Dealing with Depression.....

Feeling helpless, useless and having little energy can signify a state of depression. Your thoughts may travel in circles, keeping you standing still rather than moving forward. Apathy and pessimism feel like a heavy weight that you are carrying.

Sometimes life can feel just too much. You lose your appetite or eat all the time. You can't sleep or you sleep all the time. If you find you simply cannot absorb or deal with stress, then your body has probably switched into a protective mode of depression. In a similar fashion, computers have a built-in mechanism which switches off when they are being overloaded. It's a protective device. It's important to recognise this and seek help.

How To Keep Depression at Bay.

  One Step at a time Life can feel overwhelming when you are depressed. It is therefore important to try and tackle one thing at a time when coming to terms with depression. It is important to remember that these feelings of hopelessness are transient. Do something which makes you feel you have been productive, even if it's as simple as a load of washing.
Talk/Reach Out Often depression causes us to isolate ourselves. When we keep our thoughts tightly locked up they blossom into monstrous fantasies. Talking to a trusted friend or professional can dissipate your worries. Simply expressing yourself can eliminate some of the fear you may be experiencing.
Do at least one thing you enjoy daily Make the effort to bring something joyful into your life at least once a day. This can range from watching a funny movie to dancing to music in your living-room. This will give you more energy to attend to boring tasks that must get done. Be realistic about what you do. Don't try to watch all the funny movies you've never seen in one afternoon.
Reality Test When your mood is low you tend to jump to conclusions. If someone is late for an appointment , we might feel immediately rejected instead of taking into account that they may be stuck in traffic or mixed the dates up. Ask yourself how this same situation would feel to you if you weren't depressed. How would other people see this situation?
Exercise Research has shown that physical exercise actually helps mood in that it releases endorphins, your body's natural uplifting chemicals. Find something you truly enjoy so that it doesn't become a chore. For some this can be swimming, for others it could be salsa dancing. You might even meet new people who will become friends.