Managing depression when therapy and medication is not an option. Tips from a therapist in Long Beach

This article was not written by a therapist.  It was written by someone who is not a therapist, but a regular person who deals with depression.  This article was written to help people who may have questions about someone else’s experience of depression.  In no way am I implying that this will be YOUR experience, but many people read blogs on various websites to get a “personal view” of depression, but blogs can have a lot of misinformation in them.  This article was not written by one of my own clients (as that would be unethical for me to publish). This is an article that describes many of my own clients, which is the reason I chose to post it.  I was given permission by the writer to add this to my blog.  So here it goes…

Begin an average person’s struggle with depression:

I have suffered from depression and anxiety for more than a decade now, and I have been fortunate enough to get the help I so desperately needed from therapy and medication. I didn’t realize how much both of those helped until I was placed in a situation where neither was available to me. Unfortunately, my issues helped destroy my first marriage, and when it went south, I was left without any form of healthcare. My ex-wife was kind enough to cover a few months of therapy for me, but once the divorce went final, I was on my own.

At that time, I was on (a brand name of medication), which did not have a generic option available. That meant paying upwards of $120 per month for my prescription, which was something that just did not fit into my budget. The good news is that I learned a lot from my time in therapy, and I was able to apply those tips during the time where I was essentially flying solo. I’m not suggesting that these are things that will work for anyone, and I would definitely recommend that you seek out help if you are in the position to do so.

When I was in therapy, my therapist suggested that I keep a journal where I could write about my day, my feelings, and more importantly, about the good things in my life. This became a daily habit for me, and that journal proved to be a huge benefit in the times when I was unable to be in therapy or in medication. Not only did I realize I had a lot to be happy about, I discovered that certain things, such as poor sleeping and eating habits would have an effect on my overall mood.

Seeing all of this information laid out in journal style helped me develop a routine that I still follow to this day. I go to bed and get up at the same time every day, as my journal revealed that particularly bad days would usually be preceded by too many late nights and early rises. A lack of sleep would eventually wear me down, and would lead to me getting less sleep due to those old anxieties creeping back in when my head hit the pillow.

One effective method that I have used to keep those negative thoughts at bay is to reserve 15-20 minutes a night for reading. I do this when I go to bed, as being taken out of my real life and into an imaginary one for a period of time is a great way to clear my head of negative thoughts. The act of reading also tends to make me sleepy, and usually has me falling asleep pretty quickly. Finally, I would suggest that you let your friends and loved ones know about your depression or anxiety. These are people who want to be supportive, and who will understand when you are not at your best. A good support system will help lift your spirits on those days when life gets heavy.

BACK TO THE THERAPISTS WRITING:   These are actually techniques that I recommend to clients as well.  Being on a regular schedule your body can know what to expect and will usually start to get tired when it is supposed to get tired.  Journaling the good things helps put focus on figuring out what good actually did happen today.  Maybe the “good” was even a lack of bad things happening.  These are some basic skills you can start with.  In therapy, you can work on a personalized approach that is designed around your likes/dislikes (for example, reading doesn’t make ME tired, but it might make someone else tired), and around your past, present and your future.

I wanted to say THANK YOU to the brave man who wrote this article for my blog.  He is stronger than he may ever know and he has helped people simply by letting them know they are not alone.