Depression Self-Care Tips: Helping Your Loved One Cope in California
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Understanding Depression and Its Effects
Clinical depression is a serious mood disorder that is different from general sadness or feeling “down” that everybody experiences occasionally. It is a mental health issue that affects how a person sees the world, thinks, and handles everyday life, which makes treating depression in Irvine, California extremely important. Understanding depression self-care tips in California is crucial as you head toward recovery.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), signs and symptoms of depression include:
- Feeling fatigued or a decrease in energy
- A loss of interest in life’s pleasures and activities
- Feeling guilty, worthless, irritable, restless, or helpless
- Changes in appetite or unexpected weight changes
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiousness, or emptiness
- Feeling pessimistic or hopeless
- Having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Unexplained physical ailments
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Some people may experience all of these symptoms, while others may only experience a few. To be diagnosed with depression, symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.
Helping a loved one with depression can be difficult, especially when symptoms cause distress to the person experiencing them, but mental health disorders are treatable. Speaking to a doctor is a good first step in helping your friend or family member learn to manage and treat their disorder.
The Importance of Self-Care in Managing Depression
Self-care can be very beneficial to help reduce the symptoms of depression. Maintaining good health, employing coping strategies, and caring for overall mental well-being, can help your loved one to manage their mental health issues for a better quality of life.
What is Self-Care?
There are many ways to practice self-care, as the term means doing anything that helps a person take care of themself so that they can be healthy and well and get through the day while accomplishing everything they need to.
How Can Self-Care Help Depression?
Self-care is crucial in maintaining mental balance. It helps reduce stress in your life by helping you slow down and appreciate the little things. This practice can range from eating well and exercising to ensure the body feels revitalized, to timely responsibilities such as paying bills or returning phone calls to prevent stress from accumulating and becoming overwhelming. If a cluttered home disrupts your peace, self-care may involve deep cleaning. If exhaustion weighs you down, it might be as simple as taking a nap. While immediate mood uplift may not always be guaranteed, proactive self-care ensures you don’t slide into depressive states or unintentionally exacerbate your challenges. And, if your self-care methods don’t alleviate prolonged feelings of overwhelm or distress, it may be an indicator of when to seek inpatient psychiatric care in Irvine, CA. Recognizing these signs early can prevent a deeper spiral and provide the professional assistance needed.
Depression Self-Care Tips for Your Loved One
Some depression self-care tips in California that you could suggest for a loved one include:
- Getting out into nature or letting the sunshine on their face.
- Making sure they get enough sleep.
- Avoiding drugs and alcohol.
- Keeping up with homework, their job, bill paying, and other daily tasks.
- Maintaining hygiene (brushing teeth, showering, getting dressed, etc.).
- Taking medication on time every day.
- Trying something new to break up the routine.
- Trying to connect with people and talk about how they feel.
- Trying to avoid negative self-talk and remembering it is depression speaking.
- Knowing when to reach out for help.
Physical Activity and Depression
One of the most common depression self-help strategies is exercising. Even if they feel they don’t have a lot of energy, a simple walk around the block or stretches on the living room floor can do wonders for your loved one’s mental health and may turn a “bad” day into a better one. Exercise is not a cure for depression, but it may temporarily boost the feel-good chemicals in the brain like dopamine and serotonin.
Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Using mindfulness to bring their attention to the present moment can interrupt rumination and reduce the symptoms of depression. It can also break your loved one out of negative thought spirals, and over time, if they continue to try to change the way they are thinking, it could reduce the occurrence of these types of thoughts and feelings. Using a technique like breathwork can also help energize a person, at least temporarily, helping them feel less hopeless and lethargic.
Nutrition and Mental Health
The American Society for Nutrition has recently written on its website that a healthy diet with good fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals can help reduce inflammation in the body and help alter neurotransmitters to help diminish depression symptoms.
How to Support Your Loved One in their Self-Care Journey
When helping a loved one who is coping with depression, it might be helpful to create a daily maintenance list with them, with “to-do” items like personal hygiene, getting exercise, eating well, etc. on it, to make it easier to ensure they are at least doing the bare necessities each day when life feels overwhelming.
The Mayo Clinic suggests that it is helpful for friends and family to learn more about depression on their own time, so they understand the symptoms and depression self-care tips in California. Try to remember that coping with depression is an all-encompassing mental health disorder. Your loved one is not “being lazy” and even if it may seem simple from the outside, it can be difficult to do even the smallest tasks at times.
Open Communication and Understanding
Being empathetic and understanding is key, as your loved one will likely feel guilty and worry that you will judge them. Show your support by helping them make appointments, creating a plan with them, and encouraging them to see a medical professional. Look up online depression resources with them, or help them find local residential mental health services. The best thing you can do is keep communication open with them about their thoughts and feelings and help them to realize that depression is a health issue that can be treated and is not something to feel shame about.
