Depression Road

One of the hardest thing for depressed people is to take the first step for getting help.  I know, I've been there.  It took 10 years, 2 episodes with cancer, a break in career progression, and a ton of perceived physical pain (yes, it was not real but I was still hurting). Here are some tips to start on the depression road: Ask a friend or family member to help you to make an appointment and accompany you to see a doctor.  You can see your general practitioner since depression is fairly easy to diagnose.  They can get prescribe an anti-depressant immediately and refer you to a therapist. Educate yourself about treatment methods by reading.   Learning about possible treatments (medical, psychological, life skills) is an essential part of developing skills to deal with depression. For example, there are a lot of misconceptions around what therapy is and can do which can lead to not reaching out, disappointment due to unreasonable expectations, and a plethora of other out

Many of us with depression are highly functional which makes it even more difficult to decide on getting help. You don't have to go very far to see what I mean.  Michael Phelps is arguably the greatest swimmer in history and also a spokesperson for talkspace , an online platform that offers convenient and affordable therapy. Functional doesn't mean healthy! Finding joy in our everyday activities, looking forward to the next hour and things that are coming, waking up with drive, and feeling no dread/fear/anxiety about what's coming is where your life could be... so start walking the depression road one step at the time. Tip: Put yourself to the test! 1. Ask yourself each evening what portion of the day you spent feeling that you did chores (this is not the activity but the general feeling of having to do rather than wanting to do). 2. Keep tabs for two week. 3. If you spend more than half of your time this way, it is time to change something and feel better. Only

Depression, mild or sever, is on the rise worldwide.  Why?  Contribution from pressure from work, speed of life, finances, family issues, and societal/technological changes add to our ability to cope with and effectively process the mental, emotional, physical, and psychological demands on us.  The good news is that these are triggers that can be eliminated. The purpose of this blog is to share the techniques and tips that have worked for me and others I know who live with depression and their loved ones who support them.