Depression is an awful illness. Many do not understand it at all and find fault with people who suffer from it. They will insist that person should snap out of it, pull themselves together, get over it, get busy, go out and brush off the cobwebs and live. Unfortunately anyone who has had it knows these words show they do not only understand but are finding fault and judging, criticising them for being as they are as if they chose to be struggling this way. Depression can affect you in small ways and very serious ways for a short time or a long time.
How to help yourself when suffering from depression. Different things can cause depression. A pregnant woman can get it because she is stressed over the baby, she can also get it because her hormones go all over the place and she struggles with the feelings this cause in her. When hormones go array this can cause not only depressed feelings but anxiety, fear, bad memory, finding it hard to concentrate and many other things which we assume stem from feelings and the brain. Your gut is connected to your brain so your hormones and what you eat can make a difference to it. One way to help your brain so that you feel better in these cases is to improve the amount of prebiotic foods you eat and increase the biotics you use. This might, if done right, mean that your diet is improved in such a way that your hormones are less troublesome and you feel better. It can also mean you have more energy, can sleep better and many other things which are of benefit at the time and to try to halt the domino effect that problems can cause. After all, if you cannot sleep you are bound to get more down and lack more energy, these things can become a vicious cycle.
If you are unable to work due to depression you will worry more, you will also worry more if you are stuck at home feeling low and unable to do much with too much time to think and dwell on it. If you can keep busier, even in small ways, this can help the day to go faster and distract you from these emotional pains.
If you wish to turn to someone for help consider these people – a professional listener, hire a private agony aunt online, hire a cheap psychic email reading emails are good because you might find you sleep in fits and starts and can never guarantee to be awake or awake enough at certain times. You can also consult someone like an online advice columnist agony aunts. Which can be online and free. You could also consult a new age life coach although many of these are not really qualified professionals more people with a good nature wanting to hold your hand through it all and in some cases beware as they may simply be after your money. Select whoever it is you will be going to with great caution.
An extra word of warning. I recently contacted a naturopath about stomach aches caused by a stomach ulcer. The guy told me that he could help if I paid him (what would amount to a lot) for his train fares to come to visit me and back and for him to give my stomach a massage. The whole idea was absurd because (a) there are plenty of masseurs – proper ones – who live much nearer to me who I could go to easily and quickly without all of that expense or allowing someone to come to my home. And it makes more sense to hire someone who is a qualified masseur for massage! But I was also suspect that he believed a massage could help with an ulcer, I’ve read and studied the subject and that is not possible. Perhaps he was out of his depth with the subject. I also felt concerned because he was an elderly man and the idea of an elderly man I barely know coming to me to touch my stomach seemed a bit gross and sleazy, especially when I was paying him a lot to do it.
How to help yourself when suffering from depression Think carefully about any help that is offered. Sometimes it is offered by someone with no knowledge, not enough knowledge, selfish intentions or stupid. I’ve noticed with many things in life that people are quick to say they can help because it makes them feel good, but it does not mean it is true.
You can go to a doctor and get or at least try antidepressants. Serotonin is what they fiddle with in the brain. You can get a natural version, herbs, and some get on with these better. You need to get the balance right, otherwise too much serotonin can cause problems too i.e. stomach ache, insomnia or anxiety worse etc.
It can take time to work it all out and of course if you are depressed because your beloved has recently died or you found out you have a terminal illness no tablets or talking is going to do the trick, it is natural to be devasted by such a horrible life changing thing and it would be odd if simply taking tablets or telling people about it made it all alright. Beware then of anyone who tells you that those things will do the trick.