Thousands of articles and books have been written about depression, because this problem is so global that it covers people all over the world. Depression doesn't care how old you are, what country you live in, what social status you have or how much money you have in your bank account. Alas, the state when you don’t want to do anything and don’t want to live can accumulate and mature to a critical level in any sensitive person.
Especially depression can be aggravated in winter – cold, short daylight hours do not contribute to a cheerful mood. But we suggest that you do not give up, but still try to defeat her insidious majesty – depression.
Proven ways to get out of depression
Let's make a reservation right away: the article deals with ways to get out of depression, which is tolerated in a relatively mild and stable form and which a person can overcome with a strong desire.
If the emotional state of the patient is unstable (especially if suicidal thoughts are present) or depression has reached a very severe phase, then one should not hesitate to contact a psychotherapist and select the appropriate treatment, including "heavy artillery"; - medications.
As we wrote above, when trying to get out of depression, the main – the power of human desire. If a person is aware of his problem and wants to deal with it – this is already half the battle and the real first step to victory. In this case, it is quite possible to try to get by with the methods of treating depression at home.
First you need to understand the roots of your problem. After all, depression does not fall on people from the outside – it is the result of a long silence from oneself of internal problems, conflicts and contradictions with the outside world or with oneself.
To do this, you will have to delve into yourself for more than one day, and even better – work with a psychologist.
You can distinguish ordinary blues from dangerous depression by symptoms by reading our article.
After that, you can safely try one of the proven ways to get out of depression, which helped more than a dozen people cope with depression. If possible, it's best to try them all one at a time so that you end up with a few that you like the most.
1. Physical activity.
This can be any sport, but it doesn't have to be. Any physical activity in which a desperately resisting body gives in to physical exertion will be useful.
It is clear that when cats scratch their hearts, the last thing you want to do is get out of bed in the morning, put on your sneakers and run somewhere. But motivation saves the situation, and then you yourself will not notice how you get involved and you yourself want the next portions of endorphins.
After all, scientists have proven that regular exercise has almost the same effect as antidepressants!
During studies on a large group of patients suffering from depression, doctors were able to prove that in the case of combining antidepressants and exercise, a positive effect occurred in 90% of patients! While the exclusion of one of the factors (medications or sports) reduced the result to 60-70%. And the point here is not only in the biochemical processes that occur in the body as a result of regular physical education (although they play an important role), but in increasing self-esteem and increasing self-confidence (“I can do even better, I become stronger and more resilient, I better than yesterday!"), which is very important for depressed people!
2. Light Therapy.
This is the ideal method for those who are prone to seasonal outbreaks of depression (this is the most dangerous time of the year). According to statistics, 30-40% of all people feel the influence of weather and lack of sunlight, and in 5-10% these feelings take on the character of depression.
The essence of the method is that the patient undergoes regular procedures, being exposed to light from a very bright lamp, which will be equivalent to the amount of light on a bright sunny day passing through a window. Procedures range from half an hour to several hours a day – thus, daylight hours are artificially lengthened. Already after 1-2 weeks, signs of improvement are noticeable, and the cycle of procedures usually lasts a month.
Similar lamps for home treatment (their light is close to the sun's spectrum) are made by US and Western European companies. In our Internet age, it is not a problem to order them. As a last resort, you can try powerful lamps that are sold for photo salons.
3. Aromatherapy.
Aroma oils affect our mood, as they reach the brain regions responsible for emotions through the sense of smell, so the method is quite effective.
There are many methods of aromatherapy, for every taste:
- heating in a special aroma lamp (the most common and convenient way);
- spraying around the room;
- adding a few drops to bath;
- adding to massage oil.
It is better to choose essential oils according to your taste, but remember: it is useful to change them periodically, as the body gets used to it and the effectiveness decreases.
Well proven in the fight against depression:
- orange;
- lemon;
- rose;
- jasmine;
- lavender;
- lemon balm;
- mint;
- rosemary;
- cedar;
- spruce and other conifers;
- bergamot;
- basil.
4. Pets.
Tailed and mustachioed pets are wonderful healers. Psychologists have long noticed that people who keep dogs and cats at home have attacks of sadness much less often than those who do not even have a parrot or a hamster at home. Everything here, in principle, is already clear: it is enough to hug a living creature that loves you with all its heart, or immerse your hands in soft wool, and your soul immediately becomes warmer. In addition, dogs and cats have a special energy that cannot be replaced by anything.
So, maybe it's time to get a puppy or a kitten that you have been dreaming about for a long time? True, it is still worth remembering about further long-term responsibility for a pet at the time of making such a decision.
5. Radical ways to throw out emotions.
Even if you think that inside you – dead desert, believe me: emotions have not disappeared anywhere, you just hid them in the deep bottom. It will be a very useful practice to extract them and live.
It is most effective to bring the hidden negative to light by radical methods. For example, mix a punching bag or just a pillow at home. Or dance until you drop (in the literal sense), simply obeying the impulses of the body. Or go to a remote secluded place and shout to your heart's content – just scream out all the repressed grievances. If any of the methods will be accompanied by tears – this is a good sign: it means that emotional therapy has worked and awakened your feelings.
6. Music.
Psychotherapists often prescribe a special musical "menu" to patients in the treatment of depression. Many things from classical music have a truly healing effect on the human soul – it is not for nothing that they survived the centuries.
The concertos of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, and the works of Bach will serve well for these purposes. Recordings of sounds of nature also proved to be excellent – the singing of birds, the noise of the forest or the sea.
7. Nutrition and sleep.
These are the fundamental factors of our well-being, without which our selection cannot do.
Without proper sleep and a proper balanced diet, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to cure depression.
In depression, many vitamins and microelements in the body are quickly "eaten"; stress hormones, so they need to be constantly replenished.
Among them:
- vitamins A, E, C and group B;
- magnesium;
- zinc;
- calcium;
- choline.
Depression – Of course, first of all, the disease is not of the body, but of the soul. Therefore, when applying all these methods, the most important thing is to believe wholeheartedly that they will help, and that you will again be able to find inner balance. There is always a way out of any situation, and you – no exception.
Read also: Postpartum depression: how star moms deal with it
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