Blues; Gloom; Sadness; Melancholy

If you are depressed for 2 weeks or longer, you should contact your doctor, who can offer treatment options. Regardless of the type and severity of your depression, the following self-care steps can help:

• Get enough sleep.
• Follow a healthy, nutritious diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Avoid alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational drugs.
• Get involved in activities that make you happy, even if you don't feel like it.
• Spend time with family and friends.
• If you are a religious or spiritual person, talking to clergy or spiritual advisors may help give meaning to painful experiences.
• Consider meditation, tai chi, or related activities as ways to relax.
• Add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, which you can get in over-the-counter supplements or from eating fish such as tuna, salmon, or mackerel.

If your depression occurs in the fall or winter months, try light therapy using a special lamp that mimics the sun.

If you have moderate to severe depression, the most effective treatment plan will likely involve a combination of talk therapy, lifestyle changes, and medication.

Images

Depression and heart disease

Depression and insomnia

Depression in children

Depression and the menstrual cycle

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Review Date: 03/31/2010
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and David B. Merrill, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)