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Relapses Prevention - A First Plan

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Relapses Prevention - A First Plan

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Hi Eleveno,

Glad to hear you are doing well and getting used to not living with Depression. Wait a minute... we kind of glossed over a huge point here. You are having days without Depression!! This is a very big deal and I hope you a present to all your hard work and how important this is

Take a moment right now to really soak that in! I have a big smile on my face thinking about it and I hope you do to.

You are right, once you get into the habit of living a healthy lifestyle and doing all the things you mentioned (pleasant activities, goals, etc.) then there might not be a need to continue to track everything. But like you said be on guard for symptoms of feeling unwell so you can catch it quickly.

Since you have come so far, what advice would you give to others who are just starting out in trying to manage their depression?

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 619

I am already experiencing days where I have depression 0. I am still getting used to these days without depression because for many years I have been living with depression. It seems strange at first to have a "normal" day but I am sure I will get it

I realized that the purpose of CBT is to help and teach us how to live again. To live again is: doing pleasant activities, interact with other people, solve problems, work on goals and have time to relax. I think all the CBT activities are a mean to find this purpose.

I will follow my plan for the prevention of relapses but I think at some time in the future it will be possible to stop completely doing CBT activities and be fully engaged in "living again". Of course I still have to catch any symptoms of depression so I can be prepared for its return and act.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Sounds like a good plan Eleveno!

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 619

Hello Ashley,

I could create the habit of revisiting the plan frequently. It could be one time a month or anytime I notice a significant downward spiral.

If I am following the plan and I am still getting worse then it will be important to consult my doctor.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Hi Eleveno,

Thanks for posting this. I have already asked you this questions in another area of the program but for the benefit of others.

How will you ensure you stick with this plan?

What is your emergency plan if you start noticing yourself not feeling well?

Great work!

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 619

Once one begins feeling a little better it is good to start thinking in relapses prevention.

Some days ago I wrote a complete plan for the prevention of relapses (based on the CBT program) but I have to tell you that when I finished writing it I felt overwhelmed with so many things to do and I didn’t believed in the plan because it was not practical. I also realized that each person is different and what works for one person could not work for another.

For example, in addition to depression I also have problems with anxiety and have a natural tendency to be a perfectionist. Even thought I found most of the CBT techniques very effective there were a few who made things worse (especially anxiety) or weren’t useful at all.

However I still need to work on something and came up with the following plan which is based on the CBT techniques that have worked with me so far:

- I plan to use one or more of the following activities: Mood Tracker, Activity Tracker and Thought Records.

- It is good to calm down my racing mind and will keep practicing relaxing activities such as yoga and meditation. For me these are pleasant activities which is a bonus.

- I am not alone in this fight against depression and I will keep participating in online support groups.

- From time to time I will think in the things I am thankful for so I could reinforce my positive core beliefs

I already have some evidence that working on the points I mentioned it is enough to lower my levels of depression and anxiety. I also noticed that when my levels of depression and anxiety are low I naturally start being more communicative and assertive, do pleasant activities more frequently and work on goals.

I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions about my plan.

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Relapses Prevention - A First Plan