Practical tips from Depression Awareness Week

Friday, 27 April 2012 6:40 AM

We all struggle with the stresses and strains of life from time to time - and as Depression Awareness Week draws to a close, it's worth noting that more practical tips and professional advice is available online whenever you need it.

New online community Black Dog Tribe is also inviting users to submit experiences and insights into depression via blogs, forum posts, poems, essays, videos and tweets.

Dr Tim Anstiss, a medical doctor trained in cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy, motivational interviewing and positive psychology will be working with Black Dog Tribe for an hour each day to offer users online advice and encouragement. He will be joined by a number of celebrity guests during the week, all of who have suffered from depression and are determined to tackle the stigma associated with it.

"The aim is to help anyone who believes they may be suffering from depression or excessive stress to open up and talk to people that have already experienced it," said Ruby Wax, a co-founder of the Black Dog Tribe site.  

NHS health visitors can spot depression

£40million NHS investment in postnatal depression care

Women who have postnatal depression or who have suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a baby will get more support from the NHS, with the creation of 4,200 more health visitor roles. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley promises new services.

 Stop trying to be perfect every day

Ditch the quest for perfection

The majority of us are striving towards some kind of perfection, be it the perfect wife or the perfect weight. A new book by life-coach and author Teejay Dowe offers advice but advocates that it is OK to be who you are and that nobody is perfect.
Worries and stress can cause ill-health

Weight worries 'take up a year and a half of your life'

British women spend an average of a year and a half of their life worrying, with concerns about their weight in the top three stresses of life, according to a report. Researchers from the Everyman campaign surveyed 2000 Brits about their wellbeing.

 A fifth of Brits do not exercise at all

Stress affects more women than men

Over seven million Brits are extremely stressed, risking high blood pressure, strokes and depression, new research has revealed.
Less risk of depression for coffee drinkers

Two to three cups of coffee per day 'decreases depression risk'

Is your morning cuppa actually keeping depression at bay? A study has linked increased caffeine intake, particularly coffee, with decreased risk of women developing depression of as much as 20%, backing up previous research on caffeine.

 Girls report more depression than boys

Teenage girls at greater risk of depression

Are schooldays really the best days of your life? As many as 900,000 teenage girls in the UK are "unhappy and depressed" according to new analysis by think tank Demos. Almost a third (30%) of girls report feeling "unhappy and depressed".
Female depression can impact relationships

Female depression can cause relationship problems

A study claims to have discovered a new way in which female depression can negatively impact marriages or relationships. The researchers hope their findings will deepen the current understanding of female depression and lead to the development of new treatments.

 Turn off the work phone when you get home

Smartphone addiction 'can make you stressed'

Too much time spent working on smartphones and other mobile devices can cause a raft of health problems - people tend to maintain an awkward posture that might lead to pain in the back and neck, as well as stress-related illness.

Smartphone addiction 'can make you stressed'

Turn off the work phone when you get home

Too much time spent working on smartphones and other mobile devices can cause a raft of health problems - people tend to maintain an awkward posture that might lead to pain in the back and neck, as well as stress-related illness.

The ultimate 15minute at-home workout

Follow these 7 steps and you'll have the perfect at-home workout. Image: Thinkstock

Burn calories and tone up fast with this intense 15 minute workout you can do in your sitting room!