Overcome Depression and Be Happy Again
When you’re constantly fighting depressive and overwhelming feelings, no matter where you turn in life, it’s hard to believe that you can eventually overcome depression, say goodbye to feelings of worthlessness and despair and be happy again. Depression symptoms can be overwhelming at times, and if you have a severe case of depression, you might think you’ll never see light at the end of the tunnel.
People who suffer from depression often lose interest in everything they once used to enjoy. Hobbies, relationships and social activities are put aside and sleeping too much, withdrawal from everything and fatigue take their places. Low energy levels are often the cause of these side effects of depression. The trick is to recover enough and feel motivated enough to begin a regimen that can help overcome depression symptoms.
Depression may be triggered by situations out of your control and you may feel helpless to do anything to relieve stress or to make any changes that can help. Even happy events can cause certain forms of depression. For example, you may be happy that your child got in to the college of his choice, but that loss could trigger a bout of “the empty nest syndrome.”
Retirement is also a happy time, but it might trigger feelings of depression because you’ve lost the camaraderie with co-workers and a reason to get up the morning. It’s important to find something to do that not only keeps you busy, but that also challenges your mind and body. This can help you overcome depression feelings more than anything you can do for yourself.
You can take your life back and be happy again by learning to control your thoughts. Most thoughts are habitual, so if you’re having negative thoughts all the time, it’s because you let them enter your mind and give a strong voice to them. Try and develop techniques that replace the negative thoughts with positive ones such as doing something you enjoy immediately when a negative thought enters your mind.
Developing a healthy lifestyle routine associated with diet, exercise, relaxation and meditation can cause your body to produce more endorphins, a chemical manufactured by the brain that combats depressive feelings. Find reasons to feel good about yourself. Everyone can cultivate “good vibes” by thinking of things that you do well or how important you are to others in your life.
Happiness can often come in the form of helping others and can be one of the most rewarding activities you can engage in. Looking outward rather than inward for validation is a method preached in almost all religions and is also suggested by counselors and psychotherapists to help overcome depression and enjoy a happy life once again.
Overcoming Depression