Read Online Managing Your Depression by Susan J. Noonan - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan J. Noonan
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work better and may decrease the risk of relapse.
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Managing Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Living with depression is a lot of hard work. For the best chance of success, you will need to take the following steps:
• Accept it as an illness.
• Follow your treatment plan.
• Understand the fluctuations (changes) in your symptoms and your symptom patterns.
• Define your baseline.
• Identify and monitor your Triggers ( chapter 5 ).
• Identify and monitor your Early Warning Signs and Symptoms ( chapter 5 ).
• Develop an Action Plan to use when things get worse, when you or others notice your Warning Signs ( chapter 5 ).
• Use Relapse Prevention Strategies. Relapse Prevention is a day-to-day approach to help you stay well ( chapter 5 ).
• Learn and use effective Coping Skills ( chapter 7 ).
• Maintain social connections. Avoid isolation.
• Maintain self-care.
• Have a daily routine and structure. Schedule your time.
• Do something every day, even when you don’t feel like it.
• Build mastery (chapters 5 and 6).
• Develop a tolerance for feeling distress for a short time, during a moment of crisis ( chapter 7 ).
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Research has shown an improvement in depression symptoms when patients collaborated with their providers, were educated about the illness, shared decision making about medications, and used cognitive behavioral strategies to promote self-management. These strategies included keeping track of depression symptoms, monitoring yourself for early Warning Signs, socializing, engaging in pleasant activities, and developing a written self-care plan for situations that could lead to a worsening or recurrence of depression. Another study showed the importance of these factors in helping people with mood disorders stick with taking their antidepressant medications, which contributes to better depression outcomes.
Managing your mood disorder involves the following steps (which are also listed in the Managing Depression and Bipolar Disorder table, on page 64 ).
Acceptance
Accept your depression or bipolar disorder as an illness, an illness that affects your body and your mind. It is not a weakness or character flaw, or something that you have complete control over. It is an illness that can be treated and managed in a way that minimizes the effect of the illness on the quality of your life. Sometimes family or friends have a different opinion about your mood disorder or try to help by offering suggestions that are unfortunately misinformed. Do not listen to these differing viewpoints.
Follow Your Treatment Plan
The treatment plan developed by your providers, with your input and approval, is designed to help you. Take all medications as prescribed, and notify your doctor if you take any over-the-counter or nonprescription drugs. Keep taking your medications even after your symptoms have started to improve, and do not change the dose. Avoid alcohol and street drugs, which will only worsen your symptoms. It is also important to actively participate in your therapy sessions, do your prescribed homework exercises, and do not skip appointments.
Understand Your Fluctuations
Fluctuations are changes in your symptoms over time. You will have fluctuations up and down at different times during this illness. Use the Mood Chart on page 46 to identify them. From looking at this chart and working with your therapist, learn to understand the fluctuations in your symptoms and the patterns that you have. When you are experiencing an episode of depression, remembering that things will change for the better is hard. Try to remind yourself of this during those dark times. Aim to minimize the depth, intensity, and duration of your symptoms by working with your therapist and using the suggestions in this book.
Define Your Baseline
With depression or bipolar disorder, you may have trouble remembering anything but your current mood state. Find a way to stay connected to your sense of who you are, your inner sense
----
Managing Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Living with depression is a lot of hard work. For the best chance of success, you will need to take the following steps:
• Accept it as an illness.
• Follow your treatment plan.
• Understand the fluctuations (changes) in your symptoms and your symptom patterns.
• Define your baseline.
• Identify and monitor your Triggers ( chapter 5 ).
• Identify and monitor your Early Warning Signs and Symptoms ( chapter 5 ).
• Develop an Action Plan to use when things get worse, when you or others notice your Warning Signs ( chapter 5 ).
• Use Relapse Prevention Strategies. Relapse Prevention is a day-to-day approach to help you stay well ( chapter 5 ).
• Learn and use effective Coping Skills ( chapter 7 ).
• Maintain social connections. Avoid isolation.
• Maintain self-care.
• Have a daily routine and structure. Schedule your time.
• Do something every day, even when you don’t feel like it.
• Build mastery (chapters 5 and 6).
• Develop a tolerance for feeling distress for a short time, during a moment of crisis ( chapter 7 ).
----
Research has shown an improvement in depression symptoms when patients collaborated with their providers, were educated about the illness, shared decision making about medications, and used cognitive behavioral strategies to promote self-management. These strategies included keeping track of depression symptoms, monitoring yourself for early Warning Signs, socializing, engaging in pleasant activities, and developing a written self-care plan for situations that could lead to a worsening or recurrence of depression. Another study showed the importance of these factors in helping people with mood disorders stick with taking their antidepressant medications, which contributes to better depression outcomes.
Managing your mood disorder involves the following steps (which are also listed in the Managing Depression and Bipolar Disorder table, on page 64 ).
Acceptance
Accept your depression or bipolar disorder as an illness, an illness that affects your body and your mind. It is not a weakness or character flaw, or something that you have complete control over. It is an illness that can be treated and managed in a way that minimizes the effect of the illness on the quality of your life. Sometimes family or friends have a different opinion about your mood disorder or try to help by offering suggestions that are unfortunately misinformed. Do not listen to these differing viewpoints.
Follow Your Treatment Plan
The treatment plan developed by your providers, with your input and approval, is designed to help you. Take all medications as prescribed, and notify your doctor if you take any over-the-counter or nonprescription drugs. Keep taking your medications even after your symptoms have started to improve, and do not change the dose. Avoid alcohol and street drugs, which will only worsen your symptoms. It is also important to actively participate in your therapy sessions, do your prescribed homework exercises, and do not skip appointments.
Understand Your Fluctuations
Fluctuations are changes in your symptoms over time. You will have fluctuations up and down at different times during this illness. Use the Mood Chart on page 46 to identify them. From looking at this chart and working with your therapist, learn to understand the fluctuations in your symptoms and the patterns that you have. When you are experiencing an episode of depression, remembering that things will change for the better is hard. Try to remind yourself of this during those dark times. Aim to minimize the depth, intensity, and duration of your symptoms by working with your therapist and using the suggestions in this book.
Define Your Baseline
With depression or bipolar disorder, you may have trouble remembering anything but your current mood state. Find a way to stay connected to your sense of who you are, your inner sense
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