4 Steps to Getting the Best Out of Your Employees

Hiring your first employee is a big step. You’ll want to make sure that you help your new hire to maximize his/her performance. This can be a challenge because effectively managing people is difficult and no one is born knowing how to do it. Fortunately, it can be learned.

1. Set appropriate goals.

Goal setting is essential. It helps employees to prioritize their activities and focus their efforts. When setting goals with employees, it is critical that they be SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistically high, Time and resource bound). The goals must also be meaningful to the employee. There should be sufficient rewards for goal achievement and consequences for failure. This will ensure that achieving the goal will rise to the top of the employees “to-do” list.
Near the end of his life, H. L. Hunt, the self-made oil billionaire, was asked to name the requirements for success. He answered, “There are only two real requirements for success in life. The first requirement is deciding exactly what you want (setting goals). Most people never get to that point. The second requirement is determining the price that will have to be paid to get it and then resolving to pay that price.”

2. Develop a plan to achieve the goals.

After setting goals with the employee, put together a plan to achieve them. To accomplish a goal, the employee will need to commit to a set of actions. A goal without an action plan is just a dream. It’s not real and it’s not likely to happen. It’s equally important to agree on a date, and possibly a time, by when the employee will complete each action step. This will create the urgency necessary to get the work done in a timely manner.

3. Empower the employee.

To maximize the probability that your employees achieve their goals, you must empower them. Empowering employees means three things. First, you must properly train your workers to do the tasks necessary to achieve their goals. Then you will need to motivate your people. There should be rewards for success and consequences for failure. Finally, you should remove roadblocks that are within the company’s control. Following these steps will result in your employees more consistently achieving their goals.

4. Assess performance and make adjustments. 

Once the three steps above are complete, you have to assess performance and make any necessary changes. We’re not talking about annual performance evaluations. A formal write up may only happen once a year, but effective management requires assessing performance much more frequently. For employees that are new to the organization or learning a new task, you may need to assess performance daily or perhaps even more frequently. Employees who have demonstrated competence may only require weekly, bi-weekly or even monthly meetings to discuss performance.
Managing people is difficult. It’s not an exact science and there is no magic wand that will ensure you always get it right. In fact, you won’t always get it right. Even outstanding managers make mistakes. The good news is that managing people well is a learned skill. With work, you can improve your capability in this area. Doing so will take a concerted effort on your part, but if your company is going to thrive, your skills as a manager will be of paramount importance.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247009

Feeling well and overcoming loneliness

Feeling physically fit and mentally well are important at any age and the two are closely linked. People who feel fit and well often have a more positive outlook on life, and the reverse can be true too. Feeling unwell or lonely is not an inevitable part of ageing and it’s never too late to think about improving your well-being. Even little changes can make a big difference.
This guide provides some general advice for feeling well and overcoming loneliness later in life.
We hope that older people, their carers and families, find this guide useful. Print this page to give to someone you know or use the share button on the right of this page.

Looking after your body

Staying active

Keeping moving and developing strength, flexibility and balance are all increasingly important as we grow older. Keeping fit can help you feel better and maintain a healthy weight, as well as building your confidence, helping you stay independent and improving your general sense of well-being.
If you are not very active, you will need to start slowly and build up to more demanding exercise. Your GP can advise you on what’s safe and appropriate for you. If you’re healthy and have no conditions that limit your mobility the Department of Health recommends that you do two-and-a-half hours of moderate aerobic exercise a week. Guidelines also suggest two sessions of muscle strengthening activity every week.
If you’re not very mobile or steady on your feet you can do a range of exercises sitting down that will improve your flexibility and strength. If you have a health condition that makes physical activity difficult, speak to your doctor who can help you choose the right exercise for you.

Healthy eating check list

• Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
• Drink 6-8 cups of fluid a day - tea, water, juice and squash all count
• Eat fish twice a week
• Don't eat too much salt or saturated fat

Conditions and illnesses

Contact your GP as soon as possible if you have any concerns about your health. You should also have your eyes checked regularly. People over the age of 60 are entitled to free eye tests, funded by the NHS. These checks mean that a range of conditions including cataracts and glaucoma can be picked up and treated early on.

