Everyone feels depressed or anxious sometimes. You wouldn't be human if you didn't. But when the feelings don't go away on their own or start interfering with your daily life, there may be something else going on. Depression and anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problems for British Columbians. These disorders strike hundreds of thousands each year in our province, and affect thousands of friends and family members of people with depression or anxiety. But the good news is that mood and anxiety disorders are treatable and manageable.
Materials related to depression:
Materials related to bipolar disorder:
Materials related to anxiety disorders:
Other related materials:
Materials related to depression
Depression | fact sheet
During a major depression, a person's general outlook on life can shift dramatically. It can lower a person's sense of self-worth and change how they feel about friends and family. Since depression affects the whole body, it can alter eating and sleeping patterns, increase restlessness and overall fatigue, and even cause mysterious symptoms of physical illness... [more]
Beyond the Blues: Depression Anxiety Education and Screening Day | event
Depression Anxiety Education and Screening Day events are an opportunity to learn more about the illness (in its many forms), complete a brief questionnaire, speak one-on-one with a clinician, and find out about the range of community resources available to help. We also host a year-round Online Depression Screening test.
Depression Toolkit | workbook
This recovery-oriented workbook provides basic concepts relating to depression such as major types, the range of effective treatment alternatives available and how to find and stick with the approach that works for you, strategies to empower you to take an active role in treatment and support discussions with your health care professional, as well as some useful skills to help identify early warning signs of relapse and seek help. Can be used in conjunction with other guides such as the Anti-Depressant Skills Workbook or Dealing with Depression teen workbook, Anxiety Disorders Toolkit or the Mental Disorders Toolkit... [more]
Depression, Anxiety, Alcohol and Other Drugs | brochure [PDF]
This BC Partners brochure investigates the interrelationships between mood, anxiety, and use of substances as well as signs to watch out for that may indicate a disorder requiring intervention. Unique and overlapping symptoms are also featured, as well as resources.
Postpartum Depression | fact sheet
While childbearing is usually marked with celebration, families and the broader community may forget that this can be a stressful time for a mother perhaps overwhelmed with all the sudden changes and stressors in her life. Sometimes, the experience can be so disorganized and exhausting that the woman becomes too sad, anxious or overwhelmed to get back to her normal life. This can be a sign of postpartum depression... [more]
Seasonal Affective Disorder | fact sheet
When weather affects us to such an extent that we begin to have trouble functioning as usual, however, this can become more than just a case of the "winter blahs." Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of clinical depression that appears at certain times of the year. It usually starts with the shortening days of late autumn and lasts through the winter... [more]
Suicide: Following the Warning Signs | fact sheet
Mental health problems are the common thread in all groups with a high risk for suicide. Studies indicate that as many as 90% of people who commit suicide are experiencing depression, an addiction or other diagnosable disorder when they take their own lives. People with major mental disorders who attempt or commit suicide do so not out of a desire to die, according to one researcher, but out of a desperate need to put an end to their own suffering...[more]
Materials related to bipolar disorder
Bipolar Disorder | fact sheet
Although some fluctuation in mood is normal, when it becomes so extreme that the person feels like their mood state shifts through low and high periods, this can indicate the presence of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a form of clinical depression that affects 1 to 2% of the population in a lifetime or about one in every five people with mood disorders... [more]
Bipolar Disorder: Effects on the family | Fact Sheet
