Coping with Depression

 

How to deal with depression? 9 Ways to Cope with Depression

How to Deal with Depression? 8 Ways to Cope with Depression.

As rightly stated by ancient philosopher Atticus, “depression is being colorblind and constantly told how colorful the world is.” Nobody chooses to be depressed. It just happens. Depression is an extremely complex problem across the world and it is known to be the taker of innumerous lives. Only a person suffering from it knows the depth of the trauma. It is not restricted to a certain age group or gender. It can affect anyone irrespective of everything. Even mentally strong people experience depression at some point in their life. It doesn't just affect emotionally fragile ones. 

In this article, 'How to deal with depression? 8 Ways to cope with depression' we shall discuss the causes of depression, how it feels to be depressed, what depression to your brain and body, what can be done, and we shall also explore scientifically backed ways to ways to deal with it. It’s tough but possible. By the end of this article, you will have a lucid understanding on how to deal with depression. Let's begin!

 

What Triggers Depression? 

There’s no particular reason as to why one experiences depression. The reasons could be many or none at all. Therefore it is not easy to pinpoint the precise reasons for depression.

1. Abuse-  Be it emotional, physical, or sexual. Innumerous people experience this kind of depression. It feeds off people. This is the worst kind of plague. Early life stress is yet another major reason as to why some people are more vulnerable to being depressed. According to an article published in Science Direct, approximately 3 million children are being maltreated each year. Its such a pity that out of these many cases only 1 million cases are being substantiated. Nearly 77% of the cases are not even seeing the face of the light. Among the cases that have been substantiated, 60% were categorized as neglect, 20% was physical abuse, and 10% was sexual abuse.

2. Biological or genetic reasons- The gene-environmental interactions play a significant role here. If you have a family history of depression, the chances of you falling victim to it(by inheritance) are one-third. Remaining two-thirds is dependent on several other environmental factors you’re your upbringing, childhood conditioning, perceptions, etc. Chronic inflammation could also be one of the underlying causes of depression. Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines can cause inflammation.

3. A tragic event- The way we react to things is different from one person to another. While some of us get over things soon, some cannot. Tragic events can be very disturbing. It is quite hard for emotionally fragile ones to heal. A tragedy can trigger depression and its related symptoms. Like moving to a new place, losing someone you loved, losing your job, mental breakdown, failing of expectations, etc.

4. In some cases, depression can occur without any specific reason. This could be due to the imbalance in neurotransmitter levels. There's no explanation as to why this actually happens.

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What happens to your brain when you are in depression?

Through the advances in brain imaging it was found that there is a significant reduction in the size of hippocampus and caudate nucleus in the brain. This was accompanied by an increase in pituitary volume. Depression is characterized by several deformities in the working mechanism of your brain especially in the cerebrocortical area, with decreased activity in the frontal lobe and excessive or hyperactivity in the amygdala.

The frontal lobe is vital to our memory, consciousness, learning, motivation, attention, and several other day-to-day tasks. Decreased activity in frontal lobes indicate lack of motivation, feeling bored all the time, disinterest, and displeasure in activities, which are by far the most significant symptoms of depression.

Amygdala is the region of the brain associated with processing of emotions. While in depression, there is excessive activity in this area which explains the trauma, anxiety, overthinking, blame-game, and agony associated with depression. Moreover, amygdale dysfunction is directly linked with several other mood disorders like Anxiety disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD), Bipolar disorder, and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD).

How does depression affect your body?

According to a study, depression can influence the outcome of comorbid medical illnesses such as cardiac diseases, diabetes, and even cancer. Major depression, a hellacious disorder, is known to account for disability more than any other disorder prevailing on the earth. And it is the most significant cause of suicide in young adults, adolescents, and the elderly.

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How to deal with Depression?

