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• Mental health >> Depression >> Distraction, activities and creativity >> Distraction, activities and creativity

Distraction, activities and creativity

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• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 07 >> While very depressed, doing exercise helped to fill in the day, and watching Wimbledon also filled the day with a meaningful distraction.

Used a raft of strategies to recover including time off work, attending a support group, counselling, physical exercise, interaction with nature and pets, and spiritual healing.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 04 >> His doctor recommended physical activities, so he took up gardening, even though sceptical, but found that it did help to distract him and fight off n

Has responded very well to Prozac (20mg/day) and cognitive behavioural therapy.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 55-64 >> Interview 21 >> An NHS Day Centre near her home offering creative activities was a welcome distraction from her depression.

Effective treatments include lithium (400mg/day), day care centre activities (e.g. creative activities), distracting herself from depression, counselling, diet changes and Internet research.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 19 >> While severely depressed, her doctor told her to get out of the house and exercise, and so she managed to get to her local church on the bus.

Has managed to find joy in life through approaches including medication (currently venlafaxine 150mg & chlorpromazine 25mg), counselling, partner support, Christianity and voluntary work (which led to rewarding employment).