On depression
Corina Erismann and Josh Dickson explain how retreats can help people suffering from depression
Originally known as ‘melancholia’ and dubbed ‘black dog’ by former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, depression is an ever-increasing issue for our times. Maybe it’s the effect of the latest political and social events or because we’ve all raised our expectations, but it feels for many of us like life is letting us down. Or it could be we’ve always suffered from this form of mental illness, and now it’s more talked about, more acceptable, more mainstream.
Depressive triggers can include grief and loss, being rejected, illness, lack of sleep, trauma, money problems and stress. It’s important to note that the depression results from the way we think about these events, and is usually dominated by thoughts of being helpless or powerless.
While the traditional route for depression has been the doctor’s surgery and medication, more and more people are looking to retreats to ease their mental issues.
Some retreats have their own resident therapy team, who can pack a lot of treatment into a short retreat stay, while others can teach you useful life skills, like mindfulness and meditation, to help ease you out of your despair, and hopefully prevent you from getting to that stage again.
Retreats are perfect for people who want to talk through their feelings, learn a new daily practice for their self-care and start anew. But for those who are entrenched in a deep depression, it’s best they get out of the ‘deep crisis’ before going on retreat. If you are in a major crisis and you’re not getting out of bed and not eating, you need professional help first.
When you are ready for a retreat, make sure facilitators know what they are talking about - one tell-tale sign is if they keep confusing depression with sadness. Make sure the retreat is well integrated with elements of education, bodywork, exercise and therapeutic elements too.
Someone with acute depression should steer clear of a silent retreat because they need to connect with people. Instead, look for a balanced retreat that has healthy eating, moderate, mindful exercises like yoga and qigong, that has nature, and mindfulness practice. Psychological support is vital.
Treatments such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) are fantastic for challenging thinking styles and helping develop a sense of control in your life’, while EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works with depressive triggers, stopping them in their tracks. Both can be effective tools to handle depression on retreat and at home.
More daily tips to handle depression
At the end of every day think of five positive things that have happened. It can be as simple as being on time for an appointment, having a nice meal or being out in the sunshine.
Use your breath. Breathing in a full breath, then taking an extra breath on top, is one of the best techniques, or try the psychological sigh – two deep inhales through your nose, with no exhale in between. Followed by a full exhale through the mouth to empty your lungs.
Organise your day with a structured routine and timetable. You’ll be more at ease if you don’t have to micromanage your time.
Spend time with pets or gardening to alleviate anxiety. Or go for a walk, get some exercise, try an activity like art or music to take you into the present.
Remember thoughts are not fact. The way you talk internally to yourself matters. Talk kindly. You are reprogramming your brain by doing so.
MENTAL HEALTH RETREATS TO HELP WITH DEPRESSION
Corina Erismann is a clinical psychologist and counsellor at New Life Portugal, while Josh Dickson is a trauma therapist and clinical psychologist who runs Resurface Retreats in the UK and Morocco.
