Relapse of depression is very painful for patients, especially for patients who have just recovered. Relapse is like a devil's claw, dragging them back into the quagmire after they have just escaped from it.
I once had a patient who was in the third month of treatment. He felt that he was about to recover. He was very happy and stopped taking the medicine without asking the doctor. He started going out with friends to play and drink, and soon relapsed. At this time, he felt very regretful, because the relapse was very painful, but all the previous treatment and efforts had been wasted.
Therefore, after recovery, it is recommended that everyone make some efforts to avoid the recurrence of depression . The following 10 small methods can help everyone reduce the recurrence of depression. It is recommended to collect them.
Create a Checklist
To prevent relapse, monitor mood swings, and create a personal list of warning signs. Pay attention to mood swings when you feel better. Don't ignore changes.
For example, poor sleep, negative or hopeless thoughts, this means that you may relapse, record your mood swings. And pay more attention to activities that can help stabilize or improve your mood, and integrate them into your daily activities. If you feel any warning signs or feel very uneasy, you should see your doctor.
Taking medicine requires a sufficient amount and a sufficient course of treatment.
Medication requires a sufficient amount and a sufficient course of treatment. Pay attention to your own medication process and past medication history. Many patients have poor "compliance" (compliance refers to the degree to which patients understand and implement the doctor's diagnosis and treatment decisions).
They will not show doubts in front of the doctor, but when adverse reactions to the drug occur, they will not follow the doctor's instructions and stop and reduce the medication voluntarily, causing residual symptoms to persist, which will actually increase the risk of recurrence.
Healthy lifestyle
Maintain reasonable nutrition, exercise and good sleep habits. If you're struggling with depression, these are areas to pay special attention to. If you eat little or unhealthy food, you'll get tired easily.
Research has found that regular exercise can have a positive impact on mood. If you have trouble sleeping, you need to go to bed on time. It is best to go to bed early and get up early to avoid stimulation before going to bed. In particular, avoid unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking and alcohol abuse.
Adopt new strategies
You can't avoid stress, but you can adopt new strategies to deal with it. Many depressed patients tend to adopt one method of coping with stress.
For example, some patients will simply choose to run when they are stressed. This may solve the problem temporarily, but it won't solve the problem forever. Try various methods when possible. Solve problems as soon as they arise and avoid them to allow stress to accumulate.
Give yourself enough space
Strive to develop a balanced life, leaving enough time for work, family and friends, and entertainment. At first, you may focus on one area to escape depression.
Ultimately, you need to balance all aspects, including life, study, work, volunteer activities, family and friends, and hobbies. In such a system, psychological support is available and balancing all aspects of life as one recovers also helps avoid relapse.
Observe your mood changes
As your mood improves, keep checking your mood. Imagine you have had a sore shoulder for a few weeks, and one day you suddenly notice it doesn’t hurt anymore. You might try stretching to see if the pain is really gone.
If it doesn’t hurt anymore, then you’re fine. Don’t always question or confirm this issue. This kind of thinking habit will cause you to do the same with depression. Just because you're getting better doesn't mean you can't make yourself worse, so if depression and anxiety aren't there anymore, don't look for them.
Obtaining psychological support
For example, patients may not receive adequate psychological support due to persistent high pressure at work, ongoing interpersonal conflicts, and tense family relationships.
For example, some people who live alone will find it more difficult to improve their mood. Significant flaws in an individual's personality can also affect prognosis. When you encounter such problems but no one can help, it is recommended to seek psychological consultation.
Treat emotional changes correctly
Slowly, things will improve. In fact, there will still be temporary setbacks on the road to recovery. Recovery is not a smooth journey. If you notice a bad mood throughout the day, you may worry that the problem is returning or getting worse. You may think you are sick. These thoughts scare you and ultimately make you feel worse.
So, remember that worrying or over-interpreting will only make the problem worse. You should accept that emotional changes are a normal part of the recovery process, then don't pay too much attention to them and just continue with other planned activities.
Appropriate exercise
Although exercise can improve the mood of patients with depression, its suitable targets are generally patients with mild to moderate or recovering depression.
has insufficient effect on patients with severe depression , and drug treatment is still the first choice. And for individuals, the effects of different exercise methods vary from person to person. Some people may be suitable for running, while others are not. The effect will be better if you choose according to your own interests and preferences.
Stay enthusiastic
Emotional problems rob you of energy and enthusiasm, leaving you often feeling like you don't want to do things. To maintain enthusiasm, you need to reduce your expectations of yourself. Do little things to keep you motivated and interested.
But when your enthusiasm returns, you may get stuck. In your desire to do bigger things, you forget to take steps. If you try to push the situation further, you may have the opposite effect and continue to return to the depressed state of and . Remember the importance of taking things step by step. Once you have enthusiasm, don't let it go easily.
