Coping with depression

Mary

Session 1: Offered suggestions about things Mary can do to increase her motivation and energy so she can move forward with her recovery. Introduced the idea of volunteering. Explained that helping others can boost mood and increase self-esteem. Asked Mary to consider her skills, talents, and interests and think about how she might use them to help others. She knows how it feels to be lonely and in need, so she might be in a good position to alleviate the suffering of someone in a similar situation. She likes animals so she might be able to volunteer at a pet store or a shelter. She likes reading so I suggested she consider volunteering with a community group that teaches literacy skills. I asked her to think about how helping others would make her feel. Offered to help her explore volunteer opportunities in her community and accompany her to go visit them.

Session 2: Continued the discussion we began last week about things Mary can do to increase her motivation and energy so she can move forward with her recovery. I explained that when people get depressed, they often stay inside and avoid contact with others. This can make their depression worse. To counter this, I encouraged Mary to get out of her apartment and get moving, even though it would be difficult for her at first. Spending 10 minutes outside and soaking up a little sunshine could be a good start. A 30-minute walk, once or twice a week, could be a next step. I told Mary I would go on the first few walks with her if that would help. Reminded her that she knows her body best, and not to push herself too hard. Explained that when people exercise, their brains release chemicals called endorphins. These chemicals can improve their mood and reduce their perception of pain.

Session 3: Continued our discussion about things Mary can do to improve her mood and start working on her recovery again. Explained that when people get depressed, even things that used to make them feel better can seem impossible to do. Introduced the idea of creating a daily plan of activities for herself. The activities could be simple tasks she wanted to accomplish, or small things she felt would make her happy. Suggested to Mary that if she had several things to focus on and look forward to every day, she was likely to accomplish at least one of them. Experiencing small successes this way could increase her self-confidence and motivation to take on bigger things. I advised her to make the list every night before she went to bed. This would give her plenty of time to think and something to look forward to the next day.

Session 4: In our last 3 sessions we discussed things Mary could do more of to increase her motivation and energy. Today we discussed things she should consider doing less of. Explained to Mary that while social media seemed like a good way to interact with others from the comfort of her home, that wasn't necessarily true. Educated her on recent research which shows that the way people represent themselves on social media isn’t a true representation of their real lives. People tend to post things that are flattering and highlight the best moments of their lives. Explained that looking at social media can make people feel worse by making it seem as if everyone else is happier, better looking, and more successful. Encouraged Mary to step back from social media and try doing more things she enjoyed rather than looking at perfected images of others. Brainstormed to come up with ideas about how she could spend the time she currently spends on her phone or her computer, and be around other people in-person rather than looking at them on a screen.