Tips For Overcoming Depression

If you’re reading this blog article, chances are either you or a loved one is battling depression and you’re seeking out tips for overcoming that depression. Whether depression has been a battle for years or it’s recently entered your life due to a live changing event (such as divorce or the loss of a loved one), it can feel overwhelming and even debilitating at times; leaving you wonder if you’ll ever experience relief from the weight of depression.

Common questions I get from clients are “will I ever not be depressed?” or “will I always feel this way?” The reality? As long as you are human with natural human emotion, moments (or, sometimes, even days) of sadness will be a regular occurrence in your life. However, the intensity, frequency and duration of those moments (or days) can change and improve; giving you that relief you’re searching for. In order to work towards finding and maintaining long term relief, it’s important to make sure you’re addressing both the symptoms and the root cause of depression. This blog will identify the difference between the two aspects and provide actionable tips for overcoming depression.

If you’re curious about (and ready to begin) identifying and addressing your own symptoms and root cause(s) to depression but are unsure of what the next step is, I encourage you to click below to learn more about my approach in guiding you through your journey of reclaiming your life and overcoming depression. If you’re not quite ready, keep reading to learn the importance of addressing both symptoms and the root cause to mental health.

Overcoming Depression: Symptoms vs. Root Causes

One of the main obstacles preventing people from finding long term relief from depression, anxiety, or any other mental health battle is only focusing on and treating the symptoms while overlooking the root cause to whatever mental health battle they’re facing (i.e. the main reason for why symptoms are present). Can you blame them? After all, the symptoms are the reason for distress right? Not quite! The root cause to the depression is what’s causing the distress; the symptoms is how the distress is manifesting.

Another way to look at it is the symptoms are the cause for the immediate distress (i.e. the discomfort you’re experiencing in the moment), whereas the root cause is the reason behind the development and persistence of the symptoms. 

So how is knowing the difference between symptoms and root causes helpful when looking at tips for overcoming depression? An important tip for finding and maintaining long term relief from depression (or any other mental health battle) is to address and treat the symptoms first! Often times, the symptoms are what causes the most distress in the moment and keeps your attention; inhibiting your ability to do the deeper work (i.e. identifying and addressing the root cause[s]). Because the symptoms are what’s causing the immediate distress, I provide steps on how to effectively address the symptoms in this blog; once you have those and implement them regularly, you will be able to explore, identify and treat the root cause.

If you believe you already have skills to effectively address the symptoms and you’re ready to begin exploring the root cause of depression, click below to schedule your FREE 15 minute consultation. If this isn’t you, I encourage you to read on for the steps of addressing depression symptoms.

Tips for Overcoming Depression: Address the Symptoms

You can’t being to address the symptoms if you don’t know what symptoms you’re working with. Your first step is going to be identifying the symptoms that, at times, feel debilitating. To do this, I encourage you to explore the questions below:

1. What behavioral changes do you notice when depression is present? 

2. What is the nature of your thoughts? Are there times when those thoughts sound different? 

3. How does your body feel when depression is present?

Once you know what symptoms you’re working with (i.e. sadness, irritability, isolation, etc.), your next step is to identify how those symptoms show up. One of the reasons why depression is unique for everyone is because the common symptoms of depression display/manifest differently from person to person. For example, sadness for some may look like staying in bed all day while for others it may look like actively engaging in your day but experiencing frequent crying. Regardless of how depression manifests for you, knowing what that manifestation looks like is going to be key to addressing and treating the symptoms.

After identifying the symptoms and understanding how they uniquely show up for you, your last step is going to be implementing tools to manage the symptoms. To do this, I provide clients with two different forms of tools:

1. Tools that help with reducing the intensity and frequency of depression (such as challenging the thoughts influencing the intensity of depression through various journaling exercises). 

2. Tools that encourage effective coping with depression when it’s present (such as finding activities or people in your support system that bring you comfort). 

Depending on the intensity and frequency of depression, you may find it more beneficial to utilize both forms of tools; first achieving reduction and then coping with what remains. If the depression you experience is less frequent or intense, you may only want (or need) coping tools. Again, it’s unique for each person so allow yourself to explore what you need.

If you’re ready to find relief from depression and would like guidance in this process, click below to schedule your FREE 15 minute consultation. In this time, you will share more about what your specific battles with depression look like and I will share what our time working together will look like; allowing you to live a better life as your best self!

Here’s to living a better life as your best self.

Brittany Squillace, MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Grief Counselor