Once depression takes hold, it can be hard to shake off. Mood disorders have a funny way of becoming more entrenched over time. Fortunately, you can stave it off, so long as you take the right actions. Here’s what to do. 

Learn the signs

Depression doesn’t usually come out of the blue, hitting you like a ton of bricks. Instead, it’s often something that you can “feel” coming. It starts as a gnawing sensation and then goes from there. 

Symptoms of depression, according to the Mayo Clinic, include:

• Unexplained aches, such as back pain or headaches

• Anxiety

• Agitation or restlessness

• Only wanting to stay home

• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things

• Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters

• Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness

• Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports

• Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort

• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much

• Reduced appetite and weight loss

• Increased food cravings and weight gain

• Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements

• Feeling worthless or guilty, fixating on past failures or self-blame

• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide

Getting help

If you have suicidal thoughts and you think you might try, get help right away. Call your doctor or 911.

If you have depression, try talking to someone you trust. Therapy is always a good choice if your depression doesn’t seem to want to go away. If you have anxiety, seeing someone in person can seem like an insurmountable task. Online therapists are a good option. Some even allow you to text instead of having a screen time-style meeting. Google “online therapists” to find the right one for you.

If you feel like you can’t talk to anyone you know or can’t afford a therapist, try calling these hotlines:

• Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• Don’t want to call? Use the Lifeline Chat.

• U.S. veterans or service members who are in crisis can call 988 and then press “1” for the Veterans Crisis Line. You can also text 838255 or chat online.

• Spanish speakers can call The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 1-888-628-9454 (toll-free).

Ways to help at home

While talking and therapy can help, there are steps you can take to lessen how hard depression is to live with. These aren’t cures, but they can help.

Sleep help

If you’re someone who struggles with sleep, then you’ll need to make sure that you’re going to bed and getting up at the right times every day.

Food fixes

If you have food cravings, then you’ll need some go-to healthy meals that you can whip up for yourself quickly. Stock up on easy choices.

Get some exercise

Ideally, you’ll need some exercise. Though you may feel miserable, depressed or stressed when you’re hiking in nature, try to focus on the environment that’s around you. The fresh air and being in nature can help you feel a little more human again.

Cut Down On Your Alcohol Intake

While alcohol can be fun in occasional social situations, it has a downside, as Sunshine Behavioral Health points out. If you find yourself turning to the bottle to drown your sorrows, you could wind up in serious trouble. Depression and alcohol can become uncomfortable bedfellows. 

Remember, alcohol has the potential to actually worsen your mood. While it might take away the pain for a few hours, it soon returns the next day, and the one after. 

Find Something Truly Meaningful To Do 

Adding more value or doing something for somebody else is one of the most powerful natural antidepressants that there is. When you really engage in an activity and get lost in the moment, you find that you forget all your troubles. They no longer feature for you. 

The trick here is to do something that you personally will find meaningful. And, of course, that differs from one individual to the next. For some, it’s serving soup in a soup kitchen to homeless people. For others, it’s riding a bicycle or going sailing. 

When you have something meaningful to do to occupy your time, you have an activity that can stave off feelings of depression. In many cases, joining a faith community of one type or another can help. 

Invest In Nutrition

There’s significant evidence that what you eat affects your brain state. If you’re consuming a typical western diet, you’re much more likely to experience inflammation in the brain compared to, say, a WFPB or Mediterranean diet. Focus on eating fruits and vegetables. Swap out refined flours for whole grains and beans. You should notice an improvement in mood. 

Medication is a-okay

You may find that nothing seems to pull you out of your depression. It may be that your brain needs a little help making the chemicals that help make you happy. Getting a prescription help get you on track is no worse than taking antibiotics for a lung infection. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Your brain is an organ and sometimes needs medication like the rest of your body.

Like therapy, there are places online that will connect you with a doctor who can prescribe you medication for your mental health virtually. Hers is a good choice, but there are several other options out there.