Living with a person who has bipolar disorder involves learning how to deal with the disruptions that symptoms can create, supporting the person through their recovery, and finding ways to cope with the effects on the family. Bipolar disorder can place a heavy strain on families... [more]
Bipolar Disorder: Electroconvulsive Therapy | Fact Sheet
For a growing number of patients, ECT can be a more powerful and longer lasting treatment. ECT may be recommended when a person is at risk for harming themselves (suicidal). ECT has also been used when medications have not been effective in controlling symptoms or when a person cannot tolerate the side effects of the medication. ECT has also been used in situations where medical conditions, including pregnancy, make the use of medications too risky. ECT may also be recommended for elderly people who are on multiple medications and cannot take additional medications...[more]
Bipolar Disorder: Medications | Fact Sheet
Bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that most often require management throughout a person’s life. Medication is the primary form of treatment to help control moods and to decrease the highs and the lows associated with mood swings. Every person is different and sometimes people need to try different medications before they find one that is right for them...[more]
Bipolar Disorder: Myths and Facts | Fact Sheet
Myth: Bipor disorder is a single identifiable diorder
Fact: Bipolar disorder is a diagnostic category describing a class of mood disorders where a person experiences episodes of mania (elevated mood), and depression (state of sadness) or mixed states (when symptoms of mania and depression occur simultaneously). In between these episodes, a person will be free of symptoms...[more]
Bipolar Disorder: Preventing Risky Behaviours | Fact Sheet
Your mood can influence your judgement so that you are more likely to make risky decisions. You can learn a great deal from your past experiences that will help minimize the chance of this happening... [more]
Bipolar Disorder: Types | Fact Sheet
Bipolar disorder is a class of mood disorders that is marked by dramatic changes in mood, energy and behaviour. Establishing the particular type of bipolar disorder can greatly aid in determining the best type of treatment to manage the symptoms. Three types of bioplar disorder are: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymic disorder...[more]
Bipolar Disorder: What can do I to prevent future episodes? | Fact Sheet
Bipolar disorder can be a challenging illness to manage. One way you can help to stay healthy is to learn more about when your symptoms tend to develop and what this looks like for you. This knowledge is invaluable to helping you to plan for future mood changes. You can use problem-solving strategies to determine ways you can help prevent symptoms from becoming full blown...[more]
Bipolar Disorder: What causes bipolar disorder? | Fact Sheet
Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that results in extreme changes of mood, energy and effects one’s ability to function. Although research has greatly increased our understanding of why someone might develop bipolar disorder, there is no simple answer as to the precise cause. Genetic and environmental influences, as well as neurotransmitters activity are thought be part of the puzzle...[more]
Bipolar Disorder: What does it feel like? | Fact Sheet
Bipolar disorder is an illness that produces dramatic swings in mood (amongst other symptoms). A person with bipolar disorder will alternate between periods of mania (elevated mood) and periods of depression (feelings of intense sadness). In between these two extremes, a person will have periods of normal mood...[more]
Materials related to anxiety disorders
Anxiety Disorders | fact sheet
Emotionally, people with anxiety may feel apprehensive, irritable, or constantly afraid that bad things will happen to them and people close to them. Depending on its intensity, anxiety can make people feel trapped in their homes, too frightened to even open the door. Anxiety is the most common form of mental disorder, affecting 12% of the population in any given year. Besides general anxiety, anxiety can take many forms... [more]
Beyond the Blues: Depression Anxiety Screening and Education Day | event
Depression Anxiety Screening and Education Day screenings are an opportunity to learn more about the illness (in its many forms), complete a brief questionnaire, speak one-on-one with a clinician, and find out about the range of community resources available to help. We also host a year-round Online Anxiety Disorders Screening test.
