How IQ

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howiq — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:23:51 +0000

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How to Deal with Depression

howiq — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:24:53 +0000

More than 100 million people around the world are effected by depression. Learning how to deal with that depression and how to fight depression could be the difference between leading a happy life and quite the opposite.

Just feeling down or sad is a normal part of our everyday lives. Whether it’s because someone let us down or we’ve lost someone it’s perfectly normal to feel sad. This sadness only becomes an issue if we can’t get past it; if it doesn’t go away. And that’s why we’re writing about how to deal with depression in this article.

First you need to identify that depression is a challenge that you are facing now and seek professional advice. If you haven’t talked to your Doctor about the feelings you’re having, you should. Don’t go through depression alone, ever. Your Doctor can provide you with solutions that you may not have even thought of yet, and help you get through this part of your life.

The first thing your Doctor should go over with you is how to identify depression. Once you know the signs and symptoms of depression you can be better equipped to fight it when you see it coming on.

After you have spoken with your doctor, the next step to dealing with your depression is to start your journey to getting better. There are lots of steps you can take, and along with your Doctors advice you’ll be on your way to recovery before you know it.

Depression can feel like a bottomless pit. When the lethargy sets in and hopelessness looms in the back of your mind constantly it can seem like it’s too hard to overcome. That’s why its important that you view this as a road to recovery, not a stepping stone or simple process. There are going to be times when this journey is a difficult one and you’ll frequently question if anything you do at all will help. Keep in mind that things will get better, tomorrow is a brighter day, and if you continue to fight every step of the way these feelings will go away.

Here is a basic outline of how to fight depression. Everyone is different, so it’s important to know what works for you before you try to take on depression.

Here are some steps that you can take on your own to deal with depression:

Keep a diary of your trek through depression. It’s important to write down what you are going through – your emotions and feelings as well as what you are doing to make tomorrow better. You should get a notebook and document it in a journal. Not only will it help you get through touch times by having someone private that you can share your innermost thoughts with, but you’ll be able to later reflect on what got you through tough times and how good the good times were. It is a very healing process to just take the weight off of your mind and put it onto a piece of paper. The diary will also become your ‘partner’ in coping with your depression and will get you through even the toughest of times. Don’t add structure to it, just write exactly what you are feeling, and exactly what you want to write about. Just let the words flow out of you. Not only will this help you reflect, but most people have found it to be a rather cathartic and soothing process to let their thoughts flow out through pen and paper.

Take good care of your body, and it will take care of you. You need sleep. You need nourishment. You need to be able to be proud of yourself so others can be too. If you’ve been shying away from taking care of yourself there is no better time than now to start. You’ll feel better for it from the moment you start.

Get enough sleep. It’s healthy, leads to positive thoughts, and can be a release for you at the end of a hard day. Get what your body needs and it will thank you later.

Exercise. Studies have shown this to be as effective (if not more) then popular anti-depressants. It release a natural chemical in your brain that fights sadness, gets you out of your bed (or chair, or living room, or wherever) and keeps you active. Start with something small – maybe a walk around the neighborhood, and work your way up to something more regular and vigorous.

Put good foods in your mouth! And make sure they are healthy. Reduce the sugar in your diet, try to cut out that high fructose corn syrup, the fast and processed foods. Find a few fruits and vegetables, try something new. Eating better not only will make you feel good about the decision to, but it can be a positive project that you can work towards as you work your way to recovery.

Maintain your support network. People who love you, people who care about you, and people who need you to be there are all around you. Don’t ignore these people, but make them a part of your everyday life Don’t be afraid to be upfront with these people and explain that you are depressed and working through it. Just make sure that they know you are working to get better, and that they are not the cause of it. Even if it’s hard for you to tell them, just remember that this is a very common problem, is widely recognized, and it’s something that medical professionals take very seriously. Don’t be ashamed that you are working through it, and definitely don’t be afraid to ask for support from those you care about most.

Be around people who are good to be around.Just like the above, but in addition to. Find people with good habits, people that you admire, and people who are positive, and just be around them. Don’t forget what misery loves – company. Don’t give it any. Surround yourself with people who are regularly positive, who can find the best in any situation. Let yourself enjoy their company, and ask them about what makes them so positive. Most people are more than willing to share their happiness; you just need to let them.

Stay busy. Keeping yourself, and your mind occupied with things that both stimulate it and keep you productive will keep negative thoughts out of your mind. Hobbies are a great place to start – don’t be afraid to start a new one. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive, it just has to be something you enjoy and that challenges you.

