How to Cope with Your Depression

After being diagnosed with depression, it is important to learn how to cope with it and not fall into despair, as this could lead to severe consequences. 

Take the prescribed medication

Antidepressants may be prescribed to help improve your mood and enable you to return to your regular activities. Keep taking these medications even when you’re feeling better to prevent a relapse. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any painkillers or supplements, as there are some that may interact with the anti-depressants.

Exercise and diet

Asking you to do exercises might seem like a very difficult task, and you probably won’t have the energy or will to do it. In case you already have a prescription of anti-depressants and are feeling a bit better, don’t hesitate to go out for a little exercise.

In fact, exercise can be as good for managing depression as any antidepressant because it stimulates your body to produce endorphins, the body’s feel-good chemicals. These will help reduce stress, anxiety and distract you from your own thoughts; perhaps even improve some social interaction while you’re exercising.

Proper dieting, even when you don’t have medication can also improve your mood somewhat, getting you back to regular activities. This is usually the first step to recovering from depression because wallowing in your own thoughts can only be a black hole that sucks you in further. A good diet will give you the energy to go out and resume activities, perhaps even exercise a little.

Avoid drugs and alcohol

When depressed, it can be tempting to get into drugs or alcohol as a way of escaping, but they only cover up the problem. These are only temporary solutions that may come back to bite you in the form of additional medical conditions. Cigarettes, for example, may lead to high blood pressure and cancer, while cannabis actually leads to depression.

Avoid any mood-altering drugs regardless of how tempting they may be, because they may end up causing even worse cases of depression. Just stick to the prescribed medication without failure.

Talk about it

Keeping your feelings in was probably a contributor to your state of depression, so don’t keep doing it. Find a reliable friend or group of friends in whom you can confide in, and this has been shown by research to help with depression. If you’re not comfortable sharing, try expressing those emotions through writing in a journal or diary, or perhaps even art.