Anxiety and depression
Resources and information to help people with anxiety and depression.
It's normal to feel anxious or down sometimes
Most people feel this way from time to time. If you feel very down or anxious most of the time, then this might mean that you're suffering from clinical depression or you could have anxiety.
Talk to your GP if you're worried at all about how you've been feeling. There's treatment and support available to help you.
What if I need help now?
If you need urgent support or want to talk to someone straight away, there are a range of free, confidential mental health helplines available.
Find contact options including phone, text, email and online chat services through Heads Together and Rethink Mental Illness. You can also contact the Samaritans.
What's anxiety?
Most people feel anxious or scared sometimes, but anxiety can become a mental health problem if it’s affecting your ability to live your life as you’d like to[1].
What's depression?
Some general symptoms of a low mood will usually go away after a few days or weeks. Depression is a period of low mood that lasts for weeks or months and affects your daily life[2].
Help and advice to improve your mental health
There are lots of things you can do to improve your mental health and wellbeing.
Mental health and COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone’s lives. Many people have found it hard to cope with extra worry, loneliness and restrictions on our ability to do the things that we enjoy.
Research suggests that reported levels of depression, anxiety and stress have increased since the pandemic[5]. Frequently looking at social media or news and information about COVID-19 has also been linked to experiencing symptoms of anxiety[6].
The mental health charity Mind has some helpful resources if you’re worried about how coronavirus is affecting your mental health.
Where can I get further support and information?
As well as talking to your pharmacist or GP, there are a number of charities and organisations offering support and information. If someone's life is at risk, for example they've seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose, go to A&E or call 999. A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one.
More topics
Published
April 2021
Next review
April 2022
Reviewed by
Gill Stone MRPharmS
References
1.
Anxiety and panic attacks. Accessed March 23, 2021.
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/about-anxiety/2.
Overview - Clinical depression. nhs.uk. Published February 15, 2021. Accessed March 19, 2021.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/clinical-depression/overview/3.
Get help with anxiety, fear or panic. nhs.uk. Published February 2, 2021. Accessed March 23, 2021.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/anxiety-fear-panic/4.
Get help with low mood, sadness or depression. nhs.uk. Published February 2, 2021. Accessed March 23, 2021.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/low-mood-sadness-depression/
