Depression self help can be all you need to lift yourself right up

Depression self help is about truly understanding why you are depressed and then immediately taking that first step to a depression cure – which is to worry less so that your sleep and motivation improve.

Did you know that most people recover from their depression on their own? So you can do it – by focusing on these four steps.

Step One – understanding what is going on

• Listen to my Depression Mp3 (opposite) at least once a day until it has really sunk in.
• Read Depression Symptoms - just to make sure and then read it again and again.
• Notice that already there may be a little hope and less useless worry and rumination.

Step Two – begin to distract yourself, do things differently and so worry less

• Listen again to the Mp3 – for ideas and methods to help you worry less. You will be surprised how easy it is, once you have begun.
• Read what Cris has to say about action (facing) – and ask what you can do differently today. Ponder Cris’s words until they have really sunk in.
• Ponder Michelle's amazing testimony here

Step Three – noticing that the clouds are lifting - that the depression self help is working

• Undertake a Needs Audit and plan in detail a few small steps that inch you forward.
• Read Depression Treatment and Case Studies. These will also give you some ideas – just by reading them.
• Discover whether there is Black and White thinking that you can now challenge. Enjoy this exercise.

Step Four – discover which of these depression tips are helpful

• Set Goals - Small and achievable . . . concrete . . . positive . . . appropriate to meet unmet needs.
  (Meeting a friend, returning to old hobbies, exercise, having fun with someone, initiating something, helping, learning)
• And scale how you feel – from 1 to 10
  Do it through the day with a notebook, not expecting too much, noticing what helps, setting a baseline and not worrying about slippage (it is temporary)
• Remember to laugh, take exercise, eat better

You can beat this depression. Worry less, take action and find your energy and motivation returning.

Go to Depression Symptoms
Go to Depression Treatment
Go to Depression Case Studies
Go to Depression
Back to Self Help from Depression Self Help

Your depression experience

One of my messages on Depression is that the "experts" don't know very much. So we have to empower ourselves to find what works. The depression insights on my site, are I believe a big step forward. But are they the complete answer? No, of course not. Which is where you come in.

• Medication How successful has it been for you? How was it sold to you?


• Did you try talking therapies – long-term insight (Freudian), or mainly listening (person centred), or CBT, or brief therapy or hypnotherapy. Do you have experience of Human Givens?
  
  What helped and what did not. Was it the therapist or the approach that counted for you?


• What of other approaches – supplements, nutrition, exercise...


• And the idea that too much dreaming and waking up tired is what a depression is actually about. Is it? What makes sense to you?