101 Tips for Coping with Depression 

101 Tips for Coping with Depression

101 Tips for Coping with Depression

by Wil and Ann Pounds

Depression is a common ailment shared by many people. It is not unusual, and it's not permanent. Never accept any present mood as permanent. You can get well. Never give up! Depression is treatable.

Depression is a symptom of something that is out of balance in your life. Always look at depression as a warning signal from your body telling you some aspect of your life is out of adjustment.

How can I help myself get through depression on a day–to–day basis? The following tips for handling depression have been used by a large number of people who have found them helpful. On a day–to–day basis we all have our own methods for getting through the worst times as best we can. Sometimes these things work, sometimes they don't. Just keep trying different ones until you find some techniques that work for you. These are not intended in any way to be a substitute for getting professional help.

If your depression is life threatening, or lasts a couple of weeks, have a thorough physical check up by a physician who knows what to look for. It may be something that is very serious that is causing your depression. Be sure to tell your physician your symptoms, how long you have been depressed and any unusual sense of loss to your self–esteem, kinds of stress, etc. Never self–prescribe antidepressant drugs for yourself or anyone else. Do not take medicine that is not prescribed for you. The responsibility and authority for their use belongs to your physician. There are specific drugs for specific types of depression.

If you might be a danger to yourself, don't be alone. Find people. If that is not practical, call them up on the phone. If there is no one you feel you can call, suicide hotlines can be helpful, even if you're not quite that bad off yet.

If you are the caregiver do not give up on the depressed person. Give reassurance to the person in a calm manner. Never scold. Let him know that you understand and help him to see the causes of depression. Help him develop a stronger self–image. If he is suicidal do not leave him alone. He needs a caring, warm, willing person who will express warm, accepting, firm, objective concern for him. Get him to professional help as soon as the circumstances permit.

1. If you spend more than thirty minutes feeling depressed talk to a friend. Get up and move, pick up the phone and call someone who is a caring person. Let them know that you are depressed. Share with them this list of tips before hand if possible and ask them to help you when you get depressed. Have a person you can trust and to whom you can express your feelings of anger.

2. Do not go through life without fellowship, fun and support of friends. Keep in touch with friends who will help you receive the "strokes," "warm fuzzies," positive reinforcement that you need to function wholesomely. Having a friend helps you when you are down. It also helps the other person when he is down. Someone has said, "A friend a day keeps depression away." Learn to share your joys, happiness, hopes, ambitions, desires, frustrations, anger, etc. Ask for what you need. Do not go through life without the support of friends who care about you. Have a sympathetic, understanding, caring friend who will listen. Develop a relationship with your spouse so you can talk to him or her about your feelings.

3. If your family or friends are quick to scold you for being depressed, explain to them that you don't want self–pity. Tell them you want and need a firm caring attitude that will encourage, support and sustain you during this temporary low time in your life. While people may tell you to "snap out" of your depression, that is not possible. The recovery from depression may require antidepressant medication and therapy. You cannot simply make yourself "snap out" of the depression. Asking you to "snap out" of sever depression makes as much sense as asking someone to "snap out" of diabetes or an under–active thyroid gland.

4. Do not make any major decisions while you are depressed. Put them off or get someone else to make them for you until you can gain the right perspective. The depressed person has distorted thinking.

5. Accept your own responsibility. No one else can accept it for you. You have the problem and you can do something about it.

6. Ask yourself what you can learn from your depression and stress. Use your stress as a learning experience in order to develop and grow as a person. Write out on a 3x5 inch card the following statement and read it out loud to yourself several times a day:







Abide in Christ Book Store
Check out great savings!



Click on the red button for an up to date search for books on "DEPRESSION" at great discounts.






God loves me just as much now as in my brightest and happiest moment of life. There are valid reasons why I am depressed, and my depression is telling me that there is something bothering me about the way I am living my life. This down time will help me to understand myself better. I am going to learn something new and I am going to grow from this experience I am going to feel better. This, too, shall pass.

