It’s important to understand that fluctuations do happen in depression. A lot of times following an episode of depression you may have a relapse (return of full symptoms after a partial recovery) or even a recurrence (return of full symptoms after you have fully recovered). Unfortunately your chance of relapse or recurrence is influenced by the number of prior episodes. The more episodes you had, the greater your chance of having them again. However there are three things you can do to help reduce the intensity and, hopefully, duration of an episode. 1. Know your triggers (events or circumstances, either good or bad, that may cause you distress); 2. Learn your warning signs (changes in your mood, thoughts, behaviours, routine...); 3. Develop an action plan (work with your therapist to develop strategies to start managing an episode as soon as possible). Notice that all three steps are different to each person. It’s important you identify your own. __________________________________________ My triggers: a big change in my daily routine; too many unwanted responsibilities; failed goals and sometimes even good news. My warnings: irritability without a valid reason; difficulty in sleeping; lack of concentration; difficulty in taking decisions (as basic as what to wear); avoiding people... My action plan: whenever I notice some of my red flags showing up I start focusing on gradually neutralize them. How? Trying to see every situation I want to avoid as an opportunity to evolve. __________________________________________ This helps me not to feel so disoriented, therefore fighting the episode in a more conscious and effective way. Do you know your recession/recurrence signs? What strategies do you use? #talkaboutdepression #depressionstruggle #betterunderstanding #sharingreality #letsdoittogether ***FOLLOW MY BLOG*** https://unveilingthedarkside.wordpress.com/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Btn0kyUBS6q/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1iak96g0dx43g