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Depression Self Help

Q:I get depressed before Thanksgiving, and it lasts until about February. Not serious depression like not getting out of bed, but there is little joy, life seems difficult, I feel heavy and tired, and just plain depressed. Calm Spirit has talked about cognitive behavioral counseling, and I would like to know if some of these techniques can help depression.

A: Cognitive behavioral therapy lends itself to self help, and empowers the person which in turn alleviates depression, especially mild depression. Here are some suggestions for you:

• Use a journal or notebook while you are doing this, the thinking and writing are part of the cognitive and behavioral aspects. Make a small plan for every day
• The first thing to put in your plan is 30 minutes of exercising. Walking is recommended as it is an activity most people can do and requires no special equipment. The walking helps you breathe better and the exercise from walking raising your endorphins and seretonin levels which are natural chemicals to fight depression
• Write down the foods you plan to eat for the day. This will help you choose healthy foods, and lets you plan your treats so you don't feel deprived
• Write down what you are grateful for. Depression and gratitude are not compatible, so gratitude fights depression, and each day you can be reminded what you are grateful for in your life.
• Write down one thing you will do to benefit another person today. When you do something to help another person, it takes the focus off yourself. There is something called "helpers high", your body chemistry actually making you feel better. This is also incompatible with depression.

By doing things that are not compatible with depression, you take away negative aspects, and by adding positive activities to take their place, you add natural chemicals your body needs to balance itself again.

When you review your journal, you can see you are making progress, and this progress reinforces your positives. Of course, if you are not feeling better in a couple of weeks, you should make an appointment with your health professional because you may need medication or other intervention

I hope these tips are helpful to you. Do let me know how you are doing. Good luck.

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