7. Write out several STOP cards with Philippians 4:4–9 on one side and the word STOP in large red letters with a magic marker on the other. Meditate on these verses. Determine that you will "think on these things:" whatever is true, whatever is honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, whatever is of any excellence, worthy of praise, etc. Write these out on cards in detail in advance so you will have them ready when you are depressed. Pull your card out and focus your thinking and imagination on these truths. Other excellent passages of Scripture to use for STOP cards are Isaiah 40:28–31; 41:19; 42:3; and 43:1–4. Learn to use these the moment you catch yourself going down.

8. Trust in the Lord as fully as you can. Do not rely on religious feelings, good or bad, but trust in God's grace and mercy alone. Do not examine your religious experiences at this time. You can't go by your feelings when depressed. You can firmly hold onto the facts in the Bible. Faith is relying on Him, not on your feelings.

9. Meditate on these Scriptures. Psalm 42; 34:18; 88:1–5; John 16:23, 24; Romans 15:13; Galatians 5:22; John 16:20; Romans 5:3–5; Psalm 35:9; Isaiah 61:10; I Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20; John 10:10; Psalm 147:3; 3:5, 6; Isaiah 41:10; Proverbs 14:30; Job 4:6; Psalm 43:5; 40:1,2; Matthew 12:20; Luke 4:18; Proverbs 3:13, 18; 10:10; 13:12, etc.

10. Get some sound books on Christian theology at a level that will get your mind off your self and make you think. The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer, Knowing God by J. I. Paker are excellent. Books on the topic of What to do during Depression: A Reason to Live, by Melody Beattie, Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, IL. This book focuses on reasons to choose life over suicide but is still useful even if suicide isn't on your mind.

11. Who is your most valued person? My most valued person is Jesus Christ. His love is unconditional and eternal. It never changes. Focus your attention upon Him. What would He say to you if He visited you right now? What word of encouragement would He share with you?

12. Personalize Scripture by substituting the second person plural and third person plural pronouns and singular pronouns with first person singular in Scripture passages that accent your sense of security, significance, and sufficiency. Take Ephesians 2:8–10 for example: "For by grace I have been saved through faith; and not of myself, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that I should boast. For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that I should walk in them." This helps many people to realize the promises and admonitions of the Word of God are for them to claim and not just a history book or message for people thousands of years ago.

13. Read over the list of Causes of Depression and see if you can recognize any of these as possible reasons for your depression. (This pamphlet is a part of this series on depression).

14. Stick to a daily routine that brings personal satisfaction to you.

15. Make an effort to get rid of grudges, resentments, bitterness, anger, etc. on a daily basis. "Don't let the sun go down on your wrath." Deal with your anger before you go to bed at night.

16. Do everything you can do to remove family conflicts. Spend time every day getting more intimate with your spouse and children.

17. See if you can find a way to modify or remove the cause of your stress. What is it's source? Can you remove it? Can you alter it? How can you break it up into smaller pieces?

18. Think through your values. What do you want out of this life? Can you arrange things so you can obtain your goals in a different manner? Can you find a good substitute? Do you really want what you think you want? Is your goal only a means to an end that could be achieved in some other way? How does your goal relate to Matthew 6:33? Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

19. Rule out any physical causes for depression. Get eight hours of sleep, exercise and plenty of relaxation. Get three good, well–balanced meals a day. Keep eating even if it means several small meals and snacks. If the symptoms persist, see your physician.

20. Ask yourself, "What am I doing that could be causing me to be depressed? How much stress am I undergoing? Remember that your body will only tolerate so much stress before it begins to tell you that something is wrong. Are you facing life's changes? Is there a hormone change taking place in your body? See your physician.

2 1. Force yourself to stay active and be with other people. Break any negative behavior pattern. The depressed person behaves in a way that reinforces his depression. Spend time with a mature friend. Ask yourself, "If I weren't depressed what would I do?" Then get up and go do it.

22. Keep up your daily routine at home, work, school, etc. Try doing things spontaneously. Focus on actions and thoughts that will keep you moving in the opposite direction from depression. Consider your daily routine important. Set some realistic goals for your life. Plan your day the night before on paper and stick with your schedule.

