Living with a mental health condition like major depressive disorder can mean your symptoms come and go over time, sometimes unexpectedly. You may experience a few months of feeling positive and emotionally stable, only to begin noticing depression symptoms returning.
Experiencing symptoms of depression for at least two weeks is often referred to as an episode. If you feel an episode coming on, there are ways to reduce and manage your symptoms.
Read on to learn the steps you can take to reduce the impact of relapsing depression symptoms, as well as how Guidelight Health can help you through them.
4 ways to manage returning depression symptoms
Major depressive disorder has a recurrence rate of 50%, though the percentage gets higher after each episode. When you know there’s a possibility of your depression symptoms returning, it can be helpful to be aware of the steps you can take to reduce their impact on your overall quality of life.
You can collaborate with your providers, such as your general physician, psychologist, or psychiatrist, to determine what treatments work the best for you. Some of the tips these professionals may offer for managing returning depression symptoms include:
Using positive self-talk
Depression is a chronic medical condition. It isn’t your fault that your symptoms are returning. To take back control from your symptoms, you mustn’t try to blame yourself or feel like you’re “broken.” Even though depression causes overwhelming negative thoughts and low self-esteem, positive self-talk can make a difference.
Self-talk means saying positive things to yourself that can help you feel more confident and remind you of your strengths. When you’re experiencing returning depression symptoms, self-talk can help you fight against the negative thoughts and acknowledge your abilities. Examples of positive self-talk include:
- “I’ve coped with it before, and I will do it again.”
- “I’m strong enough to get through this.”
- “I’m worthy of happiness.”
Turning to your support system
Having a dependable support system can make a difference when navigating life’s challenges. This is especially true for mental health challenges like depression. Once you’ve experienced depression symptoms, you probably know the people in your life that you can open up to about them, whether that be a family member, friend, significant other, or mentor.
It’s possible that you haven’t opened up to the people in your life about your previous depression symptoms, and that’s OK. However, having a support system, even if it’s made up of just one person, can help your depression in a variety of ways, including:
- Gaining validation for your thoughts
- Feeling cared for and worthy of love from others
- Reducing the urge to isolate away from others
- Being encouraged by someone else’s confidence in you
Prioritizing self-care
Self-care can be a healthy part of your lifestyle, whether you’re experiencing depression symptoms or not. Anything that helps you to improve and protect your mental and emotional well-being should be a priority in your everyday life. But if your depression symptoms are returning, self-care can make a significant difference in helping you to reduce them.
Self-care can look different for everyone, but here are a few self-care options that are often recommended by mental health providers:
- Practicing mindfulness exercises
- Spending time in nature
- Eating a nutritious diet
- Maintaining a regular sleep schedule
Talking to a therapist
A support system can include anyone who stays by your side throughout your mental health journey. For many people who have experienced depression symptoms before, a mental health professional, such as a therapist, is part of their support system.
Whether you’ve worked with a therapist before or are considering it for the first time, talking with a professional can offer support and strategies for managing your returning symptoms.
Benefits of talking to a therapist for returning depression include:
- Pinpointing the potential recent challenges that contributed to your returning symptoms
- Developing coping skills and emotional regulation skills
- Gaining perspective on the sources of your symptoms
- Learning how to reframe or challenge your negative thoughts
Guidelight can help when your depression symptoms return
Depression can be an ongoing challenge. If your symptoms return after not being prevalent for a while, it can be frustrating. But with the right steps, like prioritizing self-care and talking to a therapist, you can work through the symptoms and continue to work toward the future that you want.
If you need further support for your depression, you can get it in the Intensive Outpatient Program and Partial Hospitalization Program at Guidelight.
At Guidelight, everyone has a seat. For more information, or to schedule an initial evaluation, contact our team.