e in activities that may make you feel better. You might try mild exercise, going to a movie, a ball game, or participating in religious or socialactivities. Don’t overdo it or get upset if your mood does not greatly improve right away. Feeling better takes time. Do not make any major life decisions, such as quitting your job or getting married or separated while depressed. The negative thinking that accompanies depression may lead to horribly wrong decisions. If pressured to make such a decision, explain that you will make the decision as soon as possible after the depression lifts. Remember you are not seeing yourself, the world, or the future in an objective way when you are depressed. While people may tell you to “snap out” of your depression, that is not possible. The recovery from depression usually requires antidepressant therapy and/or psychotherapy. You cannot simple make yourself “snap out” of the depression. Asking you to “snap out” of a depression makes as much sense as asking someone to “snap out” of diabetes or an under-active thyroid gland. Remember: Depression makes you have negative thoughts about yourself,about the world, the people in your life, and about the future. Remember that your negative thoughts are not a rational way to think of things. It is as if you are seeing yourself, the world, and the future through a fog of negativity. Do not accept your negative thinking as being true. It is part of the depression and will disappear as your depression responds to treatment. If your negative (hopeless) view of the future leads you to seriously consider suicide, be sure to tell your doctor about this and ask for help. Suicide would be an irreversible act based on your unrealistically hopeless thoughts. Remember that the feeling that nothing can make depression better is part of the illness of depression. Things are probably not nearly as hopeless as you think they are. If you are on medication: Take the medication as directed. Keep taking it as directed for as long as directed. Discuss with the doctor ahead of time what happens in case of unacceptable side-effects. Don’t stop takingmedication or change dosage without discussing it with your doctor, unless you discussed it ahead of time. Remember to check about mixing other things with medication. Ask the prescribing doctor, and/or the pharmacist and/or look it up in the Physician’s Desk Reference. Redundancy is good. Except in emergencies, it is a good idea to check what your insurance covers before receiving treatment. Do not rely on your doctor or therapist to know everything. Do some reading yourself. Some of what is available to read yourself may be wrong, but much of it will shed light on your disorder. Talk to your doctor if you think your medication is giving undesirable side-effects. Do ask them if you think an alternative treatment might be more appropriate for you. Do tell them anything you think it is important to know. Do feel free to seek out a second opinion from a different qualified medical professional if you feel that you cannot get what you need from the one you have. Skipping appointmentsSkipping appointments because you are “too sick to go to the doctor” is generally a bad idea. If you procrastinate, don’t try to get everything done. Start by getting one thing done. Then get the next thing done. Handle one crisis at a time. If you are trying to remember too many things to do, it is okay to write them down. If you make lists of tasks, work on only one task at a time. Trying to do too many things can be too much. It can be helpful to have a short list of things to do “now” and a longer list of things you have decided not to worry about just yet. When you finish writing the long list, try to forget about it for a while. If you have a list of things to do, also keep a list of what you have accomplished too, and congratulate yourself each time you get something done. Don’t take completed tasks off your to-do list. If you do, you will only have a list of uncompleted tasks. It’s useful to have the crossed-off items visible so you can see what you have accomplished Ingeneral, drinking alcohol makes depression worse. Many cold remedies contain alcohol. Read the label. Being on medication may change how alcohol affects you. Books on the topic of “What to do during Depression”: “A Reason to Live,” Melody Beattie, Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, IL. 167 pages. This book focuses on reasons to choose life over suicide, but is still useful even if suicide isn’t on your mind. In fact, it reads a lot like this portion of the FAQ. An excerpt: “Do two things each day. In times of severe crisis, when you don’t want to do anything, do two things each day. Depending on your physical and emotional condition, the two things could be taking a shower and making a phone call, or writing a letter and painting a room.” Get a cat Cats are clean and quiet, they are often permitted by landlords who won’t allow dogs, they are warm and furry.
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