23. Meditate on I Timothy 6:11 in the Living Bible, and Job 3:25–26 in the NASB.

24. How will you let significant others know what you are thinking and feeling?

25. What have you been thinking about that might cause or bring about depression? Write down what you have been silently saying to yourself. Look over it. Analyze it. Have a mature friend look over it with you. Recognize and identify the thoughts you express to yourself. Review the "Cognitive Distortions" handout and look for causes of depression in your thinking and self–talk. Is your self–talk negative? Is it critical, judgmental, hostile or angry? What are your imaginations and daydreams like? In what way have I been thinking that might have helped to bring on depression? Begin controlling your thoughts and behavior.

26. Try putting the silent sentences that run through your mind into words. This will help you reduce the frequency with which it comes back, decrease the intensity of the idea, and lessen the feeling or mood that it generates. Keep a diary or stream of consciousness. Write down your thoughts and learn to identify your self–criticisms and then challenge them. Talk to yourself rather than allowing yourself to talk to you. Learn to handle your self–talk by thinking on God's goodness, mercies, love, forgiveness and attributes at this time. Meditate on Psalm 42. Spend time studying and reflecting upon the Word of God. Memorize and meditate on the encouraging promises in the Scriptures. Relax and imagine yourself walking and talking with Jesus in some scenic part of the Gospels such as Jesus feeding the 5,000 or the Good Shepherd in John 10. Put yourself in your favorite Scripture passage.

27. Get out of the house or office for a few minutes. Deliberate, physical activity is very important in overcoming depression.

28. Ask yourself, "Is there anything I might be doing that may be causing my depression?" A depressed person usually behaves in such a way that he reinforces his depression. Observe your behavioral patterns. If they are reinforcing your depression, change them.

29. Think back over what happened in the two or three days preceding the beginning of your depression. What happened the week before it set in? What were you thinking? Was it angry thoughts, hostile, bitterness, self–pity or some real sense of loss to you? If your depression has lasted for some time, think back over what happened in the week before it started. Try to spot any causes.

30. Give yourself inner directions. Tell yourself, "Go call a friend." "Talk to someone who will listen." "Hey, I'm getting depressed. STOP. Read your STOP card. Get up and get into action. I don't have anything to lose by trying." Learn to say to yourself, "I'm jumping to conclusions. Where is the evidence that what I am saying to myself is true? Where are the facts?"

31. Do I have a negative view of myself, life, or a false view of the future? How am I looking at a recent experience or event, and how does it relate to me? Correct your negative thinking. Read "Because God Loves Me" out loud to yourself at least three times a day for the next twenty–one days.

32. Don't take life so seriously. Bring your goals into keeping with your abilities. Become more practical. Don't be unreasonable with yourself. Stop being obsessive–compulsive. Relax your critical, judgmental, perfectionistic attitude toward yourself. Who are you trying to impress? What are you trying to prove?

33. Avoid the guilt trap. Stop punishing yourself. Do you need to forgive yourself? Work through true guilt by confessing it to God and claiming the promise in I John 1:9. God loves you. You can't merit His love. God took the initiative when we were unlovely, unwanted, inferior nobodies. Read and study "GOD + ME = A WHOLE PERSON." False guilt needs to be recognized as false and gotten rid of. Work at self–acceptance.

34. Remove the years of accumulated anger, frozen rage, hostility, hate, resentments and guilt. Work out your negative feelings with someone who will treat you with unconditional love and acceptance. Don't be afraid to get professional help. Learn how to deal with your hostility and anger in a more constructive and acceptable model. Talk it out with someone, not everyone, and not just anyone. Find a mature person to help you interpret for yourself your troubled feelings. Claim God's forgiveness in Psalm 51; Romans 4:6–8; 5:8; 8:1; I Corinthians 6:9–11; Colossians 1:14, 22; I Peter 1:3; I John 1:9; 2:2,12.

