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How to Cure Depression

integrative psychiatry

The first time I remember being depressed was around my freshman year in high school. I sat with a knife trying to get up the nerve to cut my wrist. I was able to make only superficial cuts and then I was angry with myself that I couldn’t do it. My depression has always been there, so much a part of my life experience I never thought of it as depression.

Getting better from my depression has meant addressing many different issues in many different ways. Yes, medication did play a role for a while and therapy has been a big part of getting better too. But, there have been so many other big questions I have learned to face, things I have done on my own and tools I continue to use to help me through all of it. And the mental health system doesn’t talk about these. Be cautious of anyone who tells you they can cure anything. But, I can help get you on a better journey toward healing.

Get Spiritual – Whether you are someone with a history of religious trauma or an avid church goer or an atheist. You are a spiritual person. It is inherent in being human. And for many depression is deeply connected to the big questions only our spiritual side can help us answer. Questions like “why am I alive? What is the meaning of life? Why do I continue to suffer? Is the world an evil place?” Spiritual means believing in and connecting with a force or wisdom bigger than yourself. This can be nature, vibes or energy in the universe, it can be believing in your higher self or it can be any number of spirits including God. I am no longer a religious person. I am, though, very spiritual. Acknowledging and connecting with our spiritual nature is essential for our healing. I started my healing journey with traditional prayer, spiritual meditations and connecting to mother earth. Once I made these habits my journey began. When we are depressed, sometimes we feel so isolated and alone. Knowing there is something you can reach out to is essential and can feel like the only safe option. When I started praying and connecting I wasn’t sure if I even believed in anything anymore. But the habit came first and the belief came later. Think of your spirituality like a relationship, if you never call then you will never know the person or that side of yourself.

Move Your Body – Our emotions are energy and we can change them by working with this energy. This is not about exercise. This movement is about moving energy into and out of your body and moving energy around your body. Even 30 seconds can help.

1. Qigong for Beginners: Shaking the Body Qigong This technique has helped me on my most down days. I would eat healthy, take a walk outside and still feel so depressed until shaking. Even 30 seconds of this can lift my mood.

2.5-Minute Yoga to Ease Depression

3. Qigong for Depression – Parting the clouds

Just Breathe – When you are depressed you are missing the vital physical energy needed to feel better. Breathing deeply can bring that energy from the world around you into your mind and body.

Ground Yourself – You don’t have to be anything or accomplish anything to be a part of nature and to be enough. You just are. Spend time with your bare feet in the grass. Listen to the birds or the water running. And know you too are a part of this big world and you are just as valuable as the animals or trees. You are family with nature, sit in silence and ask them to heal you or even just keep you company. They are here for you. Silence and no screens is best but if you have trouble doing this try this video.

Watch what you watch – Think of it as vibrations, when you watch something you are tuning yourself with that frequency. So, you are inviting more of this into your mind, heart and your life. I know, sometimes when you feel awful it feels good to watch or listen to some pretty dark things. When I am depressed, I set a goal for myself that after this song, movie or day I need to “stop feeding the depression”. I know that what I am taking in is going to add to or subtract from my depression. My choice. So I can’t continue to watch depressing content and expect my mood to improve.

This works in the reverse as well. Tune yourself with some positive vibrations instead. You can watch a comedy instead of a horror movie. Listen to positive songs. My favorite way to do this quickly is affirmations. I love how passive affirmations are. You can have them on in the background and they soak into your subconscious and improve your mood for today and tomorrow.

Eat to lift your energy – Eat spicy or sour foods. When you bring vitality to your tongue it can also lift your mood. In the US especially, we tend to eat bland. This can dull our senses and it doesn’t help depression. You can also use plants to help lift your mood. You can take supplements or drink them in tea. There are so many options but here are a few.

  • Tulsi – This is one of my favorites. It is very healthy for mind and body. This is the one I drink. You can spice it up by adding ginger or cinnamon which can excite your taste buds and your mood too. https://a.co/d/iopyrqR
  • Lavender, chamomile and passionflower are all good for mental health. I love this product and I even drink it during the day. https://a.co/d/7Mw2A7M

Get Through the Day – Sometimes you just want to get through the next 5 minutes of work or the next 5 minutes of chores. Below are some videos to help you do just that. I often have them on while I work so the time goes quickly.

Build Happy Habits – Using short techniques like those above help to lift your mood for a short time or even for a day. But, to improve your baseline mood you need to build in longer daily habits as well. I started by using the shorter interventions in the moment when I needed them. Once I saw how much they helped, I was more motivated to build in even more habits. Start with achievable goals, don’t overwhelm yourself. Walking outside is my favorite habit. I also love to combine habits if I can. For example, yoga is exercise, energy movement and breathwork. Or while I journal I will listen to sound healing. On my walk outside, I might listen to affirmations or some of my favorite inspiring music.

Depression is very treatable. You will feel better. Reach out for professional help for medications and psychotherapy in addition to the interventions above if you haven’t already. And if you have suicidal thoughts tell someone. The professional you are working with, a friend or family member or the suicide hotline by calling 988.

Remember you have the power to heal and always Om your health, step back and approach it from a higher perspective.