Anxiety Disorders Toolkit | workbook
This recovery-oriented workbook includes information about the characteristics of normal anxiety, the different types of anxiety disorders, effective treatment options, and basic self-care strategies that can help track and reduce symptoms of anxiety. Also included is information about other easy-to-access, high quality resources. Can be used in conjunction with other guides such as the Mental Disorders Toolkit or Depression Toolkit... [more]
Depression, Anxiety, Alcohol and Other Drugs | brochure [PDF]
This BC Partners brochure investigates the interrelationships between mood, anxiety, and use of substances as well as signs to watch out for that may indicate a disorder requiring intervention. Unique and overlapping symptoms are also featured, as well as resources.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder | fact sheet
Obsessions are persistent, intrusive, and cause the person much distress and discomfort; compulsions, therefore, are carried out in a bid to reduce these anxious, guilty or shameful feelings. Compulsive actions usually do result in a sense of temporary relief - until the ritual is concluded, of course, and the obsessive thoughts begin again in another vicious cycle of anxiety... [more]
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder | fact sheet
As its name suggests, post-traumatic stress disorder affects people who have gone through a traumatic event in their lives such as a disastrous earthquake, war, rape, a car or plane accident, or physical violence. Sometimes, seeing another person harmed or killed, or learning that a close friend or family member is in serious danger can cause the disorder... [more]
Panic Disorder | fact sheet
Panic disorder affects about 2.5% of Canadians - almost three times as many Canadians as have schizophrenia. A person with panic disorder does not simply experience panic attacks in a stressful or anxiety-provoking situation. He or she may experience panic at any time, often when there is no real danger... [more]
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Other related fact sheets
What are Mental Disorders? | fact sheet
Like it or not, mental illness can affect anyone. In BC, at least one in five people will experience some form of mental illness in his or her lifetime, according to research by Health Canada and the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health... [more]
Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Drugs | fact sheet
Drugs are chemical compounds, found in plants or made in a lab, that affect activity in the brain or the body. Tobacco, alcohol and caffeine are the most commonly used. For thousands of years, people around the world have been using certain drugs to help them in their daily lives. Most people can and do use a wide range of drugs in their daily lives without experiencing serious problems. But problems can happen when a person misuses a drug, or when the effects of a drug lead to behaviour that causes harm to the user or to others... [more]
Concurrent Disorders: Mental Disorders and Substance Use Problems | fact sheet
Concurrent disorders, the combination of a mental illness and substance use disorder, are much more widespread than many people realize. For example, a survey conducted in BC found that 55% of mental health service users interviewed had substance use issues that accompanied their first episode of mental illness. The relationship is complex... [more]
Concurrent Disorders: Mental Disorders and Substance Use Problems | journal issue [PDF]
This issue of Visions: BC's Mental Health and Addictions Journal - our largest ever, at 60 pages - explores the theme of co-existing mental health and substance use problems from a number of different angles and includes personal stories, approaches and models, regional programs in the community, and resources. Visions is an award-winning magazine by and for people with mental health and substance use problems, families, and service providers in BC...[table of contents]
Recovery from Mental Disorders | fact sheet
The vision of recovery from mental illness emerged in the 1990s when mental health care services began to focus on how people function rather than on how services were managed and delivered. Today, more and more people lead active and meaningful lives in spite of the challenges associated with mental illness... [more]
Getting Help for Mental Disorders | fact sheet
Perhaps the most important part of caring for one's mental and emotional well-being is knowing when and where to seek help. Many people assume they can handle their day-to-day problems without spending much time dealing with their feelings, let alone reaching out to someone else for emotional support. But sometimes life throws a curve ball - a severe illness, a painful divorce or a sudden emotional crisis, for example - that depletes one's inner resources and leaves a person feeling helpless and overwhelmed... [more]
Mental Disorders and Addictions in the Workplace | fact sheet
In today's competitive work environment, many employees are reluctant to admit to having difficulty handling stress in the workplace; even fewer are comfortable discussing their mental health or substance abuse histories with their employers. Nevertheless, these issues have a much greater impact on the workplace than most people realize. Since one in five people in BC has or will develop a mental disorder, most offices and job sites have at least one person with a history of major depression, an eating disorder, schizophrenia, an anxiety disorder, addiction or some other mental health problem... [more]
Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Mental Health Issue | fact sheet
Chronic depression is a common response to childhood sexual abuse. People with a history of child sexual abuse are also more likely to develop anxiety disorders, problems with identity and post-traumatic stress disorder (a sense of re-experiencing a past trauma) among other symptoms... [more]
Unemployment and Mental Health and Addictions | fact sheet
At any given time, tens of thousands of people in BC are without work. But even though unemployment is ongoing issue in our society, the shame associated with job loss and the tendency for people to blame themselves for their unemployment continue to increase the population's vulnerability to mental illness and addictions... [more]
Family Toolkit | workbook
When a family member suffers from a mental illness, one of the most important things to do is to take the time to learn about the disorder. By educating yourself as much as you can about the mental or substance use disorder, you can take an active role in your family member's recovery. The Family Toolkit was designed to assist families in caring for a family member with a mental illness by providing information and practical resources...[more]
