The thing about managing Depression on your own is that you really shouldn’t do it on your own. You’re going to need help.
Or perhaps I should rephrase that to “you should get help.” Managing Depression on your own means you make your own decisions, about your treatment. Informed and educated decisions made from weighing up all your options and coming to a decision that you’re happy with.
Doesn’t matter if your Doctor’s happy with it. Or your family. Or your friends. You have to make the decision and then you have to live with it.
Managing Depression on your own isn’t done in isolation
But, it really does feel like it, doesn’t it?
Depression feels like the loneliest thing in the world. When you’re in the middle of a bout, you KNOW that nobody has ever felt this alone before. Nobody has been as unworthy of love. Nobody has been so isolated, so misunderstood and so damaged.
This is bullshit, of course, but you’re not able to see that until you’re well again. And being well often takes a lot of therapy. Again, not done by yourself.
Managing your Depression on your own means making an informed decision
In order to make an informed decision on how you want to treat your Depression, you have to know your options. And that involves talking to, or at least reading about, other people’s experiences. Finding out what worked for them. And what didn’t. And, if possible, why or why not it didn’t work.
Sure, what works for one person may not work for another, but you won’t know that until you try.
Once you know your options, the “trial and error” can proceed.
What about your Doctor’s opinion?
The answer to that is within the question: “Doctor’s opinion.” It may be an educated opinion, but its an opinion all the same. Doctor’s only know what their latest textbook has told them. Sometimes this is helpful and sometimes its not.
For everyone Doctor you speak to who has a specific opinion on any given subject, you’ll find another Doctor who completely disagrees. Just like medical studies; one study says its black and the next study says its white.
You get to choose whose opinion you’re going to believe.
Where to get the right help
Managing Depression on your own is the best way to ensure you get all the help you need, not just one aspect of it.
No medication will cure you. No therapy will cure you. No meditation will cure you.
But, all of these things together, might make youre life a whole lot easier. They might even bring you to a point where you can have that fulfilling life that you always wanted. That you always new you should have.
You have to get the right kind of help though. And that sometimes means that you’re going to get it wrong a lot, before you get it right. Before you get the right mix of treatments that works for you.
What’s that saying? You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet your handsome prince.
Managing Depression on your own terms is the only way, you’ll get exactly what you need.
Yes, take advice from experts. Yes, take advice from family. Yes, take advice from friends.
But, ultimately, this is your health, and if you’re not in control of it now, where do you think you’re going to be in five years time?