Page 64 - Vision Manual

Depression
Mood Problems
When people are depressed, they may have one or more of the following problems: Feeling bad about themselves, not doing the things they used to enjoy, sleeping too much or too little, low energy, poor appetite, and having trouble concentrating or making decisions.
If you get severely depressed or if you start thinking of hurting yourself or ending your life, you should contact your practitioner immediately or seek emergency services (call 911). However, if you are not having severe symptoms of depression, you can try the following coping strategies to manage your mood.
 Set goals for daily activities, starting with one or two activities and gradually building up to a full schedule.
 Identify things that you still enjoy, or might still enjoy, and build your strengths in those areas.
 Schedule something pleasant to do each day, even if it’s a small thing. This will give you something to look forward to. Talk to someone in your support system to let him or her know how you’re feeling. Sometimes they have good ideas you can try.
 Ask people to join you in activities. You may be more likely to follow through with plans when someone else is involved.
 Deal with loss of appetite by eating small portions of food that you like and taking your time.
 Practice relaxation exercises on a daily basis.
 Remind yourself on the steps you have accomplished and avoid focusing on
setbacks.
What might you add to this list? What have you done in the past to push back depression?
64 | P a g e