A Letter to Depression

What would you like to say to your depression? Write a poem in the form of a letter to it.

Telling a friend

What would you like to tell a trusted friend about your depression? Consider whether there are thoughts or feelings that you’ve never shared before, and write them to a judgemental imaginary friend. Be sure to include your opinions and ideas (what you think) and your emotions and moods (what you feel) surrounding your symptoms and any related issues.

Afterwards, reflect upon how this writing felt – did it offer any relief or comfort? Did it trigger any new ideas about your depression? Did it suggest anyone who you may want to confide in, in the future?

Strengthening Your Circle of Intimacy

1.      On a piece of paper, draw three concentric circles. (Intimates, Close contacts, and Acquaintances.)

2.      Make a list of others in your life and enter their names in the appropriate circles.

3.      Look at the diagram daily and tell yourself these are the people who care and who would be very hurt if you injured yourself. These are the people who want you to recover from depression.

4.      Make appointment for phone calls, meetings and brief social engagements that you can’t cancel.

5.      Plan deliberate activities, especially with family, which are hard to excuse yourself from.

Take “Commercial Breaks”

The most powerful battery-charger is an activity call “commercial breaks.” This is an intervention for people whose homes are in disarray and who are depressed about living in a messy place. During the space of one commercial break on the TV, you can start making a less depressing environment.

1.      Look around you and see the things you wish were done but that you do not want to do.

2.      Make a list. It will only take a few moments to write down a list of things you see: dishes on the table, newspaper on the floor, laundry to be folded, shoes and socks strewn across the living room, papers to be filed, bills to be pay, and so on.

3.      Then, as you watch TV, every time a commercial comes on, start one of the things on the list, doing it only for as long as the commercial break continues.  Then flop down and watch the show until the next break, when you will get up and do something for those 3 or so minutes. Follow that pattern until the whole task is done, cross it off the list, and then go on to the next one.

4.      If you are really tired, do this just during one show and then sit for the entirely of next one, or the next several.

You will be amazed at how much you can get done in one evening of watching TV.

Sleep Hygiene

1.      Set a pattern of regular times to sleep and awaken.

2.      Make sure there are sufficient hours to be asleep.

3.      Create an environment for good sleep, including a dark, quiet room.

4.      Calm the brain down before sleeping, using quiet activities, baths, herbal teas, and so on.

Increase contact with Positive Experiences

1.      Keep track of every activity you do for a few days.

2.      For each activity, access whether it was (A) pleasurable or not and (B) an accomplishment or not.

3.      For each pleasurable activity and accomplishment, rate the degree of pleasure or accomplishment.

4.      Increase the duration or quality of the pleasurable experiences and notice the accomplishments you are getting done.