Recognizing the Cycle of Depression and How to Break It
How many times have you been given the advice, “Go outside and get a workout in!” when sharing your depression with a loved one?
While this advice is well-meaning, in practice, it can seem pretty counterintuitive. Your head may be shouting, “Stay in bed. Life’s easier when you just stop trying.”
That makes it pretty hard to get up and go on a jog for fun. Let’s break it down a little more:
Here’s how you can recognize the cycle of depression and try a few strategies to help break it.
Call It What It Is: Depression
The first step in healing is admitting that you’re hurt. If you think you may be struggling with depression, look out for these symptoms:
Isolating from loved ones
Feeling hopeless or worthless
Thinking about death often
Feeling fatigued for all or most of the day
Loss of interest in former hobbies
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or oversleeping
Feeling easily irritable
How the Cycle Works
Depression starts with a stressor—this can be anything that causes strain or hardship in your life, and it can be short-term or long-term. Stressors can be anything from working in a toxic workplace to experiencing the death of a loved one.
After the stressor comes an array of thoughts, feelings, and physical symptoms. You may receive a bad comment at work and think, “I’m going to be stuck here forever.”
This thought leads to feelings of despair and hopelessness, which leads to physical symptoms of fatigue, poor concentration, and irritability.
These symptoms then become a new stressor in our lives, further deepening our depression.
In order to cope, we respond with behaviors that may be unhealthy for us, like abusing drugs and alcohol or cutting ourselves off from our social circles.
From there, the cycle begins again.
Antidepressants
When depression starts, the consequences might be small: missing a birthday party or running late to an appointment. Eventually, they may grow in severity: missing bills, neglecting your health, or living in a rapidly decaying home.
If the little tasks of everyday life seem like steep hills to climb, medication is a great solution. It helps to quiet negative thinking patterns for long enough to do the dishes, wash your face, or shop for groceries.
Keep in mind that medications like this require time and commitment for you to see the difference. Some take a few days to feel an effect, while others take a couple weeks. This is also a good time to watch for unwanted side effects and determine the best dose with your doctor.
Research suggests that the most effective treatment is to pair medication with counseling.
Lifestyle Changes
Establish a Routine
Changing our environment is sometimes easier than changing ourselves. Instead of pressuring yourself to suddenly become motivated again, create a routine that you can follow mindlessly.
Draft a schedule that outlines when you want to go to bed, wake up, shower and get ready, eat, and see friends. Stick to it and eventually, life will seem safe and easy to navigate through again.
Respond to Negative Thoughts
Once you’re able to notice negative thoughts, talk right back to them. Let’s say you break a plate while washing the dishes.
Negative Thought: “I’m never careful about anything I do.”
Response: “I broke one plate, but my entire sink is clear! I’m proud of myself for finishing the dishes.”
Practice Gratitude
If every day we practice lifting 15-pound weights, eventually we’ll be able to lift 20-pound weights, then 25, and so on.
Our brain works the same way.
Take a moment every day to practice gratitude and watch your perspective slowly become more positive. Try complimenting strangers regularly, flipping through old photos of your favorite memories, and savoring your meals more intentionally.
Eventually, your brain will start looking for the good and skipping over the bad.
One of our counselors can help you remain on track so that you’re the one controlling your life, not your depression. Reach out to our office today to get started.
Click here for more information on Depression Treatment.