't harm your body (excess vitamin A can damage the liver), taking vitamins can act as a placebo effect - that is, The reason your depressive symptoms improve is because you believe the vitamin works, not because the vitamin actually has a direct effect on brain chemistry.A caring family doctor will advise you to take vitamins. sports There is some evidence that exercise has some benefit for mild to moderate depressive symptoms because it increases the release of certain chemicals in the brain.A patient of mine with bipolar depression {who is taking lithium and antidepressants) found that if he wakes up feeling down in the morning, swimming can change his mood profile.When we are depressed, we are less active.If you can encourage yourself to exercise more, it will do you a lot of good, exercise can give you a sense of accomplishment. drink less Alcoholism can easily lead to low mood and depression.Drinking less alcohol can be very beneficial for you to effectively control your emotions -- especially when you are trying to drink out of boredom.People usually use alcohol as a hypnotic tool, but practice shows that it is precisely an important factor affecting normal sleep.In any case, it is absolutely not advisable to use alcoholism to get rid of mental stress and depression. Stimulant drugs If you are taking a stimulant, I suggest you work on quitting it.It is a mild stimulant, such as coffee, it is best not to use it.Occasionally, I've seen depressed patients drink a lot of coffee—sometimes more than 10 cups a day.Many stimulants have the side effect of raising symptoms of depression or anxiety. If you're using illicit drugs, you'd better make an effort to quit because they don't do your body any good.Some people who smoke marijuana lose motivation, become depressed, numb, and even mildly delusional.In fact, the misuse of any drug is a cause for concern, including painkillers.If you're taking a lot of painkillers every day, it's best to see your GP and make a plan to reduce your dose. sedative Occasional sedatives are good, but if you use them long-term, you should consider weaning them off.You don't have to stop taking the medicine right away, but slowly reduce the amount you take.It is also crucial to get the advice of your family doctor, who may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist. learn to relax Learning to relax is easier said than done.At present, there are many books and tapes on how to relax on the market. There are also courses and discussion groups on how to relax in the society. You can choose a method that suits you. Here, we briefly introduce the main points of relaxation. breathe First, you have to learn to control your breathing: · Sit comfortably in a chair, or lie on the bed, and focus on your exhalation and inhalation, paying attention to the rhythm. ．Slowly inhale the air into the lungs (feel the air go down to the diaphragm), let the air stay in the lungs for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly. ．Breathe in and out rhythmically, count slowly, inhale (one, two, three, four) Hold (one, two), exhale (one, two, three, four). ．If you find a rhythm that is comfortable for you, focus on "inhaling" and "exhaling" and silently say "in-exhale; in-exhale, in-exhale" in the same rhythm Don't feel burdened, take slow, rhythmic deep breaths, and try to keep it as relaxed and comfortable as possible.As soon as you feel pleasure, tell yourself that you are working to slow down your body rhythms in order to gradually achieve a state of relaxation.With each exhalation, say "relax" in your head -- or if you prefer, you can say "quiet."Imagine that with each exhale, your body begins to relax.You breathe out the tension and it starts to feel warm and relaxed. muscle relaxation Once you become comfortable with this breathing pattern, you can focus more on your body.There are many ways to do this. First, you can focus on one part at a time. When you inhale, slowly tense this part, and as you exhale, slowly release the tension and gradually relax. ．Beginning with the feet, as you inhale, tense the muscles in your feet and feel the tension, then exhale, release the tension and experience the feeling of relaxation.Repeat it again. ．Now, focus on the calf area and repeat the above action.As you inhale, tense your calf muscles and feel the tension, then exhale to release the tension and experience the relaxation.Repeat it again. Notice the difference between tension and relaxation, and imagine your body becoming warm and heavy.Using the same technique, focus on one group of muscles at a time.From the calf muscles to the thighs, back, abdomen, chest, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, face, etc.When doing eyelid relaxation, you first scrunch up your face and then relax.When you finish tensing and relaxing all the muscle groups in your body, focus on the whole body, and feel your body getting heavier and more relaxed as you breathe. Repeat the above action until you are familiar with the technique and really feel relaxed.An action series should last around 10 minutes (or longer).You can do it at any time of the day or night, and you'll find it works better before bed.You can also repeat the above moves while sitting watching TV, in the car, or in a meeting.Use your mind to increase your sense of control over your body and learn to relax.Don't think that relaxation exercises can only be done when you are alone or meditating.You can do it any time of day. Second, you can use relaxation techniques while walking. ．Stand up straight, but not stiff. ．As you walk, focus on your breath. ．Breathe slowly and deeply, but don't overdo it. ．As you exhale, focus on relaxing. ．Pay attention to how your body feels, relax any part that feels tense, let your body become heavy and relaxed.How do your shoulders feel, tense? If tense, let your shoulders sag and experience a heaviness.How does the rest of your body feel -- like your neck or forehead? ．Consciously relax your body. ·Learn to take care of your body and understand how it feels when you are stressed.This method is bound to work. Another important benefit of relaxation is that it takes your attention away from negative thoughts.The more you focus on relaxing, the less likely your brain is to think about those things, which helps us fight depression. other relaxation techniques Some people find that they can achieve deeper levels of relaxation through creative visualization.For example, listening to your own breathing while imagining the ocean tide will increase your level of relaxation.Feel the breath of the sea, imagine the waves are beating the shore gently with the rhythm of your breathing.With each exhale, the waves carry your tension away.Some people like to imagine a cool garden, woods, or waterside, or watch a hot air balloon slowly rise into the blue sky.These images are personal.You try to associate relaxation with these images, creating a peaceful world in your mind.Whenever you relax, you return to this world. Once you have mastered the basic techniques of relaxation, you can experiment with different relaxation methods to find the one that works for you.Some people find that listening to music is very effective for relaxing, and meditation can also help to relax.You can either train individually or join a training group.A training group will not only teach you relaxation techniques, but it will also give you the opportunity to connect with others and engage in activities together.