Process - Physician - Fraser Health Authority

REDUCING THE RISK OF RELAPSEPlan ahead for stressWe all have difficult times in our lives – some of usmore than others. For the person who has recentlyrecovered from depression, stressful times may be a riskfactor for relapse. The solution is not to avoid all possibilityof stress (which none of us can do), but to planahead to manage the stress effectively.Some stressful events can be predicted. Perhaps youknow that on a certain date you will go back to work.Perhaps Christmas is always stressful for you, andDecember is coming. Perhaps a stressful family gatheringis scheduled. Perhaps you are expecting a baby,whose birth will bring many demands. You can planahead for these events to make them less difficult.Here are some strategies:When possible, introduce the stress gradually. If, for example, you are returning to work soon, you mightcheck to see if you could go back part-time at first.Lighten up on ongoing responsibilities. If you are taking a night school course, for example, give yourselfpermission to eat out more often or have a slightly less tidy home.Keep up your self-care. How do you keep yourself balanced? Don’t give these things up when you need them themost. If a weekly lunch with a close friend is important to you, keep doing it. If exercise helps a lot, do everything youcan to keep exercising during stressful times.SELF-CARE DEPRESSION PROGRAM50 ANTIDEPRESSANT SKILLS WORKBOOK