Depression can be tricky in overcoming. Most of us grow up learning to listen to our bodies, such as when we are physically ill. For example, when having the flu, we tend to listen to our cravings for chicken noodle soup, crackers or orange juice. Our bodies say to us “Just lay here and get some rest” and we typically do. Listening to our bodies can be vital to recovery in physical illness. With emotional illness, such as depression, our body may crave what is not best long-term, such as isolating, withdrawing or disengaging from supports. Often in counseling, a person learns to overcome depression by various strategies, one of which might include implementing a routine that is holistically healthy.
In summary, in physical health we might tend to “Wait to feel better to do something”, whereby in emotional health we tend to “Do something to feel better”. Overcoming depression can be multi-faceted, such as talking to a doctor about medication options and exploring with a counselor about routines and daily life.