“Have you tried meditation?” People with depression encounter all kinds of questions and assumptions about their condition. Here, eight people discuss some of the more common things they hear about their mental health – from being told to ‘cheer up!’, to dealing with suggestions that yoga is the ‘cure’. Credit: BBC Three

Support them with getting help You can’t force anyone to get help for depression if they don’t want it. But you can reassure them that it’s OK to ask for help, and that support is out there. Helping them with practical things can also make a big difference. For example, looking into what services are […]

Sometimes it might be hard to know the right thing to say to someone experiencing depression. These are some ideas of supportive things to say: “I’m sorry you’re feeling like this, and I’m here for you.” “You’re important to me.” “How are you managing?” “What can I do to help you today?” Or, if you […]

Experiencing depression can make it hard to find the energy to look after yourself. But taking steps to look after your physical health can make a difference to how you feel: Try to get good sleep. For many of us who experience depression, we might struggle to fall asleep. Or we may find that we […]

Experiencing depression can be very difficult. But there are steps you can take to help yourself. This page has some ideas: Some of these ideas may not feel helpful or possible right now. Try a few different things and see which works best for you. You could also watch the animation below about taking care […]

If you’re diagnosed with depression, you might also be told that it is ‘less severe’ or ‘more severe’. This describes how your symptoms are affecting you, and what treatment you’re likely to be offered. You may find that the severity of your depression changes over time. Sometimes you might hear depression being called ‘major depressive disorder’. There are some […]

Depression is a serious mental health condition that affects how you feel, think, and handle daily activities. It’s more than just feeling sad or having a bad day. Depression can make you feel hopeless, empty, and disconnected from the world around you. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. There are many […]

Our story began in 2005 when sisters Aimi and Emma launched Counselling Directory. They had both experienced mental health issues when they were at school and university and knew how it felt to be overwhelmed and lacking guidance.

If you live in England and are aged 18 or over, you can access NHS talking therapies services for anxiety and depression.
A GP can refer you, or you can refer yourself directly without a referral.