Get structured. Make a schedule, start a day calendar, keep track of activities and appointments online, do whatever you are comfortable with. This will keep your day from feeling empty and aimless, and allow you time to think about what you can ‘fill’ your time up with. Find things to do, or make something up.

Help others. Really, make someone else feel good and it can pay you back in spades. There are dozens of organizations you can join, or you can do something as simple as helping out a friend or neighbor. Almost everyone could use a hand with housework or yard-work, or a project they are working on. Start offering up help to those in need and you’ll always be rewarded with positive feelings. That and there are lots of people who genuinely need your help, but don’t know how to ask. Don’t be afraid to just offer it up without asking for anything in return. Don’t overdo it to the point of feeling exhausted or used up, but definitely get out there and add what you can.

After you take a few of these things and integrate them into your life, you can start in on how to change your thinking to get rid of depression. Just remember, you’re never alone, and you can do it.

How to Fight Depression

howiq — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:19:44 +0000

Here are a few steps that you, along with the help of family and friends, can take to fight depression. Keep in mind that the process for fighting depression is different for everyone, so take some time to think about yourself as you go through these steps and consider what will work best for your particular situation.

Give a name to the animal that is your sadness. Winston Churchill suffered from depression, and he frequently referred to the depression he suffered from as his ‘black dog’. By taking what he was feeling and turning it into an animal, he took control of his situation. Just like a dog, the depression might always be with you. But also like a dog, you can train it with persistence and patients. It’s important you know before starting out that it will be a process. But it’s also important to know that the process is worthwhile, and in the end you’ll have a much better ‘pet’ for your efforts.

Find someone to look up to. Don’t think that you’re alone in this struggle. It’s an easy trap to fall into. More than 120 million people around the world are suffering from depression right now as you’re reading this. Even more people have overcome depression. Go to your local bookstore (or even amazon) and look up some biographies of influential people in history. Chances are if you pick out five people, at least one of them suffered from depression. Continue doing research online just like you are now, and never forget that depression doesn’t need to be the thing that stops you from living, it’s just another stepping stone to get over on your path to becoming a better person tomorrow.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Life isn’t about getting to the finish line in some sort of correct order or beating your neighbor at something, even though lots of times it can feel that way. The truth of the matter is that each and every single person has something to contribute to society, and it’s important you know this fact and live it every day. Stop competing in everything. Don’t obsess over trivial things in life. These competitions that we create in our everyday life can often become a never-ending series of hoops that we put in front of ourselves that only add to an already complicated life. Don’t take this to mean stop improving – take it to mean that improvement is only measured against one’s self and not everything around them.

Take time to think about other things that are bothering you. Make a list of things outside of your depression that stick in the back of your mind, like your job, your bills, the mess in the living room, or just whatever else is bothering you. Then put a column next to it and write down some things that you can do for each one of them to deal with what’s bothering you. Like look for a new job, go back to school, ask a friend or family member to help you around the house, talk to your boss. Anything really, just as long as you come up with some actionable solutions to your problems.

It’s not going to be an easy road to go down, but I promise it’s something that you can do. Fighting depression isn’t going to be easy, but rarely in life are the things worth doing anything less than difficult. Every day is a new day, and you can fight back against your depression.

How to Identify Depression

howiq — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:01:45 +0000

Learning how to identify depression is an important first step in learning how to deal with depression. We’ve put together a list of the signs and symptoms of depression so you can learn how to identify if someone is suffering from depression.

How to identify if a person is depressed:

The inability to function at a normal level during your everyday happenings. Symptoms can include fatigue, unable to get excited about things you like to do, doing things takes more energy than they normally take, and lethargy.
Constant sadness and melancholy. This often manifests with uncontrollable crying fits, being ‘set off’ or upset very easily, higher levels of anxiety and feelings of hollow or emptiness.
Feeling sad, even if there is no reason, over a period of at least 14 days (2 weeks)
Feelings of worthlessness, self-loathing, and feelings of being to blame for everything.
Changes in your regular sleep pattern without reason – ie sleeping much more or much less than normal.
Gaining or losing weight (beyond what is normal for you and your body), eating much more or losing your appetite all together.
Losing your regular concentration – finding that thinking about things becomes difficult. Often described as a very ‘foggy’ feeling without the ability to make decisions. Becoming very forgetful.
Pessimistic. Constant feeling that things are pointless and hopefuless. Finding that things lose their meaning and even feeling completely numb about things you usually are more passionate about.
Cramps, digestive problems, headaches, or other common ailments that you are unable to treat with normal treatment methods
Irritability combined with restlessness.
Thoughts about dying, death, suicide, and actually attempting suicide.

If after reading about how to identify depression you think you or a loved one are suffering from depression please seek professional advice.