Feeling well

Feeling well is not just about being physically fit and healthy, it is also important that you feel well mentally. It’s vital to have contact with friends and family whose company you enjoy. If your family don’t live nearby you might want to consider taking up activities or joining groups that will help you to meet people. It can be really hard to make that first step so if you are nervous about going along to a social group you could ask someone to go with you.

Regular phone calls, sending emails
or using the online video telephone
service Skype can all make staying
in touch easier.

Community-based clubs are not for everyone so if you’re not keen but would like some company, befriending might be for you. You can arrange for a Royal Voluntary Service volunteer to regularly spend some time with you at home, to have a chat and a cup of tea. Royal Voluntary Service is there every step of the way, providing simple, practical and neighbourly support in your community, which means you’re never on your own. Our befriending service means that you will have someone to talk to when it matters most.

Volunteering

It is also important to stay active and engaged in your local community. Choosing activities that get you out and about, meeting new people or volunteering in your local area can help give you a real sense of achievement in your life. Most people who volunteer give their time in order to help others, but there is a secondary benefit – volunteering is good for you. Working with other people, learning new skills, meeting new friends and knowing that you are making a difference can all help you to stay fit and active.

Depression

We all feel down from time-to-time but feeling depressed isn’t an inevitable part of growing older. Depression can be triggered by a range of different events including bereavement, health worries or loss of independence. Whatever causes it, it is a treatable condition. If you are down or think you may be experiencing feelings of depression you should arrange to see your GP.
Keep a diary of how you’re feeling so you can talk to your doctor about it. It may help you to set yourself little goals for the day, plan your activities, start small and build up to bigger plans. Review your progress and celebrate your achievements.
If you have experienced bereavement and would like to know about how other people have dealt with it, you can read Carol’s tips for dealing with bereavement

Spotting the signs of depression

Do you:

• Feel unhappy?
• Worry or feel anxious a lot?
• Struggle to find positives in life?
• Not care about your appearance?
• Struggle to do simple tasks?
• Find you’re sleeping too much or too little?

Have you:

• Lost interest in life and what you used to enjoy?
• Withdrawn from family and friends?
• Lost your appetite?

If you have experienced some of these symptoms for more than a couple of weeks visit your GP for support and advice.

Five small steps to a healthier, happier you

A few changes can make a big difference to your overall sense of well-being. Here are five small steps you can take to make you feel better.

1. Get active - Do some light exercise, whether it’s tending your garden, using the stairs more regularly or joining a walking club.
2. Get involved - Take steps to become more engaged in your local community by visiting a lunch club or volunteering at a local scheme.
3. Stay connected - Talking to people is one of the best ways to feel good and avoid loneliness. See friends and family regularly, or if you can't get out but would like some company try using the internet to keep in touch with people wherever they are. If you don’t have a computer at home most libraries have computers you can use free of charge, or for a small fee. Contact Royal Voluntary Service about its befriending and transport services so you have the practical support you need.
4. Eat well - A healthy and balanced diet will help you feel your best. It’s important to stay hydrated too.
5. Sleep well - You may find that your sleep patterns change as you get older and you need less sleep than you used to. It might make you feel lethargic and down. You can improve your sleep by reducing day-time naps, going to bed at the same time each night and reducing the amount of caffeine you drink.

Please exercise your common sense when considering this guide and whether to take any of the steps that may be suggested in it. Whilst we have taken reasonable care to ensure that any factual information is accurate and complete, most of the information in this guide is based on our views and opinions (and sometimes the views and opinions of the people or organisations we work with). As a result, we cannot make any promises about the accuracy or the completeness of the information and we don’t accept any responsibility for the results of your reliance on it.

