Process - Physician - Fraser Health Authority

REDUCING THE RISK OF RELAPSECreate a Mood Emergency Action PlanIf you plan ahead for a relapse, you may be able to gethelp faster than last time. As a result, the depressionmay not become as severe, last as long, or be as difficultto recover from. By planning a course of effectiveaction ahead of time, you may not be as anxious, andyou may actually reduce the possibility of a return ofthe depression.If you were to become depressed again, what are someof the things that you could do to help yourself and getbetter as quickly as possible?Here are some areas to think about:Increase rewarding activities. Use the steps in the section called “Reactivating Your Life”.Reduce your obligations. How could you plan ahead to scale back the demands on your energy in the event ofdepression? For example, perhaps you could get an agreement in advance to reduce your work hours or to get help withchildcare from a family member.Get professional help. Consider giving permission to a few friends or family members to tell you (or perhaps yourdoctor) when they notice your mood seems to be sliding.Get support. Who could help you and what kinds of help would you need? Perhaps you need someone to talk to, ormaybe you would prefer practical help – like assistance with grocery shopping.Manage your lifestyle. A mood decline is no time to stop exercising, or getting out of the house, or eatingproperly, or keeping a good sleep schedule. What are the lifestyle factors that help your mood the most?Take some time to think about how you could get to work early in a depressive episode to prevent it fromgetting worse. What would have helped this time? Use the list above as a starting point and make up a clearplan of action.SELF-CARE DEPRESSION PROGRAM51 ANTIDEPRESSANT SKILLS WORKBOOK