35. Replace negative emotional habits with positive attitudes and thought patterns. Read Job 3:15–26; Proverbs 23:7.

36. Let go of the past. If you find yourself going over and over some experience in your past, or continually expressing the sorrow, hurts, grievances, anger, etc., try to break the pattern. If you have already dealt with the problem adequately and have acknowledged and expressed your feelings then say to yourself, "I have expressed my feelings fully. It is all over. This is old stuff. It is finished. I will not repeat it any longer." Another idea is to say, "I will think about next Saturday."

37. Find something to do with your hands. Get into action. Move the furniture, rearrange the office, make something, use your hobby, build a new project, work in the garden, plant flowers, etc.

38. Love is a great healing emotion. Use your hands to do something for someone else. Developing caring attitudes for other people is healing.

39. If you have a poor self–image, set some new reachable goals and write down the steps to reach them. Build on your past success. Emphasize your competence in the Holy Spirit.

40. Keep a list of your daily activities and mark a "M" for each activity mastered and a "P" for each pleasure experienced. The depressive mind is blind to its successes because its recall is limited due to of the negative thinking and heavy emotions. Before performing the activity, try to predict on a scale of 0 to 100 the pleasure you will gain. Then when you have accomplished or experienced the event, write down the actual pleasure you experienced. When you feel yourself going down, get out your list and read over it.

41. List ten things you can rejoice and praise God for in your personal life. Keep this list so you can review it often. Add to it as you discover new items. I call mine "I SAW GOD DO IT!"

42. Start being thankful instead of gripping and complaining. (Ephesians 5:18–21; I Thessalonians 5:16–18).

43. Have a mature friend who will help you determine the alternatives to problems that you thought were unsolvable. Let him reflect to you your self–talk, rationalizations for why "it won't work," self–judgments, etc.

44. Use your imagination and see yourself going through the steps to reach new goals. See yourself facing the problems and winning. Construct a detailed plan so that you will be successful. Begin with simple tasks and feel the success grow. Build on your successes.

45. Count the number of times you feel good today. Find at least two per day. Each day you catch yourself doing something right spend five minutes immersing yourself in it by thinking about it. This is good to do at night before you go to sleep. Reward yourself for doing a good job at work, reaching a new goal, or effecting growth in your life, etc. (Cf. John 1O:lOb).

46. Accentuate the positive in life. Look for positive things in your environment such as a friendly smile, a warm hand shake, warm greetings, colorful decorations, and attractive persons. Focus your attention on the other person. Observe the oddities, color of dress, hair style, features, decorations, etc. in people.

47. Catch your family, friends and colleagues being good and give praise. Say "thank you" even for small accomplishments.

48. Get out of bed immediately upon awakening. Do not lie there and talk to yourself. Get up! Sing in the shower! Repeat over and over again to yourself, at least ten times, "This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:23). Run through your mind your plans for the day. Congratulate yourself for getting off to a good start.

49. Do little insignificant things that need to be done and be sure to write these down so that you can see what you have completed. Look back over them. Congratulate yourself.

50. Go for a walk. Get up and move if you feel your mood coming down. Get out of the office or house for a few minutes.

5 1. If your depression is caused by a sense of loss, real or imagined, express your grief openly to yourself and to a close friend. Get off by yourself and cry it out. No, crying doesn't change the situation, but it does change you. If the hurt is because of the loss of someone, a move, or hurt find a new friend and begin building a close friendship. You can't be friends with everyone, but you can with someone.

52. Some individuals have found that acting out their feelings in front of a mirror helps them. Go ahead and exaggerate them with your facial muscles, eyes, hand, etc. During the process, don't be surprised if you begin to laugh at yourself.

53. Try to blow away your depression through intense physical exercise. Go bowling, swimming, take a brisk walk, run, jog, etc. Do something different.

54. Write out how you feel in detail. Tell why you feel the way you do and everything that comes to your mind in relation to how you feel. Take a piece of paper and let your words flow. Don't stop them, or cut them off prematurely. If you need to cry, go ahead.

55. Do you need to apologize to someone? Is guilt in relating to others a problem? Do you need to straighten out the relationship? If the relationship is impossible, admit it, but don't use it as an excuse. Accept what has been done and begin building new relationships.

