Empowering Yourself with Depression
Why skills work better than pills
Popping that first anti-depressant when I was around 14 years old caused mixed emotions. A part of me expected it to be like a switch that flipped and made me feel deliriously happy. Another part was wary of all the side effects the doctor had warned could make my sleeping condition worsen. On top of that had been the discussion about how it would likely take a long time to find the right dosage and balance things out.
There is nothing wrong with taking medication for depression. I’ve done it before, and it helped me for a while. However, since most of us don’t like the idea of taking medication to manage our moods forever, it's good to also have some tools that can move us out of a depressed state. So let’s talk about depression.
Who gets depressed?
Anyone who has moods can become depressed. Depression is simply a mood disorder. This may sound bleak knowing that literally everyone is vulnerable to depression, but it also means we can all learn some skills to fight back.
What medication can’t do
While medication may be useful for getting you into a state where you can take action, it cannot take the action for you. No amount of medicine will teach you effective coping…
