Many people with depression find it almost impossible to function normally when depression strikes. It is an all-consuming, negative, state of mind.
The problem with depression is that very often you can’t see it coming. All it can take is one negative thought and the dark feelings of depression start to creep in, bringing with them yet more negative thoughts.
In this day and age where we expect a remedy for everything with little effort required on our part, we sometimes expect to have our mental health treated like any other medical condition, i.e. with some sort of medication. However, in my experience, whilst medication can help to some extent, it often feels like one is simply masking the problem rather than going to the root.
Because we often expect medication to cure it is ourselves, and because if we suffer from depression we often feel negative in any case, it makes it very easy to rubbish anything that suggests one’s depression can be treated with therapy.
Personally, I do not take any medication is my depression and have found therapy to be very useful. Like many people however it took me some time to try it. Like many other people I avoided taking therapy through the use of excuses such as:
1. Some people feel that those who attend therapy are somehow weak. However, there is a mountain of research that suggests that therapy works, and the idea that people who undergo therapy are weak is perhaps an excuse for people who suffer from depression to avoid having to admit they have a problem. Rather than being weak, many people consider that admitting one has a problem takes more courage than to continue to create a false front and a “stiff upper lip.”
2. When one is depressed everything becomes negative and therapy is often avoided because the depression simply makes the person believe that they are beyond help. There is clear evidence however, that no matter how one may feel at the time, therapy is very successful at treating one’s depression.
3. Other people avoid therapy because they feel it’s going to be a long and complicated journey. Now this may be true for long-term depression, but generally speaking therapy involves a number of fairly simple exercises which one can practice on one’s own quite easily. Even if therapy takes longer than expected, the fact that you are doing something about it, I found helps. Doing nothing will simply keep you in your depressed state and surely this is not what you want?
I cured my depression through a combination of therapy and self-help alone. I’m not suggesting everybody will share the same success, but I do know that doing nothing is not an option if one wants to beat depression.
I also believe that exercise helps conquer depression. In my case I love walking and camping. Camping out is very relaxing and gets me over my depression. I always use Swiss Gear tentswhich are great quality. Visit www.tentsforcampingreview.com.