It took a few more weeks, but a three-pronged approach helped me to begin feeling more like myself instead of an increasingly depressed teenager.
First, the antidepressants helped get my brain’s chemistry under control. Without these, I am not sure how long it would have taken for my the mood regulation transmitters to get back in line, if that’s even possible on its own.
However, the pills by themselves were not enough. Talking with my therapist, Dr. S, helped me to control and change my negative thoughts. I suffered from major self-image issues and she helped me to reframe how I viewed myself so I could see the incredible young man that I was becoming. Though I never quite got past the self-inflicted “shame” of seeing a therapist, I took the various lessons that Dr. S had taught me to heart and strive to truly embrace them on a daily basis.
The final, pivotal element of change came from a suggestion from Dr. S. I began exercising more. The American Psychological Association suggests that exercise can aid in treating and decreasing depression by helping the body’s natural production of serotonin, along with helping to regulate sleep. I chose to begin running a few miles every day, and this led to me joining the track and cross country teams, which helped my self-esteem and self-worth once I worked my way into varsity levels.
I honestly cannot point to just one of these three variables in helping even me out and alleviate my depression. They were a trio that helped save my life.
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