There Are So Many TED Talks About Depression...

"I'm Fine" - Learning to Live with Depression – Jake Tyler – TEDxBrighton”

“Depression is huge. It's the biggest, most inclusive club in the world. Anyone can join. It's evolving all the time. But its biggest trick is convincing everyone who's part of that club that they're the only member. Isn't that clever?”

An endearing and inspiring TEDTalk.

Read something that once made you feel really great. Maybe it will again!

It could be a children's book, a sci-fi classic, or a biography of one of your heroines.

Escape to a familiar and comforting world, and recreate the incredible feelings that this favorite once inspired.

Tip of the Day 

Sit in the sun. From healthline.com:

“Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused...

“Without enough sun exposure, your serotonin levels can dip. Low levels of serotonin are associated with a higher risk of major depression with seasonal pattern (formerly known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD). This is a form of depression triggered by the changing seasons.”


Get help.

Reading these tips may be very helpful to you. But you know what would be even better?

Professional help.

Even if you've tried before and think nothing can help you. Try again.

Get help.

* * * * *

Here are 7 resources with toll-free phone and/or text numbers for emergency help:

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (English & Spanish) - 988
Lifeline Crisis Chat: 
https://988lifeline.org/chat/

Crisis Text Line – US and Canada: text “HOME” to 741741
UK: text “SHOUT” to 85258
Canada: KHP (Kids Help Phone) text CONNECT to 686868
Ireland: text “HOME” to 50808

The Trevor Project: www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
Crisis/Suicide Intervention for LGBTQ youth under 25, 1-866-488-7386.
Free, confidential, secure – text START to 678-678.

National Domestic Violence Helpline:
1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 – TTY – 1-800-787-3224
Chat in Spanish from the website: https://espanol.thehotline.org/

Military OneSource – Help for U.S. Military Personnel
Call and talk anytime, 24/7, in Spanish & English – 1-800-342-9647.
TTY/TDD – Dial 711 and give the toll free number 800-342-9647
Live Chat – https://livechat.militaryonesourceconnect.org/chat/

The International Association for Suicide Prevention can link you to hotlines and other resources outside of the USA: https://www.iasp.info/resources/

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline:
1-800-662-4357(HELP)
Call or Text 988
Confidential, free, 24/365 information service, in English and Spanish

Strengthen your relationships with the people you love. Sometimes you may feel like darkness surrounds you, and they can be a beacon to follow back to the world.

So, make a list of those you want to stay in touch with and every week call or email the next person on the list.

The people you depend on or who depend on you should be contacted most frequently, but the more people you stay in touch with the lighter your life will feel.

And you may be the guiding light in someone else's life – helping them more than you will ever know.

Hmmm... Sounds Kind of Like the Reality of the Moment

10 Signs It's Time to Get Help for Depression

Hopelessness

An inability to concentrate

Unexplained aches and pains

Apathy concerning things you used to like to do

Alcohol or drug abuse

Changes in sleep habits

Changes in appetite and eating

Irritability, agitation, and moodiness

Feelings of worthlessness and guilt

Thoughts of death, suicide, or self-harm

        - healthcentral.com