Is there a place to get online therapy sessions for depression/suicide?!

Is there a place to get online therapy sessions for depression/suicide?

"my friend" is really depressed, and cant really talk to family or friends about their problems. "my friend" lives out of the city and doesnt have a way into town for advice or help? So whats the next best answer?? Please don't say you can always talk to family, or tell if "my friend" he/she needs help and should call 911 because my friend has heard that enough, and would like a better option if there is one. Thanks :)

He would be better off getting help from social services to get a ride into town, and if his depression is that bad, he should absolutely be on medication. Counseling is for mild to moderate depression, and is only a support for people with more severe depression. He can talk until he's blue in the face but he probably won't feel better.

Here are my depression tips - I get depression really really bad most of the time from bipolar disorder, so these have been tested. Maybe something on this list will help him.

Tips to cope with depression:

OK I dunno if you are writing from Australia or something, so I left this tip in:

If yourdepression seems to be more of a problem in the winter, try to get more sun. You could have seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, or your depression could have a seasonal component, meaning you can get depressed other times of the year, but you tend to have more trouble in the winter. A light box is really good if you can afford one (about $300 online, don't get it at a local store, they will charge more for a light less than 1/2 as bright). Since I will always have a mood disorder, I have put in extra windows, keep the drapes mounted so they don't cover them, make sure I spend a lot of time in southern exposure rooms, painted the walls peach and yellow, mostly. I even have a skylight, although that was here when I moved in (and I LOVE it, it helps a lot!!!!!)

Try meditation tapes like progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery. They may seem silly at first, but they work!! They help reduce stress, which makes depression worse.

***** #1 MOST HELPFUL TIP Go out with friends, and if you don't have any, find a club to join and MAKE yourself go until you actually look forward to it. Isolation makes depression worse. I'm an introvert, extremely so, and I still need to get out with others. Dont' talk about your problems so much, just have some fun and get a break from the depression.

Exercise at least 1/2 hour a day, and anytime you feel really hyper or depressed. Exercise is a great mood stabilizer and cuts down on anxiety a lot.

If your depression makes it hard for you to sleep, here are some good "sleep hygeine" tips so you can sleep better. Like go to bed and get up about the same time each day, even weekends. Don't use your bedroom to watch TV and read and use the computer and all that-just use the room as a bedroom normally would be used. Don't do stuff that pumps you up right before bed, like exercising and using the computer. You want to use that last hour to wind down-Take a bath? Make the bedroom really dark, cover up the clock radio, even so the light doesn't shine at you. If you live in the rackety city, use a noise generator (makes wave sounds and the like) to cover up the city sounds. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.

Put a lot of colorful things around the house, happy type things, and keep the blinds open and let the sun in. Get yourself some flowers. Put on some nice clothes. Make a list of things that make you happy. Here's some things on my list: A basket full of fluffy kittens, bread fresh from the oven, Fireworks popping on a warm summer evening, The first fireflies of the season, the scent of Jergen's cherry almond lotion, The crisp sound of a saltine cracker breaking, fresh sheets on the bed, standing in the boat flicking topwater lures out onto the water, etc. Use all your senses and read that list when you are breaking down

Work on time management if being overwhelmed and late for things and too much to do is getting to you. Cut back on other responsibilities temporarily so you can spend more restorative time with friends and family.

You got a significant other? Extra physical touch is very helpful. Most people in the US or UK are touch deprived, so hold hands more, hug more, give shoulder rubs, etc. A pet is good to cuddle with, too, if your home situation allows you to get one. (I'm an animal lover, don't get one if you can't commit to it for 15 years)


I give these suggestions to lots of folks, and hardly anyone ever tries them.. I have really really severe psychiatric symptoms from bipolar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder. And I am able to control my behavior almost 100% even when I am suffering, and able to feel quite a bit better using some of these tricks, because the meds have only been partly effective for me. If I didn't do stuff like the above, I would be in an institution for sure. so please try some of these things, there is no harm in them, and they may provide some real relief for you. Pills alone or counseling alone are not as effective as pills plus counseling, and you have to follow some of those suggestions the counselors give you (which is where I got some of these).