Dealing with depression can be debilitating. You may find yourself unable to do things that you used to do easily, all because the depression has taken over your life. Depression is very real and shouldn't be ignored. However, there are some things that you can do to better manage your depression to take control of your life again. Here are some tips.

1. Identify Your Triggers

The first thing you need to do is recognize what things are making your depression worse. Many times these things won't even be rational, but they will be real. For instance, it could be that certain foods bring back painful memories or that you struggle when passing certain landscapes, certain people, and so forth. With help and counseling, you can learn how to deal with the triggers so that they don't have so much power over you, but in the beginning, you may have to avoid the triggers until you can get a better handle on your depression.

2. Consider Medication

It is vital that you view depression for what it is, a disease. Just like some people have heart disease or diabetes, people with depression have a real illness that affects the chemicals in the brain. You cannot simply think yourself out of clinical depression. Luckily, there is medication that can be life saving for many people. The medication can help to balance out the chemicals in the brain that are making it so that you don't feel pleasure about anything.

Depending on the type of your depression and the severity, the medication can be a short-term thing or can provide a long-term solution. It all depends on your individual needs and situation. This is why it is important to meet with a skilled medical doctor who can help you find the right medication for you.

3. Exercise

People dealing with depression can benefit from regular exercise. When you exercise, especially do cardio workouts; doing them helps to release endorphins into the body. These endorphins can make you feel happier, fight pain, and can make you feel energized. Although everyone benefits from exercising, people with depression especially need it.

The difficult thing about exercise and depression is that when you have depression you have no motivation. Thus, a terrible cycle of not taking care of yourself and then feeling worse develops. This is why it is important to take the first step and try to just exercise each morning.

By doing these things you can fight your depression. Talk to a doctor, or to a pediatrician if you need help for your child, for more information.