My Online Therapy - Depression

Strategies for Living with Depression

by Kellen Von Houser, M.A.

In many ways depression is a lot like diabetes. Though you can administer insulin alone to a diabetic, combining the medication with positive lifestyle changes makes treatment twice as effective. If you administer insulin to someone who continues to eating a diet heavy in sugar and gets no exercise, how effective will the insulin be? An improved diet and exercise will not only decrease the reliance on insulin and help stabilize the blood sugar; it will also decrease the debilitating symptoms of the disease and allow the patient to participate more fully in their own recovery.

Likewise, antidepressants may be effective in treating depression alone. But if we take our antidepressants sporadically, do not eat well, get no exercise, sit in a dark house and do not interact with anyone, we are doing things that not only exacerbate the depression, but make it harder for the medication to do its job.

Just a few notes about this article:

These tips will help alleviate the symptoms of depression with or without medication.
This article frequently refers to the neurotransmitters which regulate mood. For more information about these neurotransmitters, please see my article, "Neurotransmitters".

1. Schedule your day

Depression tends to sap our energy and kill our motivation. We end up sitting around all day and accomplishing nothing. There is also a tendency to isolate and vegetate. When we do this, we feel even worse because we have lost yet another day and accomplished nothing. Develop a schedule that requires that you to: 1) accomplish at least one task, even if it is minor and 2) get out of the house at least one time per day.

2. Schedule something fun or pleasant to do each day

When depressed we are often low on dopamine and serotonin. To learn more about these neurotransmitters please see my article, “Neurotransmitters”. Doing things which are pleasant or fun increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin and lift our mood. Americans tend to be very task oriented and often view “fun” as frivolous and optional. Also, when we are depressed and the housework is backed up, we haven’t paid the bills this month, and we are behind in our jobs, scheduling something fun seems to be a luxury we can’t afford. Fun also takes energy. However, a brain is like a bank account. If you don’t put something you can’t make withdrawals. Schedule something that rejuvenates you. Make a deposit in your neurotransmitter account, so that you increase the neurotransmitter levels and can use those increased levels to clean the house, pay the bills, and catch up at work.

3. Develop a support system

People who are depressed tend to isolate and withdraw from people around them. They stop taking phone calls, don’t answer the door, don’t leave the house, and don’t go out to socialize. Develop a support system who will point out to you when you are doing this and prod you to get out of the house. Human interaction and socialization is important to mental health, even if it is just a walk around the block or a cup of coffee with a friend.

4. Consider taking an antidepressant

The items on this list require that you be able to overcome the apathy, the lack of energy, the lack of motivation, and the sadness in order to get up and make yourself do these suggestions. If you are not eating, not getting out of bed and not bathing, this may be too much to ask. If your depression is so severe that you are not functioning at the most basic levels you may need to take an antidepressant to give you enough energy and motivation to develop other coping skills for dealing with the illness. For more information on antidepressants, please see my article, “Antidepressants”.

5. Exercise

Research is showing that for mild to moderate depression 30 minutes of exercise daily can be as effective as an antidepressant.

6. Expose yourself – to sunlight

People with depression tend to isolate and stay inside, often closing the blinds and curtains and sitting in the dark. Research is also showing that daily exposure to sunlight for 15-30 minutes helps lift the mood and alleviate depressive symptoms. Take that daily walk around the block and get your exercise and your sunlight.

7. Eliminate stressors

When the body is stressed it “burns” more serotonin in an effort to calm itself. Low levels of serotonin can result in depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, low energy, migraines, sleeping problems, obsessions or compulsions, feeling tense and irritable, craving sweets or loss of appetite, impaired memory and concentration, angry or aggressive behavior, slowed muscle movement, slowed speech, altered sleep patterns, and having a reduced interest in sex. Eliminating stressors will allow more serotonin to be available to the brain and will lift our mood.

8. Get more sleep

Sleep and mental health are vitally connected. Some research now suggests that insomnia not only contributes to depression, but may be a leading cause of it. Our bodies repair and regenerate when we are in the deepest levels of sleep. When we are unable to get sufficient sleep, or deep enough sleep, the neurotransmitters that regulate mood are depleted. For more information about insomnia, please see my article, “Insomnia”.

9. Be aware of what you eat

The neurotransmitters which regulate mood are made from amino acids and other elements which are found in the foods we eat. That is why it is important to eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet when fighting depression. Depression often eliminates our appetite, or makes us crave sweets and carbohydrates. Not eating will obviously cause depletions in the nutrients we need to make the neurotransmitters which will make us feel better. Eating sweets and simple carbohydrates will give us a temporary “high” as the glucose they produce floods are bloodstream and skyrockets our blood sugar levels and releases dopamine. But these simple sugars leave our bloodstream just as suddenly as they entered resulting in a “crash”. Not only is this bad for your endocrine system which regulates blood sugar and insulin levels, it’s hard on your mood as well.

