How to Get Immediate Help for Depression

Glenda Otero

Asking for immediate help is the first step in treating depression. Where you live has a lot to do with how easy or difficult it will be to find the emergency mental-health services you need. But no matter how complicated it seems, keep going. Each step gets you closer to feeling better.

Things You'll Need

• Personal health records

Instructions

Getting Help

1. Seek help at an emergency room, crisis center or crisis hot line. The people who work at these places can conduct a mental-health evaluation and connect you with the resources you need. In extreme cases, they might recommend you be admitted to an in-patient mental-health hospital or similar facility.

2. Follow the orders or recommendations of the ER doctor or crisis-center counselor. If one of these professionals recommends a stay at a mental-health facility, you can expect to see a doctor or counselor and receive group and individual therapy there. The length of stay depends on your progress.

3. Once you're able to go home, set up a support system that includes friends, relatives and mental-health professionals. In the beginning, you can expect to see a counselor at least once a week and continue to work with a clinician if you are taking medications.

4. Follow through with your treatment and communicate with your doctors and caregivers if you don't feel better in a reasonable amount of time.

Tips & Warnings

• Seek immediate help from friends and family if depression is interfering with your life.

• If you feel like harming yourself or someone else, seek immediate help by calling emergency health services.