How can I tell if I am slipping into depression- I have been through a loss and don’t seem to be getting better- feeling lethargic, gaining weight and frequently feeling sad. How to support my brain through this time?
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grief or depression
Updated on December 14, 2016 in
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Hi Brennie: Grief after a loss is normal, but if it persists after a few months it can turn into depression. The best way to support your mood and brain during this time is to do all the steps in Brain Fit Life especially taking omega 3 fatty acids, exercising (walk like you are late 5-6 times a week, and writing down negative thoughts and eliminating them. In addition, make sure to get your thyroid done and the rest of your important numbers. Also, getting support from the community can be very helpful. Thanks for being here with us.
Brennie, I have been through some major loss during the last year, too. A key thing is to let ourselves have some fun, too. When the grief comes up, it’s okay to feel it as long as we don’t marinate in it all of the time. Call a friend or two and go out for coffee. You can always order something healthier, like tea (or even indulge in an occasional coffee as a treat). Do something you’ve always wanted to do.
Thanks Sally4th- I know you had a big loss in your life as well and must be going through the ups and downs of healing.
I am no stranger to loss and I concur with Dr. Amen’s recommendations and Sally4th has some good recommendations as well. Grief is a path only we can travel and the journey is different for all of us. We all suffer something in this life. God luck and remain positive.
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“Grief is like the ocean; it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim”. -Vicki Harrison
Be gentle with yourself when things feel more overwhelming, and ask for help from friends and family when you need it. If it’s hard to ask for help, which it is for many of us, remember how good it feels when someone asks you for support. It is a gift to trust someone enough to ask, not a burden.
Thank you – Coach_Zoe. I appreciate the quote.
After my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers, I attended a conference about this disease. I attended a session where a medical professional used the term, anticipatory grief. The room was full of caregivers. This phrase helped identify in two words what I had been experiencing as a long distance caregiver. The phrase and being in a room full of other caregivers, realizing I wasn’t the only person struggling with the challenges of the disease as it affected my family – helped me so much. At the time I was working in a stressful IT job and trying to support my father as he faced the issues of living with mom and her decline with the disease.
My mother has passed and now my father is showing signs of short-term memory loss.
I have joined a caregiver support group locally and also stay connected with a caregiver support professional where my father lives. I attended a class recently called Powerful Toolkit for Caregivers. All of these are helping me to cope so I can stay balanced and support my father.
I appreciate so much being part of this Forum. Thank you.
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Grief is a dynamic situation that can be very deceiving masking as depression, guilt, sadness (very intense) and will affect you on all levels of living. Take one day at a time, journal, and connect with those who have had personal experience with this emotion. Living is a great thing, we must take all things in stride. Just remember “inch by inch-anything is a cinch”,
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I have been away for a while, and now experiencing a loss of a half brother to alcohol and bi-polar, and it is painful, I re read my March reply, and I will take note of my thoughtful words. Thank you for the encouragement.
I especially like the quote posted by coach Zoe comparing grief to an ocean- very helpful ideas from many people on this site. Take care
Hi Sally 4th- I haven’t been posting for awhile- still working at feeling better. How are you? Do you have any increase of symptoms with the Christmas holidays coming up?
Sometimes I think of what I have lost, or what I have done to ruin things. . , but, I also use the joy of the season to distract from the unhealthy thinking. I have hope BECAUSE of Christmas — BECAUSE God loves us and sent His Son to save us from the things we hate in ourselves. I have hope for a “new happy”. This will be the second Christmas since my great losses, and I think it will be happier than last year’s as I begin to see new possibilities. – But, holidays can be intense. How are the holidays affecting you, so far?
I find myself missing my family who live far away even more than usual- and it is easy to get lost in sadness and regret. I am going to try to focus on the things that are pleasurable and try not to focus on the commercial aspect of the “holidays” and to keep things in perspective. I tend to think that everyone else is having the perfect Christmas and I know that is just not so. Hope you continue to see new possibilities and enjoy the things coming up
I always try to remember that the people I love may not be in front of me but they are always in my heart.
I’m trying to think about the season without all the commercial stuff- cutting down on all the frantic activity and just doing less and keeping things in perspective. I’ve also distracted myself by booking a beach vacation for the beginning of the new year. Hope you are having more bright days than sad days. Take care.
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