How to Manage a Depression Relapse
Keep a journal., Recognize signs of a relapse., Be honest with yourself., Ask someone to monitor you.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep a journal.
Maintaining a journal is not only a good way to release your emotions and capture memories.
It’s also a great way to document and keep track of moods and situations that might indicate that you’re experiencing a depression relapse.
You can also use your journal to look for patterns in your life that might help you prevent a future relapse.
Make daily entries in journal recording how you feel or felt throughout the day.
For example, you might write, “This morning was rough, I was tired.
But I was peaceful and relaxed the rest of the day.” Write about what happened before or while you were feeling a certain way.
This may help identify your personal depressive triggers, as well as, things that help you feel better. -
Step 2: Recognize signs of a relapse.
In order to manage a depression relapse, you’ve got to recognize that you are having a relapse.
Knowing the signs and symptoms of a depressive episode is the best way for you to do this.Once you know the signs you can look for evidence of them in your journal and other daily situations.
Spending less time doing the things you like and with people you care about may be a sign of relapse.
Feeling sad, down, or miserable in general for several days in a row may indicate a relapse.
Unintentionally weight gain or loss are sometimes signs of a depression relapse.
Feeling confused, tired, or unfocused may also indicate a relapse.
Changes in your sleep pattern, such as sleeping a lot more or even having insomnia, may be a sign of a depression relapse.
Feeling irritable or moody may also indicate that you are having a depression relapse. , Sometimes people try to deny that they are having a depression relapse or that they haven’t been doing the things they need to do to manage their depression.
In fact, one of the biggest reasons people have a depression relapse is because they aren’t following their treatment plan.Be honest with yourself if you haven’t been doing the things you should to manage your depression or if you’ve been in situations that might trigger a relapse.
Tell yourself, “Pretending that this isn’t a depression relapse won’t help me.
The best thing for me to do is to be honest with myself about what’s going on and get help.” You might say to yourself, “I haven’t been taking my medication like I should.
It’s led to this relapse, but I can still manage my depression.
I need to talk to my therapist about what’s going on.” , You don’t have to have someone watching you like a hawk 24-hours a day, but it can help to have someone close to you aware of the signs of depressive episode.
This person can help you recognize a relapse early on when the signs may be too subtle for you to notice.
Share the signs of a depression relapse with someone close to you.
You could try, “I want you to know what some of the signs of depression are.
I’m going to tell you about some of the ones I usually have.” Ask someone close to you to look for patterns in your behavior that might suggest you are having a depression relapse.
For instance, you might say, “Could you be on the lookout for some of the signs we talked about?” Ask them to help you seek help if they feel you might be experiencing a relapse.
Try saying, “If you think I’m relapsing, please encourage me and support me in getting treatment.” -
Step 3: Be honest with yourself.
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Step 4: Ask someone to monitor you.
Detailed Guide
Maintaining a journal is not only a good way to release your emotions and capture memories.
It’s also a great way to document and keep track of moods and situations that might indicate that you’re experiencing a depression relapse.
You can also use your journal to look for patterns in your life that might help you prevent a future relapse.
Make daily entries in journal recording how you feel or felt throughout the day.
For example, you might write, “This morning was rough, I was tired.
But I was peaceful and relaxed the rest of the day.” Write about what happened before or while you were feeling a certain way.
This may help identify your personal depressive triggers, as well as, things that help you feel better.
In order to manage a depression relapse, you’ve got to recognize that you are having a relapse.
Knowing the signs and symptoms of a depressive episode is the best way for you to do this.Once you know the signs you can look for evidence of them in your journal and other daily situations.
Spending less time doing the things you like and with people you care about may be a sign of relapse.
Feeling sad, down, or miserable in general for several days in a row may indicate a relapse.
Unintentionally weight gain or loss are sometimes signs of a depression relapse.
Feeling confused, tired, or unfocused may also indicate a relapse.
Changes in your sleep pattern, such as sleeping a lot more or even having insomnia, may be a sign of a depression relapse.
Feeling irritable or moody may also indicate that you are having a depression relapse. , Sometimes people try to deny that they are having a depression relapse or that they haven’t been doing the things they need to do to manage their depression.
In fact, one of the biggest reasons people have a depression relapse is because they aren’t following their treatment plan.Be honest with yourself if you haven’t been doing the things you should to manage your depression or if you’ve been in situations that might trigger a relapse.
Tell yourself, “Pretending that this isn’t a depression relapse won’t help me.
The best thing for me to do is to be honest with myself about what’s going on and get help.” You might say to yourself, “I haven’t been taking my medication like I should.
It’s led to this relapse, but I can still manage my depression.
I need to talk to my therapist about what’s going on.” , You don’t have to have someone watching you like a hawk 24-hours a day, but it can help to have someone close to you aware of the signs of depressive episode.
This person can help you recognize a relapse early on when the signs may be too subtle for you to notice.
Share the signs of a depression relapse with someone close to you.
You could try, “I want you to know what some of the signs of depression are.
I’m going to tell you about some of the ones I usually have.” Ask someone close to you to look for patterns in your behavior that might suggest you are having a depression relapse.
For instance, you might say, “Could you be on the lookout for some of the signs we talked about?” Ask them to help you seek help if they feel you might be experiencing a relapse.
Try saying, “If you think I’m relapsing, please encourage me and support me in getting treatment.”
About the Author
Deborah Ferguson
Specializes in breaking down complex creative arts topics into simple steps.
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