Something I found from a site.

I was reading this from a site I found.Thought it was helpful,so,I wanted to put it in here,so,I can look at it again.

 

	Metanoia 7/19/2005 11:40 AM	2 out of 37
	Getting Up. Many depressions are characterized by guilt, and lots of it. Many of the things that depressed people want to do because of their depressions (staying in bed, not going out) wind up making the depression worse because they end up causing depressed people to feel like they are screwing things up more and more. So if you’ve had six or seven hours of sleep, try to make yourself get out of bed the moment you wake up ... you may not always succeed, but when you do, it’s nice to have gotten a head start on the day. Cleaning the house. This worked for some people me in a big way. When depressions are at their worst, you may find yourself unable to do brain work, but you probably can do body things. One depressed person wrote, “So I spent two weeks cleaning my house, and I mean CLEANING: cupboards scrubbed, walls washed, stuff given away... throughout the two weeks, I kept on thinking ‘I’m not cleaning it right, this looks terrible, I don’t even know how to clean properly’, but at the end, I had this sparkling beautiful house!” Volunteer work. Doing volunteer work on a regular basis seems to keep the demons at bay, somewhat... it can help take the focus off of yourself and put it on people who may have larger problems (even though it doesn’t always feel that way). In general, It is extremely important to try to understand if something you can’t seem to accomplish is something you simply CAN’T do because you’re depressed (write a computer program, be charming on a date), or whether its something you CAN do, but it’s going to be hell (cleaning the house, going for a walk with a friend, getting out of bed). If it turns out to be something you can do, but don’t want to, try to do it anyway. You will not always succeed, but try. And when you succeed, it will always amaze you to look back on it afterwards and say “I felt like such shit, but look how well I managed to...!” This last technique, by the way, usually works for body stuff only (cleaning, cooking, etc.). The brain stuff often winds up getting put off until after the depression lifts. Do not set yourself difficult goals or take on a great deal of responsibility. Break large t Metanoia 7/19/2005 11:45 AM 4 out of 37 If you are on medication: Take the medication as directed. Keep taking it as directed for as long as directed. Discuss with the doctor ahead of time what happens in case of unacceptable side-effects. Don’t stop taking medication or change dosage without discussing it with your doctor, unless you discussed it ahead of time. Remember to check about mixing other things with medication. Ask the prescribing doctor, and/or the pharmacist and/or look it up in the Physician’s Desk Reference. Redundancy is good. Except in emergencies, it is a good idea to check what your insurance covers before receiving treatment. Do not rely on your doctor or therapist to know everything. Do some reading yourself. Some of what is available to read yourself may be wrong, but much of it will shed light on your disorder. Talk to your doctor if you think your medication is giving undesirable side-effects. Do ask them if you think an alternative treatment might be more appropriate for you. Do tell them anything you think it is important to know. Do feel free to seek out a second opinion from a different qualified medical professional if you feel that you cannot get what you need from the one you have. Skipping appointments, because you are “too sick to go to the doctor” is generally a bad idea. asks into many smaller ones, set some priorities, and do what you can, as you can. Do not expect too much from yourself. Unrealistic expectations will only increase feelings of failure, as they are impossible to meet. Perfectionism leads to increased depression. Try to be with other people, it is usually better than being alone. Participate in activities that may make you feel better. You might try mild exercise, going to a movie, a ball game, or participating in religious or social activities. Don’t overdo it or get upset if your mood does not greatly improve right away. Feeling better takes time. Do not make any major life decisions, such as quitting your job or getting married or separated while depressed. The negative thinking that accompanies depression may lead to horribly wrong decisions. If pressured to make such a decision, explain that you will make the decision as soon as possible after the depression lifts. Remember you are not seeing yourself, the world, or the future in an objective way when you are depressed. While people may tell you to “snap out” of your depression, that is not possible. The recovery from depression usually requires antidepressant therapy and/or psychotherapy. You cannot simple make yourself “snap out” of the depression. Asking you to “snap out” of a depression makes as much sense as asking someone to “snap out” of diabetes or an under-active thyroid gland.

	Metanoia 7/19/2005 11:44 AM	3 out of 37
	Remember: Depression makes you have negative thoughts about yourself, about the world, the people in your life, and about the future. Remember that your negative thoughts are not a rational way to think of things. It is as if you are seeing yourself, the world, and the future through a fog of negativity. Do not accept your negative thinking as being true. It is part of the depression and will disappear as your depression responds to treatment. If your negative (hopeless) view of the future leads you to seriously consider suicide, be sure to tell your doctor about this and ask for help. Suicide would be an irreversible act based on your unrealistically hopeless thoughts. Remember that the feeling that nothing can make depression better is part of the illness of depression. Things are probably not nearly as hopeless as you think they are.

	Metanoia 7/19/2005 11:45 AM	4 out of 37
	If you are on medication: Take the medication as directed. Keep taking it as directed for as long as directed. Discuss with the doctor ahead of time what happens in case of unacceptable side-effects. Don’t stop taking medication or change dosage without discussing it with your doctor, unless you discussed it ahead of time. Remember to check about mixing other things with medication. Ask the prescribing doctor, and/or the pharmacist and/or look it up in the Physician’s Desk Reference. Redundancy is good. Except in emergencies, it is a good idea to check what your insurance covers before receiving treatment. Do not rely on your doctor or therapist to know everything. Do some reading yourself. Some of what is available to read yourself may be wrong, but much of it will shed light on your disorder. Talk to your doctor if you think your medication is giving undesirable side-effects. Do ask them if you think an alternative treatment might be more appropriate for you. Do tell them anything you think it is important to know. Do feel free to seek out a second opinion from a different qualified medical professional if you feel that you cannot get what you need from the one you have. Skipping appointments, because you are “too sick to go to the doctor” is generally a bad idea