We have interviewed 61 people who have struggled with depression. These stories are full of tips on how to overcome depression.
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I’ve interviewed 61 people struggling with depression, and here are the top 5 most mentioned tips that helped these people overcome it:
In our many years of publishing helpful mental health content, we always received questions from our readers about specific situations. While we have a lot of helpful tips to share on how to be happier, we simply can’t offer advice for every situation.
That’s why I’ve set out to interview folks with every type of mental health struggle. My job as an interviewer is to categorize these interviews and present them in a way that is most helpful to our readers.
“I wish I knew that I was worthy of the treatment and that everything I felt was valid. Because it is, no one is the same. Even with the same condition, we are all different.
I was scared of what was happening to me. I was full of hatred, sadness, guilt, disappointment in the world, etc., but sometimes I still am! And that’s valid.”
Struggled with:
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Hate
Suicidal
“When my post-traumatic stress (PTS) started to develop, I felt something that I’d never felt before in my life. I started having vivid nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks that were constantly bringing back the trauma.”
Struggled with:
Abuse
Anxiety
Childhood
Depression
PTSD
“Oftentimes males are super hesitant to open up to strangers about their feelings and what they’ve got going on in their life. Yet, I took the approach of I need the help and this person is here to help me and this was one of the best things I could’ve done.”
Struggled with:
ADHD
Anxiety
Childhood
Depression
Panic attacks
“My therapist played a crucial role in guiding me through this journey. She encouraged me to undergo medical checkups, which led to getting my hormone levels checked and eventually starting on medication. This medical intervention, combined with therapy, laid the foundation for my healing process.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Panic attacks
Stress
“Physical activity calms the mind, creating a clearer state to confront and address your problems. It’s a common tendency to do the opposite when we’re depressed: lying in bed, staying inactive. But it’s crucial to break this cycle.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Breakup
Depression
“Something that I wish I had known earlier in my mental health journey is that my mental illness does not need to define me. I stopped using the phrase ‘I am Bipolar/BPD’ and instead I say, ‘I have…’ I did this when I noticed how overidentifying with my diagnosis was hindering rather than helping me.”
“The part that was hardest to deal with was waking up every day, for months, going through your day, and doing the bare minimum. Because I just could not find a reason to do anything. I did not have the energy to live my life and that crushed me the most.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Breakup
Depression
Panic attacks
Stress
“For years, I had suppressed my emotions, thinking it was the “manly” thing to do. But once I started playing the guitar, I realized the importance of expressing myself. Music became my outlet, and through it, I was able to process my grief and anxiety.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Grief
Helped by:
Mindfulness
Music
Self-improvement
Therapy
“Isolation, ruminating thoughts of my father dying by himself, alone and scared, surrounded only by occasional strangers in hazmatlike PPE clothing (this was a particularly effective form of emotional cutting and torture); junk food; not getting out of bed or showering; not answering my phone; and lots of wine—like red Solo cups full. I was a train wreck. Plain and simple.”
Struggled with:
Breakup
Depression
Loneliness
“In the past, I didn’t understand my behavior or intense mood swings, but now I understand much of it is rooted in past trauma. Nearly everything in regard to close personal relationships can trigger or set me off. I often describe it as living life with no skin. Everything hurts and my brain interprets every single interaction as a threat or rejection.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Borderline Personality Disorder
Depression
Grief
