You’ve decided to start depression therapy. Great! This is the first step on a wonderful journey, and we want to make sure you make the most of it. Here at Perspectives Of Troy Counseling Centers in Michigan, we have seen a number of patients get frustrated about their progress based on easy-to-avoid mistakes. Keep these scenarios in mind as you move through depression treatment and you can experience great changes to come.
Wanting A Pill To “Fix” You
Medication can help some symptoms of depression, but you shouldn’t rely on it as a be-all/end-all cure. You still need to commit to self-improvement, whether that means journaling your thoughts, rebuilding your social group, or tackling the cause of your depression. Your therapist will give you tips and techniques to use to improve your symptoms. If you want the best results from your treatment program, you need to put those into action.
Putting Life On Pause Until You Feel Better
Life cannot stop because you are depressed – no matter how much you want it to or how overwhelming each day may feel. Tackle each day as a set of miniature days: morning, lunch, afternoon, dinner, quiet time, bed. Even if you’re just going through the motions, your body will get used to a “normal” routine. This will make you feel more productive and naturally boost your confidence about your depression treatment. In time, you will find that each task gets easier to accomplish.
Basing Your Progress On Your Sleeping Habits
Difficulty sleeping is a common depression symptom, and a lack of sleep only makes depression worse. Unfortunately, sleep is one of the last areas where people experience improvement. As you gain control of your depression, you will start sleeping better. You cannot wait for the sleep to come to start conquering your depression, and you cannot blame slow progress solely on a lack of sleep. Your depression therapist will help you work on other elements of your depression so you can start resting better at night.
Focusing On Problems, Not Solutions
There is a solution for every problem, even if it is not an ideal one. A great way to ease your depression symptoms is to come up with solutions for daily frustrations. For instance, if you feel overwhelmed by the clutter in your bedroom, tackle one section of it a day. You don’t have to clean the whole room. Spend 15 minutes working on one corner. Work on another corner the next day, and your room will be clean by the end of the week. If you implement organizational strategies while you clean, your room will stay clean for much longer.
Thinking Treatment Stops After Your Therapy Session
Depression treatment doesn’t end at the end of your therapy session. The work you do at home will be far more effective at easing your depression. Think of your therapist as a guide pointing you in the right direction. He or she will explain exactly what you need to do to see improvement, but you have to take the steps. If you commit to your treatment wholeheartedly, you can get to a better place in life. Our counselors are here to assist you through every milestone.
Contact Perspectives Of Troy Counseling Centers in Michigan to learn more about our depression treatment programs.