Online support and telephone helplines

Getting information and support from organisations can be really helpful when you are feeling low and you feel a bit stuck about what to do. There is loads of general information about depression and support options available on the internet, and as long as you check the credibility of the site then a lot of it is really good. Telephone and email helplines are really useful if you want to talk to someone about your specific situation but you aren’t ready to either see your doctor or talk to someone you know. A lot of email and telephone services will have limited hours, but there are some 24-hour crisis lines and services which operate at night, so when there isn’t anyone else to turn to, these helplines are there to listen and to talk. There is a list of helplines in the box on the right.

It can be really difficult to pick up the phone or send that email, but the people who work on these lines are trained to give confidential support and can give you details of other services if you need it. They won’t judge. They are there to listen.

There are also online support options available, and there is growing evidence showing that online therapy and support forums help with depression. There are lots of positives if you are feeling really crap - you can do it from your own place if you have a computer at home which means you go online when you have the time and when you feel up to it. A lot of people with depression and anxiety withdraw from their regular social activities and end up feeling isolated. The internet can offer a bit of contact with other people so that you’re taking positive steps without pushing yourself too far too fast. But beware of safety while online. There are a few guidelines if you are registering for online sites or participating in online forums:

• Don’t use your real name. Pick a pseudonym that you will remember.
• Don’t give out contact details to people you don’t know.
• Take time to build up trust with others in forums and only share with others what you are comfortable telling. Don’t be pressured into talking about events or experiences that are personal to you.

"I have called a helpline about 3 times over the past 9 months. I knew I was feeling very stressed and had a lot of anxiety about my future and feared the only way out may be suicide. Within a minute or so of talking I was in floods of tears. I didn’t realise how upset I was until I started to cry. I have always felt really self-conscious and I don’t know if I would have cried if I was getting help face-to-face. Crying really helped release some of the stress I was under."

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Copyright: DAS, 2008; Last updated: 16/6/08