| 4. Why Suffer | (Contents) | 6. Finding Hope |
Depression is caused by a combination of factors, genetic, biochemical, environmental and psychosocial. We focused on the last two ("something happened" and "what it meant") because the latter is what you can have the most control of.
There are three main treatments for depression. The first is to get help. Professionals study and treat depression full time. Psychologists mostly use two techniques. In Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) you identify and reverse negative attitudes and beliefs. In Interpersonal Therapy, you resolve social and relationship problems which are often at the core of depression.
At the same time, your therapist will help you set up a healthier lifestyle, including healthy patterns of exercise and sleep, a healthy diet and a manageable life among friends and family.
The third is medication. After evaluating your symptoms, your therapist may recommend seeing a psychologist or neurologist to prescribe medication to help with your biochemistry. This is a critical part of treatment for people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
About 1 in 13 women and 1 in 7 men experience depression at some point in life. It's a normal part of life.
Suicidal thoughts happen during the worst...
Most people survive, and these people are universally glad they did. Some people have recurring depression and during the worst of it
Animals, including people, try incredibly hard to survive. The survival instinct is built into every animal and every cell. Even people who attempt suicide spent all those years and months and days up till that moment living because suicide was the wrong answer.
Suicidal thoughts are just thoughts. It's up to you to say what they mean. If suicide begins to look attractive, I suggest you treat them as normal thoughts that indicate you're depressed and need help.
| 4. Why Suffer | (Contents) | 6. Finding Hope |