it’s more than medication…
For those who suffer from depression and/or anxiety, here are four things (of many) that may be recommended to help someone get back to a place that is in balance.
Exercise
Planned physical movement may be great medicine for depression and anxiety… and just about everything else. For many, exercise makes people think of going to the gym everyday, or running marathons. But for many people with busy lives who struggle with mood, going for a twenty minute walk, or getting on a exercise bike or doing anything that involves movement is better than doing nothing. For some, regular exercise keeps away the blues. For others, more is needed….
Talk Therapy
Talking to a therapist has many benefits and is nearly always recommended. However, barriers to access exist. It can be difficult to know how to start looking for a therapist, whether insurance will pay for it, or even how to find the time?
If you are employed by a company that has a human resources department, you may very well qualify for some free visits through a Employee Assistance Program. In addition, many health care organizations offer in-house referrals. For those uninsured or under-insured, there are safety-net mental heath service providers that do excellent work. Sometimes its as simple as a internet search to find a behavioral health provider near you. Also, there are now numerous internet-based therapist Apps that may be helpful for some.
Medication
A medical provider may offer medication as a tool to help someone suffering from depression and/or anxiety to feel better. When appropriate, the benefits of these medications very often outweigh any risks. Religion and philosophy aside, we are walking bags of neuro-chemistry. So talk to your medical provider. During times of struggle, tweaking your brain chemistry may be an option.
Mindfulness Meditation
We all live in the moment, but most of the time do not realize it.
Mindfulness mediation is, at its core, a brain-attention exercise that helps people to be aware (to be Mindful) of their current conscious thoughts, feelings, sights, sounds, and other sensations… in that moment, and with acceptance. The practice is a great tool that has many uses, and deal with stress is one of them.
The human nervous system has a fight or flight response that is well adapted to deal with the sudden appearance of a large, 800 pound bear in the wild (your pulse beats hard, muscles tense and breath quickens). This stress response has its uses…. get your next meal, or be the next meal.
However, in today’s modern world, we are NOT well adapted dealing with near constant flight or flight brain chemistry surges. In other words, 80 separate 10 pound bears nipping at your heals all day long.
By practicing mindfulness breath-awareness (and other exercises) 10 minutes a day 3-5 days a week, you can learn to become more aware of when your nervous system is going on overload. So instead of getting lost in a flurry of overwhelming thoughts and feeling, you may be quicker to take a step back (to wake up!), focus on your breath, and realize that this too shall hopefully pass.
There are many mindfulness resources available online, the CALM App is one.
