Depression is a common illness that affects many people from all walks of life. There are several different types of depression, and each can occur at any time with varying degrees of severity. Most types are highly treatable, and fortunately there are many different ways to prevent depression from occurring in the first place. Different kinds of depression vary in severity as well as the length of time that they affect the afflicted person.
Several basic types of depression are Dysthymic Disorder, Clinical (or Major) Depression, and Bipolar Disorder (also known as Manic Depression) with the first being the least severe and the last being the most. There are many other types, and all of them can be characterized with different symptoms. None should be taken lightly since the worst case scenario of all types of depression involves the depressed person to want to hurt themselves or others. Medical treatment should always be the first course of action for any depression that has severe side effects such as suicidal thoughts or inability to perform basic functions like eating or sleeping.
A person attempting to prevent depression from occurring can take many positive steps to do so. One of the major ways is by simply taking good care of oneself and one’s body. Sleep is an essential human function, and very important for a person who wants to stay mentally healthy. There is no exact amount of sleep that every person needs every night, but it is important to know if you are sleeping either too much or not enough; most people need anywhere between six-and-a-half and eight hours a night, but some need more.. Being in tune with the amount of sleep you need will help prevent the onset of depression because it can result in greater amounts of alertness and motivation during the day, when you need it the most.
Similarly, diet and exercise are very essential towards maintaining positive mental health in the quest to prevent depression. Many sources are available on what the correct things are that you should be eating in order to stay healthy, and these will vary greatly from person to person due to factors like age, metabolism, and dietary preferences, to name a few. The same is true for exercise, which can even be something as simple as a daily walk – an activity that in and of itself can help you to gather your thoughts, take a break and prevent depression.
It also helps to maintain a positive outlook by being nice to yourself as well as others. Negative thoughts can easily lead to depression, so it is important to realize and be self-aware of when you are having them. An easy way to do this is to simply write down all of the negative thoughts you are having and thinking of ways that you can turn them around into positive thoughts that lead to action instead of a can’t-do-it attitude.
The way you treat others and the ways that they treat you are also important factors when dealing with depression, so it is very important that others know how you feel and to be supportive of others the in the ways that you wish them to be supportive of you. Once you are surrounding yourself with a good support group of friends and family, it is also essential to keep active with them so that you can tune out the negative thoughts that can lead to depression. Also remember that if depression does hit, you are not alone. There are many groups and people in the world who want to see it get better and will offer their services at any time.
