One of the symptoms of depression is that it keeps you focused on the bad things in your life and it often prevents you from seeing the positive things in your life. You may be depressed, but that is not all that you are. Ask yourself "What else are you?" What strengths do you have that the depression has not overshadowed? For example, you might write that "I am depressed, but I am also a mother", or "I am a professional". In reflecting on your strengths, you might write that "I still am a wonderful cook," or "I have overcome many difficulties in my life and therefore am strong and courageous."

Sometimes it can be helpful simply to accept the reality of your depression. The strategies people use to self-medicate or deny a depression often cause more problems complicating the existing depression. So you might want to answer the following questions to help face the depression while realizing that you are bigger than your depression.

• "I am depressed, but one resource for helping me through the depression is __________________________" (Answer this as many times as possible).
• "I am depressed but I can reach out for help. The following people can support me through this depression:" (List as many people as possible)
• "I am depressed but one quality about myself that will help me through this depression is:" (Answer as many times as possible).
• "Even though I am depressed I will not fall back on the self-destructive habit of ______________ for coping with this depression"
• "I am depressed but there are many professionals who are trained to help people who are struggling like I am. The following professionals can guide me through this difficult time: (list as many as possible, it might be a psychotherapist, a psychiatrist, a primary care doctor, an energy healer, a naturopath etc.)"
• "The family members that will be the most useful in helping me cope with depression are:"
• "The family members that will be least helpful during my depression are: (List family members) and I might want to consider setting strong boundaries until I recover from this depression."
• "The things I can do that will help me cope with this depression are:" (list as many activities as possible."

After completing these sentence stems you can also write free form reflections on resources you have available to you to help cope with your depression.

Bio:

Lara Honos-Webb, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist licensed in California. She is author of The Gift of ADHD and Listening to Depression: How Understanding Your Pain Can Heal Your Life which was selected by Health Magazine as one of the best therapy books of 2006. The Gift of ADHD Activity Book: 101 Ways To Transform Problems into Strengths and The Gift of Adult ADD were published in 2008.  Her work has been featured in Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune and Publisher's Weekly as well as newspapers across the country and local and national radio and television. She specializes in the treatment of ADHD and depression and the psychology of pregnancy and motherhood; she speaks regularly on her areas of expertise. Honos- Webb completed a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship at University of California, San Francisco, and has been an assistant professor teaching graduate students. She has published more than 25 scholarly articles.

Video clip of Dr. Lara's interview on the Fresh Start after Divorce Internet Radio Show