Experiments/Things we can do...

So, firstly, let me say that I am tremendously grateful to the response my blog has thus far received. I get so excited every time someone posts a comment saying that they relate or that it's helping them in some way, and writing last night's entry helped me more than I can express.
That said, I thought I should follow up with some of the things we can do that are recommended for helping to lift out of a deep depression, or for what's called "Recovery Maintenance" or "Relapse Prevention". And I thought that being in an episode currently, it might be interesting and useful for me to put some more effort into trying them, and then letting you all know how it goes for me.
When you're sick for years and years, you hear these things all of the time. The professionals suggest exercise, eating "right", yoga, communication/human contact/social interaction, journaling, whatever. Being me, I have about a million books on mental health and illness (research, self help, memoirs, whatever) as I tend to, as many do, search for The Answers in books. I'm going to draw on one of them in particular for this entry that I've been flipping through over the last few days to remind you of some of the simple suggestions we often ignore (or, at least, I do) in our belief that we've simply tried everything. And it's true - these aren't things that are going to "fix it" if you're sincerely in the midst of a major depressive episode - but they might ease it, take the edge off. And I've been trying some of them as of late, and for the sake of this blog and myself, am resolving to try to try (because you understand that if you're like me) to experiment a little bit more with them.

The book is: "Managing Your Depression": What you can do to Feel Better (by Susan J. Noonan, M.D., M.P.H)

I'm quoting directly...with some commentary and links added.

The Basics of Mental Health

• Treat any physical illness.
• Sleep

                     - Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.
                     - Keep a regular sleep routine.
                     - Follow Sleep Hygiene principles to promote restorative, restful sleep. (Click Here to read some basics of "Sleep Hygiene")
                      - Use a sleep diary to track sleep patterns.

• Diet and Nutrition (now obviously this is complicated for those of us with eating disorders, but bear with me for a moment)

                       - Eat balanced, healthy meals regularly, 3 times a day.
                       - Do not use alcohol, street drugs, or excessive caffeine.

• Medications

                        - Take all medications as prescribed, even if you are feeling better. (Yes, even if you are feeling better, kids! That means they're working! Don't fuck with it. Meds for the win - if they help)
                         - Discuss with your physician all over-the-counter medications, herbs, and other supplements you take.

• Exercise regularly (as able); balance cardiovascular, stretch, and strengthening activities.
• Maintain regular social contacts and connections with others.
• Avoid isolation.
• Have a daily routine and structure your time.

That's it for the moment from "Managing Your Depression", but I'm going to add a few things that are also kind of no brainers for veterans of mental health treatment (and for newcomers, too of course - if this is your first time reading about mental health/illness, you are more than welcome, and I promise my attitude does not mean that this is hopeless - just hard).

• Mindfulness/Meditation (I highly recommend Pema Chodron's books as an introduction)
• Yoga
• And well, duh, therapy.

I actually laughed when I was looking through that list initially because my life lacks so many of those components. I'm incredibly fallible, and for someone who is depressed (or anyone) those are hard guidelines to follow! Personal health maintenance isn't easy, for some of us (or all of us, I don't know because I can't get into the brains of the Healthy Peeps) for some reason. But it's IMPORTANT. On the morning of my 25th birthday, I took the suggestion of a good friend and went for a walk. Just a walk. I usually can't make myself just Go For A Walk unless I'm walking somewhere; I didn't get my license until I was 21 or 22 due to my general fuckupery, so I love my car. I used to have to walk EVERYWHERE. But going for that walk seemed, in the moment, to generally improve my mood. I noticed the birds and the trees and the nice feeling of the air on my skin.

So...that's that for now. Again, I'm just launching this blog and I am sooo not a professional or anything of the sort, so pardon my general incompetence. I'll come back to this, though. Promise. And in the meanwhile, I will try to practice some of these things and get back to you :-)

Thanks again for your time,
Sofia