Many people go through periods in their life when they are dealing with a lot of things that may cause them grief, pain, and depression. Some can pull themselves out of the dark places and others have more difficulty getting back to a stable level. Depression can happen in a cycle that can heighten, prolong, or exacerbate feelings of depression past a normal functioning level. Knowing how the cycle works can be one way to pull yourself out of the depression you are experiencing.

Stressor

Most things start with a stressor, but it is important to note that you can start anywhere in the cycle. A stressor is a situation, event, or experience that causes some level of emotional discomfort. If you notice that going to a certain place or being around certain people make you sad, it is a good time to think about this is a stressor and how it can be changed to help increase your mood.

TFP

Next in the cycle are Thoughts, Feelings, and Physical Symptoms. Now that the stressor has happened, what are your thoughts in response to the stressor? What are you feeling emotionally? What are you feeling physically in response to the stressor? Most of the time these thoughts will be negative in nature and if you notice they are, this is another great opportunity to reflect on the TFPs in the cycle and how you can change them.

Behavior

Lastly, is a behavioral response to the TFPs. You might notice you become isolative or are eating a lot more than normal. These are good examples of behavioral responses to the TFPs and ultimately to the stressor. When you can recognize a behavior change you become more connected to how you are feeling, and you are better equipped to change the behavior change.

Try small positive changes in one part of the cycle if you can and then make small positive changes in other parts of the cycle and see if your mood changes. See if your depression last as long as it normally does.