Fighting depression isn’t as easy as slapping a Band-aid over a scratch. Psychological wounds are far more difficult to deal with. Thousands of people across the world have to battle with the demons of depression.
But with the help of their friends and family, as well as the proper resources and tools, coping with depression is possible. Consider the following six tools and strategies for coping with depression.
1. Personal experience blogs and forums
One of the primary notions that help people with depression is knowing they are not alone. Recognizing that other people are experiencing the same things and can understand usually offers great relief.
The Internet can be a great tool to help deal with depression in this fashion, in the form of numerous public forums and articles that relate various people’s personal experiences.
Understanding that many people have won the battle against depression and getting to read their success stories can help current sufferers.
2. Online self-assessment tools
The first step to dealing with depression is determining whether you have it or not. There are a lot of self-assessment tools online that can help you determine whether you might be experiencing symptoms of depression. Some of these tools include questionnaires, depression screening tools, and more.
It’s critical to remember that these online tools cannot substitute for a formal diagnosis by a qualified professional, so if you think you are experiencing symptoms, it is important to contact a doctor.
3. Medication
Sometimes, just talking to a counselor may not be enough to help you deal with your condition. There are many different types of anti-depressant medications on the market that help treat all kinds of depression, from bipolar disorder to clinical depression.
Again, it’s crucial that you talk to your doctor so you can receive the correct diagnosis and medicine.
4. Meeting with a professional counselor
It’s good to meet with doctors who can help teach you coping skills for depression and prescribe the right kinds of medication to treat it. Medical experts are a great professional support to consult in your fight against psychological illness.
5. Qigong
Qigong is a very effective tool for addressing some of symptoms of depression. Its tools include meditation, sound meditation — which is perfect for music lovers, and daily Qigong exercises.
6. Happy lights
If you perhaps suffer from seasonal depression, a happy light can fix that. Seasonal depression is a result of failing to receive enough UV rays from the sun, which enable your body to produce more serotonin, your natural happy chemical. Special lights are available that mimic the sun’s light and help to cure the “winter blues.”
