Advice. For patients. With depression
❖ Get in a routine
. If you’re depressed, you need a routine, says Ian Cook, MD. He's a psychiatrist and
director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA.
❖ 2.Set goals. When you're depressed, you may feel like you can't accomplish
anything. That makes you feel worse about yourself. To push back, set daily goals for
yourself."Start very small," Cook says. "Make your goal something that you can
succeed at, like doing the dishes every other day."
❖ Eat healthy. There is no magic diet that fixes depression. It's a good idea to watch
what you eat, though. If depression tends to make you overeat, getting in control of
your eating will help you feel better.
❖ .Exercise. It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It may
also have long-term benefits for people with depression. Regular exercise seems to
encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways, Cook says.How much exercise
do you need? You don’t need to run marathons to get a benefit. Just walking a few
times a week can help.Get enough sleep. Depression can make it hard to get enough
shut-eye, and too little sleep can make depression worse.
❖ Take on responsibilities. When you’re depressed, you may want to pull back
from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Don't. Staying
involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can
help counter depression. They ground you and give you a sense of accomplishment .
❖ Check with your doctor before using supplements. "There's promising
evidence for certain supplements for depression," Cook says. Those include fish oil,
folic acid, and SAMe. But more research needs to be done before we'll know for
sure. Always check with your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if
you’re already taking medications.
❖ Challenge negative thoughts. In your fight against depression, a lot of the
work is mental – changing how you think. When you're depressed, you leap to the
worst possible conclusions .
❖ Do something new. When you’re depressed, you’re in a rut. Push yourself to
do something different. Go to a museum. Pick up a used book and read it on a park
bench. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Take a language class.
❖ Try to have fun. If you’re depressed, make time for things you enjoy. What if
nothing seems fun anymore? "That's just a symptom of depression," Cook says. You
have to keep trying anyway.
❖ Take on responsibilities. When you’re depressed, you may want to pull back
from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Don't. Staying
involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can
help counter depression. They ground you and give you a sense of accomplishment .
❖ Get in a routine
. If you’re depressed, you need a routine, says Ian Cook, MD. He's a psychiatrist and
director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA.
❖ 2.Set goals. When you're depressed, you may feel like you can't accomplish
anything. That makes you feel worse about yourself. To push back, set daily goals for
yourself."Start very small," Cook says. "Make your goal something that you can
succeed at, like doing the dishes every other day."
❖ Eat healthy. There is no magic diet that fixes depression. It's a good idea to watch
what you eat, though. If depression tends to make you overeat, getting in control of
your eating will help you feel better.
❖ .Exercise. It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It may
also have long-term benefits for people with depression. Regular exercise seems to
encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways, Cook says.How much exercise
do you need? You don’t need to run marathons to get a benefit. Just walking a few
times a week can help.Get enough sleep. Depression can make it hard to get enough
shut-eye, and too little sleep can make depression worse.
❖ Take on responsibilities. When you’re depressed, you may want to pull back
from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Don't. Staying
involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can
help counter depression. They ground you and give you a sense of accomplishment .
❖ Check with your doctor before using supplements. "There's promising
evidence for certain supplements for depression," Cook says. Those include fish oil,
folic acid, and SAMe. But more research needs to be done before we'll know for
sure. Always check with your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if
you’re already taking medications.
❖ Challenge negative thoughts. In your fight against depression, a lot of the
work is mental – changing how you think. When you're depressed, you leap to the
worst possible conclusions .
❖ Do something new. When you’re depressed, you’re in a rut. Push yourself to
do something different. Go to a museum. Pick up a used book and read it on a park
bench. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Take a language class.
❖ Try to have fun. If you’re depressed, make time for things you enjoy. What if
nothing seems fun anymore? "That's just a symptom of depression," Cook says. You
have to keep trying anyway.
❖ Take on responsibilities. When you’re depressed, you may want to pull back
from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Don't. Staying
involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can
help counter depression. They ground you and give you a sense of accomplishment .
