Depression is a major problem worldwide, with over 300 million people suffering from it.
It is characterized by a range of symptoms which include loss of interest in activities,
change in sleep patterns, poor concentration, and feelings of worthlessness.
I would like to share a number of approaches that can be helpful in dealing with mild to
moderate depression.
The first is to gain emotional support.
People who are depressed often feel very alone and undervalued.
They crave care, empathy and support from others.
Gaining emotional support, from friends, family or health professionals can help play a vital
role in recovery.
The Second is challenging pessimistic thoughts
A depressed person is often caught in a vicious cycle of negative thinking.
Aaron Beck, the founder of Cognitive therapy, describes three elements of depressive thinking,
which are known as ‘the depressive cognition triad’.
These are –
Thinking negative thoughts about yourself, such as ‘I’m useless.’
Thinking negative thoughts about your past and present experiences, for example ‘nothing
works out for me’.
And thinking negative thoughts about the future, such as ‘life will never get better’.
Breaking these negative thought cycles by challenging their validity can reduce their
effect.
For example, a person may be focusing their attention on the worst possibilities, or seeing
a single negative event as the whole picture.
By recording our negative thoughts and then weighing the evidence for them being true
or false, we can gain a more realistic attitude.
Another approach, known as reframing, facilitates gaining a wider perspective.
For example, being unsuccessful in a given area may be interpreted to mean ‘I am a
failure’, and this becomes a source of
hopelessness.
By reframing it and gaining a wider perspective, we become able to see it as a temporary setback
that can be overcome
Third – increase activity
Depression often causes a loss of interest in activities as well as social withdrawal,
which acts to maintains low moods.
Restoring activity levels, especially those that bring a sense of pleasure or achievement,
is very important.
Someone who, for instance, becomes unemployed, will often be less busy and have more time
for negative thinking.
Doing volunteer work or other constructive activities will help create a more positive
frame of mind.
Taking regular exercise has also been shown to have a comparable effect to taking antidepressants.
Fourth – problem solving
Often, people become depressed because they feel stuck in a given life situation.
Many people, after exploring the roots of their issues, discover that they have become
trapped in a cycle of self-defeating behaviour which has brought about their depression.
By understanding this, you can try new approaches to overcome the challenges.
Moving forward in a meaningful way helps to raise a person’s mood.
Fifth – counselling and medication
Counselling and psychotherapy have been shown to be very effective in dealing with depression.
It can lead to new discoveries about yourself, and a more productive way of living.
At times, having the right medication can also be of value but should only be taken
after first gaining professional medical advice.
I'm Aryeh Sampson and you're watching J-TV.