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Coping with depression
A person making threats, or speaking about thoughts of suicide, Mr. Nettles stressed, should always be taken seriously. It is quite possibly a cry for help.
Research has established that depression is a biological illness caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. In that sense, it is much like diabetes, which is also caused by a chemical imbalance.
Research has also established that treatment of the illness is most effective when medication is combined with counseling. Medication treats the chemical imbalance, eliminating the biological cause, while counseling helps the individual to cope and deal with life more effectively.
Several experts in the treatment of depression advocate physical exercise as a potent remedy, and regularly prescibe it as part of their treatment plan. Scientific research has provided some evidence that exercise may, in fact, assist in altering imbalances in the brain by stimulating the production of some chemicals and inhibiting others.
Increasing involvement with others i$ also beneficial. Learning tp relax, making time to have fun, doing something new or doing something for someone else usually has a positive effect.,
It is also important to have realistic expectations, to break monumental tasks down into managable pieces, and to challenge dogmatic “shoulds,” “musts,” and “have tos.”
Equally important as anything else, Mr. Nettles said, is to learn to express anger. Depression, according to one expert’s definition, is anger turned inward.
Just because a person manifests the symptoms of depression doesn’t mean they are, Mr. Nettles said. But, many people who have the symptoms never seek treatment. And the treatment will in most cases help them.
It is important to get rid of the stigma of depression, he concluded. “In most cases it is a normal reaction by a normal person to an abnormal event or situation in their lives.” Seeking treatment for depression is no more something to be ashamed of than seeking treatment for high blood pressure or diabetes.
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