First Step In Getting Help For Depression

What Is Samhsa’s National Helpline

SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

The First Step To Getting Out Of A ‘depression Funk’

The overwhelming feeling of the winter blues is in full-force. Some may even say its seasonal affective disorder . Over the past few months, I have pulled way back from social media, from my writing and from the social scene. I know it may not seem it to those who follow me, but I have been struggling in a major way. I couldnt put my finger on it, but I have been depressed, lethargic, angry at times, moody, tired and an emotional mess.

Yes, I have cancer and continue to take daily chemo. Yes, I have lupus, and my flares have been extremely tiring. But it has been more than that. I dont want to get out of bed, I dont want to be social, I dont want to write and share my feelings, I dont want to be judged for my social media presence. I just dont.

Well now that thats off my chest, lets chat about how I want to fix this and recognize there is a problem and I know I am not alone. I have always said I love living in New England. The change of the seasons, the beautiful landscapes, the temperature change. Everyone has been commenting on the mild winter we have experienced, and they are right. But the lack of sunshine and exorbitant amount of gloomy days has this gal spinning like a hamster in its wheel. The same gloominess and lack of energy day in and day out , the same mundane schedule, the same grey skies and political who-ha plastered all over the news.

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How To Get Help With Depression: Tips And Treatments

Across the globe, millions of people fight against depression every day. Though it is a common struggle, it is far from hopeless. The resources to help improve ones mental health exist. Today, we are sharing how to get help with depression by discovering different treatment options and where to access them.

Some individuals claim that those with depression should just be happier, or that they arent trying hard enough. However, the idea that someone can simply will depression away is a toxic and unhelpful mindset. In reality, depression and other mental disorders pose complex challenges that often require professional guidance to overcome.

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Getting Help With Depression

depression

• you feel sad, empty, and ready to cry at the slightest provocation
• you feel worthless and, inappropriately, guilty
• you cant concentrate and have difficulty making decisions
• you have difficulty accomplishing tasks which were once easy
• you feel helpless and hopeless
• you lose interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
• you cant control negative thoughts, no matter how hard you try
• you either have no appetite or you cant stop eating
• you sleep too much or cant sleep at all
• you feel tired, wiped out and have no energy
• you are much more short-tempered and irritable than normal
• you have suicidal thoughts

online help available

The Signs & Symptoms Of Depression

Different people experience depression in distinct ways. Some feel profound sadness, hopelessness, and low self-worth. Many also feel overwhelmed, stressed, and burnt out. And some people feel nothing at all.

The core symptoms of depression include:

• Having little interest or pleasure in doing things
• Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
• Feeling tired or having little energy
• Poor appetite or overeating
• Feeling bad about yourself or feeling like a failure
• Trouble concentrating on things

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Assess For Risk Of Suicide Or Harm

With depression, there are two main types of mental health crises, and first aiders typically provide:

• First aid for suicidal thoughts and behaviors: This involves recognizing and responding to suicide warning signs, asking if the person is considering killing themselves and contacting emergency help if necessary.
• First aid for non-suicidal self-injury: To provide this kind of first aid, a person must be familiar with the forms and signs of self-injury and be prepared to talk openly about self-harm.

In either of these situations, if the person has a deadly weapon or threatens to harm themselves or others, a first aider should call 911 immediately instead of attempting first aid.

If the individual is not experiencing a crisis related to suicidal behaviors or non-suicidal self-harm, the first aider can start a private conversation in which they can express their concerns and offer help.

Feelings of depression or anxiety can lead to suicidal thinking. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts or tendencies, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at .

Making The Steps Toward Getting Help For Depression

Have you been feeling down for a while? While being sad over events and changes in your life is normal, experiencing depression as the result of being down for a long time can identify the development of a depressive disorder. It can be challenging to face the fact that youre living with a mental health issue, but help is available to support you to getting the assistance you need to manage symptoms of depression. Taking the steps toward getting help for depression is something thats difficult, but it can be made easier if you know what to expect, some information about depressive disorders, and how to go about asking for the help you need.

