Monthly Archives: April 2014

Anorexia Anorexia usually starts when you are a teenager. About 1 in 250 teenage girls and young women and 1 in 2000 teenage boys and young men have anorexia. If you have anorexia, you try to keep your weight as … Continue reading →

If you have an eating disorder, there are serious changes to the way you eat. For example, you may eat far less or overeat. You may be distressed or concerned about your body shape or weight. This section has information … Continue reading →

Alcohol (Related words – Booze, Bevvy, Drink, Shots). Some people drink with friends in pubs or at home. Others feel that they need to drink just to get through the day. Many people with a mental illness have problems with … Continue reading →

You may use drugs to help you to deal with the symptoms of your illness, or you may use them because they make you feel good for a while. However, using drugs can have a long term negative effect on … Continue reading →

•Drugs can make the symptoms of mental illness worse. Also, some scientists think that certain drugs can make it more likely for you to develop a mental illness. For example, recent research has shown that using cannabis may be linked … Continue reading →

The first step to getting treatment is to see your GP. They should rule out any physical problems which might cause symptoms of depression. Common treatments for depression include: Talking therapies Talking therapy is available on the NHS, from private … Continue reading →

What causes depression? Nobody knows exactly what causes depression. This section looks at some of the things that might increase your risk. Your body Scientists think that if you have depression, some of the chemicals in your brain are out … Continue reading →

What are the different types of depression? You might have heard a number of terms used to describe depression. In this section, we explain what some of these terms mean. Clinical depression Clinical depression is a very common term but … Continue reading →

What are the symptoms of depression and how is it diagnosed? Doctors make decisions about diagnosis based on guidance. The main guidance used by NHS doctors is the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). When you see a doctor, like your … Continue reading →

What is depression? Everyone has ups and downs – sometimes you might feel a bit low, or experience grief when you lose someone you love. It is common for people to say that they are ‘depressed’ when they are feeling … Continue reading →