Mild depression affects about 15 percent of the population over their lifetime. Symptoms are sadness, guilt, feelings of unworthiness or apathy. This form of depression can affect the professional and personal life of the sufferer, but it can be managed through a certain path. This involves diagnosis, professional assistance, introducing healthy lifestyle changes, and finding alternative remedies. If you have more severe symptoms, read our article on how to fight depression. Seek immediate assistance if you have suicidal thoughts.
Steps
Part 1 of 6: Diagnosing Depression
Step 1. Try to learn to recognize the symptoms
Symptoms of depression can be mild, moderate, and severe. With the former, you may feel sad most of the time or you may not have an interest in activities that you once found enjoyable. Additionally, mild depression is usually accompanied by some (usually not all) of the following symptoms:
- Loss of appetite or weight gain
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Increased irritability;
- Laziness;
- Recurrent feeling of tiredness;
- Feeling of unworthiness;
- Unjustified feelings of guilt;
- Difficulty concentrating.
Step 2. Learn to recognize seasonal affective disorder
The disorder, also called SAD, is most common during the fall and winter months and can be caused by less exposure of the body to sunlight. This can change the levels of serotonin and melatonin, chemicals that affect mood. SAD typically exhibits these symptoms:
- Increased need for sleep
- Weakness or tired feeling
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increased desire for solitude;
- These symptoms typically disappear in the spring and summer, but may progress to mild depression in the winter.
Step 3. Pay attention when you have a seasonal mood change
If you feel like you are suffering from it, it is important to carefully consider your symptoms to determine if the disorder is turning into a form of depression. The sensations or symptoms may be more frequent and the seconds may last for more than 2 weeks.
If you are unsure about how your symptoms will develop, seek the advice of a trusted friend or relative. Although personal perception and evaluation is more important, it can be helpful to hear someone else's opinion
Step 4. Pay attention to how you feel after a traumatic event
An important event in life, such as the unexpected death of a family member, can trigger symptoms similar to those of depression. However, it may not be the most severe form of this condition. The context and duration of the symptoms can help, in part, to determine whether it is this disorder or simply a grief-related reaction.
- Generally, feelings of worthlessness and suicidal thoughts are not present when grieving. On the other hand, positivity may be present with clear memories of the deceased and solicitude for certain activities (for example, those related to funeral services).
- Negative moods and thoughts, an inability to enjoy favorite activities, or other similar symptoms tend to occur during mild depression. This symptomatology can be present most of the time.
- When the change in mood during bereavement distresses you and begins to affect your life, then it may be something beyond normal grief.
Step 5. Track your emotions and activities
Do this consistently for about two weeks. Write down how you feel every day. Make a list of your activities. There is no need to report many details; simple annotations are sufficient so that it is possible to discover the patterns of behavior that emerge.
- Keep track of how often any unprovoked bouts of crying occur. This could indicate more than mild depression.
- If you have trouble keeping track of these things, ask a trusted friend or family member to help you. This can be a sign that you are more depressed than you suspected.
Part 2 of 6: Getting Professional Assistance
Step 1. Visit your doctor
Your chosen general practitioner is the first resource to turn to if you suspect that you have mild depression.
Some diseases, especially those related to the thyroid or other glands in the hormone system, cause depressive symptoms. Other health conditions, particularly chronic or terminal illnesses, can carry the risk of depressive symptoms. In these cases the doctor can help to understand their origin and suggest how to alleviate them
Step 2. Visit a specialist
Psychotherapy or "speech therapy" can be very effective in treating mild depression. Based on your specific needs, you may want to try to find a mental health professional, including psychoanalysts, clinical psychologists, or psychiatrists. If you have mild depression, you should probably see a psychoanalyst first.
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Psychoanalysts:
they concentrate their skills on assisting and helping people in order to overcome moments of difficulty generally linked to neurotic disorders. They adopt therapeutic settings, both short and long term, often targeted and addressed to specific problems. The psychoanalyst asks questions and listens to the answers. During the sessions, his role is to be an impartial observer who has the task of helping you discover important thought processes and discuss them with you in detail. Doing so can help you understand the emotional and circumstantial issues that may be contributing to your disorder.
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Clinical psychologists:
they are trained to administer tests to confirm a diagnosis and, as a result, tend to focus more on psychopathology. They also specialize in the use of a wide range of therapeutic techniques.
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Psychiatrists:
they can use psychotherapy, measure and test in the exercise of their profession. Typically, they are seen when psychiatric drugs are an option the patient wants to explore. In many countries only psychiatrists can prescribe them.
- You can see more than one of these professionals based on your needs.
