Hey Chameli,
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t your last thread about meeting in-laws/relatives that were harboring a grudge toward you because you chose to marry someone of your choice? If so, how did that turn out? I hope it’s still not an issue because it was quite a while ago.
What do you think is causing the depression. Sometimes if we find the root cause, it can help understand the situation better. Are you depressed because you haven’t fulfilled a particular goal? Are you satisfied with your marriage? If not, then maybe you can try to sort out issues with your husband? Is it the people around you (in-laws/relatives) that are bringing you down? If so, then understand that you can’t change them. You can only change your reaction to them, and that means not letting people who don’t pay your bills get under your skin.
Here are some other suggestions:
1) Make sure that you’re taking a daily multi-vitamin. Certain vitamins such as (B-complex) are also known to stabilize mood. And it has been found that some patients who had depression are lacking in these vitamins.
2) Exercise. It’ll keep you fit/healthy. It raises your endorphin levels so you feel happy.
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3)** Pray namaz regularly and read Quran regularly. I know that I struggle with this. But, reflect over ALL the blessings that Allah has given you…things that we often take for granted (our iman, food, clothes, family, health, etc)…and think about the thousands of people in this world who don’t even have such basic needs…and live day in and day out in such deprived conditions.
**4) **Volunteer work is often suggested by therapists because it can help to stave off depression. It’s free and you can participate according to your time schedule. Go volunteer at a hospital, homeless shelter, school, etc. It uplifts the spirit to know that you’re being useful to someone.
**5) **Keep yourself occupied with hobbies and other interests. Join a gym. Join a yoga, dance, cooking, pottery, knitting, painting class. Take a class at a uni/college of your interest. Consider going back to school for a different degree. One of my desi friends took a cooking class while she was pregnant so she could learn some culinary techniques as she’s fond of cooking. Do some art activities at home. Tap into your creative side and work on writing a book for children or adults. How about designing your home? Sometimes a change in environment can help. Paint the walls a different color, rearrange the furniture, come up with different color schemes, etc.
6) Get away for a while. Take a road trip with some of your girlfriends if possible. Make it a Girls Week Out. Or take a vacation with your hubby. Hang out with family and friends. If you can’t get too far away…go to the movies with them, or shopping, etc.
7) Make a list of things you’ve always wanted to try. You can make the list with your husband…and try to cross of one item from your list each week. Let’s say, for example, that you’ve always wanted to try Thai food. Then one week, you can go try Thai food. Or maybe you always wanted to watch a certain movie that you never got around to…maybe that could be something you can tackle over the weekend. Maybe you always wanted to try scuba diving or indoor skydiving…that’s something that you can look into.
8) If you’re down because of goals that haven’t been fulfilled. Maybe it’s because sometimes we have unreasonable expectations or an unreasonable time frame for those goals. So break your goal down into shorter, more achievable steps…and set sensible deadlines for them.
9) If you’ve tried the above suggestions, then you can try consulting a doctor or therapist. Although, I don’t personally feel comfortable with the idea of using drugs (on a consistent) basis. Try other methods/changes first.