Instead, try to eat complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole wheat products) combined with protein (dairy products, eggs, lean meat). The complex carbohydrates will be broken down and released slowly over time, creating a gradual and long-lasting increase in your blood sugar while the protein will provide the amino acids needed to make and neurotransmitters, increasing their levels.

10. Avoid alcohol and drug use

Alcohol and many drugs typically thought of as “downers” (opiates, benzodiazepines, etc.) act as depressants, meaning they not only exacerbate depression, but may be the cause of it. Other drugs typically thought of as “uppers” (cocaine, speed, etc.) are often used by people struggling with depression to temporarily lift their mood. However, these drugs often act by dumping all of the neurotransmitters into the system at one, giving us the “high”, but then leaving our systems totally depleted of neurotransmitters and causing a “crash” that is worse than the depression we began with. It’s best to avoid drug and alcohol use and to develop more healthy ways of lifting our mood.

11. Learn How to Stop Negative Thoughts

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the primary therapeutic techniques used to treat depression. Why? Because it identifies and corrects cognitive distortions (negative thought patterns) which can exacerbate or cause depression. Most, if not all, people who suffer from depression harbor negative thinking patterns. It’s not clear whether these are a result of the depression or precede it. Either way, eliminating them is crucial to being able to elevate your mood on a permanent basis.

This is best done with a therapist who can help you identify and change your own specific thought patterns. However, an overview of this process is described in my articles, “Cognitive Distortions” and “Overcoming Negative Thinking”.

12. Beat Procrastination

When we are depressed it's easy to say, "I'll worry about that tomorrow." Or “I’ll take care of that when I feel more like doing it.” Well when tomorrow arrives you will only have piled more work on that day and made it even harder to face. Also, no one ever “feels like” paying bills or washing dishes. They do these tasks knowing they will feel better once they are done. Learn techniques to break through the urge to procrastinate and you can save yourself from having all the little jobs pile up into a big one. To read more about beating procrastination, please see my article, “Overcoming Procrastination”.

13. Get a Handle on Your Household Chores

Living in a messy house is depressing. Developing strategies for getting housework done is crucial to helping alleviate depression. For a complete discussion on this topic, see my article, “Housekeeping and Depression”.

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Strategies for Living with Depression