Making the steps toward getting help for depression can include:

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Where To Go For Help

Where you go for help will depend on who has the problem and the nature of the problem and/or symptoms. Often, the best place to start is your local mental health organization. Visit our Affiliate Finder to search for a local affiliate. Your primary care doctor is also a good person to talk to if you think you may need to see somebody about your mental health, and can usually give you the name of a psychologist or psychiatrist to contact.

Meet Yourself Where You Are

Depression is common. It affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles.

The key to navigating depression is to be open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what youre going through.

Every day with this disorder is different. Its important to take your mental health seriously and accept that where you are right now isnt where youll always be.

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Help Yourself Out Of Depression

Experts give advice about steps people can take to help ease their depression.

Recovery from depression can be a long process. A variety of treatments for depression exists, but they may take time before an effect is noticed. Weeks, if not months, may pass between the time when you see a health care provider about depression and when your mood starts to lift.

While some improvement may be seen after starting antidepressants, they can take at least three weeks to start having an effect on your mood. What’s more, the first medication or combination of medications you try may not work for you in that case you’ll have to start over.

In the meantime, there are things you can do, as well as things you can avoid, to help yourself feel better, or at least keep from sinking deeper into depression.

You are somewhat responsible — but not entirely responsible — for your state of mind, says psychologist James Aikens, PhD, an assistant professor of family medicine and psychiatry at the University of Michigan.

“You’re not responsible for being depressed. Your responsibility is to make some reasonable efforts towards feeling better,” he tells WebMD.

Meet The Host: Ellie Pike Ma Lpc

Ellie Pike is the Sr. Manager of Alumni/Family/Community Outreach at Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center. Over the years, she creatively combined her passions for clinical work with education and resources. She worked as an outpatient therapist for adolescent girls and women and in addition, she served as an Adjunct Professor for 5 years at Elon University. Ellies true love is listening to and sharing stories.

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Offer Support By Planning Activities Or Being Physically Present

If you notice a friend or family member in a depressive episode begins isolating more than usual, Dudley said to include them in planned activities. Depending on their unique needs, this may look like going for a walk together or grabbing coffee once a week.

At times, doing the bare minimum when in a depressive episode can feel like too much depression is emotionally and physically exhausting on every level. Managing new symptoms like poor sleep and navigating mental health care for the first time on top of fulfilling daily responsibilities can take a toll on physical health. Watson explained that offering tangible support to a loved one by making meals or doing household chores can lessen this burden.

Care tasks are difficult to do in the middle of a depressive episode, so being more concrete in your support for your loved ones can be a meaningful way to connect with them even if they dont want to talk, or youre not sure what to say, Watson said.

Coming To Terms With How You Feel

Before you can get help with depression, you have to first accept how youre feeling. This includes knowing and understanding that what youre feeling may not be relational to whats actually happening in your life. For instance, depression may lead you to believe that people dont care about how youre feeling. But, in reality, there are a number of people who care about how you feel and the state of your mental health. So, if youre having thoughts that youre meaningless, feelings of despair, or believe that others may not care about how youre feeling, this may be a sign that youre dealing with depression. And, that it may be time to reach out to someone you trust or a mental health professional at a treatment care facility.

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What Are The Different Antidepressants And How Do They Work

• SSRI This category of drug includes fluoxetine , citalopram , and sertraline and targets serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps control mood, appetite, and sleep.
• SNRI SNRIs include drugs like duloxetine , desvenlafaxine , and venlafaxine , which block the reabsorption of both serotonin and another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine.
• NDRI This class of medications includes bupropion.
• TCA TCAs include such drugs as imipramine and nortriptyline . These drugs were among the earliest antidepressants to come on the market. These days, doctors generally only turn to them when treatment with SSRIs, SNRIs, and NDRIs has failed.
• MAOI MAOIs, including phenelzine and isocarboxazid , were the first antidepressants developed. Theyre rarely used today, in part because people who take them require careful monitoring to prevent negative interactions with certain foods and other medications.

All antidepressants can have side effects, but some may be more problematic than others. You may need to try several different medications, or a combination, guided by your doctor, before you find what works best for you.

