Resources
Recovering from depression
Recovery from depression can take from a few weeks to many months.
Many people find that seeing their GP and having an antidepressant or seeing a counsellor is sufficient for their recovery. But for many people, they need something more and this is where Dr Peter Cowley can help.
Depression can be complicated
Your depression may not have only affected you, but also the people closest to you. You may find you have had increasing difficulties at work or that you have been less able to socialise. You may be drinking more than normal. You may find you have lost meaning and purpose in your life and struggle with the question of what it is all about.
Finding the ‘right fit’ treatment plan
Having the right medication will help on the journey of recovery, so it is important to work together to find a treatment that works for you. But recovery from moderately severe depression is more than just being on the right pills.
You can do a lot for yourself around your physical well-being, your diet and exercise, and your sleep pattern. There are also a range of psychological and therapeutic strategies that can help.
A long period of depression not only drags you down but also impacts the quality of relationships with people close to you. In recovery issues of personal and family relationships are important to consider. Sometimes it is helpful to bring others into the therapeutic work in recovery from depression.
Integrated Depression Management
Taking an integrated approach to different aspects that can affect depression helps to rebuild what you may feel you’ve lost.
Depression busting:
Controlling the symptoms
Getting out of the rut
Identifying the triggers and doing something about them
Healing downheartedness
Working out where it all came from
Hope finding
Rebuilding relationships
Freedom from depression
Planning the pathway to recovery
Controlling the symptoms
Depression busting
Getting out of the rut
Identifying the triggers and doing something about them
Freedom from depression
Healing downheartedness
Hope finding
Planning the pathway to recovery
Working out where it all came from
Rebuilding relationships
Recurrent history of depression?
You may find in your history that you have had several bouts of depression. Recovery, therefore, needs to look at the longer term in understanding potential triggers for your depression and whether or not there is a role for long-term medication.