How to Overcome Depression

Before starting treatment for my bipolar disorder, I was suffering with major mood swings. Sometimes I'd be high and on top of the world, like nothing could touch me. But then there was always the depression. It came like a nightmare and stayed for what felt like forever so that I couldn't escape it. You don't have to tell me that it's hard to handle depression—I know it is. Now that I'm stabilized and clear-headed, I feel like a totally different person. Someone asked me, "What advice would you give to someone who is depressed or feeling lost?" Keep in mind, some cases of depression are a lot harder than others. But here's some advice that I can give, and hopefully, it helps someone on their journey to a safe and healthy mindset.

Positive Thinking

Try your absolute hardest to search for the positives in every situation. Remove yourself from the situation and look at it from an outsider's perspective, if you can. That may help you to see certain things you were missing, or lessons you weren't able to learn because you felt so close to the issue. And if you need to, start with the really obvious stuff. It's a positive that I'm not in jail. It's a positive that I have a roof over my head. Even if we can't appreciate the positive things, pointing them out and making yourself more aware of them gets you one step closer. But make sure to always remember, just because someone has it worse off than you doesn't mean your sadness isn't valid.

Make yourself want it.

In order to be happy, you need to want to be happy. Half of the work that comes with recovery is getting yourself there, whether it's to doctors appointments or therapy sessions. If you don't want to get better or aren't ready for it, you won't be able to push yourself (sometimes to the extreme) to get out of bed and go to that help. At least you can say that you did one thing that day, even if it was just waking up in the morning. Goals are so important for people struggling with depression. Recovery may be a huge and daunting goal, so start small. Make yourself do one small thing a day, and eventually, you'll be strong enough to do more things that will be beneficial to you.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Make sure to depend on your support system. Open up and let them help you find the right resources. It's important to not use your friends and family as your therapist because they're not qualified or prepared to help you (and shouldn't have that much pressure put upon them) but don't be afraid to ask for help! Sometimes when we're sad, it's hard to just complete everyday tasks. When I was struggling, I asked my mom to take over everything money for me for a while. It was a huge relief to not have to worry about it until I was ready. There will always be someone around/in your life who cares about you that much and wants to help the best they can. Accept the help.

I don't claim to be the master of happiness. I've just learned a lot from my own experiences, and these are some small things that helped me get to the place where I am now. I feel stable, comfortable, and safe. That should be the goal for recovery, so strive for that instead of extreme happiness or elation. A high is always followed by a low, so try to stay in the middle with your mental health and remember that we're allowed to have emotions and feel things. It's all about taking those emotions in stride and moving forward.