How to Fight Back Against Depression

When you’re depressed, it can feel like your condition is in complete control of your life. Depression makes us feel sad and empty, and it drains us of our energy. Things that once brought us joy no longer do, and it can be difficult to even get out of bed, much less leave the house for work or socializing. Depression can even manifest itself in the form of physical symptoms like headaches and pains.

Fighting depression is hard in part because depression itself drains us of the energy and resolve that we need to tackle big, difficult tasks. To limit the symptoms of depression and really address its impact on our lives, we need help.

Choosing to Get Help for Your Depression

Depression makes it hard to look at our lives honestly. But if we’re going to take the next few steps toward fighting back against our condition, we first need to assess our situation and recognize the problem that we’re dealing with.

You should look at the symptoms of depression and assess your life and mental health as honestly as you can. You can make this a bit easier by taking online quizzes (from reputable sources, of course) that can help you decide whether or not you’re dealing with clinical depression. If your mental health is affecting your daily life, including your relationships and your work, then you’re probably looking at depression. When in doubt, operate under the assumption that you’d be better off getting help — even if you don’t have a mental health condition, there’s a lot to be gained by being proactive about your mental health.

Choosing a Therapist

Once you’ve decided to do something about your situation, it’s time to choose the professional that will be helping you out. Choosing a therapist may seem like a big decision, but it’s important to remember that getting treatment right away is the priority — you can always choose to change therapists later, so don’t let the choice paralyze you and keep you from getting the help that you need. Remember, depression is working against you here, so you’ll need to work extra hard to conquer your anxieties and indecision and get moving on this.

You can ask your primary care physician to refer you to a therapist, or you can call up your insurance company and ask how to find a therapist in your network. A psychologist is a great person to turn to for talk therapy, while psychiatrists tend to focus more on medication — but the distinction is blurrier than many people assume, and most professionals will suggest an approach that incorporates talk therapy along with any medication.

Inpatient Treatment and Other Options

If you’re in a dangerous situation, you may not be in a position to wait for an open appointment. If that’s the case, get to the hospital now and worry about the details later. You may also want to consider inpatient treatments even in non-emergency situations — mental health rehab centers are powerful tools for treating serious depression and other mental health issues.

You will likely be able to find centers that are focused on your specific needs and situation, experts who run residential treatment centers for teenage girls explain. Whether you’re suffering from elder depression or addiction, whether you’re looking for a women-only facility or one with an LGBTQ focus, you’re likely to find great options.

Addressing depression isn’t easy, but once you get the ball rolling, you’ll find that the experts and professionals you choose will support you throughout the process. With dedication and the right people in your corner, you can reclaim the life that depression is robbing you of.