Lifestyle adjustments

Although eating well and exercising are vital parts of any prescription for general good health and well-being, depression usually saps you of the motivation to pursue either. Shopping for nutritious foods and then preparing them, even marching yourself around the block, can be arduous tasks when deep in depression. Both diet and exercise can contribute to an increased sense of control and trigger positive neurochemical changes, however, that support other treatments for depression. By contrast, alcohol can exacerbate depression, so you should drink moderately, if at all.

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Strategies for limiting stress can also help alleviate depression. Meditation especially has been proven to be effective in helping depressed patients control the obsessive thinking and anxiety that are associated with the illness. Turning to family or friends for support is also key during depressive episodes.