This is really unfortunate, because many studies have been done that show how much people can benefit from seeing a professional about their depression. Some people see an improvement in their conditions from medicine that psychologists or other doctors prescribe, but a large majority of benefits are gained through talk therapy. Talk therapy is an excellent way for a person to get control of and overcome his depression. Here are some of the advantages of talk therapy:

Talk therapy involves talking with an impartial, unbiased person.

Counselors, therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists are all trained to listen and help depression sufferers. They have no biases and no prejudices, and they can help sufferers approach problems from an impartial point of view. This can be invaluable, because while talking with friends and family can be helpful, these people are biased because they have preconceived notions about the depressed individual.

Talk therapy sessions are completely confidential

It can be quite comforting to depression sufferers to know that whatever they say in their therapy sessions will not be repeated to anyone else, not even to other therapists. Therapists take this vow very seriously—the only exception made to this rule is if someone talks about harming himself or another individual.

By going to talk therapy, depression sufferers come to realize that their situation is not unique.

Many times, people going through depression feel alone in the world because they think no one understands what they are going through. But, by going to talk therapy sessions, sufferers begin to see that there are many other people going through similar situations—and, this can be a helpful step toward recovery.

Going to talk therapy gives depression sufferers someone to whom to be accountable

A lot of times, sufferers feel as if no one cares about them. Going to a therapist will let sufferers know that there is at least one person in the world who cares about their welfare.
There are many other reasons why talk therapy can help depression sufferers. Talk therapy really is one of the best ways sufferers can overcome their depression.

Photo Credit: Angela Hayden – Small Text Reads: P.S. Please remember to support the volunteers on the hotlines. They feel depressed when we don’t call.

For the full story, we have to go back two days ago. In the place that we rent, we have this small plot of land. I hesitate to call it a yard because it’s probably only 12 feet by 12 feet. I don’t spend a lot of time out there largely because of my phobia of bees. I looked out the other day and it been overgrown with plant/weed growth. So Sunday night I went out with come clippers and I clipped for close to an hour. I made a lot of headway, but I only got half the work I wanted to do done.

Flash forward to yesterday. I wake up with full intentions of going out and finishing the job in the morning. So I got up, got ready, but as I stepped to go outside, I saw four of the largest bees/hornets/wasps that I had ever seen. These things looked nuclear or something. I decided that I wouldn’t be able to do the job during the day.

This is when the trick came in… I somehow rationalized the clipping as exercise that I was going to get that day. When I canceled that exercise, I felt I needed to make it up. So I grabbed my running shoes and went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. It wasn’t one of my best workouts ever, but I was surprised at myself.

I’m thinking about ways that I can turn this into a more permanent trick. Perhaps in a day or two, I’ll have something a little functional in the motivation.

But, this really solves nothing. In fact, the first step to successful weight loss is learning that playing the “blame game” doesn’t work. Here’s why, and how to stop pointing fingers of blame.
The “blame game” doesn’t work simply because a person is never going to have proof of what caused his particular obesity issue. Sure, some people may get tested and find that their thyroid glands are functioning improperly—but, that cannot be entirely blamed for the obesity problem… that is merely a contributing factor. Likewise, the diets people followed as children cannot be blamed as complete causes—they can only be cited as contributing factors. The same goes for any other idea to which a person is pointing a finger of blame.

Now, learning to stop playing the “blame game” may take a little time. After all, many obese people have been playing this game for years, using it as excuses for their extra weight so that they do not have to take responsibility for their own obesity.

So, the first thing overweight people need to do is to accept that there is no reason to blame anything. Blame seems to imply that something is shameful, and being overweight should not be considered as such. It is important to realize this and understand that it is merely a body issue—and not one that is monstrous or repulsive.

Next, after any possible medical problems have been ruled out or taken care of (such as a thyroid problem), people need to just accept that they are overweight or obese and work toward finding solutions to fix the situation.

Staying away from the “blame game” can help people to become more positive about their weight situations because they will not be focused on the unhelpful—and possibly shameful–feelings behind blaming. This is a very important first step toward successful weight loss.

Today, I am a much more knowledgeable person about depression. When I think back about how I handled the situation, I did the exact opposite of what I should have done. Here are some mistakes I’ve made:

• I lived in the dark – Since light therapy helps those with seasonal affective disorder, perhaps it would have helped my mood as well. I realize that wasn’t the cause of my depression, but it can’t hurt to get rid of any contributing factors.
• I didn’t exercise – There are approximately 427 bazillion studies showing that exercise triggers endorphins in the brain. Endorphins make you happy. In a lot of cases, exercise can be as good or better than prescription medications.
• I didn’t see a doctor – While we are on the topic of prescription medicine, I should have seen a doctor. I have a personal fear of doctors. Unless I’m losing a lot of blood, I don’t want to go to them. It’s a phobia that I’m working on for the next year.

Why do I bring this up now? A couple of months back, I lost my day job. I’m taking a shot at working from home and starting a few side businesses. While money is not a big issue during this time (thank you Energi Gal), the feeling of accomplishment that I got with the day job is starting to be something that I miss. It’s not too hard to imagine how this could develop into depression. However I think I can avoid this with a three-pronged approach:

• Get Plenty of Natural Light – I will not miss the fluorescent lights at my old office. Would you?
• Get Plenty of Exercise – With more time at my disposal, I have been putting in regular gym time. I definitely come back happier, even if it’s just because I realized I did something good for myself.
• Set and Accomplish Goals – This is a little difficult for me. Some days I want to do one project and the next day it could be an entirely different one. Still, if I can put together a plan and some goals, hitting them should give me the sense of accomplishment that I had at my old job.

What do you think? Is there anything else I should add to this list? Let me know in the comments.