Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDealing With EmotionsPhysical Symptoms & Coping MethodsSocial StrategiesCaregivers
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Dealing With Emotions
Physical Symptoms & Coping Methods
Social Strategies
Caregivers
Close
And while different medications, psychotherapy, neurotherapeutics and other treatments may ultimately be effective, some of the most important approaches for depression include consistent self-care and self-compassion. This includes letting loved ones who want to help you do so when they otherwise might be worried about saying or doing the wrong thing.
Read on to find some of the ways that you can cope with treatment-resistant depression emotionally, physically and socially, as well as tips for those wanting to help loved ones.
Symptoms of Treatment-Resistant Depression
Coping Emotionally With Treatment-Resistant Depression
Hearing that your depression is treatment-resistant may bring with it its own set of feelings and responses. You may be blaming yourself, feeling like if only you could cope better, or do the right thing, you wouldn’t be feeling this way—but you ARE doing the right thing. You’re taking care of yourself the best way you know how as you look for a treatment thatdoeswork for you.
It’s the depression that’s resistant, not you.
You may be feeling hopeless right now and wondering what’s left to treat you, but the good news is that you haven’t found the right treatment for youyet.Feeling hopeless is not a failure on your part—it is intrinsic to the disorder of depression. This is an exciting time in depression research, with manytypes of treatmentsbeyond theSSRIsyou have probably tried.
A helpful way to cope with the diagnosis is to recognize that you are not depressed, youhavedepression.
Causes of Treatment-Resistant Depression
Coping Physically With Treatment-Resistant Depression
If you’re reading this and you have treatment resistant depression (TRD), there are likely physical things you’re feeling such as fatigue, but did you know that all of the below aresymptoms of depressiontoo? It is important to note that both pain and depression work on the same neurologic pathway.Working on some of these physical symptoms may also help you cope with your depression.
Physical Symptoms of Depression
Because of depression, probably the last thing you want to do is exercise. You may have low energy and wonder how you could possibly spare any of that energy. Paradoxically, being active can create more energy.
It is thought that exercise can be helpful for depression symptoms because it stimulates neuroplasticity, reduces inflammation (thought to be a key marker/correlation in TRD) and increases resilience to oxidative and physiological stress.Additionally, it promotes self-esteem, social support and self-efficacy.
Self-efficacyrelates to an individual’s belief in their capacity to do specific behavior necessary to produce performance goals. Exercise may show someone with depression that theycanbe successful at something, thus showing they can be successful in other areas of their lives.
While you might want to throw something at anyone who asksif you’ve tried yoga—it may at least be worth a try if you haven’t tried yet. It won’t cure your depression but a meta-analysis (analysis of several studies) shows that it may reduce depressive symptoms,perhaps because of the combination of exercise and mindfulness.
One key benefit to exercise for coping with treatment resistant depression is that you may start feeling at least small benefits immediately, which can be helpful while you’re waiting for a new medication to kick in. Research shows that even a single sessionhad effects, increasing atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and copeptin—hormones that may help regulate mental health.
Physical Therapy
Either way, physical therapy has been shown to help reduce both pain and depression concurrently.
Nutrition
You may not realize this, but food and our mental health influence each other in many ways.For example, changes in eating habits (either eating significantly more or significantly less) is one of the symptoms of depression. Additionally, a diet lower in nutritious foods may increaseinflammation, which is linked with depression.
Research shows that many people with depression are relatively low in vitamins/minerals such as omega-3s, folate/Vitamin B and magnesium and that incorporating foods with these nutrients into your diet may be helpful.
Thegood newsis that being mindful about how you eat may also influence your mental health for the positive. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fish are all associated with a lower risk of depression.Higher protein intake is also associated with lower rates of depression.
Even if you don’t feel like you have the capacity for major diet changes, there are still smaller changes you can make, such as eating breakfast and limiting fast food, sodas, fried and highly processed foods.
Foods to Help Fight Depression
Coping With Treatment-Resistant Depression Socially
Social support is a protective factor against depression. It can help people both emotionally and logistically manage the load of things piling up because of depression.Plus, knowing you are positively impacting others in this world can help give your life more meaning.
When people feel depressed, they often feel incrediblyisolated and alonein their experiences, and finding community through support groups, online communities, and/or patient advocacy organizations can help them feel less alone. Many are online, which can be a bonus if you’re having a hard time leaving your house.
Local In-Person Support Groups
One of the advantages of face-to-facesupport groupsversus online groups is accountability and honesty—it’s harder to fib face-to-face for most people. Additionally, in person, you gain the verbal cues that are harder to discern online. Below are several ways to find groups in your area.
