Depression: the silent epidemic

Depression in its clinical form, is a mood disorder in which the individual may feel sad, helpless, hopeless, as if life is just too overwhelming and burdensome. Every one of us experiences depressed feelings from time to time; no one can escape the hurtful things in life. Its how we react that matters in the face of adversity.


Question that often arises is- Can I overcome depression? Yes, you can. To combat and overcome depression all of us need to learn how to face and manage difficulties skillfully. Sadness and hurt are parts of life that no one escapes. Easy it may sound, the goal should be to handle difficulties as temporary problems to be solved in efficient ways.


Treatment Options

There are a wide variety of treatment options for dealing with depression. Each case is different and the prescribed treatment varies from person to person. Some treatment options include:

Psychotherapy
Support groups
Medication/antidepressants
Natural remedies
Hypnosis
Meditation
Exercise
Any combination of the above.

In this section of the article we deal with, Self Help Techniques to deal with Depression. With increasing side effects of medication for depression, like weight-gain, anti-depressants should be the last resort.


Meditation:

Meditation can calm the mind and reduce stress, making dealing with depression easier. This technique brings you in contact with the present moment and creates awareness of what is around you.

Inhale slowly and deeply. Imagine your breath beginning at your head and traveling down to your feet, then coming back up again. Feel your breath travel through your body. How long you spend in this meditation it all depends on your tolerance for it. If you're new to meditation, ten minutes might be as much as you can handle. If you can last for or gradually increase your time to thirty minutes that would be ideal.





Realistic goal setting

Goal setting fights depression by helping women regain a sense of control over their lives. Regaining control over life also boosts self esteem and helps with positive thinking. Remember that regardless of age, a one-week goal is a manageable way to begin with. Goals should be “SMART”: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely, to build self-confidence.


Relaxation Techniques

Learning relaxation techniques can ease stress, muscle tension and anxiety. Progressive relaxation teaches- how to relax at will. This way of relaxation allows you to regain control over your body's involuntary muscle tension, and trains your body to release that tension. Basically, you focus your attention on one group of muscles at a time (the left arm, for instance, or the lower back muscles). Which in turn helps you, to become aware of the tension and tightness in that group of muscles, examining where the tension occurs and how it feels. Now exaggerate the tension, tightening the muscles and then releasing. By making the muscle even tighter than usual, you train your body to recognize how a relaxing muscle feels. Over time, the muscles relax more easily, and you become more aware of your body's tension trouble spots.