Students Against Depression Fast Track

The Students Against Depression website has over 70 pages of information, resources and real student stories to help students affected by low mood, depression or suicidal thinking. The FAST TRACK is meant to offer a 'taster' of what is available on the site and should not be seen as a complete resource in itself. Words highlighted in blue indicate topics covered by other pages on the site.

For quick access to the information about suicide go straight to the red 'Desperate right now?' button on the main template.

 

How depression works

Depression affects people in different ways

There are a range of warning signs which may indicate depression is trying to move in on your life. Most of these can also be a normal part of the ups and downs of everyday life and most people will have experienced some of these signs at some time.

Persistently sad, anxious, empty or generally low mood

The key warning sign is a change in your general mood. Everyone feels sad sometimes, has an anxious moment, or has a day when things feel a bit empty or low. However, when depression invades it seems to keep you feeling persistently sad, low, anxious or empty. Some people feel a combination of these four feelings. Others feel predominantly one of them.

Other signs

Other warning signs include: loss of interest, sometimes including sexual interest; lethargy or decreased energy; irregular sleep or change in sleep pattern; appetite or weight changes; increased tearfulness; restlessness; poor concentration and difficulty making decisions; hopelessness and pessimism; feelings of helplessness, worthlessness and/or guilt; and repetitive thoughts of death or suicide.

Depression brings changes

Depression affects people in different ways, and brings about different combinations of warning signs for each person. What is common to everyone is that depression brings changes.

Not yourself?

Sometimes, depression brings quite obvious changes. It is almost as if you can't recognise yourself anymore. You might look at this new self and not like what you see, not realising that it is depression which has changed you.

Others may notice changes

Sometimes the tunnel vision brought on by depression means that you do not realise how much you're being affected. In this case, it can be friends, family or others who point out that you're different or that something isn't right.

Is depression affecting me?

If you have experienced:

Why me?

Not really knowing why you are feeling low is a frustrating, demoralising (and common) aspect of depression. It is easy to find yourself believing unhelpful, superstitious explanations, which in turn strengthen the hold of depression.

Complex, interwoven factors

Vulnerability to depression is usually the outcome of complex, uniquely interwoven factors specific to each person. The factors can be roughly sorted into three categories:

These factors combine to form a background of different levels of vulnerability to depression for each person. Finding out more about these factors (start at the why me? page) and working out your own depression story can help you decide on the best way forward to tackle depression and get help.

The depression habit spiral

Depression is most powerful when you believe it is inevitable and unchangeable. It starts to lose power once you realise that many of its characteristics are habits that depression has pulled you into – and like any habits they can be replaced with better ones!

How does a habit spiral work?

The biological, social and psychological factors contributing to depression interact with one another in a complex self-reinforcing spiral related to how we cope with stress. This is easier to understand if you recognise that any habit is made up of a self-reinforcing interaction between

Breaking the cycle

Making a small change at any point in the spiral can help to turn things around. See finding what works for you to choose initial strategies from the tackling depression section which will make the biggest difference with the smallest steps.Changing habits is not a magical, overnight process. But simply realising that your depression habits can be changed – in small, manageable steps – is the first step in making your life less cosy for depression.

Depressed thinking

Depressed thinking is a key factor in the depression habit spiral. Understanding what depressed thinking is and challenging depressed thinking habits are key strategies in building longer-term resistance to depression and its effects.

The most common depressed thinking habits

The most common depressed thinking habits are:

Other depressed thinking habits which relate especially to anxiety and anger spirals are:

Find out more about these key ways in which depression takes hold on the depression habit spiral, depressed thinking and stress, anxiety & anger pages

Bottom of the depression habit spiral

A series of many little things can contribute to a depression habit spiral which leads downward to suicidal thinking. Depressed thinking habits bring about a narrowed perspective which significantly clouds one's judgment. This tunnel vision reduces the ability to find complex, rather than all-or-nothing, solutions to problems.

Ultimate form of depressed thinking

This means that someone affected by depression is usually not in a position to make a free and unbiased decision about suicide. Thinking about suicide is the ultimate all-or-nothing thinking habit – the idea that only total relief will provide any relief from the painful despair depression brings.