Step 3. Consider the different types of therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapies, interpersonal therapies and behavioral psychotherapies record safe benefits for patients.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT):
their goal is to question and modify the beliefs, attitudes and preconceptions considered to be the source of depressive symptoms and to make changes in maladaptive behaviors.
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Interpersonal Therapies (IPT):
they focus on existential changes, social isolation, deficits in social skills, and other relationship problems that can contribute to depressive symptoms. IPTs can be particularly effective if a specific event, such as the death of a person, triggered a recent depressive episode.
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Behavioral therapies:
they aim to plan enjoyable activities while simultaneously reducing unpleasant experiences through techniques such as self-control therapies, social skills training, problem solving and activity scheduling.
Step 4. Get a referral for a psychoanalyst
Consider suggestions from friends or family, leaders of your religious community, the mental health center of the community where you live, the competent company doctor, or ask your doctor to find one.
In Italy, the local districts of the Regional Health Services provide basic information on the most suitable professionals for your particular problem and on possible therapeutic paths. Other information can be requested at the local offices of the Medical Association or professional associations of the various medical specializations
Step 5. Check your health coverage
In Italy the public health service guarantees assistance for mental disorders through the Essential Levels of Assistance (LEA) as in the case of physical diseases. However, the actual forms of admissible assistance, therapies and their duration are strictly regulated and it is advisable to inquire about any treatments that may be charged to you. If you have supplementary health insurance, check which care services it provides in your specific case. In the United States, where the public health service is just starting to emerge, you will need to check what it covers and take into account the coverage guaranteed by your private insurance.
Step 6. Ask about antidepressants
They are drugs that act on the brain's neurotransmitter system to try to counteract problems depending on their structure and / or the way the brain uses them.
- Some professionals believe that antidepressants are over-prescribed and are not very effective in treating mild depression. Some studies show that these drugs are more effective for more severe or chronic depression.
- Psychiatric drugs can be a good solution to improve mood and to benefit more from psychotherapy.
- For many people, short-term antidepressant therapy can help treat mild depression.
Part 3 of 6: Changing Your Eating Habits
Step 1. Eat nutrient-rich foods
Sometimes it can be difficult to realize how nutrition can affect mood because the effect of food is not immediate. However, to keep depression under control, it is important to pay attention to what you eat and the effects of a particular food.
- Eat those considered safer for depression symptoms, including fruits, vegetables, and fish.
- Avoid those considered less safe, including processed foods such as processed meats, chocolate, sweets, fried foods, processed grains and high-fat dairy products.
Step 2. Drink lots of water
Dehydration can promote physical changes and changes in behavior. Your mood can be negatively affected by even mild dehydration. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, not just when you feel thirsty or when exercising.
Men should aim to drink around 13 glasses of water a day and women around 9
Step 3. Take fish oil supplements
People with depression may have low levels of certain chemicals in the brain, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish oil capsules contain omega-3 fatty acids and EPA and DHA. These can help relieve some mild symptoms of depression.
Take no more than 3 grams per day. High doses of fish oil can slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding
Step 4. Increase your folate intake
Many people in a depressed state are deficient in folate, which are B vitamins. Increase the level by eating plenty of spinach, walnuts, beans, asparagus and Brussels sprouts.
Part 4 of 6: Changing Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Improve the way you sleep
If the sleep cycle is altered, defense mechanisms can become jammed. This can make managing the symptoms of mild depression more difficult. Try going to bed earlier than usual to try and get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is a restorative activity that allows the body to heal itself. If you're not getting enough sleep, see your doctor. He may prescribe a sleeping pill. You could also try to change your sleep times.
Not being able to get enough sleep can be a symptom of depression. If you have trouble falling asleep, try listening to soothing music before bed. Turn off your computer and phone at least half an hour before bed to rest your eyes and head
Step 2. Focus on the exercises
Exercising can be a little-used way to boost your mood. Research suggests that exercise helps improve mood and prevent relapses. Make a commitment to do about half an hour a day most days of the week.
- Set realistic goals. No matter how easy you think one goal is, achieving it gives you the feeling of success first and gives you the confidence to tackle the next. Start with the goal of walking for 10 minutes a day for a couple of days during the week, then strive to do more - for example, every day for a week, then every day for a month, and finally for the whole year. See how much you can stretch the series.
- The best part about exercises as a treatment for depression is that activities like walking and running are cheap.
- Before incorporating a new exercise into your routine, talk to your doctor and / or trainer to determine what is best to do with your fitness in mind.
- Treat each exercise session as a mood cure and a positive indication of your willingness to improve.
Step 3. Try light therapy
Light therapy or exposure to sunlight or a lamp that simulates sunlight can positively affect your mood. Some research suggests that more sunlight increases vitamin D levels in the body.