Online Synchronous Support Groups
Some support communities online may be asynchronous, meaning they are similar to a forum or a social media site where you may be responding to something someone has said hours or days ago. The following groups are all synchronous and via video chat, though, of course, you have the option of turning video off.
Support Communities
Health Unlocked:This siteis a social networking site for people experiencing any health condition—including depression. Larger organizations, such as the Anxiety and Depression Alliance of America, also host their own groups on the site.
Reddit:For those who have written off the site for too nerdy or for fear of trolls, they will be surprised to learn that Reddit actually has thrivingmutual supportcommunities, especially around medical and mental health conditions. The depression subreddit has nearly one million members discussing depression, so you’re never alone.
Mental Health America: Thisnon-profit, which promotes mental wellness, hosts a support group and community board to support those with depression and other mental health conditions.
If you are reading this as acaregiveror a loved one for someone with depression, you may feel hopeless yourself wondering how you can help your person. You’re probably afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, because the last thing you want to do is make them feel worse when their emotional state is already a little fragile right now. Here’s a few ways you can help.
Sometimes even the smallest tasks—like brushing teeth or taking a shower—can feel insurmountable to someone dealing with treatment-resistant depression. It can be helpful to offer assistance with household tasks like doing the dishes or grocery shopping.
Be mindful of the language you use around your person: words matter and your person is likely already being mean to themselves in their head and self-stigmatizing. Using person-centered/person-first languagesuch as “a person with depression” rather than “a depressed person” helps remove depression as their identity.
Taking care of yourself may come in the form of setting boundaries or going to a caregiver support group such as the NAMI Family Support Groups (which aren’t just limited to family—they may include significant others and/or friends) or DBSA’s Friends and Families groups.
Importantly, caregivers/loved ones should know that while they may be eager to help, it can be challenging when they’re not seeing a loved one with depression get better as quickly as they would hope. It often takes patience and persistence to improve with treatment resistant depression.
The Best Online Therapy Services for Depression We Tried and Tested
17 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Eisendrath S, Chartier M, McLane M.Adapting mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2011;18(3):362-370. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2010.05.004
Trivedi MH.The link between depression and physical symptoms. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;6(suppl 1):12-16.
Puetz TW, O’Connor PJ, Dishman RK.Effects of chronic exercise on feelings of energy and fatigue: a quantitative synthesis. Psychol Bull. 2006;132(6):866-876.
Kandola A, Ashdown-Franks G, Hendrikse J, Sabiston CM, Stubbs B.Physical activity and depression: Towards understanding the antidepressant mechanisms of physical activity. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2019;107:525-539. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.040
Haller N, Lorenz S, Pfirrmann D, et al.Individualized web-based exercise for the treatment of depression: randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e10698. doi: 10.2196/10698
Vollbehr NK, Bartels-Velthuis AA, Nauta MH, et al.Hatha yoga for acute, chronic and/or treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Moitra E, ed. PLoS ONE. 2018;13(10):e0204925. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216631
Schuch FB, Deslandes AC, Stubbs B, Gosmann NP, Silva CTB da, Fleck MP de A.Neurobiological effects of exercise on major depressive disorder: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016;61:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.11.012
Wideman TH, Scott W, Martel MO, Sullivan MJL.Recovery from depressive symptoms over the course of physical therapy: a prospective cohort study of individuals with work-related orthopaedic injuries and symptoms of depression.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2012;42(11):957-967. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2012.4182
Mechlińska A, Włodarczyk A, Gruchała-Niedoszytko M, Małgorzewicz S, Cubała WJ.Dietary patterns of treatment–resistant depression patients. Nutrients. 2022;14(18):3766. doi: 10.3390/nu14183766
Lakhan SE, Vieira KF.Nutritional therapies for mental disorders. Nutr J. 2008;7(1):2. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-7-2
Psaltopoulou T, Sergentanis TN, Panagiotakos DB, Sergentanis IN, Kosti R, Scarmeas N.Mediterranean diet, stroke, cognitive impairment, and depression: A meta-analysis.Ann Neurol. 2013;74(4):580-591. doi:10.1002/ana.23944
Oh J, Yun K, Chae JH, Kim TS.Association between macronutrients intake and depression in the united states and south korea.Front Psychiatry. 2020;0. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00207
Gariépy G, Honkaniemi H, Quesnel-Vallée A.Social support and protection from depression: systematic review of current findings in Western countries. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 2016;209(4):284-293. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.115.169094
Using person-centered language.Resources for Integrated Care.
Meet Our Review Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
What is your feedback?
