How to relieve depression

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for relieving depression. The core principle is based on professional medical intervention and individualized adjustment methods. Never believe in the saying that "you can just rely on willpower to get through it" or "a certain method can cure it". This is the biggest pitfall that many people have stepped on.

I met a little girl who was a sophomore in college a while ago. She had insomnia and didn't want to talk for three consecutive months at the beginning. She thought she was a stressed-out emo. She couldn't even get out of bed and failed all the final exams before going to the doctor. She was diagnosed with moderate depression. She followed the doctor's advice and took it for six weeks. She was taking Sertraline, and she did feel a little nauseous and sleepy in the first week. After getting over it, she told me that she finally felt like "the wet sack that had been tied to her head for half a year had been lifted open." She didn't have the strength to move her fingers before, but now she can sit up and check her phone for at least ten minutes. Many people have concerns about taking medicines, fearing side effects and addiction. It is true that a small number of patients will experience adverse reactions in the early stages of taking medicines, and most of them can tolerate them in about two weeks. There are also some mild patients who can adjust without taking medicines. You must find a regular psychiatrist for evaluation on whether, what, and how long you should take medicines. Don’t buy blindly, and don’t forcefully refuse medical intervention.

Only after the medication suppresses the emotional "peak" during the acute attack period can small adjustments in life really take effect. People on the Internet always say to exercise more, socialize more, and travel more. These methods are indeed useful for some people, but for patients who have just been able to get out of bed, asking them to run three kilometers will cause them to sink into deeper self-denial because they cannot do it. There was a male patient in his 30s. When he was getting better, he tried to force himself to go to the gym and go to friends' gatherings. Every time he came back, he was emotionally broken. Later, he found a particularly "useless" method: he would take a detour after get off work every day and sit at the shoe repair stall at the entrance of the community for ten minutes, watching the uncle repair shoes. He said nothing and just stared at the needle and thread threading through the leather. During those ten minutes, he did not think about "Why am I so useless and can't make money." After sitting like this for more than a month, his condition became more and more stable. In fact, you don't have to force yourself to do "meaningful" things, as long as you can temporarily withdraw from the whirlpool of self-attack, it will work, even if it is tearing up waste paper at home for an afternoon, or squatting on the roadside for half an hour watching ants move.

Many people also ask whether psychological counseling is useful. I have seen people who think that counseling is "pure chicken soup to cheat money", and I have also seen people who think that as long as they do counseling, they don't need to take medicine. Both of these views are a bit extreme. If you are mildly depressed and can still go to work and go to school normally, but your mood continues to be low, finding a matching cognitive behavioral counselor to make adjustments can indeed help you uncover those irrational beliefs that are always attacking you subconsciously. ； But if it has reached a severe level and you can't even listen to what others are saying, and you don't even have the energy to sit for half an hour, the first priority at this stage is to take medication as directed by your doctor. The effect will be best after your cognitive function recovers a little, and then you can cooperate with consultation.

In addition, don't set a goal for yourself "how long it must take to recover." The improvement of depression is inherently wave-like. If you can get up and take a shower and have a good meal today, it is already a great progress. Occasionally, you will be depressed one day and don't want to move. Don't panic. Just like you will occasionally cough twice when you have a cold. It is not a recurrence, but your body is still slowly recovering. If you have a depressed friend around you, don't always chase him with "you want to be more cheerful" or "what a big deal". Sit quietly with him for a while and hand him a cup of hot milk, which is more effective than saying a hundred correct nonsense.