How to Find Resources About Depression

Video Transcript

"Hi! My name is Rachel Blackston and I am here on behalf of Expert Village. I am a private practice mental health counselor in Orlando, Florida. I work at a private practice called Twelve Stones Counseling Center and it is located in Oviedo, Florida. I am here to talk about how to talk about how to deal with depression over the holidays. I want to quickly review that if you think that you are clinically depressed, to visit your medical doctor, psychiatrist or professional counselor. Second of all it is so important that you give yourself room to be in process. Depression is not something that is going to be cured tomorrow, not going to be something that will be cured next month. It is a complex issues that involves underlying issues. Psychological pain involves brain chemistry and biological factors and involves life circumstances so it is not going to change overnight. So it is really important to give yourself room to be in process. Your recovery may feel like a roller coaster of ups and downs but stay engaged, stay in the process. There is hope for you. There is a number of resources that is available to you. The first is the International Foundation for the Research and Education of Depression. It's called IFRED. That's www.depression.org. Another great resource is www.depression.com and that is a great website that has information on support groups. It has actually a questionnaire that you can take if you might think you are depressed. Third if you are a family member of someone who is depressed, there is Families for Depression Awareness and that's www.familyaware.org. Finally two of my favorite resources are what to do when someone you love is depressed. It is a great resource for family members and if you have recently been diagnosed with depression, the Depression Workbook is a great resource. But most importantly I just want to emphasize the importance of validating. Just that this is an important and incredible issue and that it is not shameful. It is nothing to be ashamed of if you are struggling with depression to get the help that you need. "