Looking to Diminish Depression?
Tags: health, mentalhealth, programmers
Published: 2019-02-28 18:06:46

---
title: Looking to Diminish Depression?
published: true
description: Tips to diminish depression. 
tags: #health #mentalhealth #programmers
---
![image](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/q6v4chdacsqg2vekg9y8.PNG)

Depression can make your dev work a struggle. As the [Mental Health Foundation](https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/d/depression) notes, it’s a common mental health condition that leaves with you little motivation, interest, or pleasure. And it can even cause you to feel guilty or worthless. Combine all that with a restless sleep routine, altered appetite, and the inability to concentrate, and you’ll find that you can barely stay aware of your surroundings, let alone help your team with programming.

How do you know if you have this condition, though? If you’ve been dealing with the majority of the following symptoms for an unusual amount of time, you might want to consider the fact that you are likely dealing with depression:

•	Fatigue
•	Energy loss
•	Poor self-esteem
•	Concentration troubles
•	Low interest in previously enjoyable activities
•	Constant anxiety
•	Difficulties with sleep
•	Frequent feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, and hopelessness
•	Inability to function
•	No appetite
•	Aches and pains throughout the body
•	Thoughts about suicide and death
•	Self-harm 

You might feel silly for considering that you have depression, but you shouldn’t. There are more than [300 million people](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression) like you around the world who are affected by this condition. And it’s not anyone’s fault. Depression’s main cause is not well-known, but [some research](https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression) has shown that it may be caused by low neuron production in the hippocampus area of the brain.

So, what can you do about it? It won’t be easy, but give the following suggestions some thought. They just might help you diminish your depression.

**Consider a free program like SuperBetter for relief and motivation.**

Depression is a catch-22 sort of condition. While you may desperately want to be free from it, the very nature of depression makes it difficult for you to motivate yourself to do just that. 

One way to handle this tricky motivation matter is by going for an incredibly convenient form of help, such as SuperBetter. Developed by game designer Jane McGonigal, SuperBetter is a free online tool that helps you build up your ability to remain motivated and optimistic despite life challenges. 

All you have to do is sign up on the SuperBetter website and explain what challenge you’re dealing with. Then, the tool will give you ways of turning that challenge into a real-life game, where your hurdles will seem less like insurmountable tasks and more like fun mini games that you know you’ll get past eventually. 

This tool might seem a bit childish to some, but [a few studies](https://www.superbetter.com/faq#are-there-studies) back up its ability to improve the lives of those with mental health conditions like depression. So why not give it a try?

**Once motivated even a little, try out different physical activities.**

Whether you found that SuperBetter helped you out or you found motivation through another method, once you feel a bit more prepared to take on other everyday challenges, take a look at different physical activities you might enjoy.

While depression makes it seem counterintuitive, [exercise is actually great for depression relief](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/da.22842). Exercise won’t cure your depression, but it does encourage your body to create endorphins, which are hormones that can make you feel better. It can help beat down the overall feeling of doom and gloom that depression promotes. So, start thinking about what exercises might suit you best! You might choose to just go out for a short, daily walk. Or maybe a more contemplative form of exercise, such as yoga, is more your thing. Whatever it is, getting out and exercising will be sure to add some extra positivity to your day.

**Have a therapist help you out.**

When you can’t think of any workarounds for some of your daily challenges, you might want to think about going to a therapist. A mental health professional can offer you a new perspective that just might change how you typically react to certain situations, which can, in turn, lessen how much depression affects your perception.

For strong results, look for a licensed therapist near your neighborhood who conducts cognitive behavioral therapy ([CBT](https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/cognitive-behavior-therapy)) or dialectical behavior therapy ([DBT](https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/dialectical-behaviour-therapy)). With CBT, you’ll work with the therapist to help modify any dysfunctional feelings, actions, and thoughts you might have a tendency for. With DBT, you’ll get a modified form of CBT. You and your therapist will still practise techniques to modify your behavior. But you’ll also be given skills in mindfulness, acceptance, and stress tolerance.

Whether you end up going with CBT or DBT, you’ll gain new skills that will allow you to view life from a new perspective and handle challenges that might have seemed overwhelming otherwise.

**Don’t forget the benefits of prescription drugs.**

The [increasing costs of prescription drugs](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2545691) might make you wary of going on medication that could help you with your depression. But what if prescription drugs are the only treatment your moderate to severe depression responds to?

Well, first off, discuss prescription drugs with your doctor to make sure they are appropriate for you and your situation. 

If you have been prescribed medication, don’t panic about its cost. Just go online to an international or [Canadian pharmacy service](https://www.canadianpharmacyservice.com/) that only sources from high-quality licensed pharmacies. Once there, look for and order your particular prescription, which might be something like [sertraline](https://www.canadianpharmacyservice.com/drug/zoloft). When ordering, you’ll find that you’ll be able to order your prescription from licensed international and Canadian pharmacies, where prescription drugs are typically less expensive compared to their American counterparts.

With cheaper prescription drugs, you’ll have an easier time keeping your depression and life under control. 

If prescriptions aren’t for you, there are still quite a few other treatments out there. 

No matter what method of depression treatment you use, know that you’re taking productive steps to enhancing the environment for yourself, your dev work, and the rest of your everyday activities.