Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Changing Your Lifestyle
• Part 2 of 3: Changing the perspective
• Part 3 of 3: Seeking Professional Help
• Tips
• Warnings

Depression and anxiety tend to go hand in hand. All people have some experience with them throughout their lives, but if your symptoms are so severe that they interfere with your normal life, you need to find treatment. Learn how to reduce the severity and duration of depression and anxiety in this article.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Changing Your Lifestyle

1. 1 Exercise regularly. Exercise not only reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular and other diseases, but also helps to cope with depression and anxiety. There are various explanations for this.First of all, during exercise, endorphins, hormones that lift your mood, are released. Exercise also lowers levels of certain chemicals that cause depression and increases body temperature, which can promote relaxation.
   • Regular exercise can also help you get in shape and improve your appearance, which is enough for many people to get rid of self-doubt.
2. 2 Reduce your alcohol intake. People suffering from anxiety often resort to alcohol to relieve tension and nervousness. While alcohol can temporarily relieve symptoms, in the long term it only makes the problem worse. You may not completely stop drinking alcohol, the main thing is to reduce it.
3. 3 Switch to decaffeinated coffee. High levels of caffeine in coffee can worsen anxiety symptoms in the short and long term. Switch to decaffeinated coffee or tea.
   • Green tea contains caffeine, but not in the same amounts as coffee.

Part 2 of 3: Changing the perspective

1. 1 Learn to live in the present. If you suffer from anxiety, it is because you are worried, doubtful, or nervous about the future. If you suffer from depression, it is because you are constantly dwelling on the past and projecting painful experiences from the past into the present. Learning to appreciate the present moment is not easy at all, but it will have a significant impact on your life.
   • Pay more attention to your thoughts. The best way to stop dwelling on the past or future is to notice when such thoughts arise in your daily life. When this happens, acknowledge them, label them with the word "thoughts" and let them go.
   • Start meditating. Regular meditation has been shown to relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety. Join a meditation center or group in your area. Many centers offer free meditation training and regularly host open house days.
   • You don't have to live in a monastery to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Close your eyes for a few minutes each day, relax your muscles, and focus on your breathing. If a thought arises, acknowledge it and let it go. The more you practice it, the better you will eventually be able to make it a part of your daily life.
2. 2 Let go of tangible negativity in your life. Although mental illness is mostly internal in nature, it can also be caused by external circumstances. Eliminating these negative factors may not completely cure you, but it will certainly alleviate symptoms and help you determine if why you are experiencing certain feelings.
   • If depression is related to your appearance, then get in shape, get a new haircut, buy new clothes, etc.
   • If you are unhappy in a relationship, or if you live in an atmosphere of cruelty and violence, put an end to the relationship.
   • Consider changing jobs if you are chronically unhappy with your job.
   • Remember, negative experiences cannot be completely avoided. You have to make both external and internal changes to see the results.
3. 3 Cope with painful memories. For many people, depression is caused by holding onto one or more traumatic experiences from the past. While it is very difficult to erase these memories, there are a number of things you can do to reduce their presence in your daily life. If you keep coming back to negative memories, try the following exercise:
   • Express your emotions. If you feel the need to yell or cry, do so. Catharsis is a necessary part of the healing process.
   • Express your emotions and thoughts. You can write them down if they are very personal, or share them with someone you trust. Either way, express your feelings in some way.Describe what happened and how it made you feel.
   • Accept what happened. What happened happened, and nothing can be done about it. Instead of regretting that you don't have a time machine, be grateful that it's over and that always could be worse. Always.
   • Think about what certain events have taught you. No matter how terrible the thing has happened, every experience, both positive and negative, teaches us something. In fact, it is painful experiences that tend to teach us the most and make us stronger. Stop for a minute and feel grateful for what you have received.

Part 3 of 3: Seeking Professional Help

1. 1 Find the right doctor for you. Check the information and meet with several different doctors before deciding which one to visit. During the first session, your doctor will ask you to describe your symptoms, how long they have lasted, and will ask you about your past. You can think about these questions before your first session with your doctor, so you can organize your thoughts and clarify some information if necessary.
   • Psychiatrist has the right to prescribe medications. Psychiatrists tend to use a combination of talk therapy and medication, but not always.
   • Psychologist uses therapeutic conversation and cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychologists cannot prescribe medications.
   • If you are under eighteen years old, talk to your parents about your condition (if they don’t already know about it) and ask them to help find the right doctor.
   • Some patients are comfortable with taking medications, while others prefer to go the natural way. When meeting with your doctor, ask your doctor about your preferred treatment method to determine if that doctor is right for you. Remember, each doctor has their own preferred method of treatment.
2. 2 Always ask another doctor for the opinion. In the field of mental illness, it is very easy to misdiagnose. Consult with several doctors, at least initially, especially if you have been prescribed medication.
   • Remember that many psychiatrists have deals with certain pharmaceutical companies that motivate them to prescribe treatments that are not always in your best interest.
   • Don't let your doctor force you to take medication. If you prefer to go the natural way, please let us know. If your doctor continues to insist on prescribing medication for you, consider talking to another doctor.
   • If several doctors insist on prescribing a particular drug for you, consider giving it a try. Most medications can be stopped after a year without side effects.
3. 3 Make an effort to get well. You cannot pay a doctor to solve your problems. You should actively participate in therapy sessions and speak honestly and openly with your doctor.
   • Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the most effective treatment for anxiety and depression, but requires more effort and cooperation than talk therapy. You need to be willing to try new things and step outside your comfort zone. Some doctors give their patients "exercises" to be used in daily life.
4. 4 Give the medicine time. If you have been prescribed a medication, wait before you stop using it. Most medications are visible after 4 to 8 weeks, so be patient.

Tips

• If possible, try lifestyle changes before seeking professional help. Not only will you save time and money, but you will also reduce the likelihood of a misdiagnosis and avoid possible side effects from medications.
• Making lifestyle changes in advance will also help your doctor, if you do decide to contact him, to make a diagnosis by eliminating potential confounding factors. For example, anxiety symptoms in many cases are associated with substances such as alcohol and caffeine. If you've already eliminated these substances from your diet, your doctor will have a clearer understanding of your condition.

Warnings

• If you or someone you know is considering or planning to commit suicide, seek professional help immediately or call the helpline.