(Unconventional) Ways To Cope With Depression

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There are a lot of people out there offering advice on how to cope with Depression. With all of the different techniques that you can try to relieve the symptoms of your Depression, how do you decide which ones to use?

The coping techniques that you should use are the ones that work for you. Kind of a no-brainer, right? What I mean is that just as each of our Depression experiences are unique, so too are the coping techniques that will work for us.

The majority of the advice out there pertaining to coping with Depression includes things like eating healthy, exercising, sleeping well, and using relaxation and meditation techniques. In all honesty, when I was in the midst of one of my darkest episodes of Depression, none of the standard advice was helpful (or even do-able). Exercise, eat right, and sleep regularly? Yeah, right! 


Now I’m not saying that this is bad advice. Some of the advice out there is great, and maybe it works for some people. But for me, it was as if the people giving this advice didn’t understand that when you’re spiralling out of control into a deep, dark place (called Depression), you can’t do any of the things that will make you happy.

So, here’s what I did: I did what I felt would make me feel better. I didn’t force myself to do the things that I was “supposed” to do to feel better. I did what I wanted to do.

Here is my go-to list of coping techniques that helped me through some severe episodes of Depression:

1.    Cry

2.    Sleep

3.    Eat comfort food

4.    Watch Sex and the City re-runs (or Dexter, or Family Guy…)

5.    Find yourself a helpful mantra or affirmation (mine is THIS TOO SHALL PASS)

6.    Hug or pet your cat (or dog, or bird, or snake…)

7.    If you don’t have a pet, get yourself a nice blankie (I have about 7)

8.    Reach out to someone

9.    Be kind to yourself

10. Write

I did (and still do) all of these things. Yes, sometimes they only offer a second or two of relief, but it's enough to break up the constant pain and misery of being Depressed. These things work for me, and I hope they work for you too.

What are some of your coping techniques?

Don’t forget that someone you may know may be suffering from Depression or Mental Illness in silence. Share this post throughout your social media networks, because you just never know who may need to see it.


Much love,

Rain

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Related Posts: Expressive Therapeutic Writing: 16 Tips For Beginners (Free Download), Top 3 Expressive Therapeutic Writing Tips, Expressive Therapeutic Writing

Expressive Therapeutic Writing

When I began writing poetry, I had no intention of ever sharing my work. It was for my eyes only. Writing was my therapy when I couldn’t find the help I needed, and nothing I did seemed to work. Recently, I began to wonder about the science behind it. Why has something as simple as writing been such an essential outlet for me during my darkest hours? Is writing something that might be as useful to others as it was to me? 

Photo by Denise Krebs via Flickr

In an effort to satisfy my curiosity, I have done quite a bit of research on this topic. I would like to share some of this research in order to encourage others to give it a shot.


While terms such as “expressive writing,” “journalling,” “writing therapy,” and “therapeutic writing” are often used inter-changeably, I have chosen to use the term “Expressive Therapeutic Writing”. For me, Expressive Therapeutic Writing involves using the written word, in any form, to relieve the negative symptoms that you are experiencing. This could mean pouring your feelings into poetry, writing short stories with an uncanny resemblance to your life, or recording your thoughts and feelings in a journal. In my opinion, Expressive Therapeutic Writing is much like Depression: it looks and acts differently for everyone.

Many people who write on this topic credit James Pennebaker for pioneering the study of Expressive Therapeutic Writing. He stated that "when people transform their feelings and thoughts about personally upsetting experiences into language, their physical and mental health often improves" (source). In other words, when you can put into words, or onto paper, whatever it is that is troubling you, you will usually experience a relief from symptoms.

So, how does this work? Well, like most scientific inquiries, there is no conclusive answer. While researchers don’t know exactly why it helps, they do know that it is likely a combination of many different theories and factors. In my experience, and as far as science can tell, putting confusing or troubling thoughts into words (and onto paper) can help you make sense of a situation, identify what might be causing you distress, and define what you need and want to find relief (source).

