The 10 steps are divided into two sections:

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1. Five things to do when you are too depressed to move

2. Five things to do when your head is just above water

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‘Five things to do when you are too depressed to move’

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These are to be drawn upon when you are feeling so depressed that you cannot even be bothered to move.

 

It is at this point that we need the most support but are probably in the least capable position to ask for it.

 

When we’re drowning in misery our assertiveness abandons us. We feel like a mound of sludge and become deaf to offers of help, misinterpreting the world and feeling isolated and lonely. We may become so hopeless that we feel suicidal.

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But you are not the only one who feels like this. Take comfort in the actuality that there are millions of others who feel the same way.

 

By undertaking some or all of the first five steps you will start to move away from the darkness and begin to grasp some hope. You will sense there is a way out even if you don’t have all the answers.

 

Recovery from depression is a slow but progressive journey. Take refuge in the first five steps and take them at your own pace.

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‘Five things to do when your head is just above water’

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These are for when the depression lifts just enough for you to put into place some ideas that you will be able to rely on if you go back into the depths of despair. They are the fast-track tools, intended to move you out of depression by helping you lift your denial.

 

They are ideas that have been used by thousands of others to create new structures for dealing with their core problems. They are simple to comprehend but not necessarily easy to put into practice. They require the courage to change, and they are intended for when you have gained enough assurance through the first five steps.

 

If you feel they ask too much of you, then stay in the first five steps until you are ready to make the next step.

 

You will get to the point when you are frustrated with those first five steps enough to move on to the second five. Take them at your own pace and remember: easy does it.