Moving from Struggling and Hopelessness to Managing and Thriving
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This brief video orients you to thinking about the severity of your depression and what resources might be a good fit to help you move from struggling to thriving. I cover the ways depression shows up, the way it is evaluated by clinicians, and the importance of using a whole-person approach to respond to it skillfully. I also give an overview of the topics we will cover as the course proceeds.
Remember, depression distorts the way you perceive yourself and your life. It is possible to find stability and relief - but getting the right support is critical to your success. |
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If you are thinking about suicide, help is available by phone, text and online chat:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - United States
1-800-273--8255
International Association for Suicide Prevention - Worldwide
Crisis Text Line -Text HELLO to 741741 ™
First Aid for Depression: Decrease Stress & Increase Support
Throughout this course, I am going to be asking you to reflect and respond to questions that are designed to help you put together your personal mood plan, or wellness plan. Please use whatever means you prefer to respond to the prompts. I personally use a spiral journal with blank, unlined pages so I can use words, doodles, and drawings to record my thoughts.
Exercise:
In the orientation video, I talk about how important it is to respond to low moods right away. Finding ways to decrease your stress and line up solid support are crucial first steps to getting the traction you need to take a stand against depression. Stress and subsequent feelings of overwhelm can cause you to freeze, fall into avoidance, become irritable, or make choices you know conflict with what you know to be true. Stress keeps you locked into a low mood. Shame keeps you from seeking support. Depression distorts how we see ourselves, and getting accurate information is essential to moving away from hopelessness.
Please respond (in writing or any creative means) to the following prompts:
1. Write down one small source of stress in your life and how you currently respond to it. Set a timer for three minutes and write down as many alternative responses you can think of. Let your answer meander, if it wants to. See if you can balance reasonable responses with outlandish ones. Don't edit yourself.
2. Write down a large source of stress or anxiety in your life. Have you been handling it alone? What would getting the support you need look like? How would you like to be supported? Where might you find the resources you need?
3. Write this question down in your journal and respond to it:
What could I do for my body to support me as I begin to take a stand against depression? What is the smallest commitment I could make?
4. Depression tells lies and distorts our view of ourselves and the world around us. Are there any tapes/narratives that depression weaves about you that you suspect might not be 100% true? What are they? Who could help you sort out their validity?
Exercise:
In the orientation video, I talk about how important it is to respond to low moods right away. Finding ways to decrease your stress and line up solid support are crucial first steps to getting the traction you need to take a stand against depression. Stress and subsequent feelings of overwhelm can cause you to freeze, fall into avoidance, become irritable, or make choices you know conflict with what you know to be true. Stress keeps you locked into a low mood. Shame keeps you from seeking support. Depression distorts how we see ourselves, and getting accurate information is essential to moving away from hopelessness.
Please respond (in writing or any creative means) to the following prompts:
1. Write down one small source of stress in your life and how you currently respond to it. Set a timer for three minutes and write down as many alternative responses you can think of. Let your answer meander, if it wants to. See if you can balance reasonable responses with outlandish ones. Don't edit yourself.
2. Write down a large source of stress or anxiety in your life. Have you been handling it alone? What would getting the support you need look like? How would you like to be supported? Where might you find the resources you need?
3. Write this question down in your journal and respond to it:
What could I do for my body to support me as I begin to take a stand against depression? What is the smallest commitment I could make?
4. Depression tells lies and distorts our view of ourselves and the world around us. Are there any tapes/narratives that depression weaves about you that you suspect might not be 100% true? What are they? Who could help you sort out their validity?
10 Deep Breaths: A Guided Meditation
Each class in this workshop comes with a guided meditation. Most will focus on the use of mindfulness, which has been proven to be an effective tool to help people living with low moods. This is a simple breath meditation. If you find that you need to breathe at a pace different than the one in the meditation, please do so. Honor your own rhythm. This meditation is 4 minutes long. I challenge you to commit to listening to it at least once a day, and anytime taking some deep breaths might be of benefit.
You can listen to this meditation while seated at your desk, waiting to be called into an appointment, resting in a comfortable chair, while practicing yoga postures, or anytime you need to give yourself a few minutes to reset. They eyes can be open with the gaze soft, or you can listen with the eyes closed. Please don't listen to this meditation when you are driving or engaged in any activity that requires your full attention.
You can listen to this meditation while seated at your desk, waiting to be called into an appointment, resting in a comfortable chair, while practicing yoga postures, or anytime you need to give yourself a few minutes to reset. They eyes can be open with the gaze soft, or you can listen with the eyes closed. Please don't listen to this meditation when you are driving or engaged in any activity that requires your full attention.