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How to squash morning depression

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How to numb depression without negative repercussions

How many times have you tried everything in your power to lift yourself out of the dark hole of despair?

The pain becomes so intense that nothing seems to be able to relieve it. you feel physically ill and mentally unable to do anything productive. It’s like being locked in a dark prison, and the only way out is to either kill ourselves or someone else. 

This usually leads us to seek comfort from any source we can find. Unfortunately, most of the sources of comfort that we try turn out to be just as miserable as the thing that was causing us pain in the first place.

Numbing your depression without really understanding the impact of numbing is like swimming through quicksand without experience. 
Bottom line...

Numbing depression will make you feel more lost than ever, except you only use numbing as a temporary stop-gap. A stop-gap to give yourself a break from dealing with the pain whilst you regain your composure to soldier on.

And that is why, in this article, I will be revealing the safest techniques for numbing depression so that you can avoid the common trap that has led thousands of people to an unfulfilled life.

What does it mean to numb depression?

When you numb depression, you are suppressing unpleasant emotions and thoughts. But you aren’t just suppressing emotions. You are changing your brain. Numbing your depression alters the way you think, feel and behave.

Numbing depression takes a number of forms, including avoiding certain thoughts and feelings, eating certain foods, sleeping excessively, or using alcohol or drugs to escape from the depression.

The problem with numbing depression is that it isn’t sustainable in the long term. When you numb depression, you are changing the way you think, feel and behave. The more you numb your depression, the more you become habituated to that state. Eventually, you may experience cravings for your numbing behaviour. That’s when you know you’ve crossed over to the dark side.

If you are seeking to deal with your depression, it’s important to understand that numbing is not a long-term solution. For people with major depression to get out of the “reward” cycle of numbness. If you numb your depression, you have to do more to feel better.

It’s much easier to just eat or drink or sleep to feel better than to go back into the work of trying to understand what’s causing your depression. In other words, it’s easier to numb depression than it is to learn to live with it.

How does emotional numbing impact depression on the long term

The best way to understand this is to compare emotional numbing to the common cold. The cold usually starts with a runny nose, sneezing, headaches, muscle aches, and so on. But as it gets worse, it leads to coughing, hoarseness, nasal congestion, sore throats, chest pains, and more.

Emotional numbing is exactly the same. If you experience depression, the first sign is usually a loss of interest and motivation. You just don’t feel like doing anything. Then you may notice a lack of energy, followed by insomnia, restlessness, fatigue, and feeling down or depressed.

When this happens, people tend to ignore their feelings. They push them away because they don’t want to deal with them. This can happen for months or years before people recognize the signs of depression.

This is different than the normal ups and downs of life. During these periods of normal ups and downs, people experience some level of stress, discomfort, and difficulty, but they still try to face their problems, find solutions, and manage them. And when they need help, they ask for it.

People who become emotionally numb, however, won’t talk to anyone about their depression. Instead, they find ways to numb it, either through alcohol, drugs, sleeping pills, eating too much, or having sex. Emotional numbing stops the feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, and discomfort from getting noticed. It doesn’t help you to manage them, solve them, or get better.

You might have experienced emotions like grief, anxiety, anger, sadness, frustration, or guilt.

When you're feeling depressed, it's very common to feel overwhelmed with thoughts of negative self-talk, or even the thought that you'll never feel better.

Sometimes, you may even have a difficult time trying to fall asleep. And when you wake up, it's hard to focus and feel motivated.

However, these things are a natural part of healing and recovery in depression.

As you're working through your healing, you may face some challenging emotions, and sometimes you might need to numb those feelings so you can continue to move forward.

1) Numb your pain with a distraction

You can use distraction to help you feel less overwhelmed. Distraction involves using a variety of activities to take your mind off of painful feelings. These might include exercise, creative activities, deep breathing, journaling, meditation, yoga, or taking a hot bath.

2) Numb your pain with medication

Medication can be helpful for dealing with painful emotions. Your doctor may prescribe anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, and sleeping aids.

Many doctors recommend a combination of different medications to make sure you're getting the best treatment.

