If you’re having a relapse or recurrence, you have to look at it for what it is---a normal part of the rhythm of the illness, not a major setback. Call your doctor and let him or her know!
When first diagnosed with depression, you and your doctor developed a treatment plan that may have included medicine, perhaps therapy and regularly scheduled visits. This treatment plan was what got you better the first time.
So, don't delay, call your doctor. A revised treatment plan may have elements the same as your first one, but some elements may be different. You and your doctor will determine the best strategy so that you can feel better quickly.
You deserve a huge pat on the back. Hopefully, you’ve made it through your depression. Treat yourself to – an ice cream cone, a day at the park, attending a ballgame.
When you reach your goal, give yourself a reward. See how good it feels? Doesn’t it make you want to set another goal right away? Use goals-and-rewards as another effective link in your personal support network.
How do you deal with stress, disappointment, negative feelings, or the other rough spots of life? Everybody has different coping strategies. We’ve listed some common strategies below. See how many you already practice, and try out some of the others.
While your treatment plan will protect you from symptoms of depression it cannot ensure that everything in life will always go well. We all have to deal with such routine stresses as work and family pressures, minor illnesses, and sometimes grief and sadness from important losses and disappointments.
If life problems feel overwhelming, even though you’re sticking to your treatment plan, you might consider seeing a counselor or therapist. Often, just having a sympathetic ear and gaining another perspective on your problems can be helpful. For some people, talk therapy (or counseling or psychotherapy) can also help people recovering from depressive illness put their lives back together and create a more accurate view of the outside world and a more positive view of their own potential.
Back when you were first diagnosed with depression, did your doctor warn you against using alcohol? That’s because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. Taken on top of an already depressed mood, too much alcohol can cause or complicate a major depressive episode and lead to additional problems.
And if you are on antidepressant medicine, you should remember that alcohol can make some drugs’ side effects much worse, even dangerous.
The best course would probably be not to drink at all. You should ask your doctor about specific guidelines for you.
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