Process - Physician - Fraser Health Authority

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?A few observations about depression . . .■ Depression is hard to diagnose on your own.Our moods affect our judgment of ourselves. So it’soften hard to judge whether we are really depressed.Usually it takes a trained professional to makethe diagnosis.■ If you have depression, you are not alone.More than 4% of adults are depressed at any giventime, and more than 15% of adults will be depressedat some time in their lives.■ Depression is not a sign of weakness.Many capable, intelligent, and extremelyaccomplished people have been depressed.Being depressed does not mean that you havea “weak personality” or a character flaw.If you think you have depression . . .If you think that you have depression, it is importantthat you find help. The skills in this workbook aremeant to help you with your depression, but youshouldn’t have to do it alone. Getting another opinionfrom someone you trust can help you understand yourproblems or put them in perspective. If you continueto feel depressed, seek the help of a health careprofessional. This can be your family physician, apsychologist, psychiatrist or other mental healthprofessional. They can help you with a number ofdifferent treatments for depression. A good thingabout these treatments is that they work wellalongside skills you learn from this workbook.If you feel like hurting yourself . . .For many people, depression makes life seem hopelessand unmanageable. Most depressed people feel this wayfrom time to time. For a small number of individualsthis feeling of hopelessness gets so strong that theybegin to think that life itself is not worth living. Ifthis happens to you or someone you know, it’s time toget help. Find a health care professional to help youget past these feelings. If you can’t wait for anappointment, there are a number of crisis lines, staffed24/7, that you should call. Go to your yellow pages andlook under Crisis Centres to find the numbers in yourarea. You might also visit the Emergency Room at yourlocal hospital.Remember, things can get better.SELF-CARE DEPRESSION PROGRAM5 ANTIDEPRESSANT SKILLS WORKBOOK