Hello,
I am a new member and this is my first post. What I want to offer and share are tips to cope with anxiety and depression when you are in the MIDST OF FEELING TERRIBLE. This could be true even if you are taking medication, are in therapy, and working very hard to achieve breakthroughs.
I will give an example. It could be detailed but I'll state it in general for now--depending on responses. Over time, how do you know if you are improving, staying the same, or worsening? Without data, it is not possible to know because our memories do not extend past a previous day or so, at least not in detail with respect to our moods.
So keep a spreadsheet a create numerical values that describe your degree and type of suffering, for example, "0" = free from anxiety and depression; "1" = tolerable anxiety and depression; a range from "1.25 - 2.00" = I can make the statement: "I am suffering!" Enter one average value for each day. If night problems, create a column for your night value. Add up the points every week. As time goes by, you can compare weeks and find patterns. You can use "a" for anxiety and "d" for depression, so, for example, "1ad" or "2a," etc.
I would like to discuss this method further with anyone who is interested. For extreme suffering, it's possible to track on a notepad; it's reassuring. Please read my Profile. Nothing is hidden.