by Vicky Smee

Created on: November 27, 2007   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Depression is an illness that robs you of your motivation. The smallest tasks seem impossible. Things that once brought you pleasure; can no longer raise a smile to your face.

You withdraw yourself from family and friends. Interest in your hobbies wane. You begin to wallow in your own misery. By doing this you feed the depression. Allowing it to grow, extend and worsen.

Your self esteem falls. If you don't fight it, every moment of depression will drag you further into the pit of despair.

When depressed we feel weak. To beat depression we must be strong. Don't let it take over. You are in control, not the illness.

In order to do battle with depression first you must treat the cause. Have work stresses brought you down? Has something happened in your personal life? Working through the root cause of your depression is the first step towards beating it. Talking therapy can help you understand and treat the causes of your depression.

Now the physical. Put in extremely simplified terms; the chemicals in your brain, controlling your mood aren't functioning as they should. This is where antidepressants work. Their aim is to re-stabilize these chemicals resulting in uplifting your mood. In severe cases of depression antidepressants are strongly recommended.

You can help yourself to beat depression.

Exercise
When we exercise we stimulate the part of our brain which controls mood. Giving you an uplifting feeling. Regular exercise, as well as being good for your body is a proven way to help combat depression. This is also a way of fighting directly against your lack of motivation. This will give you an enormous sense of accomplishment.

Food
Eating healthily will give you more energy. This will aid your bodies fight against depression. The better you eat the stronger you'll feel. You need to be strong and feel strong if you hope to beat this illness.

Rationalize
You must learn to recognize when your reactions to life are based on your illness. Being able to rationalize is an important step towards beating depression.
When something happens causing you to burst into tears, you must learn to be able to realize, this reaction is a symptom of my depression. When you're depressed it is hard to know if you're upset because of the situation or because of your depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help with this.

Normality
Don't let this illness rob you of your normality. Get yourself out of your house. Go to the shops. A walk in the park. Try to keep your life going as normally as possible. When depressed the desire to hide away is strong. You have to be stronger. Keep doing the things that have given you joy in the past. Our bodies need sunlight, so getting out during daylight hours can also help improve your mood.

Friends & Family
Don't shut them out. They probably don't understand what you're going through, but don't push them away. Having people around you who care about you can be upsetting, because you feel you can't be the way they want you to be. You can, you always have been. You may not be the life and soul of the party right now, but your friends and family will still want to be around you. Alienating yourself will only push you deeper into your depression. Talking can be a great therapy when you're depressed, this is usually better done with a professional. Talking heavily with friends & family can be difficult and draining for you both. It's better done with an unbiased professional who know what they're doing.

Above all remember, depression doesn't last forever. It passes, you will get better. You are strong enough to beat this. Don't give in to it.

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