How to treat depression

There are some things you can do for yourself to get over depression.

It might be chicken and egg time, in as much as you don't have the motivation to do anything, but you do have to start somewhere. That is if you want to get better.

First of all, ask yourself how much do you really want to get better. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the most motivated, where are you right now? If it is below five, you may have to ask someone to help you to get motivated to begin with.

Change your diet. There are so many foods that help with depression. Find out all the foods that increase good chemicals in your brain.

Get plenty of sunshine. The natural vitamin D helps enormously.

Get some exercise into your life. It makes no difference what you do, whether it is just walking or cycling or running. No need to pay expensive gym fees especially if you think you will give up soon. Do the free things first and then make a choice of what exercise to do later. Walking gets you fresh air. If you have a dog or can offer to walk someones dog so much the better. Do just a little to begin with, don't push yourself too hard at first and then build it up.

Find a beach if you are near one and try walking along the beach very early in the morning. If no one is around shout out all your troubles into the wind and sea and imagine they are being carried away by the sea and wind.

Talk to someone who is impartial. Often friends and family mean well, but they only see things from their perspective. They may often say, 'well if I were you I would do this this and that'. They are not you and have a different mind set. This is one of the reasons why people often turn to a therapist because they are impartial and have your best interest at heart. They are also skilled people, so go to those people you think you can trust and have experienced and are well trained. Do your own homework first, it is important to find the right help.

If your GP suggests drug therapy ie medication, ask about the drug, find out for yourself the side effects. The internet will give you all the information.

Your GP may offer CBT through the practice. You may have to wait a long time and CBT can also take a longer time to make any differences. All talking therapy helps though so never discount and offers of listening to you. Friends and family will eventually get fed up with you talking about the same thing each time, so rely on therapists to help you to understand yourself better and show you how to become a much more resourceful person.

Remember, grief is a natural process, don't try to rush it through. You have to let your body and mind deal with the effects of grief. It is normal. Don't rush down the drug route as that is not going to ease the grief.