Now comes the actual question, ‘how to deal with depression?’. Mathematics is an incredible subject not because of its complex character. It is incredulous because it reminds us from time to time that for every problem there lies a solution. All you got to do is find it. Delving it seems tiring and elusive. If you persist your hunt for finding the solution, you would definitely find it. In this section, we offer you 8 ways to cope with depression. These ain't just bluff. They are highly effective and scientifically backed.

 

1. ACCEPTANCE

The first and foremost thing to do is accept your feelings, and emotions. Don’t try to avoid them. Discern the fact that they exist. What many people do is that they try to ignore these feelings yet fail ultimately. For, the harder you try to suppress them, the more bitter they grow. Try to identify the thing that is making you writhe. What is it that’s causing your pain? Does that have something to do with you? If yes, what could be done to overcome it? Can it be corrected or not? As human beings we all have our own drawbacks and strengths which form the cornerstone of our personalities. Accept your strengths and flaws alike. Contrary to what many people think, flaws are lovable. For, they too are nothing but a part of you. They contribute to your uniqueness.

Identify yourself with your emotions. Never suppress them. Acceptance makes things a lot easier. Remember that you are unique. You are beautiful just the way you are. 

 

2. TALK TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY

No matter how quiet or shy you are, there will always be at least one person in your life that you trust and count on, be it a family member, friend, or a stalwart. Try to express your emotions to them. Try to talk to them about the way you are feeling, the things that are hurting you, and causing you to weep. Don’t sulk about it. For, pain exacerbates if you don’t let it out. When you share something with someone, you can feel the burden lift up. It would not be onerous anymore once you do that. It’s the law of sharing(Not quite sure if such a thing exists:). There’s yet another alternative to the above suggestion. If you can't do that, at least inculcate the habit of writing a diary. A diary can be your bosom friend. A best friend you never had. You know why, because unlike humans, your diary listens to you without interrupting you. It talks nothing but understands everything. It can give you a pleasurable sense of content that a human being might not. It doesn’t matter much if you choose a person or a diary if your ultimate aim is to let your emotions flow out. 

 

3. MEDIUM OF EXPRESSION

As mentioned earlier, if you don’t let your emotions out, they would burn within you and ignite the flames of several mood disorders like bipolar, anxiety, Impostor syndrome, etc. These emotions are like contaminants that pollute your brain, spirit, and soul. Remember that you are never to suppress your emotions. If you are angry, spill it out. If you feel like crying, just weep. Let your emotions flow like water. Momentarily, do not care about the world around you. And let that pain, burden, sorrow, desperation, and negativity flow out from your soul. Instead, what can be done is finding a medium of expression. It doesn’t matter how inexpressive you are. For, in my theory, I believe that every inexpressive person in this world definitely has one or the other form of expression. This medium of expression can vary from one person to another. For, each one of us is unique. You can sketch, paint, sing, dance, write, run, etc. Try them. They do work quite efficiently.

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4. REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Remember that you are not alone. Every day everybody faces some or the other problem. Nobody is perfectly happy here. We all have our own travails. Moreover, innumerous people across the world are suffering from depression and many other mental disorders. You are not alone in this. Millions of people, across the world, have fallen victims to depression. Remember that whatever is happening to you right now is not your fault. Don’t worry and don’t blame yourself, it is just making you stronger and it will soon pass. Utilize this time to build your personality. Turn this stumbling block into a stepping stone. Happiness and grief are a part and parcel of life. And that is what makes life beautiful and livable. The feeling that you are not alone can be wildly satisfying.

 

5. SELF-LOVE

Often in life, many of us are so engrossed in loving and caring for others that we end to forget our own needs. Show some gentle love and warm affection to yourself. Eat something you like. Just give yourself a new hairdo. Go shopping. Take healthy food. Do things that make you feel happy and vibrant. Enjoy the time that you spend with yourself. For, ‘you’ are the most important and permanent member of your life. Indulge yourself in any favorite activity or hobby. Be it cycling, reading or listening to music, etc. Explore nature. Because it is the best teacher. Give yourself some sunlight. It increases serotonin levels, giving you a temporary emotional boost. Try writing a love letter to yourself. A billet doux highlighting all things that you love about yourself and are grateful for. Put yourself first. You don’t need someone else to be in love with. Be in love with the person you are. It matters the most.

