Hello everybody and welcome to your anxiety toolkit. My name is Kimberly Quinlan. Hello. I am an

anxiety specialist. I'm licensed in the state of California and you're listening to Your Anxiety

Toolkit. This is where you are going to learn exactly how to manage and overcome anxiety and

depression using the same science-based compassion-focused strategies and tools that I use with my

one-on-one clients. Today we're tackling a tough but important topic how to stop the downward spiral of depression before it takes over.

I'll never forget a time early in my career when I worked with a client who described depression as sinking in quicksand. They felt like every negative thought and every

decision to avoid something they used to enjoy just pull them deeper and deeper into that dark,

heavy feeling. What really struck me was the way they described hopelessness. And I'm sure you

understand. They felt completely powerless to get out of this cycle. And what struck with me and

really sat with me, and I know many of you can relate, is that exact feeling. But here's the thing. Even when it feels like

you're being pulled down, there are ways to stop the downward spiral of depression. And today,

I'm going to walk you through specific strategies that reduce depressive rumination and also reduce self-criticism.

So let's dive into this.

One way we can understand depression is by thinking of it as a cycle.

Not as just one symptom or a feeling because depression is usually a series of events that feed off of

each other keeping you trapped. For example, feeling sad or unmotivated can then lead to

avoiding responsibilities or withdrawing from activities, which then makes you feel guilty or more hopeless.

But as you know, negative self-critical thoughts also make us fall into this deep depression

and further down that downward spiral.

Thoughts like, I'm a failure or I'll never get better or I'm a burden to everyone I know feed into this cycle

and make you feel even more ineffective and unmotivated. Each behavior or thought can spiral

into another, worsening your depression. But the good news is that we can intervene at any part of

...