For example, I often find myself feeling troubled without really knowing why. It is almost always helpful for me to write down my thoughts, step away, and then re-visit what I have written to try and find out what is troubling me. I might not be able to figure it all out right away, but writing it all down usually gets me on the right track. I also find that writing is very cathartic. While most research debates this, I know that it is a relief for me to take all the negative shit out of my head and put into onto paper. It’s almost like I’m taking out the trash, only mentally.

Long story short, the research doesn’t have much to say about why writing has been such an outlet for me. It does, however, reassure me that the benefits that I experience from writing are real. They aren’t imagined, and they don’t live in my head. 

The beauty of Expressive Therapeutic Writing is that it doesn’t need to make sense. There doesn’t need to be theories and explanations behind it. It works for me, and that’s enough. I hope it can work for you too!

Here are some other great resources on the topic of Expressive Therapeutic Writing:

• Write Yourself Well (Psychology Today)

• Expressive Writing: Connections to Physical and Mental Health (James
 W. 
Pennebaker
 and
Cindy
 K.
 Chung)

• Emotional and Physical Health Benefits of Expressive Writing (Karen A. Baikie and Kay Wilhelm)

• Write as Rain, Written Word Therapy Blog

• Centre for Journal Therapy (Kay Adams)

• National Association for Poetry Therapy

• International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy

Did you find this interesting or helpful? I would love to get your feedback! Comment on this post, and share with your friends!

Wondering how you can tap into the benefits of Expressive Therapeutic Writing? Stay tuned for my next blog post, “Top 3 Expressive Therapeutic Writing Tips”!

Much love,

Rain

If you enjoyed this post, please share!

You can also connect with me on

Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest!

Related Posts: Expressive Therapeutic Writing: 16 Tips For Beginners (Free Download), (Unconventional) Ways To Cope With Depression, Top 3 Expressive Therapeutic Writing Tips

Welcome!

Photo by Nathan via Flickr

and thanks for visiting my blog!

I don't want to bore everyone with a long winded, rambling first blog post (there will be plenty of those in the future) so I will attempt to keep this one short and sweet. This is my first serious attempt at public blogging, so please be gentle and patient with me. 

So who the hell am I and why should you read my blog?

I have decided to start this blog in order to share my Depression story. I have been living with Depression since I was 14 years old. I have experienced excruciating lows, panic attacks, never-ending anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and plenty of the other fun symptoms of Depression. But, I have also experienced relief from these hellish ordeals. I am currently quite stable and in a good place, where I am able to think back on my experiences so far without being triggered. I want to take this opportunity to share my experience with others, both good and bad. If you are living with Depression or any other mental illness, you should read my blog to find resources, anecdotes, coping strategies, and much more.

OK, great, so what is this blog REALLY about?

This blog is about Depression for the most part, but also mental illness and recovery in general. In addition to being a mental health "consumer", I also work in the field. This presents me with many opportunities to learn, to change my ways of thinking, and to develop opinions about controversial and non-controversial topics. This blog is about my personal and professional experiences and thoughts regarding Depression and mental health.

Oh, I get it. So who is this blog for?

This blog is for anyone living with or without Depression or any other mental illness. This blog is for anyone who has ever felt unable to cope. This blog is for me, 2 years ago. This blog is for you.

Why on Earth are you sharing such a personal experience with strangers?

My goal for this blog is to share my Depression story with the world, in hopes of motivating, de-isolating, comforting, educating, and making people laugh. I am not looking for fame or fortune. During the lowest points of my Depression, all I ever wanted was a break from it all, even if it was only for 10 seconds. I never got that break. If I can do that for one person, and ease their pain, if only for a moment, then I will have achieved my goal.

Again, welcome, and thank you for visiting my blog! Please feel free to explore, and don't hesitate to contact me any time.

Much love,
Rain

If you enjoyed this post, please share!

You can also connect with me on
Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest!