The 4 Coping Strategies for Depression

Several initiatives to combat the harmful effects of depression and improve quality of life.

Depression is a condition that frequently appears in psychological consultations; a worldwide health problem that affects children, young people, adults and the elderly, as well as men and women.as well as men and women.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 350 million people in the world live with depression, making it the leading cause of health problems and disability worldwide. In Mexico alone, 34.5 million people have been depressed, of which 14.48 million are men, and 20.37 million are women; being the fourth cause of disability in the country.

Let's see what are the strategies of coping with depression?.

The basic characteristics of depression

Depression is characterized by maintaining a state of deep sadness for more than two weeks, often without knowing the reason for it; unlike sadness as an emotion, which is transitory and generally caused by something perceived as negative for the person.The difference with sadness as an emotion, which is transitory and generally caused by something that is perceived as negative for the person.

To this is added an absence of pleasure and lack of motivation for any activity.. An alteration in appetite and weight is experienced, since sometimes there is a loss of appetite and weight, while in some cases the person shows an excessive appetite.

In the same way, sleep is also affected in the form of insomnia or excessive non-restorative sleep. The person presents fatigue or loss of energy, showing dejection in his face and lack of care in his person; in addition to walking, moving and speaking slowly.

However, the characteristics of depression are not limited to physical alterations such as those just shown, since the person also experiences feelings of worthlessness and guilt for unimportant things, as if he were a hindrance to the people around him. Inevitably, limitations in mental capacity are manifested, i.e., thinking becomes slow and attention and concentration decrease.

Finally, thoughts of hopelessness appearFinally, thoughts of hopelessness appear, showing an apathy towards life, so that the person thinks of death as a remedy. In fact, according to the WHO each year about 800,000 people commit suicide, which represents the second cause of death among young people between 15 and 29 years.

Depression coping strategies

What to do when a friend or family member is suffering from depression? Let's look at it.

1. Acknowledging their suffering

First of all, you need to listen and acknowledge their suffering. Suddenly, people often try to encourage the person by using phrases such as: "Courage! Don't be sad", "Don't cry anymore"; provoking guilt and frustration, since it is not up to the person how to feel.

On the other hand, when their feelings are validated and empathy is shown, we become companions..

2. Do not feed their sadness

It is not about reinforcing their condition by encouraging self-pity or incapacitating the person, but treating them as someone who is going through a difficult time. Also, help the family member to keep busy with walks, entertainment, small jobs, etc.

3. Take seriously any suggestion or threat of suicide.

It is a serious mistake to overlook signs of this type, as the person may be giving a warning. The best thing to do is to stay close to the person with depression, not leaving them alone for too long.not leaving him/her alone for long periods of time.

4. Seek professional help

At this point, it is very common to resort only to medication. However, although it is useful, it only reduces the symptoms but does not solve the problem of depression. Therefore, it is common to find people under pharmacological treatment dealing with depression for a long time: months or more than a year.

In addition, the person on Antidepressant medication does not begin to notice the effects of the medication until two or three weeks after starting treatment. Therefore, it is the most advisable thing is to initiate a psychotherapeutic process to work on the required areas..

Tips to prevent this mental alteration

These are some recommendations to apply on a daily basis.

1. Do aerobic physical exercise

The chemical and hormonal balance produced by drugs can also be achieved or supplemented by sport and physical activity.

Fatigue is a source of health and good mood, since this kind of exercise this kind of exercise produces serotoninwhich is a neurotransmitter that is related to feelings of pleasure and well-being; in addition, exercise promotes a state of peace of mind, lowers daily stress levels and improves self-esteem.

These kinds of benefits make exercise the most effective and, sadly, the least used antidepressant.

2. Prevents isolation

A study (Nolen-Hoaksema and Morrow, 1991) carried out in the city of San Francisco (USA), showed that isolation favors depressive thoughts and emotions.. It is advisable to have a support network, such as friends or family.

3. Keep busy

Whether outdoors or at home, find an occupation; that way the activities will help keep your mind off the thoughts that accentuate depression.

4. Seek professional help

If these tips are not enough, the help of a psychologist will always be the best option to get out of depression.. A proper psychotherapy can achieve the desired results.

Depression is a complex problem, so the recovery process is usually slow, so patience is required from both the affected person and those around him/her. Although depression usually requires psychological intervention, self-help strategies are beneficial to support psychological treatment and even prevention.