Take charge of anxiety and depression

Sorrow is a natural part of existence. "I fall upon the thorn of life! I bleed" As Shelley puts it. But there's a type of sadness and despondency that is not natural.

"Without any reason, one feels terrible. It doesn't let you work, sleep, talk or eat properly. One becomes irritable and feels like crying. It goes on months after months and finally you feel like killing yourself", says Prof Dr Md Waziul Alam Chowdhury, Director-cum-Professor of National Institute of Mental Health, Dhaka.

So, what can we do when we or one of our loved ones are suffering from such conditions?

Medications and therapies help to curb depression to a large extent. But the real lasting cure lies in the attitude you take towards yourself and your life.

"Social, environmental, personality and lifestyle factors are the major stimulus to depressive tendencies", says Dr Waziul Alam to The Daily Star while discussing this issue. 

So, it is you and me who have to know and take care of ourselves. 'Self-help is the best help' as the cliché goes. 

Pattern of Thinking

One of the major aspects of depression is the pattern of negative thinking. Everything seems clouded by that one single negative emotion or idea or thought. You just can't get it out of your mind or get your mind move away from it.

"For such obsessive tendencies, we recommend behavior therapy. It's a psychological method of treatment to enable obsessed and depressed people to stop the thought at the very inception of it. It is also called thought stopping or response prevention", says the psychiatrist.

So, if you notice any such negative thought process that you can't get rid of consult a psychiatrist and consider having a behavior therapy as soon as possible.

Practice Gratitude

Even in the darkest times of our lives, we have plenty to feel grateful for. Even at the times when tears run down our cheek, we have reasons to smile.

What experts tell us, is to practice gratitude each and every day for all the good things that you have in life. For all the people you love and all the people who love you. Be compassionate and grateful to others and even more so, to yourself.

Let Go; Live Free

The fears that spoil our today seldom become realities. Let it go; live free!

Life passes moment by moment. It is up to you how those moments of your life would be. It is up to you how you would feel in those moments.

Choose deliberately to be happy! Nothing; neither the worries of past and future nor any external stimulus can win over you. It is you who determines what will affect you.

Active Life

One of the most common lifestyle advice that psychiatrists give to depressives is to lead an active and engaged life. Dr Waziul Alam even has a seal, to put on the prescription forms of his patients, that dictates "brisk walk for 40 minutes".

●Engage in social and communal events and activities.

●Have fun times with friends and family.

●Do daily physical exercises.

●Volunteer for a worthy cause

●Get engaged with sports, arts or creative practices.

Following these suggestions can instill renewed vigor into oneself and can strengthen the sense of meaning in life.

Meditate

Meditation has been reported by numerous sources to be enormously helpful in getting people out of the depressive mental closet. Meditation leads one to mindfulness, calmness, quietude and lasting peace. So, try to sit with yourself plunging within yourself to observe, analyse, examine and ultimately soothe yourself towards peace and serenity. 

"Meditation helps to relax and produces marvelous positive effects in reducing depression. Meditation or just simply walking can make you feel much better. It helps to lead you to positive thinking. While you meditate you achieve two effects at the same time- you get relaxed and achieve positivity." This is what Dr Waziul says on the magical effects of meditation on depression.

Meditation is not difficult and not something alien to normal and ordinary human nature. So, have a go for yourself. Start with short five minutes sessions and gradually extend up to or more than 30 minutes.

Connect with Fellow Sufferers

The depressives often think that they are alone in this. They are suffering alone in their own private hell. Although it is practically true but there are lots to learn from how other people's hells look like. How others are coping with this problem and what their attitude are towards it.

So, connect with others, talk openly and read what other sufferers have to say. Connect offline and online. 

Find Your Happy Things

"Many things can give you good feelings. Wear nice dresses, visit new and good places, listen to music, mix with people with a positive attitude, create a positive vibe around yourself or go to a lively environment. And most importantly encourage others to do what they like to do. Such changes can decrease the depressive tendencies a lot or even can prevent it at the first place.

"But there are many families who do not recognize this fact. They force their own perception, likes and dislikes upon their children. This can be dangerous. You should respect others in your family and recognize their likes and dislikes. "

This is how the doctor suggests the depressives and the society as a whole on how finding out and doing little things of happiness can give us pure joy and why we should respect each other's choices and preferences.

"Medication Really Works"

Dr Waziul firmly warns that without taking the history of suicidal thoughts no history of a patient of depression is complete. "So the moment we see or notice any suicidal thoughts or tendencies in the patient it means it's the severe stage. Nothing but medication and ECT can help him survive." And he adds, "medication really works. Through medication and regular follow-up we can cure depression in just three months."

So, we have to be aware and keep a cautious eye on our loved ones for depressive tendencies and suicidal thoughts. As they may not be aware that it is an illness which makes them want to quit life. Or it may simply not matter to them at all.