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Depression
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 Tools
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Handling Depression
Content:
How does my depression manifest itself?
When
depressed, I experience:
-
a
loss of enthusiasm for life.
-
a
lack of energy for self-growth.
-
confusion
as to what is the meaning of life for me.
-
a
blue funk.
-
a
lack of excitement or appreciation for my accomplishments in life.
-
lethargy,
tiredness, and exhaustion.
-
an
inordinate desire to sleep.
-
a
flat emotional affect.
-
boredom
with my life, job, family, friends.
-
the
absence of spontaneity or joie de vivre.
-
a
lack of desire to keep on keeping on.
-
the
feeling that the world would be better off if I no longer existed.
-
the
desire to run away or end it all.
-
the
feeling that I am only an observer of life and not involved in it.
-
a
sense of living in slow motion.
-
a
feeling of energy and drive in the midst of a crises, deadline, or tragedy.
-
tearfulness
and weeping for no apparent reason.
-
loneliness,
isolation, a lack of being connected to the others in my life.
-
apathy,
discontent, and a hollow feeling regarding my day to day existence.
What are some causes of my depression?
I
feel depressed when I:
-
have
a chemical imbalance, physical or biological, needing medical attention.
-
have
experienced extended time periods of being shut in the house due to seasonal
conditions and lack appropriate amounts of sunshine and clean air
-
experience
a failure or loss in life.
-
hold
in my anger.
-
review
my past life and fail to see a meaning or reason for it.
-
have
a conflict, disagreement, or fight with those I either live or work with.
-
feel
guilty over something I have done or said.
-
have
been criticized or found to be lacking.
-
doubt
my ability to be successful.
-
let
myself down by not being as perfect or as accomplished as I would like to
be.
-
face
the futility of the human condition.
-
don't
feel approved by someone whose approval I am seeking.
-
experience
a major change in my life.
-
have
accomplished something that has taken much energy and effort, i.e., the
birth of child, a marriage, a divorce, landing a new job, graduating from
school.
-
have
to deal with death.
-
experience
rejection in a relationship.
-
sense
that I have no control over the negative experiences in my life.
-
realize
that others question my competence, judgment, knowledge, ability, or worth.
-
doubt
my decisions, actions, or accomplishments.
-
recognize
that I am powerless in the face of addictive or compulsive behavioral
problems.
-
am
on vacation or have a day off.
-
experience
the ``holidays'' (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's, Valentine's
Day, etc.)
-
continue
to respond with the behavioral role pattern I learned in my dysfunctional
family.
-
am
ill or disabled.
-
hear
news that has affected others adversely.
-
realize
that my dreams for the future are unrealistic; fantasies with no possibility
of ever being accomplished.
-
am
confused over my direction, goals, or priorities in life.
-
learn
something new about life, something which if I had known earlier would have
made my life more pleasant or successful.
-
continue
to not know what ``normal'' is, have no idea of ``normal'' behavior, or
``healthy'' behavior.
-
am
unable to connect with people in healthy relationships.
-
can't
identify the reason for my unhappy, sad, or worried feelings.
-
ignore
my need to express anger in a healthy, productive manner.
-
feel
inadequate.
-
continue
to rely on crises, deadlines, or tragedies to overcome my lethargy and lack
of energy.
-
am
jealous of those I perceive to have achieved the ``ideal'' life.
What irrational beliefs lead me into depression?
-
I
should not make mistakes.
-
People
should automatically recognize my worth and value.
-
It
is wrong for me to show my anger.
-
It
is a sin to be angry at my parents behavior toward me.
-
I
should not disagree with others.
-
People
should accept me the way I am.
-
My
loved ones should not leave me, should not die.
-
I
should not get sick or disabled.
-
What
I do should be done perfectly.
-
I
should be rewarded in life for my hard work and sacrifices.
-
Things
should not change.
-
I
should be happy when I am successful.
-
The
``holiday'' season should be the happiest time of my year.
-
I
should be in control over all aspects of my life.
-
I
work best under pressure.
-
If
you want a thing done, give it to a busy person.
-
I
am unable to avoid the crises in my life.
-
I
should be able to solve problems that come my way.
-
I
am only worthwhile if I accomplish something visibly productive on a daily
basis.
-
I
should not consider my current problems or behavior as a reflection of the
way I was reared.
-
My
goals in life should be clear.
-
I
should not be suffering today because of the way I was reared.
-
Relationships
should be established and maintained with ease.
-
Others
should know what I need from them without my having to ask; it's perfectly
clear.
-
I
should have been more successful, but others held me back.
What are some negative effects of depression?
When
I feel depressed I:
-
find
others unwilling to get involved with me, actually avoiding me.
-
have
self-destructive or suicidal thoughts.
-
escape
into unhealthy behavior patterns.
-
withdraw
from life, face my problems passively.
-
escape
into watching TV, reading, daydreaming or other obsessive but passive
behavior.
-
ignore
my creativity, imagination, and ingenuity in facing my problems.
-
procrastinate,
feeling overwhelmed by my responsibilities, duties, and tasks.
-
turn
off my positive emotional response to life.
-
ignore
my personal health with poor personal hygiene, no weight control, and lack
of proper exercise.
-
get
hooked on the need for the adrenalin rush that comes with a crisis, a
deadline, or other pressures, even tragedies to get me through life.
-
am
anxious, nervous, tense, and uptight for no apparent reason.
-
feel
like a loser.
How can I overcome depression?
In
order to overcome depression I need to:
-
recognize
that I am depressed.