56. Revive some old interests, a hobby, classical literature, music, painting, architecture, history, learn a new language, etc.

57. Get away and go to a beautiful, quiet place where you can loose yourself. If you can't take a vacation, take one in your mind. Use your imagination and visit your favorite relaxing vacation spot for twenty minutes.

58. Keep a record of your mood swings. This can be a diagnostic tool to determine when you get depressed and why.

+

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– your "normal" good feelings

–

AM 6 8 10 12 noon 2 4 6 8 10 12 PM

59. Turn on the stereo and listen to some good easy listening music, or whatever kind of music that helps you relax.

60. Take a piece of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle of the page. On the left hand side list your automatic or negative self–talk. Counter your self–talk by writing down objective facts on the right half of the page. You'll probably find it helpful to have a mature friend challenge some of your subjective self–talk. Look for cognitive distortions. Learn to argue with yourself. Choose a half dozen of these "counters," write them down on a 3x5 card, and look over them several times a day.

61. Acknowledge to yourself and express verbally any sense of loss. Is your grief reaction turning to depression because of the loss of a loved one, divorce, dependency needs not being met, loss of a job promotion, feelings of inadequacy, etc.? Admit the loss to yourself. Could your depression be coming from a blow to your self–esteem? Has there been a feeling of rejection, hurt, frustration, etc. that makes you feel that you have lost some of your esteem? Try bringing your goals into perspective.

62. What secondary gain might you be receiving from your depression? Depression can become a very powerful way of manipulating others so you can get special attention, to punish them (get even) or have your own way.

63. Recognize and deal with dependency needs and fear of rejection. Because of fear of rejection, depressed individuals seldom know how to take care of their dependency needs in a healthy manner. They go to the opposite extreme of becoming overly independent. They need to take the gamble of getting close to others. By changing behavioral patterns, they can stop rejecting others out of fear of rejection. The depressed individual gets caught up on the unhealthy cycle of rejection. They expect people to fail them, so they anticipate rejection. The vicious cycle reinforces itself. Break the cycle by changing your behavior. Stop rejecting others, and they'll stop rejecting you.

64. Some individuals have found that "acting happy" works for them, especially if the depression is not too deep. Whistle, sing, smile, straighten your shoulders, take a deep breath and walk with a spring in your step. This is also helpful when you begin to feel yourself coming down. Get up and do something different, even if only changing the topic of your conversation. Change the tempo and activity for a few moments.

65. Be aware of the possibilities of depression during menopause and mid–life crisis. This is partly due to physiological changes taking place often resulting in endocrine imbalance, the "empty nest" syndrome, deeper emotional stresses accentuated by the approach of old age, and decrease of sexual potency. Have a good physical and share your feelings with a kind, caring, patient physician. Your physician may be able to prescribe a medication to help. Develop other interests and hobbies. Contact a professional to help resolve deeper emotional causes for the stress.

66. Learn to laugh at yourself. Laughter has a magnificent way of relieving tension.

67 Perfectionists and workaholics are prone to be very critical and judgmental of themselves. They worry a lot and develop a sense of false guilt. These people turn against themselves. Their conscience becomes unhealthy, too sensitive and turned inward. Meditate and study Paul's Letter to Galatians. Confess any sin that the Holy Spirit brings to mind and accept God's forgiveness and forgive yourself. Claim the promises of I John 1:9; Psalm 32:3; I John 3:4–10; II Timothy 3:1–7; Galatians 5:19–21.

68. Do you have the right perspectives? Do your values need to be clarified? How are your attitudes toward others? Meditate on Matthew 6:33 and think about how you can put Him first in everything you do everyday. Only what is done for Christ will last. Are you concerned about who will get the credit, or the promotion, or the gleaming opportunity? If we put Christ first, it really doesn't matter who is second or who gets the credit. Confess any jealousy or envy that is eating away your joy in the Lord. Psalm 73:1–3,16–17; Hebrews 11:24–26; Matthew 14:35; II Peter 3:10; Luke 23:1–7; James 3:14–18; 4:6,10–11.

