The founder of Seek A Therapy once suffered with depression. He knows the pain depression causes and knowing it can be difficult to know what to do to change things. We hope these three points, shared directly from his own experience can help others. In this article he shares tips to overcome depression from his direct experience. Hopefully helping others through their difficult journey and back on the road to a happier life.
Before you read any further please let me affirm that each and every patient suffering with a mental illness is ‘unique’. The techniques discussed here worked for the founder of Seek A Therapy and worked as part of therapy. You may need a different strategy. It is due to this I believe you should ALWAYS consult a professional therapist and GP as soon as you are ready.
Tips To Overcome Depression No.1 : Assess What Is Making You Feel Depressed.
When the founder of Seek A Therapy first became severely depressed during his mental breakdown he was advised by a loved one to write down his daily thoughts. What he was thinking, from the very deepest and darkest thoughts, to the small moments of joy or normality. Writing it down can allow you to look back and see the progress you are making.
This really did help because it emptied my head of the thoughts that were draining my energy. It also helped my doctor and therapists to see exactly what was going on inside my mind. Very useful for a psychologist or mental health professional.
It also has the benefit of when you begin to improve, you can look back at the book and see how much progress you made.
Tip To Overcome Depression No.2 : Exercise And Get Out The House
There is nothing worse than being stuck in your home. Looking at the same four walls and not getting your daily Vitamin D and interacting with your fellow human beings. Forcing yourself to go for walks, even if it is just 5 minutes around the local housing estate, will give you a slight lift. Then, as you begin to make progress you can try going further and further.
When I was depressed I had moved back into my family home. They had just bought a little white Westland Terrier called Harry. If you own a dog you think about their needs. You think how dogs love to go for walks and play all the time. Seeing the joy in your pets eyes can give you an extra lift as you start to make progress on getting out and about. ( Here is an article about how dogs can help heal from depression ).
Exercise doesn’t mean you need to go down the gym!
Xbox 360 and the wii now make it easy to exercise in the comfort of your living room.
This is how the founder started exercising. He used the Nintendo Wii in combination with taking the dog for three walks a day. He ended up loosing 2 stone in 6 months and feeling much better for it too! ( Here is an article about how exercise can help in your journey of overcoming depression ).
Tip To Overcome Depression No.3 : Meditate Regularly And Become Aware Of Your Thoughts.
Meditation is a fantastic tool that can help in stopping your mind from over thinking. You slow down your breathing, become aware of your inhalation and exhalation and then, your mind begins to empty of ALL thoughts. It may sound impossible, but once you have done it just a few times, you will see the benefit of this fantastic healing tool. Doing a guided meditation from a CD is a good starting place to get the idea of how meditation works. It is great for the beginner in the practice.
When you are having negative thoughts in day to day life ask yourself why you are thinking the thought. Then try to rationalise, is that thought really what is happening or is it your perception?
Those in the profession call this CBT but we just call it common sense! When Seek A Therapy founder fell ill, the doctors ( after 3 months of waiting ) gave him five one hour sessions of CBT. He found it a hugely beneficial tool.
Once you start to apply some of these strategies, you will begin to feel a little bit lifted. It may make it sound easy but this wasn’t a quick solution. It didn’t take a week, not even a month. It was over several months alongside other treatments and strategies.
An Honest Discussion From John, Founder Of Seek A Therapy About How Long It Really Took To Overcome Depression
To overcome depression fully after having it severely, it took me about two years. Even now, I still occasionally feel those negative thoughts creeping in. But when I do, I use all the strategies I used on my road to recovery. One of the most powerful lasting tools is the use of CBT. There are other strategies you can explore, such as EFT , hypnotherapy and life coaching. Part of my journey was getting a professional job after completing two jobs so I chose to relocate to London. This was a big part of my own healing process. I believe the best way to start overcoming depression is to find out why. If you don’t know why possibly seek help from a hypnotherapist who will be able to help you activate your subconcious mind and pinpoint the issue. ( Discover what hypnotherapy is and what to expect here ).
How do you find techniques to overcome negative thinking and what do you find works for you? Did you find anti-depressants help or did they not really seem to make a difference after a while? Please comment in the box below.