How to fight Depression ?

Recent reports from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India suggest:

15 suicides are committed per hour
371 suicides committed per day

Approximately 37% victims commit suicide by hanging

Approximately 29% victims commit suicide by consuming poison

Human being is a complex organism . Human emotions are intricately linked to the events that are occurring around. This is a continuous process. It is natural for us to feel sad when things aren’t going our way. But this sadness can easily turn to joy when favourable events occur. In today’s fast life, This is a see saw situation. Can every person adapt to such fluctuations in same manner?

Remember the scene in the Harry Potter movie, Prisoner of Azkaban, where the Dementor comes close to Harry and tries to remove all the positive emotions from Harry’s body? To quote a character from the Harry Potter Series, Remus Lupin, Dementors are”…among the foulest creatures to walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happiness around them…Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you.” If Remus Lupin were a physician, he could well have been talking about depression.

Although sadness is very much part of a normal life, with its ups and downs; being sad for a long time, regardless of the situations around, is what is known as depression. When a person is depressed, He/she is in a state of prolonged sadness. Depressions can be of different types, medically speaking, but they are a disorder of a mind and they have to be acknowledged and treated as would any physical injury or disorder, without any sense of shame.

Sometimes, a painful event has such an impact on the human brain that it goes into a shell, covering itself with feelings of prolonged sadness and excessive guilt. Such a condition is called “depression.”

Seek friendly relationships – Don’t be lonely. Turn to your trusted friends and relatives. It is important in life to invest time and emotions to build good relations. They might not be able to get you out of your depressed state of mind all by themselves. But the feeling, that you are not alone in your time of crisis and you will be helped and supported, gives you a major boost.

Get some exercise – Any physical activity releases “happy hormones” in your body. They invigorate the mind and make you feel good. No strenuous workouts are required. Just a brisk walk in the park daily can do wonders. Practice yoga. Pranayama, Cycling ,Swimming, Badminton or breathing exercises, work like miracles.

Challenge your brain – Set a daily routine. Don’t let the days go by just like that. Learn something new, maybe a language or origami or even cooking. When you are learning new things, the brain releases powerful chemicals that can create wondrous self-confident feelings. Don’t expect yourself to be perfect. Cut yourself some slack. Set small, achievable daily targets and then move on to bigger ones. Try to play chess. It’s a wonderful antidote.

Eat right – Healthy eating is absolutely vital during depressions. Overeating and resorting to junk foods can compound the problem and can create new ones. Foods rich in the B vitamins, Vitamin D, antioxidants, magnesium and folic acid are known to be naturally antidepressant. Eat complex carbohydrates (whole wheat bread, oats, and baked potatoes) and absolutely avoid refined flours and cut down drastically on your sugar intake.

Get a good sleep – Although this is easier said than done, it is vital to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Don’t nap during the day. Set a fixed time to go to bed. Slowly your brain will respond. Understand that the brain is also an organ which requires professional, medical care when it is not functioning properly.

Distract Yourself: Panic attacks are common during a depressive state of mind. Understand when a panic attack hits you. Try to distract yourself by doing something, walking, or simply jumping up and down and concentrating on the physical effort. Once the phase has passed, calm yourself down by some deep breathing. Don’t sit there. Do some activity. Go make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. Take a bath. This has a calming effect on the brain.

Don’t Blame Yourself: When depression hits a person, he/she finds it difficult to perform even the basic chores. This can exacerbate into a feeling of blame for oneself. Don’t blame yourself for your depression. It is a mental condition affecting probably everyone during some or the other time in their lives. So you are not unique to the “Depression Club.”

Calm Your Senses Through Meditation and Spirituality: Turning your focus and energies towards spirituality can be a much needed mental boost. Meditation is an excellent way to calm the senses and bring peace to your troubled mind. If you thought that meditation is performed only by ardent yogis, think again. You only need 15 minutes to half an hour everyday to practise it. If you are a religious person, visit your place of worship more often. These are the most peaceful places and have a vibrant energy around them which is contagious.

Step Outdoors: Try to spend as much time outside the house as possible. A depressed person can easily tend to become a reclusive house-worm and this compounds the problem. Scientifically, too, staying outsides in the sun makes sense, because of elevated Vitamin D levels in the body due to exposure to the sun. Vitamin D is an excellent “feel-good” vitamin.

Laugh Out Loud: Watching funny movies and TV shows is also an excellent way to create a joyous state of mind. Laughing helps release hormones that soothe your brain and make you feel at peace with yourself. Tom n Jerry , still works….

Visiting religious places: You can visit temple or church. They do help. Try alternative therapies to achieve mental peace. Sound therapy is simple and very effective. There are innumerable ways to practice it. One way is the Tibetan sound therapy. You can buy a bowl and mallet from a Tibetan store (or even online). The mallet when rubbed on the rim creates soothing sound waves. These in conjunction with the chanting of certain mantras help relax the mind.

Finally, the human will is, arguably, the strongest entity in Creation. The will to come out of depression is by far the best way to battle it. Rest assured, the will wins, if it is fuelled by determined efforts. If a lowly cell, through Evolution, can make it thus far into becoming what a human body is today, depression really doesn’t stand a chance.

The will to come out of the depressive state of mind is a huge motivator. This will itself guides one to help oneself achieve freedom from depression. There’s always the option of seeking medical help and taking medications to aid other efforts. Life is too short to wallow on guilt, blame and sadness. There are greater things to accomplish. Fly on.