69. Could your depression be caused by an attack by Satan (Ephesians 6:10–20)? Be careful not to make this an excuse for not accepting your own responsibility. Claim the promise of Ephesians 6:13–17 if Satan is the source. Claim the blood of Jesus Christ for your protection. Meditate on Romans 8:31–39.

70. Keep a journal. Writing everything down helps to express and externalize your feelings.

7 1. Listen to your favorite Gospel or Christian songs that have strong positive Christian messages. Keep tapes in your car.

72. Read a good book. Go to the library and check out fiction you've wanted to read for a long time. Get some Christian biographies about people who suffered from depression, but still did well with their lives. Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, C. S. Lewis, are excellent, just to name a few.

73. Sleep for a while. Even when busy, remember to sleep. Notice if what you do before sleeping changes how you sleep.

74. Hug your spouse. Sometimes it helps to just hold each other for a long time.

75. Remember to eat. Notice if eating certain things (e.g. sugar or coffee) changes how you feel.

76. Make yourself a fancy dinner and maybe invite a couple of friends over.

77. Take a bath or a perfumed bubble bath. A warm bath helps a person to relax tense muscles.

78. Mess around on the computer.

79. Rent comedy videos.

80. Go for a long walk.

81. Get up and dance alone in your house or out with a friend.

82. Spend some time playing with a child.

83. Get out of the house and buy yourself or a friend a gift.

84. Phone a friend.

85. Read the newspaper comics page.

86. Do something unexpectedly nice for someone special.

87. Do something unexpectedly nice for yourself.

88. Go outside and look at the sky.

89. Get some exercise while you're out, but don't take it too seriously.

90. Work in the yard. Start a garden or a flower box near a window or patio. Pulling weeds is nice and so is digging in the dirt.

91. Sing. If you are worried about responses from critical neighbors, go for a drive and sing as loud as you want to in the car. There's something about the physical act of singing old favorites that's very soothing. Maybe the rhythmic breathing that singing enforces does something for you, too. Lullabies are especially good. If you can't sing, whistle a tune.

92. Pick a small easy task, like sweeping the floor, and do it.

93. Feed yourself nourishing food. Don't neglect eating properly.

94. Bring in some flowers from your yard and look at them. Go to the florist and buy yourself a rose or your favorite flower.

95. Exercise daily. Get actively involved in some sport. It is amazing how well some people can play sports even when feeling very miserable.

96. Pick some action that is so small and specific that you can do in the present. This helps you feel better because you actually accomplish something instead of being caught up in abstract worries and huge ideas for change. For example, say "hi" to someone new if you are trying to be more sociable. Clean up one side of a room if you are trying to regain control over your home.

97. If you're anxious about something you're avoiding, try to get some support from a friend or colleague to face it.

98. Get up out of bed and move. Many depressions are characterized by guilt, and lots of it. Many of the things that depressed people want to do because of their depressions (staying in bed, not going out) wind up making the depression worse because they end up causing the person to feel like they are failing more and more. So if you've had six or seven hours of sleep, try to make yourself get out of bed the moment you wake up. You may not always succeed, but when you do, it's nice to have gotten a head start on the day.

99. Clean the house. This works for some people in a big way. When depressions are at their worst, you may find yourself unable to do brain work, but you probably can do body things. One depressed person wrote, "So I spent two weeks cleaning my house, and I mean cleaning: cupboards scrubbed, walls washed, stuff given away... throughout the two weeks, I kept on thinking 'I'm not cleaning it right, this looks terrible, I don't even know how to clean properly', but at the end, I had this sparkling beautiful house!"

100. Doing volunteer work on a regular basis seems to keep the blahs at bay. It can help take the focus off of yourself and put it on people who may have larger problems (even though it doesn't always feel that way).

