A Therapist’s Advice on Combatting Depression as a Teen or Young Adult
It can be tough being a teenager or young adult. You're figuring out who you are, what you want in life, and how to navigate all the new challenges and obstacles that come your way. This is supposed to be one of the best times of your life.
You're supposed to be thinking about things like prom, learning to drive a car, what career path you're wanting to choose, or even just hanging out with your friends and having fun.
But for some of us, that's not what our teenage years or early adulthood look like. You've started to feel alone, you're not enjoying everything that you usually do, and are having issues with sleeping or eating. You've started feeling hopeless about your future. You may be suffering from depression.
How Symptoms of Depression Can Manifest
Symptoms of depression can manifest in many ways for different people. For teenagers, depression can look like giving up on activities you once enjoyed, isolating yourself from family and friends, or feeling constantly exhausted. You might also be experiencing changes in your eating or sleeping habits.
For young adults, depression can manifest as feeling homesick, increased loneliness, and dreading making decisions about your life and future career choices. It can manifest with you struggling with being alone even though you may have always been an independent person.
No Matter How Depression Feels for You, it's Important to Know That You're Not Alone
As a therapist in San Antonio, Texas who specializes in working with teens and young adults, I see how heavy depression can make you feel. You're not alone. There are ways to help you combat your depression and our team of therapists at Monarch Behavioral Health is here to help.
Tips for Combating Your Depression
Before depression became a part of your life, you enjoyed different hobbies and activities. You were passionate about things and had friends you loved spending time with. It's important to remember that when you're feeling depressed, there are ways to feel passionate and joyful once again.
Get Back to the Activities You Enjoyed
Getting back to activities you once loved may seem impossible. Let's be honest, you may dread it at first. However, it's important to take small steps and give yourself grace as you are getting back into the swing of things.
For example, if you loved painting, start by looking up some new techniques online. Experiment with different styles and mediums. Buy some new supplies that excite you. After a time, you might find yourself starting to feel joy from it again.
Starting Something New
Along with taking small steps to start activities you once enjoyed, it's important to try new things as well. Learning a new skill or hobby can help with some of the boredom that comes with depression. It can also give you a sense of joy and accomplishment when you start to feel good at it.
Some things you may want to try include:
Hiking
Joining a sports team or league
Taking a cooking class
Volunteering
Going to an art museum
Trying a new video game
Take some time for yourself to explore and research activities that sound fun to you. Now is a great time to start!
If you're struggling to figure out where or how to start, a trained therapist may be a good resource. They can help you identify activities that may bring you comfort and joy.
You Can Feel Joy Again
We all tend to take for granted moments of joy until they're gone. But with depression, it can be easy to forget the moments when we feel happy. It tricks us into forgetting until we feel like we're in a constant state of sadness.
So, the next time you are feeling joy take a moment to be mindful of it. Whether it be from making small steps back into activities you once loved, or from spending time with people you care about. Therapy can also be a great place to explore what brings you joy and work on building those moments into your life.
Remember How Those Moments Felt
One way to document these moments to remember is to keep a journal. You can write about your day and the things that made you happy. This can be a fun activity in and of itself and maybe a new activity that brings you joy.
You Deserve to Take Care of Yourself
Along with taking small steps back into activities you once loved, it's important to take care of your body. Our team of specialized therapists at Monarch Behavioral Health would recommend starting with getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. As you start to feel better, you can add in other self-care activities that bring you joy.
It's easy to forget to do these things when we're feeling depressed and overwhelmed with everything else going on. We may think we don't deserve it or that we don't have time to take care of ourselves. However, you deserve to take time to take care of yourself and dedicate time to make sure that you are getting the proper nutrients and rest.
Your routine does not have to be exhausting but needs to be something that works for you. If you need help figuring out how to get started, our team of therapists can help.
Start Small and Pick One Thing to Focus on
It can be overwhelming to slowly start adding things back into your life or to change the way you're taking care of yourself. As a therapist, I would recommend starting small and focusing on one thing at a time.
For example, if you're going to start exercising, maybe just start by going on a short walk every day. Or if you're going to focus on your diet, maybe try adding one healthy meal or one healthy food into your meals.
You don't have to do everything all at once. Just focus on one thing and build from there.
Reach Out for Help From a Depression Therapist in San Antonio, TX
If you're feeling like you can't do this alone, please reach out for help. Depression can be hard to manage on your own and seeking professional help does not mean that you're weak.
Even though you're feeling depressed, it's important to remember that it doesn't always have to be this way. There are small steps that you can take to slowly regain the best time of your life.
It's important to remember that there are ways to feel passionate and joyful once again. It takes time and effort but it is possible to get back to the activities you enjoyed. Just remember, you are not alone. Our therapists at Monarch Behavioral Health are here to support you.
If you’re interested in beginning therapy, you can follow these steps:
Contact our therapy office and learn more about our services
Meet with one of our therapists that specializes in working with teens and young adults showing symptoms of depression.
Learn how to manage and overcome your depression , call us at 210.384.1254.