Things are moving forward

TESS

How do you know that you are getting better?

• Your sleeping pattern will go back to normal.
• Your appetite will return.
• Food will begin to taste nice, like it did before you were ill.
• You will become interested in your surroundings again.
• Colours will become sharp again.
• Smells will become more vivid again.
• You will want to resume your old hobbies and interests, but it is important that you do not try to do too much.

When the worst symptoms of depression have passed, you might expect things to run smoothly in the future. You may therefore get frustrated if your condition continues to fluctuate. You may still have spells when:

• sadness overwhelms you
• the tears come easily
• the tiredness will not disappear, and so on

It is important for you to know that these fluctuations are natural experiences on the way to recovery. Spells with these fluctuations usually do not last long however and they will become less and less painful. After the worst symptoms of depression have passed, there will be a spell of two to three months when you can still be a little frail. During certain life experiences you may experience brief periods when your condition deteriorates. These minor deteriorations, however, are not a sign that your condition is deteriorating. They also do not mean that your treatment is not working.

Worries?

It is very important that you discuss your concerns with your doctor and/or psychologist. It is a characteristic of depression that you may find it very difficult to have a realistic assessment your situation. You may also find it difficult to have a realistic assessment of your condition even when you are starting to feel better. You may have a tendency to focus more on the periods when you are not feeling so good. When you talk to the person who is treating you, you will quickly realize that these periods are very short. You will feel good most of the time.

Discharge

If you have been admitted in the hospital, you may be sent on trial home-leaves when you start to recover. At some point you will spend more time at home than in the hospital. The environment in a hospital is often very secure. You can, for example, always speak to someone. When you are not feeling so good, it can mean a lot for you to be in a secure environment. It can make you feel protected. Before you are discharged, it is therefore important that you have tried to function in your normal environment.

The usual you

When you have recovered from depression, you will be the "usual you" again with the same old character traits and the same old behaviour. This means that other people will experience you to be the same loving spouse or parent or the same pleasant neighbor or valued colleague. Some "stubborn" symptoms may take a little longer to disappear. Yet depression is also characterized by you returning to your "original" (or habitual) condition. This means that you will not suffer from any lasting effects. You will therefore function at exactly the same physical, mental, and intellectual level as before you became ill. Remember, however, not to take things too fast in the beginning.