Beating depression: Your tips and stories
Living with depression can be a lonely, miserable experience - and coping with depression sounds a lot easier than it is when you're in the middle of a bad period.
According to our poll, more than half of you have either suffered with or currently have depression, while 1 in 4 of you could have a mild case of the blues.
Many of you know that getting exercise, eating a good diet, and reducing stress will help, but actually doing those things when you're down is another thing entirely.
So how do you get through depression? What are the little things that people try or do to get themselves through a day?
We asked you and here are some of your tips and suggestions for how to live with depression...
Listen to music
'The power of a great pop tune can really change my mood. I've got a playlist of "up" tunes on my iPod that I can listen to if all else fails. Disco tracks from the 70s are especially good.'
Tina
Children can help
'I tend to find a few minutes with my daughters gives me a lift in the morning. One of them will say or do something funny and it makes all the difference - even if I'm in the blackest mood.'
jaqb
Don't change your routine
'A black mood can make me feel lazy. But if I wake up feeling awful the first thing I do is put on my make-up, even if no-one is going to see me that day. It's doing something for myself, good for self-confidence and kick-starting my day in a good way.'
Mooksy
It's good to talk
'I turned a corner in just admitting that I had depression. I used to talk to friends and family about the causes of my depression and I started asking for as much help with the kids as I could, whereas before I used to try to do everything myself.'
Nina
Go back to sleep
'When it's too difficult to get yourself up, I find that having a little sleep can sometimes do the world of good. It's like you get a chance to start the (somewhat shorter) day all over again. I know it sounds a bit bizarre, but it does work for me.'
Jenna
Keep a diary
'This won't suit everyone, but I often write down how I'm feeling, when I'm really low. Trying to put my mood into words can actually take my mind off the really black part of the day's depression and is also useful to look back on.'
Joanne
Get in the garden
'I like weeding and pruning or buying growing coriander from the supermarket, then separating it into bigger pots to make it grow bigger. Being outside in the garden and actually doing something for a few minutes always helps.'
Mooksy (again)
Watch your favourite comedy
'I know laughing is often the last thing you want to do when you're depressed, but digging out a DVD that I know I'll find funny is an enormous help. My personal choice is the South Park movie, but I'm sure even a 30-minute comedy like Friends will help a lot of people.'
cherry
Get sun on your face
'I know the weather's been awful recently, but even a tiny bit of sun makes me feel that little bit better. If I think hard enough, I can even pretend I'm on a beach in Spain and that never fails to cheer me up.'
Anna
- Have you got any suggestions? How do you lift your mood? Either send us your ideas or join the debate on Chat.
More help and advice
- 10 ways to fight depression
- Try the Beat the Blues diet
- Depression: the causes, symptoms and treatment options
- Give the Woman's Own Good Mood Diet a go
Average rating:
Larry, 9 months
I have found over the years, that the best thing for depression is to get something done about it by someone who knows all about it. Most know nothing, the resource I used which worked incredibly well and quickly was "Dianetics" it took me a while to find a Dianetic auditor in my area but little or no time to get rid of my problems. see www.dianetics.org and for info on those that don't know and will waste your time go to www.cchr.org
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