Summary of "15 Things You Should Never Do When You’re Depressed"

Key Wellness Strategies, Self-Care Techniques, and Productivity Tips for Managing Depression

Core Values and Beliefs

Do Not Mess with Your Core Values: Avoid changing your fundamental beliefs or values during a depressive episode. Depression is often illogical and can distort your worldview, but it doesn’t mean your values or lifestyle are wrong.

Employment and Work

Avoid Quitting Your Job Impulsively: Instead of quitting, consider taking a medical leave (FMLA or disability leave) to focus on treatment. Quitting impulsively may make returning to work harder later.

Medication and Therapy

Do Not Stop Medications Abruptly: Psychiatric medications take time to work, and stopping them suddenly can worsen symptoms due to withdrawal effects. Always consult your provider before making changes.
Continue Therapy and Possibly Increase Frequency: Don’t quit therapy mid-episode even if it feels ineffective. Consider changing therapists, therapeutic approaches, or increasing session frequency to weekly if needed.

Social Interaction

Avoid Isolation: Stay around people even if you don’t interact much. Isolation amplifies negative thoughts and prolongs depression. Simple presence in social settings (coffee shops, public places) can help.

Sleep Hygiene

Maintain Healthy Sleep Habits:
- Avoid staying up all night despite insomnia or “revenge bedtime procrastination.”
- Use tools like sleep masks to block stimulation and signal bedtime.
- Even resting quietly with eyes closed is better than screen time.
- Avoid sleeping all day; prolonged bed rest worsens symptoms and reduces positive life inputs.

Activities and Hobbies

Engage in Hobbies and Activities: Even if joy feels absent (anhidonia), continue doing activities you normally enjoy for at least 10 minutes daily to stimulate positive feelings and signal recovery.

Nutrition

Avoid Using Food for Comfort or Restricting Eating:
- Overeating can increase fatigue and guilt, worsening depression.
- Undereating starves the brain of energy needed for emotional regulation and motivation.
- Use scheduled meal times and stick to safe, manageable foods if appetite is low.

Media Consumption

Balance Media Consumption:
- Don’t only consume media that confirms your depressive mood (e.g., dark, nihilistic content).
- Include emotionally aspirational or uplifting media (e.g., stand-up comedy, music with themes of strength and overcoming adversity).

Substance Use and Impulse Control

Avoid Drugs and Alcohol: Though tempting for quick mood boosts, these substances disrupt neurotransmitter function, biological rhythms, medication effectiveness, and overall mental health.
Resist Impulsive Shopping or Gambling: These provide short-lived pleasure and often lead to regret and financial stress, worsening depression. Purchases should be purposeful, ideally supporting new hobbies or activities.

Self-Compassion and Physical Activity

Don’t Blame Yourself: Depression is partly biological and can occur despite doing everything “right.” Self-blame exacerbates symptoms and delays recovery.
Keep Physically Active: Even reduced physical activity is better than none. Movement increases blood and oxygen flow to the brain, helping reduce fatigue and improve mood.

Safety and Crisis Management

Do Not Harm Yourself or Attempt Suicide: Depression episodes are temporary and treatable. Seek help and use coping strategies to manage until the episode passes.

Presenters and Sources

The content appears to be presented by a mental health professional or content creator who shares personal experiences and clinical insights.
Mention of Manta Sleep as a sponsor for sleep masks (product recommendation).
No specific presenter name provided in the subtitles.

Summary

The video emphasizes resisting impulsive or emotionally driven decisions during depressive episodes, maintaining treatment adherence, staying socially connected, managing sleep and nutrition carefully, and engaging in positive activities. It encourages acceptance of depression as a cyclical condition and stresses the importance of patience and persistence in recovery. Most importantly, it urges viewers not to harm themselves and to seek ongoing support.