National Suicide Prevention Month

National Suicide Prevention Month: We can all help prevent suicide. The crisis Hotline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

1-800-273-8255

Tips and tricks to help alleviate depression 

Cold showers: Taking a cold shower for up to 5 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week, was shown to help relieve symptoms of depression in a clinical trial. For people with depression, cold showers can work as a kind of gentle electroshock therapy. The cold water sends many electrical impulses to your brain.

Running: The chemicals released during and after running can help people experiencing anxiety feel calmer. Whether you’re hopping on a treadmill, track, trail, or sidewalk, getting your body moving is a healthy way of coping with tough times.

Supplements and vitamins: 

https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/herbs-vitamins-supplements

https://hifasdaterra.co.uk/blog/clinic/depression/

Weight Lifting: Results showed that resistance exercise “significantly reduced depressive symptoms” among research participants. One notable finding was that participants showed an improvement in their mood regardless of whether they grew physically stronger from the exercises

Reading: The act of reading them actually can reconfigure brain networks. This means that not only are we able to escape from our problems while reading, it also increases compassion to another’s suffering — as well as perhaps to one’s own — which can be a major aid to self-growth and healing, as well as helping to decrease anxiety and depression.

Meditation: A regular practice can help your brain better manage stress and anxiety that can trigger depression.

How can I help someone with depression?

While you can’t control someone else’s recovery from depression, you can start by encouraging the depressed person to seek help. Getting a depressed person into treatment can be difficult. Depression saps energy and motivation, so even the act of making an appointment or finding a doctor can seem daunting to your loved one. Depression also involves negative ways of thinking. The depressed person may believe that the situation is hopeless and treatment pointless.

Because of these obstacles, getting your loved one to admit to the problem—and helping them see that it can be solved—is an essential step in depression recovery.

How can I get help

SAMHSA’s National Helpline1-800-662-4357

SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.