Depression: Information, Coping Tips, and Resources
Each person’s experience is different, and so are their needs. The following information may not help everyone with depression, but gives general tips and resources for further support that may be helpful in your journey.
Depression is a common mental health concern. About 5% of men and 10% of women experience significant depression at some point in their life.
Depression can happen on its own, or as part of other types of mental health problems (ie: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Depression and anxiety often occur together.
Depression changes the brain and body. It can lower certain hormones and disrupt how nerve cells communicate. This affects the body’s ability to regulate mood, sleep, appetite, and libido.
Common symptoms of depression include:
- A strong sense of sadness
- Feeling exhausted and unmotivated, being inactive
- Not enjoying the things you used to like
- Not taking care of yourself
- Avoiding other people
- Thinking bad things about yourself (i.e. feeling like a “failure” or a “burden”)
- Problems sleeping and eating
- Difficulty concentrating and remembering things
- Feeling irritable or “grumpy”
- Aches and pains, physical health issues
- Loss of interest in sex
- Misusing drugs or alcohol
- Feeling hopelessness
- Thoughts of suicide
Depression can result from many factors, which vary from person to person and are not always easy to pinpoint. Some things that often contribute to depression are:
- Experiences of trauma/abuse (past or present)
- Long-term stress
- Feeling like a failure
- Unhelpful thinking (self-criticism, pessimism, unrealistic expectations)
- Not taking good care of yourself
- Not having a good balance between “work” (being productive) and “fun”
- Not having enough supportive people in your life
- Unresolved grief
- Long-term illness or pain
- Family history of depression or other mental health problems
An ongoing low mood is the hallmark of depression. Everyone has “down” days (or even periods) in their life, but depression is more intense, lasts at least two weeks, and interferes with daily functioning.
Tips for Managing Depression
There are things you can do to help improve your mood if you are struggling with depression:
- Good self-care is essential. This includes exercise, a healthy diet, enough sleep, and good hygiene. Focus on doing things you know are good for you, whether you “feel like it” or not.
- Improve your sleep. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day, and avoid caffeine and alcohol. Avoid sleeping too much.
- Seek a balance in your daily life between activities that provide a sense of productivity or accomplishment and those that bring pleasure.
- Set small goals, like going for a short walk, eating a healthy snack, calling a friend, or having a shower. If you feel unmotivated, schedule these goals into your calendar.
- Maintain positive and supportive social relationships. Depression can cause urges to withdraw from others, but giving in to these and becoming isolated usually makes depression worse.
- Notice and challenge thoughts that contribute to depression. Replace self-criticism (“I’m such a loser!) and exaggerating the negative (“Everything is horrible!”) with more realistic thoughts.
- Gratitude is a great way to “practice” thinking in more positive ways. Take five minutes each morning to write down three things you are grateful for, no matter how small they are.
Seeking Support
If symptoms of depression are affecting you, speaking to a primary healthcare provider can be a good starting point. There are many effective treatments for depression, including medications a primary care provider may prescribe if you are diagnosed with depression.
Many types of counselling and therapy can also help people cope with depression. One of the most common is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which focuses on helping change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. You may want to consider some of the community and self-help resources listed below.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts due to depression, it is important to seek help immediately.
If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of suicide, call 911 or
go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
You can also access the following resources for immediate support in a crisis:
- Individuals of all ages can call or text 988 to reach Canada’s Suicide Crisis Hotline. You will have the opportunity to be connected to a crisis resource that is age/culturally appropriate for you.
- Talk Suicide Canada provides immediate crisis support to those of all ages. Call 1-833-456-4566 (24/7) or text 45645 (4:00 pm - 12:00 am ET).
- LGBQT Prideline Durham Helpline provides emotional support, crisis intervention, and community referral information specific to the concerns and issues of the LGBTQ community. Call 1-855-87PRIDE (77433) from 6:00 – 10:00 pm daily.
- Kids Help Phone provides support via phone, text or chat to children, youth, and young adults. Call 1-800-668-6868 (24/7), text CONNECT to 686868 (24/7), or go to the website for live chat (7:00 pm–12:00 am).
- Frontenac Youth Services Crisis Response offers phone and mobile crisis response for children, youth and their families. Call Frontenac Youth Services at (905) 723-2802 or 1-888-579-5914 (9:00 am-5:00 pm Monday-Friday), or York Support Services Network at 1-855-310-COPE(2673) or (TTY) 1-866-323-7785 (Monday to Friday 5:00 pm-9:00 am, weekends, and holidays).
Community and Online Resources for Depression
- Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program (Ontario Shores) offers publicly funded cognitive behavioural therapy and clinician-guided self-help resources to those aged 18+ to help manage conditions including depression. Self referrals are accepted, and can be made through the website. For details visit the website or call 1-877-767-9642.
- Ontario Shores Recovery College provides a series of free virtual and in-person courses to help learn about mental illnesses, treatment options, and wellness and ultimately discover/rediscover passions, hope, and meaning. Registrants are not required to be receiving services from Ontario Shores to be eligible. For more information or to register, visit the website.
- CMHA Recovery College Wellness Centre offers a range of free in-person and online courses to help participants understand their mental health, develop strategies for personal well-being, develop life skills (including financial literacy), and learn skills to manage mood, emotions, and triggers. For more information or to register, visit the website.
- BounceBack is a free skill-building program managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to help manage issues including mild to moderate depression. Services are delivered over the phone with a coach and through online videos and workbooks. For more details or to request service, visit the website or call 1-877-767-9642. Teens age 15-17 can access the program at BounceBack for Teens, or by calling 1-866-345-0224.
- Connex Ontario provides free and confidential health services information for people experiencing problems with alcohol and drugs, mental illness or gambling by connecting them with services in their area. Call 1-866-531-2600 or visit the website for more information.
Information about Depression
- Depression (CAMH) provides information about depression including risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options, and links to various resources and tools.
- Center for Clinical Interventions (CCI) offers information sheets, worksheets, and a nine-module self-help workbook called “Back from the Bluez” related to using CBT strategies to overcome depression.
- Suicide Prevention offers various learning modules, toolkits, factsheets, and other resources related to suicide prevention.
Free Apps to Support Mental Health
- Sanvello is an app for teens and adults that uses principles of CBT and mindfulness to help with various mental health challenges, including depression. Includes tools for coping, mood tracking, and recording/reframing thoughts.
- Bearable is an app that allows you to track your mood, emotions, physical health, sleep, energy levels, fatigue, pain, chronic illness, menstrual cycle and more. Helps you identify how various factors are affecting your mood and health.
- Medito: Free Meditation, Sleep & Mindfulness is an app that provides guided and non-guided meditations, courses, and other tools to help you practice mindfulness and gratitude, manage stress, relax, sleep better, and improve mental health.
