Self-Management of Depression

Through the ages, philosophers, poets, and scientists have tried to make sense of the concept of meaning in life. In simplistic terms, people experience the presence of meaning in life when they (Steger et al., 2008): Comprehend themselves and the world Understand their unique fit in the world Identify what they are trying to accomplish in their lives Although there are objective ways to measure one's level of meaningfulness in life, the concept is still riddled with a lot of misconceptions. This article discusses some of these common myths and their corresponding facts (Duggal, 2018).  1. Myth: Meaning in life is a long-term pursuit that may take years. Fact: Meaning in life differs from man to man, day to day, and hour to hour and what matters more is not the meaning in life in general but the specific meaning of an individual’s life at a given moment . Meaning in life can be a vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment (Frankl, 20...

Conflicts and arguments are an inevitable part of any relationship. However, there are strategies that will help you either avoid conflicts or handle them in a more constructive way. The article discusses three such techniques.  1. Don’t do the “ABCDE” behaviors during communication The acronym “ABCDE” refers to certain types of communication behaviors that increase conflict in a relationship and include the following (Duggal, 2016): Accusation: Accusations usually are “You always …” or “You never…” statements. Accusations may have some kernel of truth in them but that gets exaggerated and dramatized by the heat of the argument. Accusations lead to counteraccusations and defensiveness and takes away the focus from one’s own shortcomings and also from resolving the conflict on hand. Blame: Individuals may blame their partner’s actions for a problem or blame their mental illness, moral weakness, or personal inadequacies for the problems the couple is facing. For example, “If you ha...

What is Behavioral Activation? When it comes to treating depression, most mental health professionals talk about either medications or therapies such as cognitive therapy. These are, no doubt, clinically relevant treatments for depression. However, with the recent emphasis on treating the "chemical imbalance," simple treatments for depression such as behavioral activation have been sidelined. Behavioral activation is an evidenced-based treatment for depression and complements other treatments of depression (American Psychiatric Association, 2010). In fact, research demonstrates that in individuals with severe depression, behavioral activation is comparable to antidepressant medication and better than Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Dimidjian et al., 2006). Avoidance is a key target for change in behavioral activation. The lack of energy and motivation in depression can result in people with depression either cutting back on pleasurable activities or not enjoying them as they ...

If you are receiving mental health care, the treatment plan is a key document that you will develop in collaboration with your treatment provider. The treatment plan lists your treatment goals, the types of interventions that will be used, and how outcomes would be measured. In addition to these generic elements of a treatment plan, a personalized treatment plan also incorporates your strengths, needs, vision of your own recovery, and desired quality of life.  6 key elements of a treatment plan A successful personalized treatment plan has the following six attributes (Adams & Grieder, 2005): Is centered on your goals and values Respects your experience in dealing with your mental health issues Addresses not only managing symptoms but also learning to successfully cope with life’s challenges and building resilience Empowers you to move toward self-management of your mental illness Focuses on positive functioning in a variety of roles and building positive relationships Is orient...

When it comes to exercising, we have our usual litany of excuses and some of the familiar ones include: “I don’t have enough time.” “I am too out of shape.” “I am too sick.” “I already get enough exercise.” "I don't have the right kind of equipment" “Exercise is boring.” “Exercise is painful.” “I am too embarrassed.” “I am afraid that I might fall.” “I am too tired.” “I will look silly.” “I am afraid I will hurt myself.” “I am too old.” “It is too cold or too hot.” “I will not do it right.” If you find yourself using one of the above excuses for not exercising, then one of two things is happening here. First, you may be making wrong assumptions about your ability to exercise (e.g., I don’t have enough time, exercise is boring or painful, or I am too embarrassed). Second, if the issue is genuine (e.g., it is too cold or too hot, or I don't have the right kind of equipment), then you may not have done enough to find a solution. While changing your wrong assumptions and ...

Emotional intelligence has become a modern-day buzzword. Academics, self-help coaches, and management pundits have written millions of words and filled hours of airtime explaining the meaning and importance of emotional intelligence. But when it comes to finding ways to enhance this trait, one is left with the arduous task of sifting through a mountain of psychobabble to tease out pragmatic, easy-to-use, and workable strategies.  So what is emotional intelligence? In psychological terms, it is one’s ability to engage in sophisticated information processing about one’s own and others’ emotions and the ability to use this information as a guide to thinking and behavior (Mayer et al., 2008). In plain English, it means using your emotions in an intentional and intelligent way to improve your well-being. Emotional intelligence increases with age and experience. Research shows that people with high emotional intelligence are likely to be more socially competent, have better quality relat...