The Best Ways To Prevent Depression

Although depression is considered a mental health malady, it can sometimes have some very physical causes that most people who suffer from this disease would not consider related to their condition. By avoiding these things, you can help to avoid becoming depressed or developing the condition as a persistent problem in your life.

There are nine symptoms related to what most mental health professionals say is the condition known as Depression:

1. Feeling sad most of the time. 2. Feeling fatigued most of the time. 3. An inability to properly concentrate or make decisions most of the time. 4. An inability to sleep through the night. 5. A disinterest in leisure time or pleasurable activities. 6. Recurring thoughts about death or suicide. 7. Being constantly restless or always feeling dissatisfied. 8. A constant feeling of guilt or very low self esteem. 9. Significant weight loss or gain.

People that have at least five of those symptoms may be at risk of having or developing Depression. While not all forms of depression may be preventable, some are with or without the need for medication. Common, non-clinical or temporary depression is often brought on by a major lifestyle change such as a job loss, financial troubles, relationship issues or even loneliness. Recent studies show that only forty to fifty percent of people who become depressed stay that way or become diagnosed as being clinically depressed. That means there are some ways out of what often seems like a long and never ending journey into personal darkness.

The best ways to avoid or recover from non-clinical or temporary Depression are:

1. Do not take on or set unrealistic goals. I can recall a time when a lot of first year college students would say that they were going to make their first million before they were thirty. Those who failed or never actually lived up to the high expectations they set for themselves probably became depressed. Goals should always be sensible and within the reach of your personal reality and life situation. If you see an empty store on main street that is begging you to open it as the world’s first gourmet food store solely for people named Spiro and it does not succeed, well big surprise. Not every plan or idea is a good one that you should try to make succeed at all costs.

2. Do not allow yourself to become mentally or physically stagnant. Physical and mental exercise is a wonderful way to avoid becoming depressed. Just walking, biking or swimming for a while each day or every couple of days can promote good overall health. Having an interesting hobby or performing volunteer work can help take the edge off a normally boring lifestyle or job that requires repetitive physical or mental activity.

3. Take responsibility for being happy. Personal happiness does not just happen, you have to work at it. Find a leisure time activity or hobby you like, get involved with a spiritual activity or center that satisfies your soul or perform volunteer work that brings you personal satisfaction. Having these kinds of distractions available to you when major lifestyle changes occur can help you to avoid depression and ease the pain of change.

4. Always be health conscious. If you do not care about your overall health, no one else will either. See a doctor once or twice a year and follow any sensible recommendations they make regarding your health, lifestyle, diet, exercise or fitness.

5. Don’t be pressured into anything. People love to put pressure on each other, especially when the actions of one person directly benefits the life of another. You should always be the captain of your own destiny without giving in to the suggestions, desires or demands of others. Making no decision, or putting off making a decision, is always better than making a bad one.

6. Get rid of that guilt. Too many people blame themselves for all kinds of things that happen in life. We all make mistakes and no one is perfect. Sometimes we just have to move on from the mistakes we make or even the problems we may have caused others for our own sake. Apart from just running away from problems, it’s also wise to try and make up for any mistakes we have made if that is possible. That aside, the primary goal is to move on without allowing guilt to stop you in your tracks.

7. Diet counts. If eating certain foods, over-eating or under-eating is a problem for you, those kinds of issues can easily bring you down. You have to face those problems and try your best to overcome them. Consulting a dietary or fitness expert may help.

8. Stay sober. Many people who suffer from depression got there by using and abusing alcohol and drugs. Those kinds of activities may lead to all sorts of physical and mental health issues that can easily ruin your life.

Avoiding depression is all about living a common sense lifestyle that does not place undue demands on you. make the right choices and never be afraid to ask for help when you need it.