Physical self-bullying

It is very common for the depression habit spiral to include increasingly self-neglectful behaviour, like declining attention to eating, hygiene or physical appearance and self-destructive behaviour such as binge eating, self-starving, binge drinking or over-exercising. The depressed thinking habit of self-bullying can also lead to various forms of physical self-bullying or 'self harm'. Find out more about both suicide and self harm on the thinking about suicide and self harm pages.

 

Depression in context

Feeling life is meaningless

Depression can make your life seem painful and pointless. It can also make life in general seem empty and meaningless. Simply dismissing these feelings as 'irrational' or a symptom of 'illness' ignores the fact that questions about the meaning of life are profound issues facing humanity in general.

Depression and the meaning of life

Some of the big philosophical or existential questions facing each of us include:

Depression as a challenge to make meaning

Some people think that the pain of depression can be seen as a kind of 'signal' to ourselves to take stock and reassess our lives. At the very least, we may need to recognise and change unhelpful habits like depressed thinking. It may also be the opportunity to think more deeply about how to make our lives more meaningful.

Depression in context

The Depression in Context section explores this and other ideas to provoke a more critical evaluation of both how we see depression and suicide, and what role wider social and cultural issues might play in promoting depression. It also introduces the 12 real student stories which provide examples of the many different ways depression affects people, and the many different ways it can be tackled and managed.

 

Strategies for tackling depression

Which strategies will you try?

This website offers a wide range of strategies for tackling depression. The more strategies you try, the more chance you have of finding what works for you in turning the depression spiral around. Every person is affected by depression differently, so some strategies will work better than others for each individual person. Some of the easier, most quickly effective steps are pointed out below.

Ask yourself:
"What is the smallest change I can make that will make the biggest difference?"

The answer to this will be different for everybody.

A depression-resistant way of life

Getting to grips with depression – like most things – is not an all-or-nothing thing. It may not be possible to eradicate some of the factors making you vulnerable to depression. But building new constructive habits into your daily life can offer significant resistance to depression.

It takes time

Changing a habit does take time. You won't shake off all your depressed habits without time and effort. But, however low depression has brought you, it is absolutely possible to get into more constructive, happier habits and to find the right strategies for you to make sure that depression affects you as little as possible from now on.

Where do I start?

First of all, it is important to remember that these self-help strategies should not be seen as a substitute for professional help - and many of them will be easier to do with support. If you feel you are at risk then focus on surviving suicidal thoughts. Click on the red 'Desperate right now?' button. Otherwise, the easiest first steps are raising activity levels, focusing outward and learning self-care.

Raising activity levels is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make a difference to depression.

Depression robs you of pleasurable activities

Lethargy and lack of energy are one of the most common warning signs that depression is affecting your life. The idea of raising your activity levels can sound very daunting when you feel this way – BUT...

Activity does not mean punishing exercise schedules or unpleasant exertion
Activity means anything that engages your mind or body in any way!

Don't wait to 'feel like it'!

Activity (and the lack of it) has a direct effect on the brain chemicals affecting mood. Assess how depression has deprived your life of pleasurable activities – from reading the newspaper to going for a walk – and start reintroducing them in small manageable steps. You don't need to feel like doing it in order for it to make a difference. The raising activity levels page explains a simple step-by-step strategy for how to start...

Depression focuses you inward

The depression habit spiral narrows your perspective and works to keep you looking inward. The more negatively introspective you become, the firmer depression takes hold and the more you get sucked into depressed thinking and tunnel vision.

Focus outward to resist depression

Any moment that you can spend thinking about something or someone else is a moment in which depression can't get your attention!

Different levels of distraction

This works on various levels, from very simple distraction techniques right up to much more meaningful ways to engage your time, energy and hope. Start small and choose the appropriate level for how depression is affecting you personally at the moment. Ultimately, beating depression is about being able to invest energy in your life again.

Don't wait until you feel like it!

Again, the key to this strategy is to get on and do the things you have planned without waiting to feel motivated, and without expecting to actively enjoy yourself. It is sufficient at first simply to occupy your mind with something other than depression. Because depression thrives on isolation, it is especially useful if you plan distractions which involve other people as much as possible. The focusing outward page gives many more specific ideas and suggestions...

