August 30, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Get help.

If you think your friend is considering suicide, urge them to call their therapist while you’re with them or ask your friend if you can call for them.

They can also text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Not in the United States? The International Association for Suicide Prevention can link you to hot-lines and other resources in your country:    iasp.info/wspd2021/resources/

You can also take your friend to an emergency room. If possible, stay with your friend until they no longer feel suicidal. Make sure they can’t access any weapons or drugs.

If you’re concerned about your friend, you might worry that mentioning it to them could encourage suicidal thoughts. But it’s generally helpful to talk about it. 

healthline.com had a great article on helping a depressed friend:
healthline.com/health/how-to-help-a-depressed-friend#recognize-the-forms

Things to do:

Listen to them. Help them find support. Support them in continuing therapy. Take care of yourself. Learn about depression on your own. Offer to help with everyday tasks. Extend loose invitations. Be patient. Stay in touch. Know the different forms depression can take.

Things not to do:

Don't take things personally. Don't try to fix them. Don't give advice. Don't minimize or compare their experience. Don't take a stance on medication.

If you think your friend is considering suicide, urge them to call their therapist while you’re with them or ask your friend if you can call for them.

Some signs of suicidal thoughts:

Frequent mood swings or personality changes. Talking about death or dying. Purchasing a weapon. Increased substance use. Risky or dangerous behavior. Getting rid of belongings or giving away treasured possessions. Talking about feeling trapped or wanting a way out. Pushing people away or saying they want to be alone. Saying goodbye with more feeling than usual.

 

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

August 29, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

WebMD sends out a regular Depression Newsletter. Their article 10 Natural Depression Treatments concludes: “When you're depressed, you can lose the knack for enjoying life... You have to relearn how to do it. In time, fun things really will feel fun again.”

Get in a routine.
Set goals.
Exercise.
Eat healthy.
Get enough sleep.
Take on responsibilities. (Check out the full article to understand this one!)
Challenge negative thoughts.
Check with your doctor before using supplements.
Do something new.
Try to have fun.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

August 28, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

10 Ways to Show Love to Someone with Depression – by Kelley Baker, contributor to the Huffington Post

This is wonderful. Follow the link, HERE, to the entire post with all the details, but here is the list, in brief:

Help them keep clutter at bay.
Fix them a healthy meal.
Get them outside.
Ask them to help you understand what they're feeling.
Encourage them to focus on self-care.
Hug them.
Laugh with them.
Reassure them that you can handle their feelings.
Challenge their destructive thoughts.
Remind them why you love them.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

August 27, 2021

 CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

The summer's almost over and you haven't gotten to the shore?

Transport yourself with the sounds of waves and seagulls. The video linked below is 10 hours long so you can let it play all night while you sleep.

youtube.com/watch?v=E9w6_FjYcYs

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

August 26, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Have there been times when you knew you had to do something, personally or professionally, and could not do it? Really had to, must, must, must do it? As in if you did not do it there could be extremely dire consequences, such as losing a job or business?

And yet you could not do it? It might have been something as simple as making a phone call, but you physically could not pick up the phone. Just could not.

There is a concept called “paralysis of the will” or “motivational paralysis”.

If you can understand this inability to act and put it in context, you can recognize it for what it is if and when it happens again: a symptom of depression.

And then you can move through it and act. You can actually do things you are completely and utterly convinced you cannot do.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

August 25, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Sometimes when you are determined to make changes it seems like the old patterns put up a superhuman resistance. Like they are simply not leaving. They're staying and screw you.

It feels like you will never make progress against depression. It's here to stay. It has dug in its heels.

Try to be patient and force your way through to the other side. Keep going. Get help.

It will get better.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

August 24, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

List 5 things you have done in your life that you are proud of, or that you feel really good about.

Come on, you can do it. Just 5 things! Did you win a prize in elementary school? Complete a difficult sporting event? Make someone happy? Take care of a stray animal?

Anything at all you have done that you're proud of.

Great job!

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

August 23, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Get help.

Participate in a Clinical Trial.

The National Institute of Mental Health supports research studies on mental health problems. Clinical trials are scientific studies to find better ways to prevent, detect, or treat illnesses.

NIH-funded studies recruit participants on a variety of mental health topics.

THIS WEBSITE provides answers to common questions about volunteering for mental health clinical research.

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com  

August 22, 2021

CWD Daily

Tips for Coping with Depression

If you are in a suicide crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 
1-800-273-8255.

Tip of the Day

Starting to feel better can be dangerous. When we begin to feel better we may make bad choices.

We take on more, even if what we're already involved in is not complete, because we have renewed energy and because once everything is not so gray we begin to see possibilities, which lead to more ideas.

We think we ARE better and will always be better so we don't have to take our medications or do any of the things we've been doing to GET better.

We take our eye off the ball.

Recovery is a process, and interrupting that process is counterproductive. Stay focused!

CWD Daily is written by Julie Aiken, a layperson whose only authority lies in 40 years of coping with depression. Nothing in the newsletter should be taken as medical advice. Please do no self-diagnose or self-prescribe. Above all, please get help if you need it. 

Contact: witchhazel2020@gmail.com