Patience and Persistence
It can be frustrating at times to see your depressed loved one seemingly self-sabotaging by missing work, neglecting their own health, or actively avoiding responsibilities. This is when you must exercise the most patience and remember that they have a mental health condition. Continuing to offer help and urging them to engage In self-care, even if they refuse most days, can make all the difference in a person’s life. The more you continue to be there for them, the more likely they will be to see a doctor and follow through on treatments.
Mental Health Resources and Support in California
There are different types of mental health resources available to those who are coping with depression, and it is a good idea to consider all of the following:
Locating a Mental Health Professional in California
Finding long-term mental health services can be as simple as a quick Google search. Many California mental health resources are available to those who need them, including Alter Behavioral Health, offering integrated, customized therapy programs that can help patients regain their sense of self and overcome the symptoms of depression. Other resources for coping with depression in California include:
- Support groups
- Hotlines
- Online resources
- Therapists
Support Groups and Community Resources
Depression support groups in California serve as an invaluable refuge for anyone grappling with depression or aiding a loved one through their journey. The spectrum of these groups is vast, encompassing everything from informal meet-ups to structured group therapy sessions steered by qualified psychologists or counselors. For those requiring a more immersive and comprehensive approach, residential mental health facilities in California offer a deeper level of care and structured support. Tapping into any community-based resource, whether a support group or a residential facility, provides your loved one with not only a sanctuary of support but also a circle of individuals who genuinely comprehend their struggles. Truly understanding depression from an external viewpoint is a complex endeavor. Engaging with peers, many of whom share similar experiences, can significantly diminish feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Online Resources and Hotlines
If your loved one wants to connect with somebody right away, from the comfort of their own home, then accessing one of the many online depression resources or phone hotlines can be helpful, providing someone to chat with and understand depression.
Overcoming Barriers to Self-Care and Support
Stigma is one of the biggest barriers to self-care, with some people believing that it is selfish or self-indulgent. Others may believe that self-care is unaffordable, but there are many ways to care for yourself that cost little to no money. Exercise, mindfulness, resting, meditation, and listening to your body to find out what you need are all free activities. So are many community wellness groups and support groups, and you may be able to use your health insurance to pay for therapy sessions.
As the saying goes, you cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself and managing stress should be your top priority, even before caring for others. If your loved one has the symptoms of depression and you would like to learn more about treatment options or learn new depression self-care tips in California, Alter Behavioral Health can provide our professional guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Depression Self-Care Tips: Helping Your Loved One Cope in California
What is depression and how does it impact daily life in individuals?
Depression is a serious mental health issue that millions of Americans are currently experiencing. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, a brain disorder can “affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities.” In other words, depression affects every aspect of a person’s life, and coping with depression often involves a mix of self-care, medication, and therapy.
What is the role of self-care in managing depression?
Self-care is not a cure for depression, but when you follow the depression self-care tips in California we have given in the above article, you will have a better chance of improving your day-to-day life and how you feel. Self-care can interrupt negative cycles and help turn a difficult day into a good one not wasted on rumination.
Can you provide some practical self-care tips to help manage depression?
One of the best things you can do when experiencing depression is to talk to a therapist. You can see the list provided on the California Mental Health Services Division website for professional mental health services in California.
Some other depression self-help strategies include eating well, exercising, doing something creative, actively practicing mindfulness, spending time with a loved one or an animal, talking about your thoughts and feelings, getting enough sleep, and accessing external support from online depression resources and depression support groups in California.
How can I effectively support my loved one in their self-care journey for managing depression?
The best thing you can do while helping a loved one with depression is to remain there for them, even when they seem to be pushing you away. Continue offering support and help in their daily lives, like cooking or helping them handle a difficult phone call they have been putting off. Understanding depression and its symptoms will help as well.
What mental health resources are available in California for those dealing with depression?
California offers adult programs, children and youth programs, community services programs, depression support groups in California, and a list of medical providers who can help with mental illness and treatment programs. Find a full list of online depression resources on the California Department of Mental Health Services page.
Are there any support groups or community resources in California for people dealing with depression?
Yes, there are many California mental health resources and depression support groups in California, which you can access on the California Department of Mental Health Services website.
What are some common barriers to self-care and seeking help for depression?
Common barriers that people with depression run into include a lack of resources available to them, limited availability to education about mental health, financial barriers, and social stigmas against talking about or even thinking about self-care and mental wellness.
How can these barriers be overcome, and how can I help my loved one overcome these obstacles?
Helping a loved one with depression can be as easy as listening to them, actively asking about their feelings, and talking to them about how self-care can help them cope with depression. You can also assist them in finding online depression resources or local support groups, becoming educated to help them understand depression, and helping them access insurance information to see if their health insurance will pay for therapy and psychiatric medications.
Contact Alter Behavioral Health at 866-647-2716 today to learn more about using therapy to overcome mental health issues.
