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Sad or Depressed?

Information and Resources About Depression

Are you feeling down? How do you know if it’s sadness caused by stuff in your life and that you should feel sad or that it is the illness called depression? Depression is something specific and happens to about 4% of young people. It isn’t bad and it doesn’t mean you are weak. It just means you have been feeling sad for quite a while and it could be because of something that happened in your life or it could be because it just happened. The websites below have some great questions and answers as well as tests to help you figure out if you need to reach out for help. Remember…feeling depressed may mean you don’t think help is there but that’s the depression talking. Check out the information and see what can help.

Other resources where you can find more information about depression:

FAQs

Depression is a mental health issue that is more severe and longer-lasting than normal sadness. Depression interferes with other aspects of your life, like work, school, or relationships. With the right kind of treatment, many people can overcome it and lead happy, healthy lives.

Adopted from http://us.reachout.com.

Common symptoms across all types of depression include:

  • Sadness that won’t go away;
  • Boredom;
  • Feeling irritable or anxious;
  • Loss of interest in usual hobbies and activities;
  • Loss of appetite;
  • Irregular sleeping habits;
  • Unexplained outbursts of yelling or crying;
  • Reckless or risky behaviour like alcohol and drug abuse.

Adopted from http://us.reachout.com.

How to Get Help

Do you need someone to talk to and point you in a right direction? Are you ready to talk?

  • Emergency
    If it’s an emergency, please contact your hospital or dial 911.
  • Call or chat online
    You can call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or chat with a Kids Help Phone counsellor online in a Live Chat.
  • Kinark Services
    If you have a question about Kinark’s services, please call us at 1-888-454-6275.
  • Find a mental health centre in Ontario – visit Children’s Mental Health Ontario’s website.