3) Numb your pain with physical activity

Physical activity can help you deal with painful emotions. Exercise helps release endorphins in your brain, which makes you feel good and can make you feel less emotionally sensitive.

Exercise can also help relieve stress and anxiety. You can do simple physical activities like walking, swimming, or dancing.

4) Numb your pain with a hobby

Your hobbies can help you deal with painful emotions. If you have a hobby that requires a lot of focus, you may be able to use that as a way to distract yourself from painful feelings.

For example, if you enjoy arts and crafts, you might make art projects or play an instrument. If you like sports, you might go to a sporting event. If you like reading, you could read books or magazines.

5) Numb your pain with relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques can help you cope with painful emotions. Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or progressive muscle relaxation can help you feel calm.

6) Numb your pain with exercise

Exercise can help you deal with painful emotions. Exercise releases endorphins in your brain, which can make you feel good and help to ease painful emotions.

Exercise also helps you feel stronger and more capable. It helps you to feel like you can do things.

7) Numb your pain with self-care

You can use self-care to deal with painful emotions. This can involve things like eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, meditating, doing relaxation techniques, and journaling.

If you're feeling anxious, it can be really helpful to talk with a friend. Talk with someone who cares about you and can give you honest feedback.

8) Numb your pain with social support

Your social support network can help you deal with painful emotions. Talking to friends and family members about your pain can help you feel less alone and more connected.

If your family isn't supportive, they might not understand how painful emotions feel like to you. They may not be able to provide the emotional support you need.

9) Numb your pain with other coping strategies

If none of the above approaches work for you, it is important to try other strategies. You may need to talk to a counselor or therapist about your emotional pain.

This can be a really helpful way to feel less overwhelmed. A counselor can give you different ways to think about painful emotions. You may be able to learn new skills for dealing with painful emotions and emotions in general.

In the long-run, these skills can help you feel more in control of your life.

If you have other thoughts about how to cope with your emotions, feel free to share them in the comments.

The dangers of numbing your pain with drugs and alcohol

When you feel so much pain, quick and fast fixes feel extremely attractive. Reaching for the bottle can provide some temporary relief. But it’s never a good idea to use any substance to suppress your emotions.

anyone who has been in recovery from substance abuse knows the addictive cycle: 

• first use = instant relief, quick fix

• more frequent use = more intense relief

• regular use = dependence, tolerance

• abstinence = withdrawal

and once you are dependent on drugs and alcohol, you are far more likely to seek their use in the future. And if you've already started drinking, chances are you're probably hooked.

There is no doubt that certain substances are capable of reducing depression and anxiety, but their ability to actually relieve pain isn’t as great as many people think. And just as using drugs and alcohol to manage anxiety and depression can set you up for more trouble later, so too can it make things worse.

How to numb depression safely

Sometimes it helps to be able to numb your depressive feelings.

But to do this safely without burning yourself in the future, it is important to...

1)Recognise your feelings and get them out in the open.

Depression often leads to negative thoughts and feelings that have been suppressed for a long time. When these feelings are expressed they can seem frightening and overwhelming to the point that it's hard to even realise that these feelings exist.

Therefore, before you begin, you need to acknowledge that you're feeling depressed. Talk about your feelings and express how you're feeling. It could help to write down your feelings, or use a journal to write about how you're feeling.

It may also help to set aside some time to think about the reasons why you feel depressed. This can help you to identify the underlying beliefs that are keeping you depressed. Once you understand these beliefs, it's possible to address them and get rid of them.

2) Use a simple technique to numb yourself.

There are various methods to numb yourself, which are known as "Numbing Techniques". You can use the Numbing Technique of distraction. This involves getting absorbed in something else or doing an activity that distracts you from your feelings. Alternatively, you can distract yourself by imagining yourself being happy and being really positive about the future. You can also do an action that you feel good about.

You can also use Numbing Techniques to numb your feelings, such as counting backwards or using a thought or mantra to help you forget what you're feeling. It is also helpful to use soothing music to help you relax. You might also try using your imagination to take yourself somewhere that you feel safe and happy.

3) Do Numbing Techniques everyday.

