Coping with Depression…

The first step to recovering from depression, is to make sure you’re depressed. If you haven’t been diagnosed by a doctor but feel you are depressed, here are the main common symptoms of depression:

• Loss of appetite.
• Gain of appetite.
• Little to no energy.
• Feeling worthlessness.
• Feeling you’re not good enough.
• Loss of interest in everyday activities, or things you once loved.
• Having a short fuse, and easily to upset.
• Being more negative towards the way you look/act towards things.

If you’re having the racing thoughts of “I wish I where dead”, “Everyone would benefit if I wasn’t here anymore”, “I can’t go my whole life feeling like this”. These are suicidal thoughts and you should seek help within someone you trust or a random suicide hotline, whether it is to accept help, or to just talk with someone about how you feel.

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Now, here are a few coping skills that I learned in mental hospitals and over the years:) I’m only putting the coping skills that I found to help me. Feel free to comment with any other coping skills that you’ve learned that help you!

• Going Outside for at least 15 minutes to get sunlight. Even when it is in the Winter, going outside, taking long deep breaths and thinking, help me.
• Meditation, relaxing soothing music that you can meditate too for a short period of time. Not always, but sometimes I can “feel” when my depression is going to be worse than usual, I’ll put on some headphones, and try my hardest to relax myself and my mind to meditation. It really does help calm me down and prepare myself for the “mood” that I’m about to be in.
• Healing Stones and Crystals. I know I’ve written about this before but I can’t stress it enough how well healing stones work. I found that “Smoky Quartz”, “Jet and Lapis Lazuli” stones work the best. I wear them continuously and while meditating, hold them close to your Solar Plexus Chakra (pit of stomach, just above naval) and/or on your Heart Chakra (center of chest, in between breast bones).
• Challenge your irrational thoughts, write them down in a private journal, and for each negative thought you’ve written, you must write two positive thoughts to knock that negative thought off the page:)
• Looking at motivational statements and inspirational quotes online, whether it be pinterest or tumblr. Lately I haven’t been doing either, I’ve been coming to WordPress and reading how so many of you have overcome your mental illnesses and it makes me feel that I can too.
• Watching something funny, just to hear yourself laugh.
  

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Lastly is something everyone with any mental illness should do! The last mental hospital I was at made us do this and it helps just knowing that it’s there. It’s called a “Grounding Box/Comfort Box”. A box filled with literally everything that calms you down, stuff that means something to you. Your comfort box may be completely different than mine, and that’s ok…we’re different people, we cope differently:)

So here is what is in my “Grounding Box”.

• Adult Coloring Book with Colored Pencils. (things that keep my brain busy)
• Pictures of my dog, family, and fiance. (things that make me smile)
• Candle for meditation. (something to calm me down)
• Healing Stones. (something to calm me down)
• Stress Relief Body Lotion. (For anxiety and panic attacks)
• Teddy Bear. (something familiar)
• Candy. (something sweet)
• Music. (something for your mind to do)
• Drawing Pad and Pencils. (letting my mind wander, helps me the most)
• Notes that I have written myself throughout the year, positive things on my good days. (confidence builder)
• Herbal Tea Packets and a bottle of water:) (stress relief, for panic attacks)

As you can tell by looking at my Grounding Box, I prefer things that keep my brain busy like drawing, music, etc; and things to try and build me back up like pictures and self notes. 

 

I hope this helps someone:) If you have any coping skills that you think I should give a go, or think anyone following should give a try, comment them below:)