Steps to Recovery

When depressed, recovery can feel unfathomable. Every day feels like a battle and it is incredibly difficult to believe that things will change. Not only is hope a light in a dark tunnel, but also you must take action in order to get better. Depression is no different than any other illness; you need to prioritize your health and be hopeful that things will improve (spoiler alert: things will get better).
    
Step 1: Accept your Illness
    In order to go forward with getting the help you need, you first need to accept that you have depression. Sometimes this first step can be the most difficult, because it involves accepting that something is wrong. Because of internalized mental health stigma, you might have thought that your depression was just you being lazy or overdramatic. The symptoms for depression include:
-extreme feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and worthlessness
-lack of motivation
-noticeable weight gain or loss
-irritability
-decreased energy/fatigue
-problems concentrating, remembering, and making decisions
-suicidal thoughts and tendencies
-headaches, aches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause
If a majority of these symptoms apply to you, then you may have depression. Do not panic, because there are many different ways to treat depression. You are not worth less as a person because you have a mental illness


Step 2: Tell a Trusted Adult
    The person you confide in can be a parent, a relative, or a counselor, but try to make sure it is an adult. It is important that you tell an adult first because they would likely be able to help you find treatment. If you have a best friend or sibling that you trust, it may also be beneficial to talk to them about what you are going through. They would be less likely to be able to actively help you seek out treatment options, but it is still helpful to have support from those you care about. When confiding in people you trust, remember that mental illness is not something to be ashamed of. Many people struggle with mental health throughout life, and those who you tell will be honored that you trusted them and more than happy to help.

Step 3: Find a therapist
    Therapy is one of the most effective methods to treat depression. One of the most common types of therapy for depressed patients is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which addresses problems that the patient is having and is geared towards finding solutions. CBT has the power to alter problematic thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes and help find healthy coping mechanisms.
A good therapist can make you feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders and oftentimes, they can be on call if you have a large problem outside of therapy. With this being said, therapy can be a big expense and often times people cannot afford it. If this is the case for you, do not worry! Calling 211 will connect you to free support groups and low cost therapy in your area. Prioritizing your health is always the number one priority.
Step 4: Find meds (if you can)
    In the brain of a depressed person, there is not enough serotonin being produced, which leads to feeling uncontrollably melancholy. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) block the reuptake of serotonin, which increases the neurotransmitter’s presence in the synapses and therefore allows for more serotonin to be relayed to the neighboring neuron. The most common types of SSRIs include prozac, lexapro, zoloft, and paxil. If you don’t have insurance or you cannot afford to take medicine, that is okay. You can still go to free support groups or low cost therapy that can lower depressive symptoms
Step 5: Change treatment when needed
    Sometimes the first therapist isn’t a good fit or the meds you start taking make you feel worse. If this is the case, do not hesitate to change treatment methods! Everyone’s bodies react differently to medications and the therapist that is perfect for one person may not be very helpful to you. Each person who struggles with mental illness has a very different path to recovery, and they are all valid and beautiful.