How to defeat depression

SAMHSA’s National Helpline | SAMHSA

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SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
Also visit the online treatment locator.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 (HELP4U) to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

The service is open 24/7, 365 days a year.

English and Spanish are available if you select the option to speak with a national representative. Currently, the 435748 (HELP4U) text messaging service is only available in English.

In 2020, the Helpline received 833,598 calls. This is a 27 percent increase from 2019, when the Helpline received a total of 656,953 calls for the year.

The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.

The service is confidential. We will not ask you for any personal information. We may ask for your zip code or other pertinent geographic information in order to track calls being routed to other offices or to accurately identify the local resources appropriate to your needs.

No, we do not provide counseling. Trained information specialists answer calls, transfer callers to state services or other appropriate intake centers in their states, and connect them with local assistance and support.

Suggested Resources
What Is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families
Created for family members of people with alcohol abuse or drug abuse problems. Answers questions about substance abuse, its symptoms, different types of treatment, and recovery. Addresses concerns of children of parents with substance use/abuse problems.
It's Not Your Fault (NACoA) (PDF | 12 KB)
Assures teens with parents who abuse alcohol or drugs that, "It's not your fault!" and that they are not alone. Encourages teens to seek emotional support from other adults, school counselors, and youth support groups such as Alateen, and provides a resource list.

After an Attempt: A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department
Aids family members in coping with the aftermath of a relative's suicide attempt. Describes the emergency department treatment process, lists questions to ask about follow-up treatment, and describes how to reduce risk and ensure safety at home.
Family Therapy Can Help: For People in Recovery From Mental Illness or Addiction
Explores the role of family therapy in recovery from mental illness or substance abuse. Explains how family therapy sessions are run and who conducts them, describes a typical session, and provides information on its effectiveness in recovery.
For additional resources, please visit the SAMHSA Store.

Last Updated: 08/30/2022

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20 ways worth trying

Depression can drain a person's vitality, causing a feeling of constant fatigue and inability to fully experience emotions. This can reduce the overall tone of the body and even suppress the desire to seek medical help.

Contents

1. Recognize the problem
2. Sometimes you can give vent to your emotions, but you need to do it constructively
3. Today's mood, today's experiences and thoughts do not affect what they will be tomorrow
4. Life events should be assessed individually - without unnecessary generalizations
5. Act contrary to what the “voice of depression” tells you from within
6. Seeing a realistic, achievable goal
7. Achievement deserves an award
8. Schedule for certain periods of each day - a "weapon" against bouts of depression
9. Do what you like...
10. ...for example, listen to music
11. Or spend more time in nature
12. Communication with loved ones
13. Try something completely new
14. Volunteer work - assistant in the fight against depression
15. Feeling grateful reduces symptoms of depression
16. Meditation helps to bring order to one's own thoughts
17. Nutrition can affect mental health
18. Physical activity is a powerful weapon against depression
19. Remember to get enough sleep
20. Seeking medical help is an important step in dealing with depression

Little bits, big relief

However, there are certain methods that do not require much effort and will help improve mental control and improve the overall sense of well-being.

1. Recognize the problem

Depression is a very common mental disorder. This disease affects millions of people and often you may not realize that there are people nearby who have similar problems, experience the same negative feelings and face the same obstacles in life. Each day lived with this disorder will be different. You should start taking your own mental health seriously and realize that today's situation can be very different tomorrow. It is very important that a person with depression be open to himself, perceive the situation adequately, treat himself and what he is experiencing with love.

2. You can sometimes give vent to your emotions, but you need to do it constructively

Constant suppression of your own feelings and emotions can seem like a very effective method for controlling the negative symptoms of depression. But, in the end, such a technique will be counterproductive. If there is a feeling that the day that has just begun will be bad, with a depressed mood - so be it. No need to try to suppress your own emotions, but you don’t need to give them complete control over yourself. It is better to start keeping a diary and regularly write down your feelings. And when the moment of improvement, the rise of emotions, comes, it should also be written down. Being aware of changes in mood, changes in symptoms of depression is essential in order to cope with this disorder on your own and look to the future with hope.

3. Today's mood, today's experiences and thoughts do not affect what they will be like tomorrow much more successful. Although some days do turn out to be difficult, there have been and will be days in life when almost everything will work out.

