These three main categories: 

• Medical interventions; 
• Psycho-emotional interventions; and 
• Lifestyle interventions.

Can work together to provide effective support.

Medical interventions play a vital role in managing MDD. Consulting with a healthcare professional is crucial to rule out any underlying medical conditions that may contribute to depressive episodes. Thorough check-ups can help identify illnesses, deficiencies, imbalances, or medications that may exacerbate depression levels. Collaborating with your doctor and your counsellor can provide valuable insights and help determine the most suitable treatment approach.

40% of individuals recover within 3 months of onset. 80% recover within 1 year. Many individuals who have been depressed only for several months can be expected to recover spontaneously; whereas the longer the duration of the depressive episode, the less the chance of spontaneous recovery.

Lower recovery rates are associated with: longer duration, psychotic features, prominent anxiety, personality disorders, and symptom severity. The risk of recurrence is higher in individuals whose preceding episode was severe, in younger individuals, and in individuals who have already experienced multiple episodes. (http://www.mentalhealth.com/home/dx/majordepressive.html )

It is wise to consult with your doctor in order to rule out any medical reasons for your episodes of Major Depression.

There are many illnesses, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormone imbalances and medications that can have a side affect of increased depression levels. A thorough general check over can help to identify any such issues, and may help to put your mind at rest when there is no obvious reason found, ruling out medical intervention as being necessary.

On a psycho-emotional level, depression can stem from an unconscious habit of dwelling on negative thoughts and feeling disconnected from love and support. Recognizing these love-less thought patterns is the first step. Rather than trying to stop these thoughts, disengaging from them and replacing them with loving and caring thoughts is key. Correcting your thinking by aligning your thoughts with love and asking what love would do in each situation can

gradually transform your habitual thought processes.

While focusing on psycho-emotional interventions, it's important to practice self-care and engage in activities that promote well-being. This includes incorporating lifestyle interventions such as maintaining a balanced diet and regular exercise. A high fruit and vegetable diet can provide essential nutrients and boost energy levels. Starting the day with a nutritious fruit smoothie and enjoying plates of fresh and steamed vegetables can contribute to increased

vitality. Combining a healthy diet with regular exercise releases mood-lifting chemicals like serotonin and endorphins, which positively impact mood and overall well-being.

Working with professionals such as counsellors, life coaches, dietitians, and naturalists can provide additional guidance and support. By assembling your life support team, you can develop a comprehensive approach to manage and overcome Major Depressive Disorder.

Coping with, and even transforming Major Depressive Disorder on this level consists of utilizing a four step program.

Step 1: recognising the thoughts and resulting actions as being “love-less” in nature. 

Step 2: disengage from the thoughts and actions, as to try and stop them is merely bringing more love-less-ness to love-less-ness! 

Step 3: Correct the thinking by aligning your thoughts to love in any way that you can… Ask yourself, “Do I want the problem or the solution?” Bring love to the love-less-ness. 

Step 4: Follow your heart… ask, “What would love do now?” (www.pauseforinspiration.org )

In following this step by step process a new habit is formed by creating and repeating the thought patterns that you would like to have playing unconsciously deep within your mind. This increases the flow of loving energy which also is then projected and blamed onto a host of internal and external influences.

The result of this habitual behaviour may result in a high self esteem, feelings of belonging and being connected to everyone and everything. This may also trigger increased social participation, increased loving and caring emotional expression, more intimacy with self and others and feelings of being valued!

You can further increase your habitual use of loving thoughts through reading books, e-books, taking online personal development courses, listening to CD’s and DVD’s that focus on personal development and spiritual well-being. You may like to subscribe to daily email reflections that are uplifting and focus on the truth of who you are.

Keeping a journal of the loving and caring occurrences that happen each day is a great way to see an increase over time and gather evidence that this process really works!

Lifestyle coping strategies for dealing with Major Depressive Disorder to be used alongside of re-writing your thought processes to being habitually of love, support and care for self, will include diet and exercise. An increased level of energy is required and this can be achieved through a high fruit and vegetable diet. Such a diet will reduce the levels of fats in the blood stream and body, enabling faster and more efficient absorption and utilization of the natural sugars provided in your fruit and veggies.

Starting the day with a fruit smoothie poured over a bowl of diced mixed fruits and dried fruits, then warmed through is amazing, and provides a host of needed vitamins and minerals to boost you through the day! More energy, more aliveness, lower blood sugar levels and increased appetite are the result! A plate of fresh and steamed vegetables for lunch provides more essential minerals and a wonderful array of flavours to explore. Follow this up with a large bowl of chunky vegetable soup for tea with a little protein if you like, chicken, prawns, shell fish are all good and easy to digest. This diet will provide more drive and enthusiasm within three days.

This enhanced diet then allows for more exercise because you have the energy and drive to do it! Take out a subscription at your local gym, find a buddy to walk with and exercise with love. Regular exercise also helps increase levels of mood lifting chemicals like serotonin and endorphin’s in the brain that radiate throughout the whole body. Serotonin is an important brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that contributes to a range of functions, including sleep and wake cycles, libido, appetite and mood. Serotonin deficiency has been conclusively linked to depressive symptoms.

Over all, when we exercise we feel warmer, healthier, more alive, and if you can combine your exercise with doing something you love, like walking on a beach, exercising with your loved puppy, exploring nature, playing sport with a friend or a team, and then the overall effect of increased energy and loving connection, not just socially but within yourself, can really get you feeling fantastically good about yourself and the world in which you live! Outdoor exercise also provides healthy exposure to sunlight and helps maintain higher levels of vitamin D in your system.

What are the risks? When conducted with a professional, a counsellor, a life coach, a dietitian and/or a naturalist, you have everything to gain.

Remember, recovery rates are promising, with many individuals experiencing improvements within months of onset. Take charge of your well-being by exploring medical interventions, adopting psycho-emotional strategies, and embracing healthy lifestyle interventions. Together, these approaches can help you overcome Major Depressive Disorder and thrive. Start building your support network today and bid farewell to depression.