-
have
a complete physical exam to rule out some other physiological cause for my
depression
-
be
willing, under the supervision of an appropriate physician, to use an
anti-depressant medication to help me get over the "hump" of my
current bout of depression
-
determine
whether the depression is situation specific (related to a current
situation in my life) or chronic (a part of my behavior for a long
period of time).
-
identify
the causes of my depression.
-
change
my irrational thinking and develop a more realistic perspective.
-
accept
that anger is the basis for my depression, and make a concerted effort to do
anger work-out sessions daily to lessen its impact.
-
realize
that depression is a fact of life, that it accompanies loss, grief, and even
success.
-
find
a place in my life for relaxation efforts such as self-hypnosis, meditation,
and progressive muscle relaxation.
-
use
visual imagery to see my life without depression and put my energy into the
pursuit of a positive goal.
-
develop
a crisis prevention, time management, and catastrophic intervention plan of
action.
-
develop
a balanced lifestyle with good nutrition, a balanced diet, aerobic exercise,
adequate sleep and stress reduction.
-
work
at self-esteem enhancement, self-affirmation, self-reinforcement.
-
commit
myself to a specific plan of action to overcome my depression.
What steps can I take to overcome depression?
Step
1: I will review this chapter, then answer the following questions
in my journal:
A.
How effectively do I cope with life?
B.
How can I recognize depression in my life?
C.
What symptoms of depression do I currently experience?
D.
What current life situations contribute to my depression?
E.
What explanations clarify my chronic state of depression?
F.
How does my current situational depression exacerbate my chronic
depression?
G.
How do I feel about admitting that I am depressed?
H.
What hinders my efforts to overcome my depression?
I.
What feedback do I get from others that alerts me that depression is a
problem for me?
J.
How is my depression related to my low self-esteem?
Step
2 Once I have explored the symptoms of depression and admitted that I
am depressed, I will attempt to identify the causes. I will answer the following
questions in my journal:
A.
How did life in my family of origin result in my current depression?
B.
What losses have I experienced in the last five years to explain my
current depression?
C.
What successes or achievements in the past five years have I experienced
that might explain this current depression?
D.
What does my family doctor or psychiatrist say about the physical,
biological or chemical contribution to my depression? How do I feel about the
need for medication to keep me in chemical balance?
E.
What is my family history of depression? Which relatives had depression
or had ``breakdowns?'' What is my family history of suicide? How do I feel about
the concept of having a genetic predisposition to depression?
F.
What are the causes for both chronic and situational depression in my
life? (Put these in your journal in separate lists.)
G.
How does my need for excitement in crises, deadlines, pressures, and
tragedy relate to my depression?
Step
3: Once I have identified the causes of my chronic and/or
situational depression, I need to identify my irrational beliefs that contribute
to my depression. I can work to refocus my thinking. To do this I will answer
the following questions in my journal:
A.
How rational or realistic is my current thinking?
B.
What beliefs contribute to my current depression?
C.
What is the source of these beliefs?
D.
What is the worst thing that could happen if I no longer hold on to these
beliefs?
E.
What rational beliefs could I substitute to overcome my depression?
Step
4: Once I have begun to rethink and rewrite my irrational beliefs,
I need to address the negative effects of depression in my life by answering the
following questions in my journal:
A.
What effect does my depression have on my relationships? In my marriage?
My family? My friends? My co-workers?
B.
In what self-destructive behavior do I currently engage?
C.
How withdrawn or passive have I become? How can I become more assertive?
D.
How does escapism defer my personal growth and happiness?
E.
What keeps me from taking control of my time, eliminating
procrastination, and facing my depression?
F.
What positive aspects of my life do I seem to ignore?
G.
How does the condition of my body reflect the state of my depression?
What positive steps would improve my physical response to depression?
H.
How is my anxiety and tension manifested? How can I reduce its impact on
me?
I.
How often do I feel like a loser? At what am I a ``winner''? How much do
I work at being a winner? How deeply can I commit to the following belief: To be
a winner in life you only need to be a winner at what you do best and admit
that you are a winner.
J.
How committed am I to overcoming my depression?
Step
5: Now that I have reviewed the negative impact of depression in
my life, I will record my plan of action to overcome my depression.
Action
Plan for Overcoming Depression
1.
I am depressed.
2.
I have the following forms of depression:
(1) Chronic depression:
(2) Situational
depression:
3.
The causes of my depression are:
(1) Chronic:
(2)
Situational:
4.
The irrational beliefs that contribute to my depression include:
5.
The new beliefs I need to help lessen my depression include:
6.
I will work on the following anger to uproot my depression:
(1) Chronic:
(2) Situational:
7.
I will perform the following anger work-out activities to reduce my
depression:
8.
I will use visual imagery daily in the following ways:
9.
My plan for a balanced life includes:
(1) nutrition and diet
(2) exercise, aerobic
and other
(3) adequate hours of
sleep
(4) relaxation
activities
10.
My plan for building self-esteem includes:
(1) self-affirmation
(2) self-hypnosis
(3) visual imagery
11.
I will take the following steps to determine if there is a physical,
biological, or chemical basis for my depression:
(1) appointments with
family doctor for complete physical exam
(2) lab work as needed
(3) prescriptions as
needed
(4) therapy as needed
12.
I commit to this plan and will review it on a monthly basis.
Step
6: I will lessen my depression using the tools I have been given. I will
assess the status of my depression. If it has not improved, I will go back to
Step 1 and begin the steps again.
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