What is an effective way to break the cycle of depression?

Anyone who’s ever experienced depression and anxiety knows that it can be difficult to get out of bed, let alone maintain a functioning life. For every small victory, it feels like there are countless defeats. This is the vicious cycle of depression. If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to break free from the cycle, know that you are not alone. As reported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States.” Countless people have broken the cycle of depression, and you can too. All it takes is depression treatment in Wesley Chapel. 

Self-Care Is Essential 

Breaking free from depression and anxiety can start with altering the cycles of your life. Switch things up. By now you’ve read that diet and exercise can help with depression, but there are so many other aspects to self care. Adhere to a planned schedule (and sleep schedule). Shower and groom yourself regularly. Pursue your hobbies. And most importantly, reach out to your friends and family. Although this may not seem like earth-shattering advice, getting out of your current self-destructive habits is essential for breaking the cycle of depression. For further assistance, seek depression treatment in Wesley Chapel. 

Related: Improve Your Mental and Physical Health With Anxiety Treatment

There’s No Shame in Getting Help 

Too often, people look at treatment and medications as giving up — a sign that they are powerless to resolve their own issues. This is simply not the case. Depression and anxiety medications are designed to control a chemical imbalance that is preventing you from making positive changes in your life. Anxiety treatment in Wesley Chapel isn’t meant to remove every obstacle in life; it’s meant to get you out of your negative thinking patterns so that you can overcome all obstacles. If lethargy, feelings of hopelessness, and anxiety are preventing you from having the life you want, you stand to benefit from anxiety treatment in Wesley Chapel. 

Related: Anxiety and Depression’s Effect on the Body

Taking Care of Your Mind and Body 

With depression treatment in Wesley Chapel, we focus on whole-person care, meaning that every aspect of your person and life is accounted for. Your mind and body are part of a system, and when one lacks the resources it needs, the entire system suffers. For the body, we offer fitness and nutritional counseling. For the mind, we offer yoga, meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and spiritual awareness cultivation. 

Whether the best course of action involves medication or counseling, we’ll pursue it. If you would like to break from the vicious cycle of depression and anxiety, schedule a consultation with Maulik K. Trivedi and his caring team at FMC MindBody. 

Disclaimer: The contents of this website are for general educational purposes only. All content and media on the Maulik K. Trivedi, M.D., website does not constitute professional medical advice nor is the information intended to replace the services of Maulik K. Trivedi, M.D., or other qualified medical professionals. If you believe you are having a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. 

The content, views, and opinions communicated on this website do not represent the views of Maulik K. Trivedi, M.D. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk. Although this website contains links to other medical websites, this is strictly for informational purposes. Maulik K. Trivedi, M.D. is not responsible nor do they approve of the content featured on any third party linked websites referenced on this website.

BY LIZA CHERVONSKY

Low mood, lethargy, and low motivation are all too common in depression. When people experience this set of symptoms, the thought of doing exercise or interacting with others can feel overwhelming, and people often find themselves withdrawing from physical and social activities. Unfortunately, this usually causes worse mood, more exhaustion, and less motivation, which makes activity even harder – and so begins the downward spiral of depression.

Activity is the key to beating depression

So how can you break this vicious cycle? It’s hard, but being active when you’d rather withdraw is key to beating depression. Even a small step in an active direction can help to turn things around. Social and physical activity can help to lift your mood and increase your energy levels, which can motivate you to do more activity, and this is what helps to reverse the cycle.

If you’re not sure where to start – these ideas might help.

Tip #1: Make A List of Things You Used To Enjoy

When you’re feeling down, usually the only activities you do are the ones you have to, like work or chores. However, it’s important to fill your day with activities that are enjoyable as well. Not only does this help increase positivity in your daily life, but it also gives you something to look forward to.

Tip #2: Start Small

You don’t have to jump back into all the same activities you used to do and with the same intensity as before. For example, if you used to walk for an hour each day but the thought of doing that makes you not want to go, aim for something smaller, like a walk around the block or a trip outside to collect the mail.

Tip #3: Schedule It In

Once you’ve decided on your activities, take some time to schedule them into a calendar. You’re more likely to commit to these activities if you’ve planned when you can actually do them and how long they’ll take.

Tip #4: Break It Down

Break the activity into small, achievable steps. This can help you feel as if the activity is more manageable and can give you more of a sense of accomplishment along the way. For example, if you’re planning walk, decide on a destination, put on walking shoes, change into exercise gear, walk out the front door, walk to the end of the street, etc.

Tip #5: Give Yourself Some Encouragement

Praise yourself for your achievements, no matter how small. As long as you’re taking steps towards social and physical activity, you’re making progress and working towards breaking out of the depression cycle you’ve been stuck in up till now.

Liza is a warm and compassionate clinical psychology registrar who enjoys working with adults, children, adolescents, parents, and families. She is dedicated to working collaboratively and empathically with clients to help them develop an understanding of their difficulties, and to find effective ways to improve their every day coping and general psychological wellbeing. Liza is experienced in treating a range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, procrastination, stress, perfectionism, interpersonal & relationship difficulties, anger management, self-harm, and parenting difficulties.

Do you have a client stuck in a vicious cycle of depression? Depression has been called the “common cold” of mental health. Far beyond the normal experience of feeling sad, major depressive disorder significantly impacts an individual’s daily functioning. Even though depression is very common, it can be challenging for many professionals to treat. You may have brilliant insights into how the depression got started, or why it is continuing, or even the family dynamics that took place during childhood that contributed to it—but somehow all of that has to translate into clients becoming more active in their lives.

Helpful tips in depression recovery and prevention

1. Getting out of bed or off the couch. Have your clients set three goals around the house for the day. It could be as simple as doing the dishes, doing their laundry, and vacuuming. Getting them up and moving will start to pay off as they gain momentum.


2. Taking a walk around the block. If they feel like it's too much to even get themselves all the way around the block, break this down into small steps to make it feel more manageable. They can start with walking down the driveway to get the mail every day, then move on to walking down the next block/corner, and work their way up until they reach their goal.


3. Going out to the store or to a park. Starting out with a concrete list of things they need from the grocery store can help your clients have one less thing to worry about as they look towards getting out into the community more. To get them involved in more enjoyable activities, they can think of what they might like to do if they were to go to the park. Set an assignment of going to the park and reading outside for a half hour if they're willing to try it.


4. Doing things with friends or family members. Because clients tend to isolate more when they're feeling depressed, it's also important to encourage them to get out with others again. Give them a weekly challenge of setting a walking date with a neighbor, scheduling a family dinner, or reaching out to three friends.


5. Engaging in a hobby that they used to enjoy. While it may seem hard for them to think of things they would like to do now, they can start by making a list of what they used to enjoy. From there, have them pick one activity that they will engage in during the next week.

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Richard Sears, Psy.D., PhD, MBA, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist in Cincinnati, Ohio, board certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), runs a private psychology and consultation practice, and is the Director of the Center for Clinical Mindfulness & Meditation. He is also clinical assistant professor at Wright State University School of Professional Psychology, clinical/research faculty at the UC Center for Integrative Health and Wellness, volunteer professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences at the UC College of Medicine, and a research/psychologist contractor with the Cincinnati VA Medical Center.

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