We have discussed anxiety as the core of the site, and today I’d like for us to take a look at depression. More specifically, I would like to look at how to battle and hopefully overcome the momentum of depression. I am guessing that I’m not alone in the experience that high levels of anxiety and borderline panic attacks often tend to coincide with lower levels of depression. Now, to be clear, depression can be a serious condition or even a disease. For the purposes of the article today, we’ll refer to depression as the feeling of being “down in the dumps”, or just feeling less than excited about most things in life. We’ve all been there, but just like the post on stressing about being stressed, a similar phenomenon sometimes takes place with depression.
One of the best techniques that I have used when feeling this lower level feeling of depression start to creep up is shake things up. I’ll make time over a weekend or some other time to get out and do something completely different than what I normally do. If I’ve been stuck in the city, I will get out and go for a hike, or head out with some friends and do my best not to make a decision on where to go or what to do.
Of course, it’s not like I’ll do something stupid just because others may be doing something stupid. We are, after all, under 30 and still prone to taking risks and getting in trouble now and then. What I will do though is make sure I hitch along for the ride and commit to being out, meeting new people and having fun. I met a girl who was my longest relationship at a party I didn’t want to be at and wasn’t much fun to be around until I finally shook it all off and let my environment pick me up.
It is really important to do things even when you really don’t want to do them. Again, and I can’t stress this enough, make a good decision. Don’t go around breaking laws or doing something that only a crazy person would do in an effort to break the cycle of depression, but commit to going to that party, or meeting your friends at a ballgame to sit in the bleachers. It is too easy to look for ways out and find yourself completely disconnected, which only increases depression’s momentum.
Look to your friends and family for support in getting through periods of depression. This also leads us to point out that your support group is of the utmost importance to feeling normal again. As well, should you be getting to a point where you are potentially leaving a level of clinical depression, hopefully your friends and family will be able to talk to you and help you to get assistance.
And the great news here is that feeling down and a little depressed from time to time is a perfectly normal feeling. Everyone has it, but some of us don’t cope with it as easily as others, and we let the feelings take over. My biggest regret is allowing myself at various times in my life to become disconnected with my social group. As such, I had to get back into my circle of friends and re-establish friendships that never should have required it.
It is really important to have a group that you can go to when you feel down. If you are in a new area, look for a support group that meets and is made up of strangers. Seriously. If I were in this position, the first thing I would do would be looking for groups of like minded people who are having similar experiences to mine.
Depression isn’t a reflection of who you are as a person. After a certain amount of time, it is easy for the depression to creep in and feel like it makes up a part of your identity, or even the whole thing. Don’t let it be that way. Get the help of friends, family, trained professionals, and whoever else may be able to help, and beat back the depression of momentum so you can feel that weight finally be lifted.
