Jan 1, 2013

Keeping positive even though you know life sucks





Suffering from anxiety and depression is no laughing matter and if you are bipolar and have already experienced it first-hand you know that it will take hard work to manage it to the point where you feel like a whole human being again. Depression can’t kill you. It can only do so if you let it. People who think that depression is just something you can get over like that, have no idea what the sufferer goes through and what will it takes to remain strong. 


Tips on how to stay positive

Having first-hand experience of anxiety and depression this writer knows what it feels like to allow a bout of depression to get out of hand. You lose all faith in your abilities, you think the worst, you don’t believe that things will ever get better – but they do and you get through it. Here are some tips on how to become and stay positive.

·         Treat your body to the best you can possibly give by having a weekly massage and feeling the warmth and heat of other hands on your skin. Do this in conjunction with aromatherapy or meditation. The idea is to remain calm.

·         Go outside and spend half an hour with your dog. You don’t know what a good thing you are doing. Dogs love to be walked or fetch rolled-up newspapers down the drive and a fit and happy dog makes for a lovable canine. Keep his blankets and towels fresh. Always make sure his bowls are filled with clean water. 

·         Drink four to six glasses of water and cut out caffeine and fizzy drinks. Have lots of color in your vegetables by eating green, red and yellow peppers as well as fruit and nuts. Opt for foods rich in B12 and Omega-3 vitamins. These foods would include nuts, soybeans, salmon, tuna and mackerel.

·         Ease off on espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, chocolate and caffeine and don’t eat the whole chocolate bar in one shot. Keep it in the fridge and have a row at a time.

·         Work with music if you can. It lifts you up and changes your thinking. Keep your body active as much as you can.

·         Playing a sport once or twice a week will change your attitude and demeanor.

·         Join a community or a support group or a book club where the works of different writers are explored. You not only have fun, you learn something new. Never think of yourself as old.

·         Make a new friend at 65 or 70 and visit each other and watch movies you have selected to watch and review.

·         If you have high anxiety and need to be treated, speak to a specialist first before taking anything. Do not take medication that has not been prescribed for you. When it comes to pills speak to a doctor first.