Coping with depression

by Alifa

(Jerusalem, Israel)

I suffered from depression quite a lot in my life, and did some intense therapy with an excellent psychologist.

Many of the techniques he taught me were very similar to Buddhist practice, especially mindfulness. Finding the right therapist can be a real challenge. Shop around if you need to.

There are some simple things that I tried to do every day that helped:

– I made my bed each morning, and washed the dishes before going to bed. When someone is depressed, life can seem chaotic and overwhelming; doing these simple, low-energy tasks can give a sense of order.

– Eat simple nutritious meals. Be sure to get enough protein and not rely on snack foods or eat too many high carbohydrate foods.

– Be aware if you are using too much alcohol or other drugs; and if you are taking prescription medication, do NOT use alcohol or recreational drugs with that. Follow the doctor’s instructions.

– I walked my dog twice a day. Any kind of exercise is a benefit.

– It sounds contradictory, but doing something to help others can help a lot. It isn’t just making the comparison: “There are others worse off than me” because that can lead a depressed person to think, “I don’t deserve help or relief because others are worse off…” — rather, helping others helps us to develop our compassion, and we need to have compassion for ourselves!

One of the things that surprised me when I began learning about Buddhism was that meditation practice for developing compassion starts with having compassion on ourselves. Coming from a Christian background, I thought that was wrong at first, but now I see the wisdom of it.

May all who suffer find compassion and relief; may all be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.

**********************note from Hugo**************

What a great testimonial Alifa. Your advices are also awesome. I recommend anyone -depressed or not- to follow them.

Thank you again!