Depression affects roughly 10 percent of the population over the age of 18 -- some 15 million people, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. As many as one in 33 children is affected with clinical depression. Sufferers include both men and women from all socio-economic categories. There are many ways to attack and treat the disorder including exercise, medication and talk therapy.
Step 1
Find a therapist in your area experienced in treating depression. It may take a couple of tries to find a therapist with whom you feel comfortable discussing your life. There are different types of therapists, too. Some want to talk about your history to determine where the depression comes from and deal with it that way, while others may want to discern current triggers and treat the depression behaviorally. Both types of therapy can be effective, but if you're not getting the desired results from one type of therapy, consider switching to the other.
Step 2
Make some lifestyle changes. Regular aerobic exercise lessens depression symptoms. It's a good idea to consider getting your exercise doing something you enjoy, such as gardening or taking a daily walk. It's also important to get enough sleep and avoid both alcohol and drugs that aren't prescribed for you or recreational drugs.
Step 3
Explore medication. Depression is a disease, and while some people can recover from an episode with only therapy and lifestyle changes, others need medication to stabilize mood. Your therapist or health care provider can make suggestions for medication that is appropriate for you, as all of the medications have side effects.
Step 4
Begin a depression journal. A journal can be helpful in discerning what -- if anything -- triggers your depression. This can be helpful in determining if your depression is seasonal, triggered by a traumatic or stressful event or present most of the time.
Step 5
Ask for support from friends and family. Embarrassment keeps some people from talking about their depression to family and friends at a time when support is essential. You can send your family and friends to organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which can give them accurate information about depression and how they can help you. It will also help them -- and you -- understand some of the myths about depression and how it can best be treated.
