Navigating Grief and Depression: A Guide to Healing

Coping with depression while grieving is a challenging task that requires consistent management to ensure recovery. Experiencing grief after a loss is a "normal" reaction, as defined by The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), but for the individual with a clinical diagnosis of depression, it can trigger a major depressive episode. It is important to become familiar with the process of grief and work through the phases by applying coping skills that will expedite recovery.

Things You'll Need

• Book on coping skills
• Book on grief
• Therapist
• Gym access
• Daily planner
• Daily food pyramid

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Instructions

How to Cope With Depression While Grieving

• 1

  Go to the local library or book store and get books on coping skills and grief. Understanding any issue is the first step for creating a strategy for management.

• 2

  Schedule a meeting with a therapist who specializes in issues related to grief. The cognitive-behavioral orientation is effective with short-term treatments that will help with grief causes by a specific incident. For information on cognitive-behavioral therapy or on how to find a therapist in your area that specializes in grief, contact the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

• 3

  Increase physical activity to at least thirty minutes per day to increase psychological well being. If there is a medical condition that needs to be taken into consideration, consult with a physician before beginning any new exercise routine.

• 4

  Schedule at least one hour per day for an activity that has been mastered and brings a sense of pleasure. Partaking in this activity is designed to trigger thoughts and feelings of positivity, will provide distraction from the subject of grief, and a feeling of accomplishment.

• 5

  Eating a balanced diet promotes overall health and well being. Print out a copy of the My Pyramid food pyramid as a visual aid, and then modify diet to reflect healthy standards as suggested by the FDA.