One thing we all know is that dealing with depression (or any mental illness) isn’t easy, but it’s also NOT the end of all things! Here are 5 things that helped /help me cope with depression:
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Free writing – Free writing is writing your thoughts down as they form without erasing or stopping. There is grammar and spell checking! Just write! This helped me a lot when my mind would run rapid, and I needed to focus. Getting all the thoughts out of my head helped me see where I needed to change them also. At first, there was a huge amount of negativity but with time, my thoughts have become better!
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Poetry – Poetry is very therapeutic for me whether I read or write it. I found myself mostly writing, however. It was (and still is) a way for me to substitute or symbolize myself as something else. It was a way for me to step outside of myself and see me! I could, in a way, talk to myself and be honest with what I was feeling and going through.
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Family/Friends – Although I didn’t share as much of what I was feeling with my family and friends; they gave me their support! Some may not have known that I was even dealing with it. Depression wasn’t a topic I wanted to talk about. Why? I don’t like too much attention, and because I hate crying! Support goes along way! One of my doctors told me to just say, “F*ck it!” At the time, I didn’t understand and now I do. However, that’s a whole other story!
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Counseling – Getting counseling helped take so much weight off my shoulders! It has helped me to recognize what I needed to change in my life so that I can be better. Counseling has also helped me not focus on the things I cannot change and to accept that fact that I cannot please everyone. I’ve learned ways to keep me from entering a negative space, and it has been a great help! I’m glad I was open to going!
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Praying – Last but most definitely not least! Prayer has helped me with all of the above. It saved my life! There was a time when I didn’t see a future for myself, and I had the urge to act on suicide. Let me tell you GOD had other plans! If it weren’t for prayer, I wouldn’t be here. When you ask, you shall receive, and I did.
Feel free to share what has helped or is helping you!
2 Responses
Anxiety and Depression go hand and hand. Depression is usually the result of Anxiety. From the moment I learned I had it, I tried everything I could to get rid of it…but when it comes to anxiety, once you have it, you have it. It never just goes away, we only learn ways to live with it. Some things that help me is running (it’s a big stress reliever) Vitamin D and fish oil (promotes “happiness”) and I’d like to try meditation and yoga. I’ve heard they have major effects on a persons well being.
Wow as I read what my little niece writes and I think back to times when I was around her I honestly felt a sadness in my niece [Dani] but never said anything! I’ve had to wrestle with depression, desires to kill myself, and even just isolate and feel sorry for myself but the Lord God Almighty saved me from the edge of darkness where I was dangling and dangerously in despair 😩 I can say definitely talk to others even if it’s just one confidant who understands because of their same experience[s] because it’s therapeutic snd healing especially when the Lord Jesus Christ is leading through the power of the Holy Spirit ✝️