“Depression is an illness that requires a good deal of self-care,” writes psychologist Deborah Serani, PsyD, in her excellent book Living with Depression: Why Biology and Biography Matter along the Path to Hope and Healing.
But this might seem easier said than done, because when you have depression, the idea of taking care of anything feels like adding another boulder to your already heavy load. Serani understands firsthand the pain and exhaustion of depression. In addition to helping clients manage their depression, Serani works to manage her own, and shares her experiences in Living with Depression.
If you’re feeling better, you might ditch certain self-care habits, too. Maybe you skip a few therapy sessions, miss your medication or shirk other treatment tools. According to Serani, as some people improve, they get relaxed about their treatment plan, and before they know it are blinded to the warning signs and suffer a relapse.
Because skimping on self-care is a slippery slope to relapse, Serani provides readers with effective tips in her book. As a whole, the best things you can do to stave off relapse are to stick to your treatment plan and create a healthy environment. I’ve summarized her valuable suggestions below.
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I loved this article. I had suffered from depression and got help. I also made it my mission to learn as much as I could about it, and most importantly, how to prevent relapse and live a happy, rewarding life. I especially agree with #7–”Avoid people who are toxic.” During my depression, I believed that the people who treated me cruelly did so because somehow “I must have deserved it.” Now I know that having that feeling/belief was characteristic of the depression itself. I used to believe I had to change myself in order to please these people … to get them to stop. Now I know better–and this has made a tremendous difference in my life! Here’s my advice: if you feel you are “stuck” or “trapped” by toxic people in your life, GET OUT. You don’t deserve it. It’s YOUR life–take it back! If you cannot do it alone, GET HELP.
This is great article, some very useful tips!
We will share this on Twitter.
Really good article. I have what I think is a life-long low grade depression that never completely goes away, but the suggestions in this article are good common sense stuff. I might question only ‘avoiding movies & shows with depressing or violent themes’. For me, if I were overly affected by a film (such as Sopies Choice), I might start to question whether I was getting ENOUGH therapy or ever might I require hospitalization. It’s only a movie after all, and I would want to work on lightening up my thoughts that cause me to so closely relate my life and it to the point it sends me into depressive tailspin. Again, really good article. Thanks.
For evidence that depression is treatable and that it takes a long time you can read “Life of Death” by George mason. This guy was depressed as a 5 yo and did not get well until his 40s. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1469920530/
Get moving is the best advice. Exercise cures everything!
I have nothing no job no family or friends. No support what so i ever. So what do i do
You are never alone, no matter how much you feel you are. … we have all been there.. I would know. There are support groups all over the place, many of which you can find right on FB. You will be amazed at the support and information available to you. And you will even make friends..*hugs*