Fighting Depression One Step at a Time

One of the main steps in fighting depression is to recognise the signs as early as possible and to take action; to anyone who has suffered depression this may appear overly simplistic since the struggle of a depressed person is a mental one and taking action is not a thing done simply. But depression feeds itself. Not to take action is to allow the suffering to continue and as it continues it takes a greater hold with the reinforcement of time. Taking action may be merely pushing yourself to take a walk, to do a chore, to distract yourself and take control of yourself by small steps and over time expand them to larger.


If you have suffered from depression before then it is likely you recognise the signs of its onset; by doing so and acting early you give yourself the possibility of managing its effect upon your life. If you haven’t suffered before it may take some time before you realise what is happening to you; if you suspect you may have a problem then there are some good books on the subject which will describe the symptoms in detail and assist you in understanding it. Visit your doctor if you suspect you are suffering from the effects of depression, don’t delay it too long, by catching it early you decrease the possibility that it will get worse.


One of the main features of depression is its ability to take the joy out of life; if you are able, try to do things you know you have enjoyed in the past; visit friends, take walks, go to the cinema, push yourself to escape the desire to stay at home and brood. Distractions are a useful tool and if a small happiness can be nurtured from one of these acts then you will have taken a big step towards taking control. Do what you enjoy, do what you think you will enjoy, do what you have enjoyed in the past; but above all, do! Moving about, doing things, seeing people, interacting with people are all things which help to combat depression. If you can, exercise; it is an activity which will help you mentally as well as physically and the effort distracts you from too much thought. It may be a struggle but that is what is necessary. Whatever your circumstances, pushing yourself to do things, one step at a time, is the best way towards fighting depression.