Top 5 Tips to Beat Depression
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It’s a snappy title and I should get more traffic than normal. More importantly though, is there an easy, formulaic, 5 step method for overcoming depression? The answer is no, definitely not. If there was we wouldn’t be having a depression epidemic.
There are literally dozens of articles with similar headings to the one above. When I see them I immediately wonder if the writer has ever been depressed. Mental illness is anything but simple. Depression describes a broad spectrum of mood disorders, and there are many and varied treatments that provide different levels of success. Any “tip sheet” is by its nature superficial.
At the same time, such articles can be helpful. They aren’t normally written by medical or health professionals, so they provide input from outside traditional medicine. They give many ideas for lifestyle changes; ideas that won’t necessarily overcome depression by themselves, but nonetheless may be helpful to differing degrees for different people.
I’ve put links to a sample of articles below; some good and others pretty poor. I’ve summarized the tips from each so you can easily look further into what interests you.
You might also like to read my previous post What Works for Depression which is based on 2 research studies.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.
Top 5 Tips to Beat Depression
This is the only article in the 20 or so that I’ve read that suggests researching your illness and keeping a mood diary. Both of these are very underrated strategies that can get a person well on the road to recovery. The writer is also only one of two to discuss triggers. If you only read one of these articles then this should be the one.
Research depression, talk with someone, try different things to get well, mood diary, improved diet.
Ten Tips For Managing Your Depression
Of all the articles that I’ve read this is my favorite. It is well written and has a range of good, helpful strategies.
Sleep, exercise, less refined sugar, reach out to someone else, nutritious food, Omega 3, sunlight, yoga, meditation / prayer, professional help.
10 All Natural Ways to Stop Feeling Depressed
“The Blues” would be a better term than “Depressed” but there are still some helpful lifestyle ideas.
Emotional cycle, being with positive people, reflecting on past successes, gratitude, change of scenery, break in routine, animals and nature, get up and at it, find perspective, take action to help yourself.
10 Chemical-Free Strategies to Trick Yourself Out of the Blues
This writer doesn’t seem to understand depression. A couple of good points, but most strategies are ordinary at best and even bizarre.
Wear blue, take time out mentally, verbalise your anger to a friend, force your smiles, remove clutter, music, experiment with food, a concentration exercize, DIY aromatherapy, get in touch with your primal self through cooking.
Feeling Down? 7 Ways to Pick Yourself Back Up!
Another one that is more about “the blues” than depression, but the writer acknowledges the limitations of his advice. Some good ideas.
Make a list, take action, exercise, clean and straighten yourself up, get out of the house, lively music, talk about it with someone close.
Top 8 Tips for Living with Depression
This writer has a good range ideas, all of which can have an impact on depression.
Support group, manage stress, sleep, diet, control negative thoughts, stop procrastinating, learn to forgive
Top 10 Tips to Overcome Depression
Some interesting ideas, but the tips are a bit light for someone with true depression.
Talk, exercise, cry, sunlight, music, activity, write, balanced diet, affection, professional help.
5 Tips for Staving Off a Depression
Sound tips on how the writer deals with her own depression, before relying on medicine.
Work outdoors, eliminate the triggers, play music, exercise, maintain a positive attitude.
Five Tips for Reducing Depression
This one takes a different angle with the first two tips focusing on the media. There are some good ideas, but the article as a whole is weak in relation to depression.
Don’t read newspapers, turn off the television, be positive towards others, exercise, breathing and relaxation techniques.
Five Self-Care Strategies For Depression
Sound advice which includes exercise and adequate sleep - two of the most important.
Keep active, eat well, adequate sleep, minimize stress, maintain positive relationships.
Top 10 Tips for Beating Depression
This would be the worst article. The writer doesn’t seem to understand depression, viewing it more as a character flaw than a disease.
Develop interests, stay positive, fix your personal problems, create a positive social life, stop bad behavior, be realistic, make changes, become active, fix your diet, control your thinking.
