These Practical Steps in Coping With Depression was written for Covid19 Lockdown, however it still applies to how Loadshedding impacts us today:
Lockdown has had a severe impact on everyone in
many ways, not least its impact on our mental wellbeing,
with a third of South Africans (33%) reporting being
depressed, 45% being fearful and 29% experiencing
loneliness during the first lockdown period. Access to
mental health care services has also been limited,
exacerbating the situation.
It is estimated that approximately 9.8% of South Africans
will experience a major depressive episode at least
once in their lifetime. Depression may be caused by a
number of different factors: physical illness, nutritional
or chemical imbalances, ongoing stress or trauma,
substance abuse or a side effect of medication. It is a
treatable condition so it is important to get the correct
diagnosis by a health care practitioner for appropriate
treatment.
Nevertheless, when you feel depressed there are
several things you can do to help whether you are on
medication or not. Depression drains your energy, and
these small things can boost your mood and make you
feel better.
- Connection. A supportive network of people who
care can make a difference. You are NOT alone,
even though you feel so. - Do things you enjoy and make you feel good.
- Get moving. Exercise increases endorphins, the
feelgood hormones. Start small- ten minutes three
times a day means you will have done 30 minutes. - Let food be your medicine! Plenty of raw fruit and
veg, whole grains, complex carbohydrates. Beans,
chicken, eggs, oily fish. Avoid sugar, alcohol and
refined carbs. - Daily Sunlight is essential for Vitamin D. If you can let
the rising sun warm your eyelids, do so. And fill your
lungs with air, too. - Challenge negative thinking. Treat yourself as you
would your best friend. Be kind and caring with
yourself. If you find yourself saying “I’m no good at
…” ask yourself if that is always true. So often, these
messages we tell ourselves are not the whole truth.
Putting these steps into action may make a difference. If
you find you are getting worse, please seek professional
help. You are worth it!
References
Nguse, S. and Wassenaar, D. Mental health and
COVED-19 in South Africa, www.journals.sagepub.com/
doi/full/10.1177/00812463211001543 May 8, 2021
Smith, M., Robinson, L. and Segal, J. Coping with
depression www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/
coping-with-depression.htm Updated July 2021
Estelle Moys M.Tech:Hom.
