How to Overcome Depression Triggers
Tune into your emotions., Examine any recent high stress situations., Notice your thoughts and reactions to events., Evaluate any recent life transitions., Assess current or past trauma.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Tune into your emotions.
Learn to train yourself to recognize negative emotions as soon as they occur.
You may have automatic thoughts that you don't even notice that could turn negative.By tuning into your emotions, you may find it easier to identify your triggers.
For example, if you received a lower mark than expected on a test.
You might think to yourself, "I'm a failure, and I'll never amount to anything." You then feel hopeless and depressed.
This means that getting a poor grade is probably one of your depression triggers. -
Step 2: Examine any recent high stress situations.
A new challenge or a difficult situation can trigger negative emotions such as sadness, fear, and anger.
If the high stress situations continue to persist or build up over time, this may lead to feelings of depression.
You may feel unable to handle or cope with the recent events and possibly feel out of control.
High stress situations include:
Family conflict.
A recent or ongoing illness.
Problems with work or co-workers.
Problems with school or other students.
Financial stressors such as debt, managing bills, or a recent loss of a job.
Relationship problems such as lack of intimacy, poor communication, or a break-up. , Think before you act.
Consider how an event leads to a negative thought which in turn leads to a negative emotion.
Your emotions are triggered by events, and sometimes you may react or over-react to the event due to negative thoughts that become triggers.Think about how emotions are connected to both situations and your own thoughts.
Some situations may warrant feelings of sadness, such as a recent death in the family.
This may lead to depression.
Other events may seem to be worse than they actually are.
For example, if a teacher states that you are doing good work overall, but gave you a C rather than A, this may make you momentarily sad, but should not trigger depression by itself.
Depression is not a momentary feeling of sadness.
Depression is something that affects to your daily living and your emotional behavior.
Clinical depression lasts for more than two weeks., Big changes in your life or your family's life can have an impact on how you feel about yourself.
Sadness may set in if you feel less confident about yourself, your career, your family, or your future.
All people experience some form of life transition.
Think about how you can focus on your strength and resilience during these times:
A recent death or a decline in health requiring more assistance.
Job loss or a new career path.
The end of a relationship or marriage.
Moving away from your friends and family.
Having friends or family move away.
A change in roles such as becoming a caregiver for an elderly parent.
A loss of independence such as no longer driving. , Our past affects the present.
If you have had a traumatic experience as a child, this may impact your current or future feelings as an adult.
A traumatic experience can happen no matter what age or your background, but each person may be affected differently by that experience.
Think about if there are current places, people, or situations that trigger feelings of depression or anxiety associated with a past event.Avoid the temptation to ignore or avoid your feelings associated with trauma.
Avoid self-blame.
Be strong and get support for those past experiences. -
Step 3: Notice your thoughts and reactions to events.
-
Step 4: Evaluate any recent life transitions.
-
Step 5: Assess current or past trauma.
Detailed Guide
Learn to train yourself to recognize negative emotions as soon as they occur.
You may have automatic thoughts that you don't even notice that could turn negative.By tuning into your emotions, you may find it easier to identify your triggers.
For example, if you received a lower mark than expected on a test.
You might think to yourself, "I'm a failure, and I'll never amount to anything." You then feel hopeless and depressed.
This means that getting a poor grade is probably one of your depression triggers.
A new challenge or a difficult situation can trigger negative emotions such as sadness, fear, and anger.
If the high stress situations continue to persist or build up over time, this may lead to feelings of depression.
You may feel unable to handle or cope with the recent events and possibly feel out of control.
High stress situations include:
Family conflict.
A recent or ongoing illness.
Problems with work or co-workers.
Problems with school or other students.
Financial stressors such as debt, managing bills, or a recent loss of a job.
Relationship problems such as lack of intimacy, poor communication, or a break-up. , Think before you act.
Consider how an event leads to a negative thought which in turn leads to a negative emotion.
Your emotions are triggered by events, and sometimes you may react or over-react to the event due to negative thoughts that become triggers.Think about how emotions are connected to both situations and your own thoughts.
Some situations may warrant feelings of sadness, such as a recent death in the family.
This may lead to depression.
Other events may seem to be worse than they actually are.
For example, if a teacher states that you are doing good work overall, but gave you a C rather than A, this may make you momentarily sad, but should not trigger depression by itself.
Depression is not a momentary feeling of sadness.
Depression is something that affects to your daily living and your emotional behavior.
Clinical depression lasts for more than two weeks., Big changes in your life or your family's life can have an impact on how you feel about yourself.
Sadness may set in if you feel less confident about yourself, your career, your family, or your future.
All people experience some form of life transition.
Think about how you can focus on your strength and resilience during these times:
A recent death or a decline in health requiring more assistance.
Job loss or a new career path.
The end of a relationship or marriage.
Moving away from your friends and family.
Having friends or family move away.
A change in roles such as becoming a caregiver for an elderly parent.
A loss of independence such as no longer driving. , Our past affects the present.
If you have had a traumatic experience as a child, this may impact your current or future feelings as an adult.
A traumatic experience can happen no matter what age or your background, but each person may be affected differently by that experience.
Think about if there are current places, people, or situations that trigger feelings of depression or anxiety associated with a past event.Avoid the temptation to ignore or avoid your feelings associated with trauma.
Avoid self-blame.
Be strong and get support for those past experiences.
About the Author
Mark Ortiz
A seasoned expert in biotech, Mark Ortiz combines 19 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Mark's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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