Feeling depressed can happen for no particular reason. However, if a person is predisposed to feeling down and depressed, they need to act fast when they recognize the symptoms starting to manifest.
If they do not initiate some proactive behavior, they can find themselves succumbing to increasing feelings of isolation and lethargy. It can lead them to become cut off from others and develop reclusive tendencies. During this process, they may, unfortunately, start to feel more alone than ever, and their depression can worsen.
The following recommendations may help you cope and avoid specific actions that may trigger episodes of depression in your life.
Social Withdrawal
One of the first patterns to emerge during a depression is the avoidance of social outings and social contact. Once a person is clinically depressed, they will intentionally avoid activities that previously brought them happiness. It becomes easier to isolate themselves from friends, family and work, rather than explain why they are so tired, down in the dumps and unmotivated.
Sadly, these actions are the complete opposite of what is needed to improve the situation. Social withdrawal usually creates more problems. The brain’s stress response can become magnified with acts of isolation. Maintaining involvement with supportive family and friends will discourage these stress responses from being triggered.
Negative Thoughts
Brooding on negative thoughts and dwelling on upsetting issues is one of the major components of depression. When a person gets stuck in negative thought patterns regarding frustration, loss, failure, not being good enough, etc., their depression will only worsen. When an individual does this on a regular basis, they get the tendency to perceive a neutral or potentially positive situation as negative.
Depressed people spend a good portion of their time and energy frequently dealing and re-dealing with negative thoughts.
It is crucial to recognize these unhealthy habits of negative self-talk and make a conscious choice to focus on positive thoughts. The simple act of choosing not to wallow in unhappy, vindictive or vengeful thoughts is a huge step to breaking the depression cycle. It is an enormous personal victory when negative thoughts are left unexplored, and instead, a conscious choice is made to focus on the positive.
Alcohol
Consuming alcoholic beverages may appear to provide relief from the symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, alcohol has a depressant effect on an individual’s nervous system. Any perceived benefit will be very short-lived, and repeated drinking can make symptoms of depression worse.
Unfortunately, it is a common mistake to reach for alcohol to provide a numbing effect. Many medications do not work well with alcohol and mixing the two can be damaging to mental and physical health.
Sugary Foods
Individuals with depression are more likely to crave sugar due to its short-term mood elevating properties. Foods with a high sugar content will create a temporary sugar high which will, unfortunately, be followed by a low. Imbalanced blood sugar levels are often why many people suffer from mixed emotions and mood swings.
Care For Yourself
If you are subject to the effects of depression, make an effort to become responsible for your symptoms as much as you can. Be kind to yourself. Choose foods and drinks that will not add to your problem. Create plans to deal with situations in advance. Keep a store of happy thoughts, dreams and uplifting music to support you when you need it most.
