Baha's recent post inspired this.  For those of you who don't want to talk
in person (and that is one of the symptoms of depression - we don't have the
energy to make the effort to get help), I'm putting down here some of the
things to watch for as the early signs of depression (the earlier you catch
it, the easier it is to overcome - and as strange as it may seem, we don't
always recognize it when we begin to feel depressed), and some tips on what
you can do to help yourself get through.

Signs to watch for:

- Feelings of lethargy, not wanting to put forth the effort to do anything.
- Changing your normal routine without apparent cause.
- Feeling alone or isolated from the rest of the world.
- Loss of appetite (or, for some, eating much more than you normally do).
- Sudden weight loss or weight gain.
- Wanting to sleep, not wanting to get out of bed or, adversely, insomnia.
- Sudden bursts of weeping for no apparent reason.
- Memories of bad things that happened to you that seem to stick in your
head.
- Dwelling on the loss of someone or something important in your life.
- Wanting to hear sad songs over and over again.
- Feeling annoyed when someone around you is acting happy, bubbly, excited,
etc.
- Feeling angry about something that wouldn't ordinarily make you angry.
- Feeling "clingy" with partners or pets or, adversely, not wanting to be
touched.
- Shutting yourself off from others by going to another room to be alone, or
going driving alone.

(And lots of others that may be specific to an individual - learn to
recognize your own signs of depression.)

Things you can do to help get yourself through to the "other side" of your
bouts of depression.  These are *IN ADDITION TO* getting help from a doctor
or psychiatrist.  [PLEASE - don't be ashamed or afraid to seek professional
help.  Society tends to stigmatize people with mental health issues ignoring
that fact that there are *MILLIONS* of people who suffer from these
problems.  The only shame involved is when you know you need help but refuse
to seek in.]

- Smile!  This is weird, but it works and I'll tell you why it works.  B.F.
Skinner showed us that we have physiological reactions - real physical
changes to our bodies - when using repeated, or "learned" stimuli.  Just as
his dogs salivated when he rang a bell, our bodies "learn" that certain
actions are associated with certain reactions and will automatically trigger
physical responses to associated actions.  From the time we are born we
smile when we feel happy, loved, secure, and comforted.  What makes us feel
those things (or maybe because we are feeling those things - cause and
effect here are a bit tenuous), is that endorphins are being released in our
brains.  Endorphins are very powerful hormones equivalent to morphine.  They
help to ease pain and they make us feel good.  For all our lives our bodies
have associated the physical act of smiling with the release of those
endorphins.  Even if you are feeling terribly depressed, *FORCE* yourself to
put a smile on your face and consciously *FORCE* yourself to *KEEP* a smile
on your face.  After a few minutes your brain will start releasing
endorphins and you will begin to feel better.  This really does work, try it
even if you're not feeling depressed and note the difference in your
feelings!
- DO something. Rearrange the furniture, clean out a closet, and if you don't
like housework, just pack up the kids and take a walk. This accomplishes two
things. First of all, the physical exertion will help wash out of your
bloodstream the hormones and chemicals that are associated with depression.
Secondly, just the act of doing something, anything, helps get rid of that
feeling of helplessness. You are taking charge of something, no matter how
small, and this leads to confidence that you can take charge of the larger
things.
- Exercise (along with or in addition to the above for the same reasons).
- Find a friend to talk to. Even if there is nothing they can do to help you
out of your situation, it will at least keep you in contact with a "saner"
perspective on things (providing you pick a sane friend, that is ;> ).
- Help someone else in need.  An act of kindness or charity will make you
feel better about yourself and might also help you put your problems into a
better perspective.  Caveat: don't choose someone whose problems are similar
to your own, don't get into a hopeless situation that will depress you
further - you want something that will take you out of yourself and get you
involved with something other than your problems.  Choose someone who *CAN*
be helped, not a "hopeless cause".
- Rent the funniest movies you remember seeing, things that you know will
make you laugh in spite of what you may be feeling.
- Put on fast-paced, upbeat music and get up and dance (pick up a kitty and
dance with him/her.
- Play!  Play with the kitties, go to a park or playground and swing on the
swings.  Let yourself enjoy the physical sensations and the freedom of
acting silly no matter who might be watching.
- Stand in front of a mirror and make funny faces at yourself - stick out
your tongue, wiggle your ears, do something to keep from taking yourself too
seriously, show yourself that that your can make fun of yourself and your
problems.
- Think about, and make concrete plans for, something fun in the near future
(like a special treat for Valentine's day or your or your honey's birthday.
Write down all the things you want to do to make the occasion festive.
- Have sex (even if it's just with yourself ;>).   Make your body feel good
and get reconnected with life.
- Eat chocolate.  It's been shown that chocolate affects the same area of
the brain that sex does, especially in women.

I hope that some of this helps whoever is out there who may be dealing with
seasonal depression.  Again, feel free to email me your phone number and I
*WILL* call you to talk about whatever it is that is making your feel
depressed and try to help make you feel better (it's my repayment for being
given a second chance at life - see below).

As for me, I am so grateful that I did not succeed in taking my own life 28
years ago.  Back then I thought I would be so much better off dead, life
meant nothing but pain and I could *NOT* foresee things *EVER* getting
better.  Looking back it takes my breath away when I think about the
unbelievably happy, joyous things I would have missed had I succeeded -
meeting my current DH who make my life *SO* sweet; seeing my kids graduate;
seeing my kids get married; seeing my grandbabies being born; the wonderful
kitties I've loved since then - more happy things that I could ever list
here, and none of those things would I have experienced had I be successful
in my efforts.  I am thankful every day of my life (even the ones when I am
battling depression) for the second chance I was given.  Life is *NEVER* so
bad that we can't get through it and there is *ALWAYS* something better that
will happen if you can just stick it out and get through the bad times.

Hugs,

CatNipped