Psychologists counsel a great number of clients who fight a daily battle with depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 20% of the general population over 12 years of age suffers from either a major depressive or a dysthymic (low-level depression) disorder. Depression is quite often addressed in the therapeutic community by the prescribing of pills, most commonly antidepressants.
While antidepressants occupy a vital place in mental health, depression is not a “one size fits all” diagnosis any more than one given treatment is right for every depressed person. Here are four non-medicinal tips for helping you cope when you’re feeling particularly lachrymose:
Get sufficient – and better – sleep. Don’t kid yourself that you’re one of those people who function adequately on less than eight hours of quality sleep. You are robbing your body of desperately needed restoration. What you need to know and do: Depression is correlated with lack of good sleep. As the Cambridge Clinical Guide to Sleep Medicine tells us, not only is it important to get more hours in the sack, but those hours need to be filled with quality rest. Sleep disorders such as apnea, periodic limb movements in sleep, or parasomnias can negatively affect sleep quality, thereby increasing levels of depression.
Improve your diet. We’re all aware of the axiom “Garbage in, garbage out.” In this case, it’s more like, “Junk food in, depression out.” What you need to know and do: The American Journal of Psychiatry associates a diet that includes appropriate levels of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and whole grains with decreased levels of depression. Conversely, processed or fried foods, refined grains, and sugary products have all been correlated with higher levels of depression. An improvement in diet can help make for a better mood.
Exercise. Though not yet scientifically validated as a treatment option for depression, sources such as the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine do suggest a correlation between exercise and reduced levels of depression (as well as anxiety). What you need to know and do: In exercise, the body increases production of neurotransmitters such as endorphins. Whether these endorphins actually elevate mood or, perhaps more accurately, dull the sensation of bad mood is less relevant than the fact that we perceive ourselves to feel better. Get active!
Get a grip on your thought process. In the same way that what we feed our bodies affects our physiological health, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology tells us that what and how we think holds awesome power over our emotional state. What you need to know and do: Monitoring your thoughts is paramount to affecting mood. Positive thoughts are constructive and lead to productivity; negative thoughts are destructive and lead to stagnation. When you find yourself dwelling on the negative, give yourself a conscious command to “STOP IT!” At first, it may feel impossible to correct, but negativity often occurs simply because we are unaware – or ignoring – that it exists in our mindset. We must control our thoughts, not the other way around.
It is vital that you bear in mind that although these tips have been either scientifically or anecdotally shown to bolster the body’s natural mechanisms for achieving a more balanced emotional state, a medical check-up is always recommended for those suffering from depression.
-With John Thomas
Carek, P. J., Laibstain, S. E., & Carek, S. M. (2011). Exercise for the treatment of depression and anxiety. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 41(1).
Geschwind, N., Peeters, F., Drukker, M., van Os, J., & Wichers, M. (July, 2011). Mindfulness training increases momentary positive emotions and reward experience in adults vulnerable to depression: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
Jacka, F. N., Pasco, J. A., Mykletun, A., Williams, L. J., Hodge, A. M., O’Reilly, S., & … Berk, M. (March, 2010). Association of Western and traditional diets with depression and anxiety in women. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(3), 305-311.
Smith, H. (Ed.), Comella, C. (Ed.), & Högl, B. (Ed.). (2008). Sleep medicine. New York, NY US: Cambridge University Press.