About our Therapy What to Expect from Therapy About Online Therapy Frequently Asked Questions About our Services Meet our Therapists Services and Fees Sign Up for Services About our Products Self Help Library CDs and DVDs Bookstore About Us Email Privacy Privacy Statement Contact Us	Strategies for Living with Depression by Kellen Von Houser, M.A. In many ways depression is a lot like diabetes. Though you can administer insulin alone to a diabetic, combining the medication with positive lifestyle changes makes treatment twice as effective. If you administer insulin to someone who continues to eating a diet heavy in sugar and gets no exercise, how effective will the insulin be? An improved diet and exercise will not only decrease the reliance on insulin and help stabilize the blood sugar; it will also decrease the debilitating symptoms of the disease and allow the patient to participate more fully in their own recovery. Likewise, antidepressants may be effective in treating depression alone. But if we take our antidepressants sporadically, do not eat well, get no exercise, sit in a dark house and do not interact with anyone, we are doing things that not only exacerbate the depression, but make it harder for the medication to do its job. Just a few notes about this article: These tips will help alleviate the symptoms of depression with or without medication. This article frequently refers to the neurotransmitters which regulate mood. For more information about these neurotransmitters, please see my article, "Neurotransmitters". 1. Schedule your day Depression tends to sap our energy and kill our motivation. We end up sitting around all day and accomplishing nothing. There is also a tendency to isolate and vegetate. When we do this, we feel even worse because we have lost yet another day and accomplished nothing. Develop a schedule that requires that you to: 1) accomplish at least one task, even if it is minor and 2) get out of the house at least one time per day. 2. Schedule something fun or pleasant to do each day When depressed we are often low on dopamine and serotonin. To learn more about these neurotransmitters please see my article, “Neurotransmitters”. Doing things which are pleasant or fun increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin and lift our mood. Americans tend to be very task oriented and often view “fun” as frivolous and optional. Also, when we are depressed and the housework is backed up, we haven’t paid the bills this month, and we are behind in our jobs, scheduling something fun seems to be a luxury we can’t afford. Fun also takes energy. However, a brain is like a bank account. If you don’t put something you can’t make withdrawals. Schedule something that rejuvenates you. Make a deposit in your neurotransmitter account, so that you increase the neurotransmitter levels and can use those increased levels to clean the house, pay the bills, and catch up at work. 3. Develop a support system People who are depressed tend to isolate and withdraw from people around them. They stop taking phone calls, don’t answer the door, don’t leave the house, and don’t go out to socialize. Develop a support system who will point out to you when you are doing this and prod you to get out of the house. Human interaction and socialization is important to mental health, even if it is just a walk around the block or a cup of coffee with a friend. 4. Consider taking an antidepressant The items on this list require that you be able to overcome the apathy, the lack of energy, the lack of motivation, and the sadness in order to get up and make yourself do these suggestions. If you are not eating, not getting out of bed and not bathing, this may be too much to ask. If your depression is so severe that you are not functioning at the most basic levels you may need to take an antidepressant to give you enough energy and motivation to develop other coping skills for dealing with the illness. For more information on antidepressants, please see my article, “Antidepressants”. 5. Exercise Research is showing that for mild to moderate depression 30 minutes of exercise daily can be as effective as an antidepressant. 6. Expose yourself – to sunlight People with depression tend to isolate and stay inside, often closing the blinds and curtains and sitting in the dark. Research is also showing that daily exposure to sunlight for 15-30 minutes helps lift the mood and alleviate depressive symptoms. Take that daily walk around the block and get your exercise and your sunlight. 7. Eliminate stressors When the body is stressed it “burns” more serotonin in an effort to calm itself. Low levels of serotonin can result in depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, low energy, migraines, sleeping problems, obsessions or compulsions, feeling tense and irritable, craving sweets or loss of appetite, impaired memory and concentration, angry or aggressive behavior, slowed muscle movement, slowed speech, altered sleep patterns, and having a reduced interest in sex. Eliminating stressors will allow more serotonin to be available to the brain and will lift our mood. 8. Get more sleep Sleep and mental health are vitally connected. Some research now suggests that insomnia not only contributes to depression, but may be a leading cause of it. Our bodies repair and regenerate when we are in the deepest levels of sleep. When we are unable to get sufficient sleep, or deep enough sleep, the neurotransmitters that regulate mood are depleted. For more information about insomnia, please see my article, “Insomnia”. 9. Be aware of what you eat The neurotransmitters which regulate mood are made from amino acids and other elements which are found in the foods we eat. That is why it is important to eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet when fighting depression. Depression often eliminates our appetite, or makes us crave sweets and carbohydrates. Not eating will obviously cause depletions in the nutrients we need to make the neurotransmitters which will make us feel better. Eating sweets and simple carbohydrates will give us a temporary “high” as the glucose they produce floods are bloodstream and skyrockets our blood sugar levels and releases dopamine. But these simple sugars leave our bloodstream just as suddenly as they entered resulting in a “crash”. Not only is this bad for your endocrine system which regulates blood sugar and insulin levels, it’s hard on your mood as well. Instead, try to eat complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole wheat products) combined with protein (dairy products, eggs, lean meat). The complex carbohydrates will be broken down and released slowly over time, creating a gradual and long-lasting increase in your blood sugar while the protein will provide the amino acids needed to make and neurotransmitters, increasing their levels. 10. Avoid alcohol and drug use Alcohol and many drugs typically thought of as “downers” (opiates, benzodiazepines, etc.) act as depressants, meaning they not only exacerbate depression, but may be the cause of it. Other drugs typically thought of as “uppers” (cocaine, speed, etc.) are often used by people struggling with depression to temporarily lift their mood. However, these drugs often act by dumping all of the neurotransmitters into the system at one, giving us the “high”, but then leaving our systems totally depleted of neurotransmitters and causing a “crash” that is worse than the depression we began with. It’s best to avoid drug and alcohol use and to develop more healthy ways of lifting our mood. 11. Learn How to Stop Negative Thoughts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the primary therapeutic techniques used to treat depression. Why? Because it identifies and corrects cognitive distortions (negative thought patterns) which can exacerbate or cause depression. Most, if not all, people who suffer from depression harbor negative thinking patterns. It’s not clear whether these are a result of the depression or precede it. Either way, eliminating them is crucial to being able to elevate your mood on a permanent basis. This is best done with a therapist who can help you identify and change your own specific thought patterns. However, an overview of this process is described in my articles, “Cognitive Distortions” and “Overcoming Negative Thinking”. 12. Beat Procrastination When we are depressed it's easy to say, "I'll worry about that tomorrow." Or “I’ll take care of that when I feel more like doing it.” Well when tomorrow arrives you will only have piled more work on that day and made it even harder to face. Also, no one ever “feels like” paying bills or washing dishes. They do these tasks knowing they will feel better once they are done. Learn techniques to break through the urge to procrastinate and you can save yourself from having all the little jobs pile up into a big one. To read more about beating procrastination, please see my article, “Overcoming Procrastination”. 13. Get a Handle on Your Household Chores Living in a messy house is depressing. Developing strategies for getting housework done is crucial to helping alleviate depression. For a complete discussion on this topic, see my article, “Housekeeping and Depression”.
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