You'll get better at using Numbing Techniques as you get better at identifying your feelings and managing your emotions. Therefore, you should practice Numbing Techniques every day. This will help you learn how to use Numbing Techniques effectively and make it less likely that you use them inappropriately.

4) Practice reducing the numbness when you want to start feeling again.

You can do this by allowing yourself to explore relevant thoughts and emotional words. Especially when you're feeling depressed, it can be useful to speak to someone you trust. When you talk, you might feel that the numbness is disappearing. If you notice this, you can continue to talk to someone you trust, and keep talking until the numbness has gone.

You can also practice distracting yourself from the thoughts that make you depressed by reading a book, listening to music, doing an activity or going for a walk. These activities can help you to feel more relaxed and positive about the future.

5) Don't become addicted to Numbing Techniques.

Some people tend to rely on Numbing Techniques to cope with their emotions, which can be a bad thing. The main problem is that people start to rely on Numbing Techniques as a way of coping with problems rather than dealing with the real problem.

6) Make sure you don't use Numbing Techniques too much...

Be careful to use emotional numbing only when you feel that they are helping you feel better. If you feel that you need to do more, talk to someone you trust to help you to find other ways to manage your feelings.

7) Avoid using Numbing Techniques that are too extreme.

For example, you should avoid drinking alcohol or taking drugs. They can lead to dangerous situations.

8) Be cautious about using Numbing Techniques for longer periods.

If you find that you are relying on Numbing Techniques for a long period of time, it may be wise to seek professional help.

You can talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about Numbing Techniques.

6 common signs that your emotional numbing has become detrimental to your life

1. You start to feel like nothing really matters.

If you have reached a point where you have lost touch with reality, it might be a good idea to consider seeking help. If you feel like nothing really matters, it is possible that you might be suffering from clinical depression.

Clinical depression is a very common condition. It affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide.

While antidepressants are effective in the treatment of clinical depression, some people still suffer from the side effects of medication. These include weight gain, sleep disturbances, and sexual dysfunction. In these cases, therapy could provide a better option than medications.

2. You feel a strong need to blame someone else.

People who blame themselves for their problems, often don’t realise how much the situation has changed.

“Depressed people often say to themselves, 'I'm a failure. I'm not a good person. Why should anyone care about me? I’m a horrible person,' and then it turns out that they are a terrible person and no one will ever want to be around them. So then they blame everyone but themselves for that,” therapist and author Dr. Robert Shapiro told HuffPost.

3. You start to experience insomnia.

Insomnia, or sleep problems, is a common symptom of depression. While it can be a difficult condition to treat, it can be treated.

A good way to overcome insomnia is to start getting into a consistent sleep routine. This includes making sure that you go to bed at a regular time, get your sleep cycle started, and that you avoid caffeine and alcohol during the night.

4. You lose interest in your hobbies and daily routines.

You may lose interest in things you enjoyed before you were depressed. Or you may find that you have lost interest in everything.

“People with major depression lose interest in almost everything, including their hobbies and their social life. There is usually a sense of hopelessness, a feeling of nothing going right, and a loss of energy and motivation. People may be unable to get out of bed, even if they have to get up early the next day for work or school. They may not eat properly, even though they are hungry, and they may have a lot of trouble concentrating,” psychiatrist Dr. Dina Samadpour told HuffPost.

5. You start to have suicidal thoughts.

Suicide is never the answer to a problem. If you feel as though you can’t handle your problems any longer, it might be a good idea to seek help.

“If you are feeling this way, please call your doctor. Please do not try to do it yourself,” Dr. Samadpour said.

6. You develop a negative self-image.

You may start to question your own worth. Or you may feel like you don’t measure up to other people.

It's important to remember that depression is a serious issue and it's a good idea to speak with a mental health professional.

How to ensure emotional numbing works for you and not against you.

Numbing out is a natural human response when faced with pain. But when applied to depression, it can backfire. It's important to learn how to apply numbing techniques efficiently to get the maximum benefit from them. This will protect you from becoming a victim of your own emotions 

Written by Adewale Ademuyiwa
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