If you’re familiar with depression, you’re familiar with black and white thinking, or thinking in absolutes such as, “I can’t do anything right.” I find that even when I am not in a depressed state, noticing black or white thinking can be one of the first signs that my mood is starting to wobble. I’ve learned that with mood, I’d rather address a slightly low mood from the get-go than wait until I have to dig myself out of a deeper depression. And the key with addressing black and white thinking is to move from black and white to gray. Black and white is limited. Gray embraces the range of possibilities.

It's very common to experience apathy and disinterest in the things you once loved when you're suffering from depression. Your depression symptoms, however, don't need to dictate how you spend your time. If you do things you enjoy (or used to enjoy) you can actually reverse some of the damage your hopeless feelings do to your everyday sense of self and well-being.

Spring can be a tough time for me, often triggering a depression similar to a seasonal affective disorder episode. This year I had a depressive period in April. Following a medication tweak, I’ve been doing well. On a mood scale I’d be scoring decent to good lately. But I’ve recently been reminded that depressed or not, life is full of ups and downs and they need to be dealt with.

Several years ago I did an inpatient treatment program for depression. At the end of my stay at the hospital, I was asked to complete a survey on my experience there. The form had room for comments and suggestions and as I filled it out, I realized I had a lot to say about my depression treatment.

Whether you are a parent with depression struggling to raise children or a new mom suffering from postpartum depression, know that you are not alone.

I've learned a lot of things from over a decade of treatment for depression. In the long list of recovery tips I could share with you, the most important thing I've learned is that you can't hate yourself out of being depressed. It can really stand between you and your recovery. Hating yourself is no way to accomplish anything, especially when it comes to recovering from depression.

Depression and alcohol can be a dangerous combination. Drinking alcohol when you're depressed can worsen your depression. Similarly, drinking alcohol when you're in depression remission can seriously jeopardize that remission.

Depression remission can be brief, lasting mere days. If you're lucky, depression remission can last weeks or months before a depression relapse occurs. It is important when your depression is in remission, to make the most of it. Here's how I do it.

When I got my dog, Digby, I had no idea how much he would help me with my depression. Standard recommended treatments for depression pretty much never recommend getting a dog or spending time with a dog, but maybe they should.

My depression symptoms are a big part of me and I hate them (What Are the Symptoms of Depression?). Ergo, I hate a big part of me. Wait! That can't be right, can it?