Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Self Help for # Major Depression.

The word depression is bandied about casually but there is a world of difference between being sad,upset or worried;and being depressed.The first three moods come and go according to specific challenges or situations but depression is longer lasting and mostly unrelated to external stimuli.This post can help you determine whether you are plain sad or depressed,and whether your depression is minor,moderate or major.

Minor or moderate depression can be cured by psychotherapy or lifestyle changes.Major Depressive Disorder is harder to tackle but even here,as found out by Yale psychiatrists Wexler and Cicchetti in a meta-analysis conducted by them,psychotherapy alone should be the initial choice of treatment.Take a look:---

in a hypothetical cohort of 100 patients with major depression, 29 would recover if given pharmacotherapy alone, 47 would recover if given psychotherapy alone, and 47 would recover if given combined treatment. On the other hand, negative outcome (i.e., dropout or poor response) can be expected in 52 pharmacotherapy patients, 30 psychotherapy patients, and 34 combined patients. This meta-analysis suggests that psychotherapy alone should usually be the initial treatment for depression rather than exposing patients to unnecessary costs and side effects of combined treatment (Antonuccio, 1995 [43]).

Deliberate,conscious,lifestyle changes can also play a significant role in alleviating major depression.It asks for tough measures to be got rid of.The repetitive,depressive thoughts which have been assailing the patient's mind for days on end convert into an unconscious habit;the pattern gets grooved into the brain and becomes difficult to dislodge.In order to get better it is incumbent to change that cycle of thinking and the resultant behavior patterns.

This is easier said than done because the patient is extremely apathetic and not at all inclined to take any action;but it is a notable way out of this tunnel.If you feel that severe depression has you in it's tentacles,then you could try the following routine to free yourself.

In order to break the depressive cycle :----
  • Throw off your duvet,be thankful that you can move your limbs and are alive despite the oppressing circumstances.
  • Compel yourself to leave the bed.It is only the initial resolve to put your feet on the ground which is most difficult.
  • Now make your bed.Your room looks better---no?
  • Continue with your daily routine.
  • Make a cup of your favorite beverage,sit down and enjoy it with a biscuit or two.
  • Put on a smart dress,go to a mirror,smile,and observe how much better you look when you wear a smile.Not only look,but you will also feel better when you smile.
  • Walk out of your home and into a garden or a public park.
  • Greet those you come across,even if you don't know them.If you greet ten persons today,tomorrow ten or more will greet you.Don't you feel nice when a stranger greets you?Give that joy to others and it will come back to you.
  • Watch the world around you-- people,flowers,bushes,grass,sky and birds.
  • Talk with whosoever is near you.Yes I know,you do not have anything to convey to anyone but initiate small talk anyway.This site tells you how to do it.
  • Return home.
  • Relax.You are probably tired after having forced yourself to do all the above.Lie down or sprawl in an easy chair.Close your yes.Mentally go over each part of your body and relax the tense ones.Now consider--do you feel a tad better than you did when you opened your eyes?If yes,then resolve to do it again tomorrow. 
The above measures might seem inconsequential at first glance but the benefits will be very restorative.Most importantly,they come without any ill-effects attached to them.As the sufferer makes them a part of her/his daily routine it becomes easier and easier.

Related posts :---
http://jeeteraho.blogspot.in/2013/05/depression-ease-burden.html

http://jeeteraho.blogspot.in/2013/05/treating-depression.html

Source--
http://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-treatment-psychotherapy-medication-or-both/0001521

19 comments :

  1. Depression is a major ailment. India has many patients.
    It's alarming that many patients aren't aware that they are suffering...
    They need immediate attention & help so that they don't take extreme steps.
    Nice helpful points here, Induji.
    Hope people have access to such wise counsel.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting Anita,depression is a very irksome ailment,often going untreated.

      Delete
  2. True - even when it comes to 'feeling low', the best way to get out of it is to be taken out of yourself by way of taking interest in the rest of the world. Every problem keeps acquiring the aura of insurmountability if you keep mulling in your mind about how difficult it is.

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    1. And the crunch is that a depressed person thinks only of his body.

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  3. Thanks for sharing your antidote to sadness.
    And BTW you missed something---small talk links back to you.

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  4. Simple methods to take the stone away from the eye and see that its actually small .... Great post ....doing brain related puzzles like sudoku also help

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    1. Thank you Jaishree.
      Yes sudoku is an excellent stress buster but this post was for those who are so depressed that they do not wish to leave the bed in the morning.

      Delete
  5. good suggestions..today i see depression everywhere, may be modern life style ki den..its always self help and family support which can bring them out of it, but most important is seeking professional help which is avoided most of the time.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Renu,yes depression has become like an epidemic.Couldn't agree more with you about family support.
      Renu every time i click your blog i get a warning of malicious url like deependrajah,so i have to shut it off quickly.

      Delete
  6. nice read. when i am sad i write my dairy or listen to peppy music :)

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    1. Welcome to jeeteraho,glad you liked my post.
      Your tools for beating depression are just fine.

      Delete
  7. I know the feeling trying to get out of it .. the thing is I know it is just the time but still sometimes one is helpless and just cant get out ..

    I need to use the steps you mentions

    Bikram's

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    1. Please do,you will see daily improvement.
      This too will pass :)

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  8. Good morning Indu ji

    I have seen depression at its worst --to the extent of being branded mad by people and I have also seen the person pull herself out of it ----the only thing which helped her was friends and relatives talking to her telling her how important her existence was for her family this together with the fact that we took the risk of taking her away from the strict diet control the doctor had put her on -because that was making her physically weak .

    a post to remind one of the various phases of life one may face and how to overcome it all

    thanks all over again Indu ji love all your writings

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    1. Rajni this is a remarkable case that you have shared with me because saying it is one thing and bringing it about so conclusively is another.This will surely encourage sufferers to battle depression through their own resources because the ill effects of medicines are a forceful deterrent .Thanks for sharing it.
      Love n hugs.

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  9. Like always a very useful and informative post! BTW just wanted to mention that I am a total vegetarian notwithstanding what you read about Singapore post, Induji:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OK,you fooled me there :-D
      Thanks for such a nice compliment

      Delete
  10. As usual very sound advice, Indu.Btw, I found that link from Ashwini's blog quite useful too as I am right now figuring how to connect with people.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the praise.
      I too am very poor at small talk.

      Delete

Thanks for reading.Do,give your feedback.