Where To Get Help For Clinical Depression

Once you decide to seek medical help, start with your primary care doctor. They can evaluate you to make sure that medicines or another illness are not the source of your symptoms. Your primary care doctor can also thoroughly assess your symptoms and provide treatment.

If needed, they may refer you to a mental health care professional for care.

Your primary care doctor may routinely screen you for depression during a regular office visit.

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Show Your Own Vulnerability In Private Settings

During a one-on-one with your male employee, open the door to a vulnerable conversation. For instance, you might say, The past few weeks have been really tough for me. I was juggling a sick parent and new project deadlines. Im feeling overwhelmed with all thats been going on and need some time for self-care. How have you been? If youre a male manager, it is all the more important to set the example. Show acceptance and vulnerability by sharing the impact of your own life and work challenges on your emotional state.

Talking about how youve managed to seek help from others or even professionals, normalizes the idea for your team members, encourages them to similarly express their emotions, and removes some of the fear typically socialized into men.

Note, that to create a more casual atmosphere around such conversations, my recommendation is not have these in a meeting room or conference room. Instead, think of doing this when you are walking over to a coffee shop or over a lunch meeting at a café. A casual setting will lower the stakes of the conversation.

Start Feeling Better In 3 Simple Steps

Step 1

Fill out our free mental health assessment.

Start with a clinically-proven set of questions to shed light on how youre feeling. Well help you understand your symptoms, then recommend the best treatment plan for youincluding Medication, Therapy, or both.

Step 2

Connect with your Provider for a personalized treatment plan.

Get matched with an expert Provider for an online video consultation. Share how youre feeling and then decide on next stepstogether.

Step 3

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What To Expect From A Clinician

Having a good relationship with your childs clinician is essential, because the more engaged and committed your child is in treatment, the more likely it is to be successful. A good clinician should make sure you understand the goals of treatment and make you feel like your questions are being taken seriously. You should also feel that you can be honest about how your child is doing.

Jill Emanuele, PhD, senior director of the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute, says one of the first things she does with a new patient is try to establish a good rapport. You get to know the person, you make them comfortable. You establish a safe space where you show them that youre listening and you care. Often enough were the first person thats actually listening to them in a way they havent experienced before, or have not experienced often.

If a person is resistant to treatment, Dr. Emanuele says she tries to address that. Maybe theyve had a difficult experience with therapy before, or they dont really trust adults, or perhaps they are shamed by their behavior or what theyre feeling, and they dont want to show it to another person.

Someone I Care About Is Showing Signs Of Depression

It can be difficult to know how to approach your loved one if you feel they may be experiencing symptoms of depression. HelpGuide.org suggests asking questions such as:

• When did you start feeling like this? Did something happen?
• What can I do to best support you?
• Have you considered getting help?

Being a good listener can often be the best way to support a loved one suffering from depression. You do not have to offer advice on how they can fix their situation and instead just allow them to talk to you about their feelings and listen with compassion.

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Learn About Clinical Depression

Desreen Dudley, a licensed clinical psychologist for the virtual care platform Teladoc, said that its valuable to take the first step and get educated on clinical depression by seeking information about symptoms, causes and treatment when you notice a loved one is struggling with mental health issues.

This includes understanding there is a marked difference between feeling sad and major depression.

Depression differs from sadness in that it is a clinical mental health disorder that describes a cluster of signs and symptoms which significantly impact the way people see themselves, relate to others and their environments, explained Meghan Watson, a resident therapist at Alkeme Health, a digital destination for the Black community to access mental health and wellness content.

Sadness is just one sign of clinical depression: Commonsymptoms of depression also include fatigue, feelings of hopelessness, changes in sleep patterns or appetite, suicidal thoughts, a lack of interest in activities and evenphysical pain, like headaches. Watson said that depressive episodes can vary from individual to individual based on their history, habits and environment.

A Assess For Risk Of Suicide Or Harm

When helping a person going through a mental health crisis, it is important to look for signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, non-suicidal self-injury or other harm. Mental Health First Aid teaches you the signs of suicidal behavior and makes clear that you should always seek emergency medical help if the persons life is in immediate danger.

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