Having trouble

[MotherOfDoggos]

I’m starting to slip back into a depressive episode and I’m having a lot of trouble. I’ve dealt with this so many times before and tried so many different coping mechanisms, but I don’t know what to do to make things easier. My therapist has been advising me to kind of sit with my feelings- just allow myself to feel angry with myself, or disappointed in myself, then let the feeling pass.

I just don’t know how to do that. I can sit with the feelings rather than trying to distract myself or push them away, but I don’t know how to let them pass. I just get stuck in a spiral of self hatred. Is there some sort of trick to this? Does it get easier over time? Any advice or experience is appreciated!

[samack]

I know exactly how you feel. I think your therapist is right, but wrong when you are in a deep depression. It doesn't help at all. Rumination is the problem, you need to find a way to stop or interrupt the thoughts. I never learned a way to do that. Maybe CBT would help. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I wish you all the best.

[MotherOfDoggos in reply to samack]

Thank you- it’s so good to be able to put these questions out there to people who understand. I think you’re right- I might be too far into this hole to practice this right now. Maybe as I’m starting to come out of it and I feel a little more in control.

[PupsRule]

I agree with samack -- if we're feeling deeply depressed, I think we're already sitting with it! We need to get busy, distract, like taking a walk, calling a friend, cleaning, spending time with a pet, coloring, practicing a hobby, etc. Because when we ruminate, we keep thinking we're going to come to some solution for our problems, but I think we just keep spinning the same things around. Better to get busy.

[MotherOfDoggos in reply to PupsRule]

Thanks for the reply! I think you’re both right. I know it’s important not to just avoid feelings, but I don’t feel ok enough to get out of my own head right now.