“Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. Clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or more.” (National Institutes of Health, 2016) Below are resources that will help you better understand different kinds of depression, signs and symptoms, and available treatment.
Learn more about different forms of depression at these websites:
Resources
University of Lynchburg Counseling Center
The Counseling Center has highly qualified Licensed Mental Health Counselors available to assist students with a variety of issues. The center provides counseling and education to help you feel your best and relate to others in a healthy way. We welcome the opportunity to talk with you about any source of concern.
The Science of Happiness
This six-part BBC series looks at the newest research from around the world to find out what could make us happy.
What is depression?
In this TED-Ed video, Helen M. Farrell examines the symptoms and treatments of depression and gives some tips for how you might help a friend who is suffering.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
A collection of talks given by author Pema Chödrön, this book is a treasury of wisdom for going on living when we are overcome by pain and difficulties.
Positive Psychology
Focused on shedding light on what makes humans thrive rather than what makes us deprived, positive psychologists have conducted research and developed interventions in the pursuit of positive psychological treatment for mental health problems.
Mental Health Resource Center
The Jed Foundation is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for young adults. Its Mental Health Resource Center offers many resources for learning more about mental health and how to have a conversation with a friend.
Apps can be helpful to help develop skill sets to navigate depression outside of a professional treatment setting. On-campus and off-campus resources are also available to help support you with any concerns you may have in this area.
What’s Up? A Mental Health App: This app uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) methods to help you cope with depression, anxiety, stress, and more. Use the positive and negative habit tracker to maintain your good habits and break those that are counterproductive. The “Get Grounded” page contains over 100 different questions to pinpoint what you’re feeling and the “Thinking Patterns” page teaches you how to stop negative internal monologues. Available for download free on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
eMoods: A mood tracking app designed specifically for people with bipolar disorder. Throughout the day, users can track depressive and psychotic symptoms, elevated mood, and irritability, and give an indication of the severity of their symptoms. Users can then see their mood changes on a color-coded monthly calendar and even export a monthly summary report to identify specific triggers and better understand their fluctuating mood. Available for download free on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Happify: Need a happy fix? With its psychologist-approved mood training program, the Happify app is your fast track to a good mood. Try various engaging games, activity suggestions, gratitude prompts, and more to train your brain as if it were a muscle and overcome negative thoughts. Available for download free on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
MoodTools: This app aims to support people with clinical depression by aiding the path to recovery. Discover helpful videos that can improve your mood and behavior, log and analyze your thoughts using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles, develop a suicide safety plan, and more. Available for download free on the Apple App Store and Google Play.