Young Minds Depression PDF

Depression
Your guide to depression

and finding the help and
support you need
80,000
Nearly 80,000 children and young
people suffer from depression in the
UK. Depression is one of the most
common types of mental illness.
youngminds.org.uk/depression
What is depression?
Most people go through periods of feeling down, but
when you’re depressed you feel persistently sad for
weeks or months, rather than just a few days.
Depression can happen as a reaction to something like

abuse, bullying or family breakdown, and it can also run in
families. Depression often develops alongside anxiety.
It’s not the same as manic depression, which is another

term for bipolar disorder.
1
How do I know if I’m
depressed?
Everyone has different emotions and it’s normal to
experience highs and lows throughout life. But when
the lows go on for a long period of time and feel almost
constant, that’s when it becomes depression.
Symptoms can include:
• not wanting to do things • feeling irritable, upset,

that you previously miserable or lonely
enjoyed • feeling hopeless
• avoiding friends or social • maybe wanting to self-
situations harm
• sleeping more or less • feeling tired and not
than normal having any energy
• eating more or less than • poor concentration and
normal attention
• being self-critical • crying a lot
“Mum walked out on me and my brother,
and Dad got a job in another country so
we had to move. Mum didn’t want to see
us any more because she said she had a
new life. Dad started drinking. It’s like I
lost everything I knew.”
3
What you can do:
helping yourself
Finding ways to cope with your mood is important when
you’re feeling depressed. So don’t panic and remember,
feeling sad or unhappy will come to an end. It could be
useful to:
• Make a playlist of your favourite music to listen to

• Try painting or drawing
• Write down how you feel in a diary
• Try a sport – it’s been shown that exercise can help to
fight depression
• Eat healthily as a healthy diet is essential for good
mental health
• Volunteer
• Go for a walk
• Try meditation or yoga
• Do what makes you feel more relaxed
What you can do:
getting help
The first step is to talk about it.
Talk to someone you like and trust, like a teacher, relative,
counsellor or friend.
You could also talk to your GP. They will listen and
offer advice and sometimes refer you to a specialist or
prescribe medication to help improve your mood.
Can’t talk to someone you know?

Talking about it is hard. Sometimes it helps to talk to
someone you don’t know – that’s where helplines can be
really useful.
You’ll find details of some organisations who can help at

the back of this booklet.
5
How is depression treated?
If your GP thinks you’re suffering from depression,
they may prescribe therapy, anti-depressants or a
combination of both.
Therapy, such as speaking to a counsellor or therapist

can be a good long term solution. They’ll listen to your
problems and be very sympathetic.
You’ll be able to talk through your problems with them

and if you’re nervous about it you can usually take a
relative or friend along too.
Anti-depressants work by artificially lifting your mood and

while they can help with the feelings in the short term,
they won’t help solve the root cause of your depression.
“I didn’t think I could talk to anyone I
knew. I thought it would just make things
worse. I couldn’t talk to my friends about
it because I didn’t think they would take
it seriously. I just felt completely alone.
I wrote to a problem page and they
encouraged me to phone a helpline. Once
I did that they helped me have more
confidence to get help.”
7
For more support
childline.org.uk
The UK’s free helpline for children and young people
– it’s a confidential service and provides telephone
counselling for any child with a problem.
Helpline: 0800 1111
Textphone: 0800 400 222
Mon-Fri 9:30am-9:30pm | Sat and Sun: 11am-8pm
themix.org.uk
Offers free support and advice for under 25s through a
confidential helpline, online chat and discussion boards.
Helpline: 0808 808 4994
7 days a week 2pm – 11pm
youthaccess.org.uk
Information and advice on counselling services for people
aged 12–25. Visit the website and click ‘Find a service’.
hopeagain.org.uk
Bereavement charity helping young people come to
terms with bereavement and deal with their feelings.
9
Parents
Helpline
0808 802 5544
youngminds.org.uk
Mon-Fri 9.30am-4pm
YoungMinds
Fourth Floor, India House
45 Curlew Street
London SE1 2ND
Telephone 020 7089 5050
ymenquiries@youngminds.org.uk
youngminds.org.uk
Registered charity number: 1016968

Company limited by guarantee number: 02780643
Thank you to Dr Andrea Gnanadurai and her colleagues at the Child

and Family Public Engagement Board, Royal College of Psychiatry for
fact checking this booklet.

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Depression

Your guide to depression

Depression can happen as a reaction to something like

It’s not the same as manic depression, which is another

Symptoms can include:

• not wanting to do things • feeling irritable, upset,

• Make a playlist of your favourite music to listen to

Can’t talk to someone you know?

You’ll find details of some organisations who can help at

Therapy, such as speaking to a counsellor or therapist

You’ll be able to talk through your problems with them

Anti-depressants work by artificially lifting your mood and

Registered charity number: 1016968

Thank you to Dr Andrea Gnanadurai and her colleagues at the Child

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