Depression encourages self-neglect

The depressed thinking habit of self-bullying is often accompanied by self-neglectful or self-destructive behaviours, such as poor eating and hygiene habits, or binge drinking. It can also contribute to a downward spiral of self-destructiveness, lowering your mood, intensifying self-loathing and sometimes leading to physical self-bullying or self harm.

Self caring habits break into the spiral

Building up a programme of self caring habits interrupts this vicious downward spiral. The learning self care page lists ideas such as: planning daily self care tasks, paying more attention to body awareness and physical self care, making an effort to tidy and brighten up your room, having a massage, and getting out into natural surroundings. Don't wait to feel like you 'deserve' it or are 'worth it' – just give it a go!

More strategies

Building on the foundation of these initial strategies, the tackling depression section offers detailed suggestions for addressing everyday habits: sorting out sleep patterns, understanding food and mood, checking alcohol & drugs, and increasing exercise. It goes on to explain the key longer-term strategy for tackling and resisting depression: challenging depressed thinking. There are detailed strategies for challenging each kind of depressed thinking as well as for managing stress levels. Finally, there are ideas for developing more constructive habits: building support networks, and practising positive habits such as relaxation, assertive communication, social skills and relationship skills.

Take it slow

This is a long list of strategies! Don't be all-or-nothing about it. Plan small steps at first. Because of the mutually-reinforcing effect of the depression habit spiral even very small changes can set off a chain effect that can make a big difference...

 

Getting support and help

No one is an island!

Depression thrives on isolation and inappropriate 'independence'. It is important not only to be self-reliant, but also to rely on others when appropriate. The Getting support and help section looks at how to find the right help and support. It offers honest discussion about a variety of sources of help: peers, university or college academic departments, counsellors, doctors and other mental health services. It evaluates the pros and cons of medication and lists a range of alternative therapies. There are also descriptions of a range of helpful books, and listings for other useful websites.

What's stopping you getting help?

Often, however, the problem is not with knowing about who can help, but with how it feels to take the courageous step of deciding to make use of that help. Depression has unhelpful cultural stereotypes and common depressed thinking habits on its side in preventing you from seeking help...

Beliefs depression loves to see

"If I ask for help it means I'm weak/dependent/a failure."

"Only crazy people have mental health problems – no way is that me!"

"Big boys (or girls) don't cry. I just have to tough this one out."

"I'm a grown up. I have to do this on my own, not look for crutches."

"No one else has any idea what I'm feeling, so how could they help?"

"This touchy-feely, navel-gazing counselling stuff is for wimps or loonies..."

Depression has you where it wants you!

Thinking in these ways is part of the depressed thinking habit which helps sustain and reinforce the depression habit spiral. They include unrealistic all-or-nothing and perfectionist elements, or reflect stereotypical cultural attitudes.

What are you afraid of?

Asking for help can feel very scary. You might fear rejection or ridicule, or you might fear losing control. You may be concerned about dependence – on medication or on people. You may have been let down in the past and fear it happening again. You might fear not getting enough help. If you are actively suicidal, you may fear losing your freedom.

Doing nothing is also risky

You will find these fears addressed in various ways throughout this site. All actions are risky, but so is inaction – doing nothing about the depression affecting you is likely to allow it to intensify. You may put yourself at serious risk.

So how does talking to someone help?

Ideas for who to talk to:

  1. Family – help them help you by showing them this website or printing off the worried about someone else? page for them.
  2. Friends or other students – friends and other students can be very supportive, but be realistic about what they can and can't do (see peer support page for ideas).
  3. Anonymous listening – phone the Samaritans or the student Nightline.
  4. Others with similar experiences – see the other useful websites page for ways to contact other students through student mental health message boards, or to find contacts through the Depression Alliance.
  5. Personal tutor – most academic departments arrange systems for tutors to offer personal academic support; you don't have to give details if you don't want to.
  6. Professionals such as counsellors, doctors or mental health services are trained to offer appropriate help, advice and treatment.
  7. Write it down – even if you don't ever show it to anyone, writing things down (eg. keeping a diary) can be very therapeutic.

Go for it!

What now?

Now that you have an overview of what the Students Against Depression website offers, choose which section/s would be helpful to see in more detail. The pages on the main site all have quotes from real student stories to illustrate the points, and suggested links to other relevant pages. Remember, just having read this FAST TRACK has already put you in a stronger position to resist the effect of depression in your life!