Is there a quick-fix for depression?

Depression develops over a period of time. This means it will take some time to get out of it too as usually it has deep roots. The sooner you speak to someone, the sooner it'll get better. If you tie a knot, you can't untie it even quicker.

Meditation, of course! Breathing exercises are very healthy for the body and are a cure-all for any sadness.

The only way to cure depression is to visit a clinical psychologist, get diagnosed and seek help even if it takes time

There is no quick fix for clinically diagnosed depression. Depression isn't "fixable." It is maintainable, but it will never fully go away. Depression is a disease to be worked on day after day. All day, every day. There are days better than others, when you feel like you've finally gotten out of "that funk," but don't be surprised when it creeps back up on you. It's a constant effort that you cannot give up on.

Depression is a state of mind that puts a grey cloud on everything. This grey cloud gets bigger and bigger. The more things happen, the more your grey cloud forms. The cloud contains negative thoughts, bad situations, many, many thoughts. Just as a rain cloud sends precipitation down to earth when the cloud gets heavy, your mind should do the same. No one in a happy state of mind keeps all of the emotions in this one spot for safe keeping. No. It is better to let this cloud rain down than to let it create a thunderstorm and then a hurricane that can tear you apart.... The best thing to do is to let you emotions be heard, by a friend, a family member, or a counselor, but never, ever let your cloud turn into a thunderstorm. Clear your mind and think about the issue. Address the issue and then blow it away like a wind from the east. Just know that everyone has a rainy day, but the question is are you prepared for it?

There is no "quick fix" but there are so many quick exercises/actions that you can do in order to improve the way you're currently feeling. This depends on the person and what your style of relaxation is but you can: take ten deep breaths with your eyes closed, splurge on a self-care day at the spa (or bring spa products to your home!), comfort food, watching a funny TV show to get yourself laughing, take a shower and "start a fresh mentality," the list really does go on and on. If you want to go a different route, you can talk to a therapist either on this platform or in person, and if he/she sees fit, you may be prescribed antidepressants.

Quick fixes are often temporary, and could be harmful. For example, quelling feelings of depression by using alcohol or other substances can temporarily make you feel better, but it does not solve the root cause of your depression, and you could become overly dependent on them. A permanent fix is more ideal, but may take longer than 'quick-fixes'. From a psychological perspective, your depression is caused by automatic and negative thoughts. We don't often notice these thoughts since they are automatic. These thoughts may include "I'm worthless", or "Nothing good will ever happen to me." These thoughts make you feel depressed. Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective way to challenge the validity of these thoughts. There may be self-help resources where you can do cognitive behavioural therapy on yourself. Being aware of your negative automatic thoughts can be challenging. If you engage in mindfulness meditation, it would become much easier to catch these thoughts when they arise.

Depression takes on different forms and can be on a spectrum of feeling down for an hour, a few days to feeling depressed over a long period of time. If an individual is feeling down even for a few days, exercise is one of the fastest methods to feel better according to studies done. Being able to bring the heart rate up is key so going on a brisk walk for 20 minutes will actually make a difference. Also finding someone to talk to can make a difference. Suppression can lead to depression. Sometimes all it takes is finding someone you can trust to talk to just to share what is on your mind.