Close X. Depression test Feeling sad or miserable most of the time? Take the test. Anxiety test Been feeling nervous, anxious or on edge? Need to talk? E-mail TXT Worried about how you feel?
Wondering where to turn for help? Doing a self test can help you decide. Take a test. Skip to footer content Home. Inner Signs. Outer signs. Depression - What you need to know. Self tests. Your past. Major changes. See the previous section for more information on these. What is an implanted vagus nerve stimulator, and how is it used in treatment resistant depression?
This is given for treatment-resistant depression to reduce symptoms with the aim of improving mood by regular stimulation of the vagus nerve. However, there is not currently a lot of evidence about how well this procedure works for treatment-resistant depression.
An advocate is independent from the NHS. They are free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard. There are different types of advocates available. Community advocates can support you to get a health professional to listen to your concerns. And help you to get the treatment that you would like.
You can ask an advocate to help you make a complaint. Advocates that do this are called NHS complaints advocates. You can search online to search for a local advocacy service. You can email us too at advice rethink. We will look for you.
Talk to your doctor about your treatment to see if you can resolve the problem with them first. You are not legally entitled to a second opinion, but your doctor might agree to it if it would help with treatment options. It is best to try and solve the problem with the team or doctor first. If this does not help you can make a formal complaint. If you are unhappy with their response to your complaint, then you may be able to take this up to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
You can learn to manage some of your symptoms by looking after yourself. Self-care is how you take care of your diet, exercise, daily routine, relationships and how you are feeling. You will learn how to notice when you are becoming unwell and know what your triggers are. Our diet affects our physical health. Depending on what you eat you could develop problems like obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
In the same way, the things we eat may affect our moods and mental health. Some people deal with their depression by eating high-fat and high-sugar foods. Also, seasonal affective disorder SAD can make you crave sugary carbohydrates like cakes and biscuits. The UK Chief Medical Officer recommends that men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
This is to help keep the risks and affects from alcohol low. If you have depression, making these changes may not have an instant impact on your mood.
However, they can be important for long-term recovery. Exercising regularly can help your mood. You can exercise any way you like, so long as it safely increases your heart rate and makes you breathe faster. Exercise can also help if you have problems sleeping. Getting proper sleep may be important for your mental health. How much you can do depends on your age, physical health and fitness. If you do not exercise already, start with small amounts and fit this into your daily routine. You can then slowly increase the amount you do.
This approach may help with your motivation. Or jogging for 5 kilometres. Some other ideas are listed below. Some mental health medication can cause problems with weight gain. Exercise could also help you manage this. To help, you could look at the NHS week diet and exercise plan which you can find here: www. You should speak to your doctor if you have any concerns about gaining weight due to medication.
You should also speak to your doctor if you have any concerns before starting to exercise. Having depression can cause other problems. It can affect your mental health as well as your physical health, and it may affect other areas of your life too. For example, depression may cause:. Some people might also drink more alcohol to try and relieve depression.
However, as we said in the previous section above, this can actually make depression worse. You can get support if you are a carer, friend or family member of someone living with depression.
Being a carer might mean you can claim certain benefits that might help you and the person you care for. For more information, please see the Mental Health and Money Advice services website: www.
You could also get in touch with carer support groups or sibling support groups. You can search for local groups in your area online or ask your GP. As a carer you should be involved in decisions about care planning.
There are rules about information sharing and confidentiality which may make it difficult for you to get all the information you need in some circumstances. You might find it easier to support someone with depression if you understand their symptoms, treatment and self-management skills. You can use this to support them to get help and stay well. Below are some initial suggestions for providing practical day to day support to someone with depression.
You could also try and find out about self-help or support groups in their area. Your local IAPT service may be a good place to start. It will help to keep details of their mental health team and discuss a crisis plan with them. Counselling Directory This website has lots of information about depression and other self-help resources. Website : www. Overcoming This website has information on self-help guides you can buy for a range of different conditions.
They are not free resources but can read reviews of different books here. You may be able to get some of the books cheaper if you buy them second hand.
Telephone : Email : overcoming littlebrown. It has a selection of different resources that can help with depression. Mood Swings Network This service provides a range of services for people affected by a mood disorder such as depression, including their family and friends.
Email : info moodswings. The Conservation Volunteers This organisation helps people to get involved in local conservation projects and has Green Gyms.
Do-it This is an organisation that supports people to get into volunteering across the country. Pandas Foundation This organisation provides advice and support for people struggling with pre- and post-natal depression. Email : info pandasfoundation. Cruse Bereavement Care This organisation provides support for people struggling with bereavement.
They offer support by telephone and in local centres across the country. Telephone : Monday and Friday 9. Donate Search Menu. About us About us. See our contacts page Looking to contact us?
Covid support. Supporting yourself Read more Supporting yourself. Covid information hub See all pages Covid information hub. Help in your area. Find peer support online Visit the Clic website Find peer support online. Advice and information. Contact our advice service today Need more information? Get involved. Become a campaigner Sign up today Become a campaigner. Get help now. Advice and information About mental illness Learn more about conditions Depression. Depression This section might be useful to you if you have depression or if you think you might have depression.
If you would like more advice or information you can contact our Advice and Information Service by clicking here.
Download Depression factsheet. Share: Contact us:. Overview Some signs of depression are feeling low, feeling bad about yourself and not wanting to do things. Depression affects different people in different ways.
If you think you might have depression you can speak to your GP. Depression may be treated with medication and talking treatments. Self-help techniques, peer support groups and coping strategies can also help. Different things can lead to depression.
Your upbringing, stressful events and your lifestyle might all have an effect. If you feel low, getting enough sleep and eating healthy foods might help. Need more advice? If you need more advice or information you can contact our Advice and Information Service. Contact us Contact us. About What is depression? Depression is: a mental illness, common - it affects about 1 in 6 of us, something that anyone can get, and treatable. How common is depression? Some symptoms of depression are: low mood, feeling sad, irritable or angry, having less energy to do certain things, losing interest or enjoyment in activities you used to enjoy, reduced concentration, becoming tired more easily, disturbed sleep and losing your appetite, feeling less good about yourself loss of self-confidence , or feeling guilty or worthless.
You may also find that with low mood you: feel less pleasure from things, feel more agitated, lose interest in sex, find your thoughts and movements slow down, and have thoughts of self-harm or suicide. What is clinical depression? What is a depressive episode? What is recurrent depressive disorder? Depression can take the pleasure or enjoyment out of the things you love. A loss of interest or withdrawal from activities that you once looked forward to — sports, hobbies, or going out with friends — is yet another telltale sign of major depression.
Another area where you may lose interest is sex. Symptoms of major depression include a decreased sex drive and even impotence. Part of the reason you might stop doing things you enjoy is because you feel very tired. Depression often comes with a lack of energy and an overwhelming feeling of fatigue , which can be among the most debilitating symptoms of depression.
This could lead to excessive sleeping. Depression is also linked with insomnia , as one might lead to the other and vice versa. They can also make each other worse. The lack of quality, restful sleep can also lead to anxiety. Symptoms of anxiety can include:. Depression can affect the sexes differently.
Research shows that men with depression may have symptoms such as irritability , escapist or risky behavior, substance abuse, or misplaced anger.
Weight and appetite can fluctuate for people with depression. This experience may be different for each person. Depression can cause mood swings. Depression is sometimes connected with suicide. In , more than 42, people died from suicide in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People who die by suicide usually show symptoms first. Often people will talk about it or make a first attempt before succeeding in ending their life. If you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person:.
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