Everybody has a bad day and gets depressed sometimes, but if this is something that happens to you frequently and generally without reason, you need to take action quickly. Depression is a very serious illness and should be treated as such. Here is some advice on figuring out what to do if you’re feeling depressed more than normal.
Depression: A Serious but Treatable Illness
Only a health professional can tell you if you really are having a problem with depression and can help you out with medication. If you’re having a depressive spell that goes on for longer than a few days, it’s time to go to a professional. Call your family’s doctor and see what they recommend you do, or look up psychiatrists in your area. Depending on how severe your depression is, you may just end up in therapy, on medication or both.
Find someone close to you that you can reach when you’re having a hard time dealing with things. Just being able to get something off of your chest and know that someone else cares can alleviate some depression. Be sure that this person keeps everything you tell them to themselves. Warn them that if things sound serious enough, they should be prepared to contact a healthcare professional.
A change of environment can get you away from the things that make you feel down. Taking your mind off of things by doing something is important sometimes. If you’re too depressed to go out, invite someone over to do something with you like watch a movie. Anything that stops you from thinking about whatever it is that’s getting you down can be beneficial to you.
Binge Drinking and Depression
Some people feel like their depression is lifted when they drink alcohol or indulge in various substances. Sure, this may mask the problem at first, but most of the drugs are actually depressants themselves. After you start to come down off of drinking, you’ll feel a lot worse than when you started out. Becoming addicted to something that is bad for you is another problem and will just make things that much more difficult to take on. Be very careful when self medicating; it is very dangerous if you are not.
Remember that you’re not the only person that suffers from depression and that it’s not something you can control. It’s just as much a disorder as any other health problem, and it can be taken care of. While it takes a while to find the right combination of therapy and medication, people with depression can lead normal lives. Once you do find out what helps you, stay with it even when you start to feel better because it will come back if you stop.
Being depressed is something that can take over you life if you are not careful. Once you start to notice it coming into your life and making things more difficult, it’s time to get some help. Use the things that were gone over in this article and don’t face depression on your own.