4. Life events should be assessed individually – without any extra considerations

Depression can increase the tendency to have negative memories. A person with depression can often focus their thoughts and memories on even a single failure, while at the same time not remembering their successes and achievements in many other things. Such overgeneralization should be stopped, and the positive things in life should be recognized as well. It may be worth writing down every day what exactly caused the influx of positive emotions during the day. You can also record in the diary what seemed unsuccessful, which caused sadness or negative emotions.

5. Act contrary to what the “voice of depression” tells from within

The “voice” in the head can give a person the wrong tips. Usually such a “voice of depression” calls for negative, irrational actions, so it can persuade you to drop the idea of \u200b\u200bself-help. At the same time, if you learn to recognize this "voice", you can "turn off" it. As a weapon against it, logical thinking should be used and each thought that appears in the head should be considered as a separate phenomenon. If an event (for example, a party with colleagues or friends) seems to be not worth the attention or time spent on it, say to yourself: “Maybe it is, but still, going there will be better than going again. ” sit at home on your own."

6. Seeing a realistic, achievable goal

Too long a list of tasks that need to be done can scare so much that a person does not do anything planned at all. Instead of an action plan with a lot of points, it would be better to set one or two goals for yourself. For example:

do not do general cleaning, but only take out the trash;
do not wash everything that has accumulated at once, but make several “portions” for gradual washing, in accordance with the color of dirty things;
Don't try to reply to all e-mail messages at once, but start with those that really need an urgent reply.

After completing one small task, you should move on to another, and then to the third, and so on. By doing so, you will eventually complete a list of real accomplishments.

7. Achievement deserves an award

Any goal is worth recognition, and any achievement deserves recognition. When a person has reached some goal, this moment should be noted. You may not feel like celebrating your accomplishments by buying a cake and throwing confetti, but knowing that despite everything you have accomplished something can be a very powerful weapon against the destructive effects of depression. The memory of the successful implementation of a plan can be a very strong incentive against overgeneralization and negative self-talk such as "I can't possibly do it."

8. Schedule for certain periods of each day - a "weapon" against bouts of depression

If depressive symptoms interfere with daily activities, it is worth starting to schedule tasks for the next day. But such a plan should not cover the whole day. The focus of the schedule should be those periods of the day (morning, noon or afternoon) when the symptoms of depression are most noticeable. For example, it is worth fixing what needs to be done in the morning before work or in the evening before bed. Perhaps such a schedule will only be needed on weekends. The "schedule" should not be too rigid, but it should be structured in order to be fruitful throughout the day.

9. Do what you like…

Depression can insidiously plunge a person into a world of debilitating gloomy thoughts. Such thoughts may seem more attractive than positive emotions. It is necessary to try to return to your life what you like - what relaxes, but at the same time increases the tone. It can be playing a musical instrument, drawing, walking, cycling and the like. Such activities can provide an improvement in mood and body tone, which, in turn, will facilitate the fight against symptoms of depression.

10. …for example, listen to music

Some scientific studies claim that music is a powerful tool for improving mood and reducing symptoms of depression. Music also enhances the ability to perceive positive emotions. It is especially useful to study music as part of a collective - for example, an ensemble or an orchestra. Sometimes it’s enough just to regularly listen to your favorite tunes.

11. Or spend more time in nature

Mother Nature can have a very positive effect on people suffering from depression. Scientists claim that being in nature improves mental health. The sun's rays have the same effect. The rays of the sun increase the level of serotonin, provide an improvement in mood. Long walks on weekends can also be helpful. This will promote contact with nature and at the same time provide a positive effect of the sun's rays.

12. Connecting with loved ones

People with depression often tend to isolate themselves, resulting in less contact with family and friends. At the same time, increasing the time of communication with other people neutralizes this trend. If there is not enough time for personal communication, it can be replaced by a phone call or video chat.

13. Try something completely new

When a person performs the same actions every day, the load falls on the same parts of the brain. However, it is possible to change the way neurons work and the chemical reactions in the brain with a significant change in activity. Some scientists argue that changing the type of activity can significantly improve well-being and strengthen social relationships. It could be taking up a new sport, going to a club, or learning new recipes.

