Take care and be kind to yourself

coping with extremes

and extreme behaviors

  • When feeling blue, I don’t need to harm myself in any more ways for I’m already hurting. I deserve to feel as good as possible, I deserve to be kind towards myself.

     Alma*

Key points

People sometimes talk about a downward spiral of events that leads to depression. Being depressed, you may stop sleeping, eating, and socializing. Some try to cope by using drugs or drinking too much alcohol. All of this can make you feel worse and can result in a downward spiral of depression.1 Although some triggers will be beyond your control, it is possible to avoid extremes and it is important to ask for help and support when you need it.

It can be helpful to recognize and look out for warning signs of extreme behaviors and when extremes of moods occur, have an action plan ready that includes external help and support.

This section is related to coping with extremes behaviors which may have an impact in people with depression.

Be mild and gentle and “go with the flow” – don’t be hard on yourself if things don’t go as planned
or you don’t reach your goals. When this happens, lower your goals and give yourself a second chance.
Start today with a first step, and remember that different things work for different people at different times.

  • Taking care of myself and helping myself was crucial.”

    Helen*

  • “At a certain point in time, I realized that being depressed is only a condition. Just to accept it for what is and think “let it simply be and don’t worry, it is only a temporary condition ” helped me to survive.

    Paul*

Do not change or stop your treatment without advice from a healthcare professional, such as your referring doctor.
If your symptoms worsen, please consult a healthcare professional, such as your referring doctor.

This document has been cocreated by GAMIAN-Europe and Servier.
* Quotes shared by the patients reflect their own experiences and do not necessarily reflect medical and scientific evidence or practice.