Treatment for Depression - What You Can Do To Help Yourself

The treatment for depression often involves medications like antidepressants or therapy. In addition to the treatment that your mental health provider suggests, you can also do some things help yourself. You should discuss an overall treatment plan, including medications, therapies, and self care, with your mental health providers.

Some of the self care treatment that experts often recommend include:

• Change Negative Thinking: Depression can cause negative thinking in many people's lives. However, these negative thoughts can reinforce and feed on themselves. Changing negative thinking into more realistic thoughts can help some people. "Positive thinking" isn't a cure and negative thinking can be part of a lifetime habi2234t, making it hard to change. Some individuals do find it helpful to systematically identify negative thinking and replace those thoughts with realistic thinking with facts.

• Choose Healthy Habits: Healthy habits will not only help your physical health, but it will also help your mental health. Some of the healthy habits that you should aim for including getting enough sleep (but not too much) each day, eating healthy foods, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. Bad health, nutrition, and lifestyle can contribute to the problem, so making healthy choices can help you better manage the illness.

• Exercise Regularly: Studies have shown that exercise can help improve symptoms and reduce the likelihood of relapse. Exercise benefits individuals both physically and mentally. Try activities that you like and create realistic goals for yourself.

• Reduce Stress: Reducing the stress in your life can also help you get a better handle on your problem. Identifying your stressors, learning to relax, and planning ahead can all be positive self care treatment methods.

• Find Supportive Relationships: Supportive relationships can help you deal with your depression and create a more positive atmosphere around you. Try turning to friends and family members that you feel will support you through your treatment. You may also want to try a support group to connect with others who understand what you are going through.

In addition to your other treatment for depression, you can use some or all of these self care ideas within your overall treatment plan. Discuss what you can do to help yourself with your mental health provider, who will often be able to provide you with additional resources and ideas.

Learn more about depression by visiting Depression Answers We've got information on everything from types of depression to chronic pain and depression