Getting back to life after depression

After a depressive episode, it is essential to prevent recurrences by adopting a healthy lifestyle and keeping negative thoughts at bay. Here are the strategies to implement.

People who have gone through depression hope for only one thing: that this terrible, insurmountable suffering will never come back. Unfortunately, recurrences are always possible. They occur in one out of two cases and, the more we go through depressive moments, the more we run the risk of having them again.

It is therefore essential to take care of yourself so that this does not happen again. Certain methods are to be preferred to keep negative thoughts and “ruminations” at bay and withstand the trials of life without sinking.

● Meditate mindfully

Also known by the acronym MBCT for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy based on mindfulness meditation is very suitable for people who have experienced severe depression and fear more than anything to plunge again. “The MBCT program combines mindfulness meditation with cognitive therapy in the prevention of depressive relapse,” explains Dr. Céline Tran, psychiatrist.

It is a group therapy (from 8 to 12 people) that lasts 8 weeks, with a weekly session of 2h30. Cognitive therapy makes it possible to become aware of negative emotions and the deterioration of mood to identify the moment when one risks tipping into the vicious circle of depression. Meditation teaches you to decenter yourself and to look at what is happening within yourself by putting yourself in the position of an observer, without trying to act or modify anything. The program includes exercises between two sessions. It can only be followed by people who have come out of the acute phase of the mental illness and no longer show any residual symptoms such as "ruminations" which could prevent them from meditating.

At the end of the program, a personalized action plan in the form of practical advice and rules of life is then sent to each participant.

● Do yoga

Yoga is a discipline that promotes emotional control and reduces anxiety and stress, often the source of depression. It combines the practice of precise and rhythmic postures of control of the body and the senses, control of the breath, and concentration. It stimulates energy.

Several studies have shown that yoga helps regulate inflammation and the release of hormones and neurotransmitters. The study conducted by Lisa Uebelacker, from Butler Hospital in Rhode Island in the United States, confirms its long-term effectiveness against depression and the risk of recurrence (1). "By practicing 3 hours a week, you get results in 6 weeks," says Dr. Lionel Coudron, yoga teacher and trainer (2).

● Exercising a physical activity

“If you have stopped because of depression, it is important to resume physical activity by overcoming fatigue. It is enough to get moving at least 2h30 per week, ”says Dr. Florian Ferreri, a psychiatrist at Saint-Antoine Hospital (Paris).

Climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, walking, gardening, cleaning, and walking the dog are simple and very useful activities to get the body moving or getting it moving again. “If you have enough energy, practicing sports is another step. No sport is recommended more than another, the main thing is that you choose the one you like. This allows you to have social interactions, to regain self-esteem and a sense of effort, and, at the same time, to reduce stress and anxiety, ”adds the psychiatrist.

● Adopt the Mediterranean diet

Mental health depends on a balanced diet. It's not about dieting, it's about avoiding junk food. A recent study showed that adopting the Mediterranean diet (rich in fruits and vegetables, fish, and cereals) reduces the risk of depression by 33% (3). Tasnime Akbaraly, a researcher at Inserm and responsible for this study, insists on the fact that quality has an impact on neurodepressive symptoms. “Adhering to dietary recommendations while cultivating the pleasure of cooking is simple,” she assures.

It is enough to promote the consumption of vegetables, whole grains, and foods rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (fish and vegetable oils such as olive oil); reduce sugary drinks, red meats, cold cuts, ultra-processed products, and limit alcohol intake. This diet has been shown to reduce the inflammatory processes involved in the pathophysiology of depression