- Try a sunrise simulator. It is a timer device that you can connect to a lamp in the bedroom. The lamp starts to glow gradually 30-45 minutes before the scheduled wake-up time. The brain is tricked into thinking that morning light is coming in through the window, and deception can make you feel better.
- Get a light box or light therapy lamp. These devices simulate sunlight. Sit in front of one of these for 30 minutes a day for more light exposure.
Step 4. Manage anxiety
When you are stressed, your body reacts by releasing cortisol, a stress hormone. If this becomes chronic, the body can react uncontrollably and not stop releasing it. Try to manage and reduce stress so that the body has a chance to regenerate.
- Try meditation to reduce stress;
- Make a list of the things that make you anxious. Try to minimize the number of stressors in your life.
Step 5. Stay outdoors
Gardening, walking, and other outdoor activities can create beneficial effects. Going out and about in nature and green spaces can improve your mood and help you if you suffer from the effects of mild depression.
Gardening and turning the earth can also have positive effects, thanks to soil microbes that increase serotonin levels and help fight depression
Step 6. Give yourself a creative outlet
Some experience the effects of depression due to repressed creativity. The connection between depression and creativity is of great interest because some believe that the former may be the "price" of being creative, rather than the "necessary evil" of creativity. In fact, depression can occur when a creative person has difficulty finding an outlet.
Part 5 of 6: Keeping a Journal
Step 1. Take notes regularly
Keeping a journal can help you understand how your environment affects mood, energy, health, sleep, and so on. It also allows you to process your emotions and understand why certain things make you feel the way they do.
Step 2. Try to write every day
Even if you're only doing this for a few minutes, jotting down your feelings and thoughts can be helpful.
Step 3. Always carry a pen and paper with you
Simplify the task of writing when mood swings kick in. Consider using a simple note-taking app on your phone or tablet.
Step 4. Write everything down anyway
There is no need to write entire paragraphs if it is easier for you to jot down a few words or list in a nutshell. Don't worry about spelling, grammar or style. Just write your thoughts down on a sheet of paper.
If you need something more structured, look for people who teach you how to keep notes in a journal, read books on the subject, or use websites to keep and update it online
Step 5. Share what you want to share
However, use it however you like. You can keep the journal confidential, share some things with friends, family or your therapist, or start a public blog.
Part 6 of 6: Alternative Remedies
Step 1. Try acupuncture
It is a treatment that is part of traditional Chinese medicine and uses needles inserted into specific points on the body to correct energy blocks or imbalances., Find a specialist in your area and try this treatment to determine if it is effective for you and helps reduce symptoms of depression.
One study showed a link between acupuncture and the normalization of a neuroprotective protein called glial cell line derived-neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and efficacy comparable to fluoxetine (the generic name for Prozac). Another study demonstrated treatment efficacy comparable to psychotherapy. These studies lend some credibility to acupuncture as a treatment for depression, but more research needs to be done for its reliability to be proven
Step 2. Consider taking St. John's wort or St. John's wort
It is a plant of the genus Hypericum used by alternative medicine, which has been shown to be effective in some small-scale studies especially for the milder forms of depression. If you are not taking SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), consider taking St. John's wort.
- In large-scale studies, comparable to those required for a drug to be approved by the FDA, St. John's wort has been shown to be as effective as a placebo. It also has not proven superior to available therapies (albeit with minor side effects).
- The American Psychiatric Association does not recommend generic use of St. John's Wort.
- Use St. John's wort with caution. You should not take it together with SSRIs or SNRIs due to the risk associated with serotonin syndrome which can have effects similar to severe intoxication. It can also make other drugs less effective when taken at the same time. Among the drugs for which St. John's wort is contraindicated, you can find oral contraceptives, antiretrovirals, anticoagulants such as warfarin, hormone replacement therapies (HRT) and immunosuppressants. Talk to your doctor if you are taking any other medications.
- Follow the dosage instructions when using St. John's wort.
- In the United States, the National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine advises prudence in the use of homeopathic remedies and encourages open discussions with healthcare professionals so that related treatments can be properly coordinated and produce safe results.
Step 3. Try SAMe Supplements
An alternative medicine is S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe). SAMe is a naturally occurring molecule and low levels of S-adenosyl methionine have been linked to depression.
- It can be taken orally, intravenously and intramuscularly. Follow the dosing instructions on the package.
- Its preparation is not regulated and the intensity and composition may vary between manufacturers. It has not been established whether SAMe is more effective than other available treatments.
- For forms of depression it is worth highlighting what is suggested by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the United States and reported at the end of the previous paragraph.
Warnings
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If you are having thoughts of suicide or otherwise suicide is something you are considering, call 911 immediately or go to the nearest medical or emergency room. You can also contact the friendly phone at 199 284 284 or at this site.
Treat Mild Depression Step 2
