I have severe mood fluctuations and have lost interest in everything. Although I have a full time job, family, kids, I can't focus on anything properly and feel disconnected most of the time. Whatever may happen, I just don't feel happy anymore.

Ms. Juhi ParasharPsychologist4yrs exp

94% (3231 ratings)

Ask Free Question

Hi lybrate-user, It appears to me that you are suffering through depression, it need not have a cause or origin. It can happen to anyone with our without any reason. Feeling down or blue is a natural part of life. People let us down, things go wrong, we lose people we love or the dreams we've valued. When feeling down stretches over weeks or months, is occurring frequently and interfering with your ability to interact with people and enjoy your life, it is likely that you're experiencing some form of depression. Provided that you're able to access information and have a good doctor and support network around you, even severe depression is a highly treatable condition. Along with medication psychotherapy from psychologist is a important adjunct. Firstly, you will have to make few lifestyle changes: Sleep well. Sleep is essential to a healthy, balanced body. Lack of sleep can aggravate negative thinking and easily becomes a vicious cycle whereby your negative thoughts keep you awake and disable your ability to get enough sleep. Waking unrefreshed and feeling tired is a common complaint during depression, and even too much sleep can leave depressed persons feeling tired. Breaking this cycle requires enforcing a strict sleep routine of the same bedtime and waking time every day, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, not exercising three hours prior to bed, removing anything distracting from your bedroom, and keeping your room at a suitable temperature. Exercise releases a natural anti-depressant chemical in your brain and gets you into doing something active. Start small with a simple walk to the local store or around the block, or to your garden gate might be the way to begin. Gradually work up to a routine that fits with your needs and enjoyment. Look for friends or group exercise sessions since having a partner will keep you more motivated. You can also look for activities that will allow you to release some of the pent-up emotions that may be built up, such as kickboxing. Playing sports is a great way to get regular exercise, stay occupied, focus on self-improvement and meet new people. Some studies have found that people who participate in sports have somewhat fewer symptoms of depression. Choose a sport that is exhausting to quiet the chatter in your mind and leave you feeling wrung out?just don't overdo it. Join a team or class in your area and commit to showing up to as many of these meetings as possible, even if you may not feel like going some days. Eat healthy. Reduce your intake of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fast foods, and processed foods. Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole foods. Drink plenty of water and do some research on foods that are said to improve your state of mind and well-being. Improving your diet can be a positive project to keep you constructively occupied and focused when you're working through your depression. Plus, many healthy foods are effective at improving mood Talk with friends, family and colleagues who make you feel good and who are good to be around. Spend time with people who see the world in a positive way and ask them to share their visions, ideas, and approaches to life with you. Most positive people will be more than happy to reveal the things that help them keep upbeat and happy about their lives. Learn from them. Remember that misery loves company. It can be incredibly hard to keep away from negative people as down and out as you're feeling, but do your best to avoid them. You won't be doing either of you a favor by confirming each other's fears that the rest of the world is terrible. Keep occupied. Being busy is a way to prevent negative thoughts from going around your head repeatedly. For depressed persons, the first step is often the hardest, so making yourself do things can be a huge difference in your day and getting you started Start a journal of your journey through your depression. Document your feelings somewhere personal and completely private. This will be the place where you let out your darkest thoughts ? no holds barred ? because you don't need to worry that anyone will judge you for them. A diary can become your collaborator in the struggle against your depression because it eventually provides you with great evidence of what improves your mood as well as what brings it down. Try to write in it daily if possible. Change your thinking. As part of progressing, recognizing and defeating negative thinking patterns is a very important aspect to concentrate on. Cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, or other forms of psychological therapy are helpful when you're unlearning negative thinking and establishing patterns of thinking that support your self-esteem and increase your self confidence. While it is best to read up in this area and speak with someone qualified to help guide you through the ways to change your thinking, there are some important things to keep in mind. Acknowledge the feeling will pass. This can be a very difficult step, but it's vital because it helps you to start banishing thoughts of hopelessness. List all of your good points. When you're depressed, it's easy to understate the positive things about yourself. Turn this around by listing everything that is good about you. Include achievements from the past and hopes for the future, however few or random they may seem. If you can't write this list, have a trusted friend or family member start one for you. This is a list to keep building upon as you work through your depression. Self-acceptance is a vital part of recovering from depression because you acknowledge that there are good things about yourself, but also that you have challenges to overcome. This will help you stop judging yourself more harshly than anyone else. Make decisions, however small, and act on them. Again, while this is very difficult to do during depression, it is a vital element in facing the sense of helplessness that tends to overwhelm depressed persons. Small decisions like getting out of bed, calling friends, or cleaning up the kitchen all add up. Once you act on them, they become achievements. Learn how to replace faulty or negative thinking by focusing on it. Ask questions such as: Am I assuming the worst? Am I condemning myself because something bad has happened? Am I focused on my weaknesses rather than my strengths? It is helpful to arrange the negative thought in one column and a rationalization in another column, so that you can confront and undo the negative thinking. In one column you may write the thought" I'm a failure, and in the other you challenge that thought with" I made a mistake. I've made mistakes in the past and things have turned out okay. I've also had many triumphs. Learn assertiveness techniques once you've challenged the harder aspects of your negative thinking processes. Assertive techniques will allow you to find a pathway to standing up for yourself without giving in to feelings of anger, fear, or powerlessness. Knowing how to assert yourself is an important part of not falling back into depressive patterns in the future. Remember, Always keep yourself busy, or doing something positive. Sitting alone, or thinking about all the bad events in your life without expressing them to someone is going to make your depression worsen. Also pratice yoga or meditation. All the best. 

3 person found this helpful