Pearlman & Associates

655 Craig Road
St. Louis, MO 63141

Monday – Saturday
Sunday CLOSED

St. Louis Therapist Dr. Lena Pearlman Shares Advice for Dealing with Depression

Everybody feels down, sad or under the weather. These are all perfectly normal emotions and reactions to different situations and circumstances that one faces in day-to-day life. These feelings become a concern when they occur multiple times per day over time and/or when this becomes someone’s norm. An important step in dealing with being depressed or feeling down is to discuss this with your physician or a therapist. They can assist by working with you to understand the causes of these feelings and emotions. They can also help provide some coping strategies. Some example coping strategies are listed below:

Stay Connected: Communicate with friends and families. Isolation may make the depressed feelings more pronounced.

Write in a journal: Getting your thoughts and feelings onto paper can be very therapeutic. This is also something that can be reflected on and reviewed later and can be shared with your doctor or therapist.

Move around: Exercise is an amazing stress release and a natural way to feel better. Any form of exercise will benefit you. Two good examples are yoga and tai chi.

Decide later: Career moves and big decisions should be made when you are not in a depressed or down mood.

Hobbies: Becoming involved in a fun hobby gives you something to look forward to. It also acts as a stress reducer.

Learn: Reading and learning about new ideas, thoughts, skills or practically anything might make you feel more accomplished. This successful acquisition of new items will likely make you feel better.

—–

Dr. Lena Pearlman is the founder and clinical director of Dr. Lena Pearlman and Associates (www.STLmentalhealth.com) a mental health therapy practice in St. Louis, Missouri. The practice specializes in working with children, teens, families, and adults who are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, or other mental health related issues. The therapy team has five licensed therapists. She is an adjunct college professor and a published author. The practice provides a great deal of mental health resources online.