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This entry was posted on Sunday, November 25th, 2007 at 5:59am and is filed under Staying Well. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.
November 26th, 2007 10:44
very good post! i made a similar comment in my post depression: 120% cured!
i think an important point is that ALL of these tips, even the really naive ones, CAN work. “control your thinking” is a good example.
one aspect of the complex experience of depression is often runaway negative thoughts. the point is exactly that these thoughts ARE seemingly uncontrollable.
however, over time, some people learn to control these thoughts (that’s one of the reasons for the success of cognitive behavioural therapy).
however, just telling someone to “control your thoughts” is not only useless but also insulting, as you pointed out in your post on what not to say to someone who is depressed.
November 27th, 2007 16:51
Nice post! Anti-depressent drugs aren’t always the “cure all” they’re made out to be. I’ve recently realized that depression is something you must deal with throughout your entire lifetime. Any new tool or strategy to cope with one’s depression is a potentially valuable resource. Thanks for your post.
Wandering Mind
November 28th, 2007 17:17
Hey,
This is a great resource for anyone trying to beat their illness. I’ve recently been diagnosed with manic depression and felt so helpless. The therapy helps…but you can only really help yourself. This is a great collection of articles and advice for someone looking to get well.
I’m part of an online community at http://www.dailystrength.org that deals with depression. I’m going to make sure that I share this with the users there; I think they will benefit enormously. Having someone like you on the site would be really great, the members would appreciate insight as well as advice from someone like you. If you want, you should check out the depression community at:
http://dailystrength.org/support/Mental_Health_Addiction/Depression/
Thanks so much and keep up the good work!
Sincerely-
Chantal
December 1st, 2007 00:35
Nice post. Thanks for including my tips. Having survived more than 120 bipolar depressive episodes, I’ve worked hard to develop a wide array of activities that help lift my spirits, some of which are included in my new book: Bipolar Depression Unplugged: A Survivor Speaks Out. On my blog, http://bipolarwellness.blogspot.com, I also try to provide uplifting advice.
Susan Bernard
P.S. I’ve added your site as a link.
January 15th, 2008 11:48
Thanks , I found this by Googling exercize and depression. Last night something told me to get up early and get to the Gym. I hit the snooze buton instead. :-(
After reading your site knowing I have done all of the recomendations you post for many years I feel the need to emphasize that depression is physiological . I believe it comes before the thoughts . I believe it’s the chicken before the egg. So get out and move and find a way to laugh.
Crystal
January 26th, 2008 04:45
This is a great post - your point is good and your analysis seems good as well. Thanks for posting it.
It’s upsetting to me how often lists like the ones you linked offer quick and easy lists to deal with things they have no real knowledge about - and with something like depression, that can be not just misinforming but destructive.
There is such a huge gradient of severity and experience with depression, from occasional “blues” to complete debilitation, and I can attest to the varied range and effectiveness of remedies. (I love your “points” system by the way, I might try it if my current checklist doesn’t do it for me).
Mental health can be such a highly personal trial-and-error human experiment, and it can get so frustrating - here’s hoping people find the information they need, and don’t get confused or discouraged by the oddities that some people put out there.
January 26th, 2008 07:50
some great a/v resources exist…. a few are
Downloadable depression resources
there are two good programs about depression i found recently
——————————————
Videos
BBC_-_Stephen_Fry_-_The_Secret_Life_Of_The_Manic_Depressive_-_Part_1..avi and part two
and
Discovery.Health.Depression.DivX.AC3.www.mvgroup.org.avi
these are videos
——————————————-
also there is
AUDIO
Depression Recovery Program (and text)
Journey into Darkness
Aganst depression
——————————————–
and
TEXT
Personal Depression Therapy (by James Herndon, MD).pdf
I haven’t read this yet but the contents page looks ok.
I got the torrents from mininova
and
then downloaded them using azureus software
——————————————
also have found the website
wings of madness
a real life saver ….literally
Warmest Wishes Keith Nightingale / Swaraja
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