Depression silently enters the room unannounced and uses its sticky fingers to tighten its grip upon its victim. The victim, unaware of depression’s presence, begins to feel sad and starts to withdraw or isolate from others just falling right into depression’s hands and the grip is tightened.
Once feeling down and isolated, depression begins to take away the victim’s energy and motivation, eventually getting them to see and think about all the crap in their life, introduces thoughts to harm themselves, and other dark thoughts. The victim unaware of the tightening grip becomes immobilized and dances right into the plans of depression.
If you have ever battled with depression, then you may be all too familiar with the above scenario. It seems that no matter what you try to do, depression is right there commanding every move and tightening its grip.
However, there is a 1-2 punch combination that you can use to help fight back!
Whether medication is necessary or not. I rarely use only one method to treat depression; there are some simple lifestyle changes that are tremendously helpful in the fight against depression. I will describe two of them below (think of them as the 1-2 punch):
EXERCISE
Exercise is the single most potent factor in fighting depression. In fact, studies have shown that exercise had the same effect as an antidepressant at treating depression. Going further, those same studies also indicated that exercise outperformed an antidepressant after sixteen weeks and even at ten months. Plus, it has no adverse side effects!
I am not talking about an intense or grueling exercise routine. Simply walking for 45 minutes like you are in a hurry can do the trick!
KILL THE NEGATIVE THINKING
Working to rid yourself of those corrosive negative thoughts that are automatically popping in your head and feeding the depression is the second punch! Accomplishing this mission takes some time but stay in the fight; it is definitely worth it!
You can start with a simple process. First you must become aware of the thoughts, write it down, then challenge it by writing down a more accurate and realistic version of the same thought. Challenging the thought is like hiring a great defense attorney for your life!
If you or a loved one have experienced episodes of depression, don’t wait. Most of Chris Swenson’s patients at Rhino Wellness Center are able to improve their quality of life in less than six months. Don’t you deserve to feel better?
ABOUT CHRIS SWENSON
Chris Swenson is a licensed therapist who helps people overcome and face life’s most treacherous challenges. His office is located in Sterling, CO. For an appointment please call Chris at (970) 522-0796.
If you would like to begin recieving the Rhino Wellness Center Newsletter, then email that request to chriss@rhinowellnesscenter.com