How to beat depression?
Bad mood, apathy, unwillingness to do anything, complete indifference to everything: if such a state lasts more than two weeks and lasts for months, then all these are characteristic signs of depression. How to deal with it? The methods are different for everyone, because the reasons are also individual. Therefore, before you get out of this state, you need to understand where it all began.
Using the example of my friend, I will tell you about her personal methods of struggle.
Alina was 22 years old when her life began to decline. A graduate of a prestigious university in Moscow, but not quite a favorite profession, as it turned out in the 3rd year, she received a diploma and went home. A week before graduation, she broke up with her loved one, and her desire to surrender everything and leave as soon as possible intensified even more. She did not show her depressed state to her relatives, and each time she morally pulled herself out, but at night quite often her “strength” turned into sobs. This went on for almost 2 years. The sadness of parting grew into a lack of self-confidence, and that she can really achieve something. The new day seemed to constantly bring even more reasons to go into depression. 7 methods that helped Alina get out of it:
Family support
Having received a diploma and having flown home, she tried to forget the person with whom she had just parted. All this time, she was engaged only in watching TV shows, reading books, sometimes going to the cinema, and meeting friends, but returning to her room she could not leave for a long time until her parents called for food. She ate, drank tea, and again ran into the room. Two months of spiritual emptiness. Having fallen asleep one day in the morning and sleeping until the evening, I woke up from the voice of my father, who cursed loudly. Father has always been Alina’s support, kind by nature, he did not let her lose heart and during the upcoming exams he always called and had conversations, after which wings appeared.
On that day, she heard him screaming and did not understand the reason. As it turned out, he saw the state of his daughter and could not stand it. He went into her room and said: you are alive, but you don’t live, you are healthy, but you are ruining yourself, you are happier than those who cannot afford to sleep in a warm place, you are a beautiful girl, but you put an end to yourself. Discouragement is a great sin, and you believe in God, but you continue to lose heart. If you don’t stop, consider that you will kill the one in me who always thought he raised a strong-willed person. I will be lost if you are lost.
Dad’s words became sobering for Alina. She realized that she had relatives who were not ready to accept her in such a state and did everything to get her out of it. Now Alina believes that even if a person has depression and there is no support, as she had, you can still force yourself to fight on your own. There are many such examples. Sober yourself up with a “slap”.
Work
It was time to look for a job, but each time she was refused for lack of experience, and she increasingly ceased to believe in herself. By the way, in the book “100 ways to change your life. Part 2,” I wrote, “Believing in yourself is important, but it doesn’t guarantee victory. Even if you don’t believe in yourself or, even worse, if you believe that you are a complete nonentity, but at the same time work hard, you will definitely succeed! Thoughts that she was not capable of anything intensified, but she tried to do something. In the end, I found a job, my colleagues were not all pleasant, only inside there was a feeling of some satisfaction from the fact that a small step had been taken from my past self. No wonder they say that any physical activity does not give time for bad thoughts.
A change of scenery
After working for some time, she decided to change her field of activity and went back to Moscow to study. Arriving in this city was not the most fun. Autumn time, rainy, gray, and after six months of study, there is a desire to quit everything again and go home. However, every time something helped her not to give in. Having taken all the will into a fist, I finished my studies, and what inner satisfaction and gratitude I had for myself that I did not give up. Do not quit what you started – that’s how my parents raised me. In Moscow, every day I spent talking to myself, my friends were not around, my relatives too. Many days spent alone, all thoughts went into entries in the diary, every walk to the subway, every day to get up with the words: a little more, be patient. She returned home completely different. As if a trip to another country tested for stamina and awareness came. The internal dialogues have been good. After them, being at home, I realized that I forgave the people who had once hurt me. It became easier to breathe.
Strength in a smile
Smiling at yourself, even when something doesn’t work out, is difficult, but you can force it. As a colleague says: by force, when no one sees. In many eastern countries, a smile means victory over difficulties and fortitude. In Japan, they believe that the more you smile, the better your mood. Overcoming herself, Alina tried to smile every day. Many do not attach importance, but it really works, you have to try.
Creation
You have a hobby, this is also creativity, it manifests itself in everything. For some, even solving mathematical problems is a manifestation of creativity. Alina was helped by writing down her thoughts in a diary and playing the guitar. I took the guitar in my hands and my fingers reached for the desired chord.
Horse Therapy
Alina loves animals since childhood. Coming to my grandmother in the village, she gladly sat in the saddle. It was not often necessary to get out somewhere in the city, but a strong desire to see the horses made her go to the nearest hippodrome. You come, you see your pet, you have conversations with him and your bad mood disappears as if by magic. At these moments, it seems that he disperses negative thoughts with his mere presence.
Communication
During apathy, you always want to close yourself within four walls and not communicate with anyone. What if there are no friends? Force yourself to go out, walk, visit cultural places or visit orphanages, orphanages, nursing homes or seriously ill people. Communication with such people makes you reconsider your views on life. Dating on the Internet is also one of the forms of communication that should not be ignored.
All these methods are the personal experience of one person, but the depression of which, was really difficult. Thanks to her, she learned to appreciate her life more, and to do everything possible not to give in. And everyone has a bad mood for a couple of days, the main thing is to be able to recover in time. Now she is 26, a year ago her friend died of cancer, before that she managed to tell her this phrase: I know that everything you do is not in vain. You are indeed a very good friend. This phrase motivates her to get up every day in the morning and be glad that she is just healthy.