 

6. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS 

Mindfulness suggests staying in the present, the now, in this moment. Often in life we worry either regretting the past or fearing the future. Regret and fear are the thieves of happiness. Majority of the times, they are to blamed for all sorts of frenzies in our lives. When you concentrate and focus on the present you not only attain a sense of purpose, and happiness but also achieve greater results in terms of work and learning. You would be able to yield highly effective results both on spiritual and professional levels. There are several ways in which mindfulness can be practiced. It can be done through reading, painting, sketching, swimming, listening, writing, etc. with the goal being staying focused in the ‘now’. Meditation is perhaps one of the best ways to practice mindfulness. Sit down in a relaxed position. Breathe in. Breathe out. Shift your focus out of mundane affairs.

 

7. PRACTICE AFFIRMATIONS

Your brain can trick you into believing things that actually don’t exist. Hallucinations and delusions underscore the above statement. Where there is a problem, there is a solution as well. You too can trick your brain. It is not that tough. Through enough practice, you will be able t trick your brain and make it work for you rather than work against you. And this is done through affirmations. They are statements that you remind or say to yourself frequently from time to time. Based on the workings of our brain, it can be classified as the conscious or objective mind and subconscious or subjective mind. The way we do what we do in our lives comes from the subconscious mind. As suggested, the conscious mind always looks for proof to believe in things. Whereas the subconscious mind is different. It accepts whatever is impressed upon it. It is subjective to your suggestion. That’s why, what you think you become. Be extremely careful about your thoughts because they become your reality. Practice positive affirmations.

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8. STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVITY

Last but not least, Strictly stay away from negative people, negative thoughts, negative things, and negative feelings. Negativity is like a virus sometimes. It contaminates you rendering you enervated. Your thoughts become your actions, and your actions culminates into outcomes. That is why be vigilant about your thoughts.

Be optimistic. There’s always a brighter side to things. As rightly stated by Confucius, “everything has beauty but not everybody knows how to see it”. Everything in life is dependent on one’s perception of things. You find what you look for. 

It’s not easy…

When you are in depression it feels very lonely. Very, very lonely. Like no one loves you, no one cares about you, you are an outcast, you are a bad omen. You feel that you don't belong in this world. And your thoughts are always negative. You cry almost every single day but still try to hide your tears. You feel like putting a full stop to everything by ending your life.

There are many myths associated with depression. But, let us make this very clear, that victims of depression, do not look any odd than ordinary. They might play, laugh, sing, and dance but, the pain exists within, trying to explode like a volcano.

Do you have a friend or a loved one who’s suffering from depression? Did you do anything about it? Have you ever wondered how it feels to be depressed?

Depression can be deadly, depending on the intensity of the grief. Umpteen people die of depression every day. Sundry others suffer from depression associated with suicidal tendencies.

If you notice any of your loved ones experiencing such a situation, please don't ignore them. Try to help them. Be supportive. Do not leave them to themselves. Because they are crying for help and they need it desperately.

 

CONCLUDING: ‘How to deal with Depression? : 8 Ways to cope with depression’

By altering your routine and implementing slight changes in your attitude you can outclass depression. Eckhart Tolle rightly stated, “you are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!”. Your life has a greater meaning.

 Life is tough, indeed. No one said it was going to be easy. But, still, there is hope. There is love. What else do we need? Stay happy and optimistic. Life will give you many happy moments too. Just be calm and patient. If required, consult a psychiatrist.

I hope my article, ‘How to Overcome Depression? : 8 Ways to cope with depression’ is of assistance. Subscribe to my newsletter to get all updates delivered straight into your inbox. And the best is yet to come!