14. Volunteer work - an assistant in the fight against depression

Volunteering allows you to kill two birds with one stone - start doing something new and at the same time communicate with other people. It's nice and helpful to get help from others. But helping those who really need it can improve mental health. Additional benefit: people who volunteer have more physical activity. This helps reduce the risk of developing hypertension.

15. The feeling of gratitude reduces the symptoms of depression

When a person does something he really likes or finds a new interesting activity, he can increase the beneficial effect of these phenomena on the psyche. Scientists claim that the experience of gratitude has a long-term positive impact on mental health. It is worth noting that such a positive influence is increased if you fix your feelings on paper - for example, by writing a letter or note addressed to others.

16. Meditation helps you organize your thoughts

Stress and anxiety can make depressive symptoms worse. Mastering relaxation techniques helps to reduce the damaging effects of stress and add pleasurable emotions to every day. Some scientists believe that meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, and even journaling contribute to a sense of well-being and improve perception of the world around.

17. Nutrition can affect the mental state

There is no "miracle" diet to treat depression, yet a person's mental state can be greatly affected by the foods and drinks they consume. It is a good idea to switch to a diet with a predominance of lean meats, vegetables and cereals in the diet. It is worth limiting the consumption of drinks that have a stimulating effect (coffee, strong tea, caffeinated carbonated drinks), as well as alcohol. Some people feel better by limiting their intake of sugar, preservatives, and processed foods. Helpful advice on this subject can be obtained from a dietitian.

18. Physical activity is a powerful weapon against depression

On those days when you don't even want to get out of bed in the morning, the idea of intensive physical education is unlikely to come to mind. However, exercise and physical activity are powerful anti-depression agents. Scientists believe that for some people with depression, exercise can be as effective as antidepressant medications. Regular exercise is also an effective way to prevent depression. You can start with a short walk in your own neighborhood, gradually increasing the amount of time you spend outside.

19. Remember to get enough sleep

Sleep disturbances are common in depression. A person may suffer from a lack of sleep or, conversely, sleep too long. Both of these events can worsen symptoms of depression. Get 8 hours of sleep every night. It is important to train yourself to go to bed and get up at the same time. It will also make it easier to complete the tasks of daily life. Sufficient sleep will not only reduce the symptoms of depression, but also increase the overall tone of the body and the ability to work.

20. Seeking medical help is an important step in dealing with depression

It is worth visiting a general practitioner to discuss the specifics of the mental state that are bothering the person. The family doctor will determine the appropriateness of applying for specialized psychiatric care and, if necessary, will give a referral. Doctors are able to correctly assess the symptoms and determine the method of treatment that will best suit the state of the psyche. Establishing a diagnosis takes time and effort, so to facilitate this task, you should be as frank as possible with your doctor. In the case of prescribing drug therapy, it is necessary to inform the doctor about changes in the mental state, as well as the appearance of side effects.

Electronic source:

https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/how-to-fight-depression

to the list of articlesKnow the doctor

20 ways to try

Contents

1. Recognize the problem
2. Sometimes you can give vent to your emotions, but you need to do it constructively
3. Today's mood, today's experiences and thoughts do not affect what they will be tomorrow
4. Life events should be assessed individually - without unnecessary generalizations
5. Act contrary to what the “voice of depression” tells you from within
6. Seeing a realistic, achievable goal
7. Achievement deserves an award
8. Schedule for certain periods of each day - a "weapon" against bouts of depression
9. Do what you like...
10. ...for example, listen to music
11. Or spend more time in nature
12. Communication with loved ones
13. Try something completely new
14. Volunteer work - assistant in the fight against depression
15. Feeling grateful reduces symptoms of depression
16. Meditation helps to bring order to one's own thoughts
17. Nutrition can affect mental health
18. Physical activity is a powerful weapon against depression
19. Remember to get enough sleep
20. Seeking medical help is an important step in dealing with depression

Small size, great relief

However, there are certain methods that do not require much effort and will help improve mental control and improve the overall sense of well-being.

1. Be aware of the problem

2. You can sometimes give vent to your emotions, but you need to do it constructively

3. Today's mood, today's experiences and thoughts do not affect what they will be like tomorrow much more successful. Although some days do turn out to be difficult, there have been and will be days in life when almost everything will work out.

4. Life events should be assessed individually – without any extra considerations