101. In general, it is extremely important to try to understand if something you can't seem to accomplish is something you simply can't do because you're depressed (write a computer program, be charming on a date), or whether its something you can do, but it's going to be difficult (cleaning the house, going for a walk with a friend; getting out of bed). If it turns out to be something you can do, but don't want to, try to do it anyway. You will not always succeed, but try. And when you succeed, it will always amaze you to look back on it afterwards and say, "I felt really down, but look how well I managed to . . . !" This last technique, by the way, usually works for body stuff only (cleaning, cooking, etc.). The brain stuff often winds up getting put off until after the depression lifts.

102. Do not set yourself difficult goals or take on a great deal of responsibility while depressed.

103. Break larger tasks into many smaller ones; set some priorities and do what you can, as you can.

104. Do not expect too much from yourself. Unrealistic expectations will only increase feelings of failure because they are impossible to meet. Perfectionism leads to increased depression.

105. Try to be with other people. It is usually better than being alone.

106. Participate in activities that may make you feel better. You might try mild exercise, going to a movie, a ball game, or participating in religious or social activities. Don't overdo it or get upset if your mood does not greatly improve right away. Feeling better takes time. Lasting change takes place only after you change the way you think.

107. Do not make any major life decisions, such as quitting your job or getting married or separated while depressed. The negative thinking that accompanies depression may lead to horribly wrong decisions. If pressured to make such a decision, explain that you will make the decision as soon as possible after the depression lifts. Remember you are not seeing yourself, the world, or the future in an objective way when you are depressed.

108. Depression makes you have negative thoughts about yourself, about the world, the people in your life, and about the future. Remember that your negative thoughts are not a rational way to think about things. It is as if you are seeing yourself, the world, and the future through a fog of negativity. Do not accept your negative thinking as being true. It is part of the depression and will disappear as your depression responds to treatment. If your negative (hopeless) view of the future leads you to seriously consider suicide, be sure to tell your doctor about this and ask for help. Suicide would be an irreversible act based on your unrealistically hopeless thoughts.

109. Keep in mind the feeling that nothing can make depression better is part of the illness of depression. Things are probably not nearly as hopeless as you think they are.

110. If you are on medication:

· Take the medication as directed. Keep taking it as directed for as long as directed.

· Discuss with the doctor ahead of time what happens in case of unacceptable side–effects.

· Don't stop taking medication or change dosage without discussing it with your doctor, unless you discussed it ahead of time.

· Remember to check about mixing other things with medication. Ask the prescribing doctor, and/or the pharmacist and/or look it up in the Physician's Desk Reference. Redundancy is good.

· Talk to your doctor about side effects of over the counter and prescription medication you are currently taking.

111. Except in emergencies, it is a good idea to check what your insurance covers before receiving treatment.

112. Do not rely on your doctor or therapist to know everything. Do some reading yourself. Become an expert in the area.

113. Do ask them if you think an alternative treatment might be more appropriate for you.

114. Do feel free to seek out a second opinion from a different qualified medical professional if you feel that you cannot get what you need from the one you currently have.

115. Skipping appointments, because you are "too sick to go to the doctor" is generally a bad idea. Make yourself get up and go.

116. If you procrastinate, don't try to get everything done. Start by getting one thing done. Then get the next thing done. Handle one crisis at a time.

117. If you are trying to remember too many things to do, it is okay to write them down. If you make lists of tasks, work on only one task at a time. Trying to do too many things can be too much. It can be helpful to have a short list of things to do "now" and a longer list of things you have decided not to worry about just yet. When you finish writing the long list, try to forget about it for a while.

118. If you have a list of things to do, also keep a list of what you have accomplished too, and congratulate yourself each time you get something done. Don't take completed tasks off your to–do list. If you do, you will only have a list of uncompleted tasks. It's useful to have the crossed off items visible so you can see what you have accomplished!

119. Alcohol makes depression worse. Many cold remedies contain alcohol. Read the label. Being on medication may change how alcohol affects you.

120. Do two things each day. In times of severe crisis, when you don't want to do anything, do two things each day. Depending on your physical and emotional condition, the two things could be taking a shower and making a phone call, or writing a letter and painting a room.

121. Get a cat. Cats are clean and quiet, landlords who won't allow dogs often permit them; they are warm and furry.

For additional help on depression go to Causes of Depression.