Tips For Coping With Depression While Traveling (NAPSA)—According to a recent V4 eed Tp University of Phoenix” survey, 39 percent of respondents say they have personally experienced depression. With the holiday travel season under way, University of Phoenix social sciences program chairs Mary Jo ‘Trombley, Ph.D., N.C.C., and DeAnna Henderson, Ph.D., L.P.C., N.C.C., say that living with chronic or situational depression can be challenging to handle, and travel can add additional burdens. WhatIs Depression? The American Psychological Association defines depression as a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how youfeel, the way you think and how you act. The association lists common symptoms of depression as including feelings of sadness or depression, changein sleep patterns and eating habits, loss of energy, feelings of fatigue, loss of interest in activities, and the inability to think, concentrate or make decisions. According to Dr. ‘Trombley, these symptoms can become exacerbated when traveling. She states that traveling should notbe seen as a cure for depression.It can be a way to obtain temporaryrelief but worry, stress, pressure and loneliness are contributing factors to depression and are often presentfortravelers. “Traveling comes with changes in routine, pressures of time commitments, and changesin eating, sleeping and exer- cising patterns, Dr. Henderson added. “These changes can trigger a sense ofnot being in control and increase the sense of depression.” Tips for Traveling with Depression You don’t have to let the stress of travel make depression worse, experts advise. ing situations. Recognizing triggers and your body's response to unfamiliar and stressful situations can help keep depressive symptomsatbay. Use appropriate coping strategies: Techniques that help people manage stressful and/or traumatic situations are coping strategies. These strategies can include the use of mindfulness, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation. Additionally, reaching out to support systems during this time can diminish feelings of loneliness duringtravel. Finally, the use of humorcan be effective in reducingstress. Get a sufficient amountofsleep, exercise, and eat well: Travel can be exhausting. It is important to maintain patterns of sleep and healthy eating while traveling. Moreover, the main- tenance of an exercise routine can also help reduce stress and release endorphins while traveling. It is also impor- tant to limit alcohol consumption as alcohol is a depressant and may exacerbate depressive symptoms. Berealistic about yourtravel plans: Depression can be challenging. Drs. Trombley and Henderson provide the following strategies to help individuals cope whentraveling. Plan ahead: For someone who may be struggling with depression,it is best to plan for travel as opposed to making an impulsivetrip. Plan as muchofthetrip as possible. Know your route and possible delays, and have snacks in case you are delayed. Build in enough timeto travel through airports and security checkpointsif flying to yourdestination. Recognize that even though you have planned your travel, unplanned situations can occur. Maintaining a flexible stance can reduce the amountofstress experienced if travel does not go as agement is the ability to manage your specialization in Clinical Mental Health Practice self-management: Self-man- personal reactions to responsibilities and challenges in work andlife. This becomes critical during times of adapting to chang- planned. Also, while travel may alleviate some depressive symptoms, do not be alarmed if your symptomsreturn once the travel has ended. University of Phoenix is committed to training professional counselors who help treat depression and other mental health needs. Through programslike the Master of Science in Counseling with a Counseling, University of Phoenix is helping individuals combat mentalillness during the holidays and beyond.