Source:  http://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/get-help/advice-and-support/feeling-well-and-overcoming-loneliness?gclid=CIOb6LfPwM0CFZUW0wodsu0L2g

Art Therapy: Painting to Heal

Mary’s Story: Painting to Heal

Twenty years ago, life challenged me. I became depressed and everything in my life shattered and changed. I felt like I was drifting away from myself and all that I knew. In a moment of despair, I realized I had a vision and a dream that I had never actualized. I always wanted to be an artist but did not have the time or skill, and did not know how to go about learning. It was a turning point in my life. I became increasingly depressed and immobilized. In spite of therapy, self-help books, and workshops, I was floundering. I was trying to find something outside myself to ease my pain.
Then, there was a miracle. A friend of mine invited me to a studio to make art. It was a ray of hope—something that interested me. Everything in my life had turned bland until I started to paint. Art became my sun, my water, and my food. It energized me so much that I felt alive again. I fell in love with becoming an artist. I started painting every day. My creative process was like a river: a wellspring of energy that was profoundly healing and transformative. This experience changed me to my core. I had an experience of healing so profound I became well and I became a different person.
I tapped into my own enthusiasm and power to experience being truly alive. I worked every day in my studio. I invited the artist into my life and I became the artist of my own life. It was a point of departure where I never looked back. My life was on a path to fill a destiny that was unfolding. I knew something was happening that was deeply profound and connected me to my spiritual purpose.
I took out a large canvas and did not even know how to hold a brush. I looked though magazines and saw a picture of a woman who was broken and distorted. That was how I felt. I started painting. I got excited about the colors of the paint, how the shapes appeared on the paper. My painting was large. As I worked, it started to look like something—it looked like my pain, how I felt. I forgot about how I felt and instead looked at how I felt. I got excited about the making of the painting.
Then I got another canvas and started a series of paintings of woman. They were all distorted in the beginning. I painted garish backgrounds. I took photographs of myself and I started painting self-portraits. I become absorbed in the process and painted how I felt, instead of thinking of how I felt. I began to realize I was painting my life.

Next, I created a studio space for myself and simply began painting. In the beginning, I made no attempt to define myself or my process. I painted from pure feeling states. I became absorbed in the pure expression and gesture of painting. I could completely release my energy passionately on the canvas. The series turned out to be self-portraits. The first painting I called “Cut Out My Heart.” It was my pain, a deeply intense and dying pain. The figure was broken, distorted, diffuse, crumpled, crying, and bleeding. I painted “her.” This figure had been my despair, my uncensored and purely emotional energy. And in the moment I had released this image, I stepped back, looked, and gasped. What I saw was an aspect of myself that I hadn’t faced until now, it was so ugly. Yet I felt calm and detached in this moment face to face with myself. I had let go, on an intense emotional and physical level. Painting is physical for me; I embody my pain as I paint it.
For the first time, I was experiencing my pain in a strange, new way. As a painter, I stood in front of my canvas and was in control for the first time. I painted my emotions. I painted my body. I could feel that I was the creator of myself.
When I returned to my studio, I saw that the painting had captured and contained a moment that was now past. The painting remained, though the emotion had passed. It was an object that contained an image created in genuine expression. I had moved past it. I realized that I was witnessing my own transformation.
As I painted a series of self-portraits, I struggled with form and perspective. Metaphorically I was recreating and reconstructing my inner form and inner perspective. The external creative process mirrored my inner world. I realized the manifestation of movement and change was powerful. It was a process of knowing myself. As I immersed myself in painting, I not only became well, but became the artist I had always wanted to be. My creativity was a part of myself I had neither acknowledged nor honored. Through this experience, I realized that art could be used as a vehicle for healing.
Art became a way to know myself through the experience of my pain. In seeing my emotions, I could step away from them. They became my art, completely separate from me. In essence, I became free.
I spent two years as an artist in my studio. I painted my children playing on the beach. I painted the surrounding landscapes that I saw. I set up still-lifes on the kitchen table to paint the things that I loved.
Since I was a nurse and art had healed me, I hoped to bring art into the healthcare system. This was my opportunity to help others help themselves. No one had ever told me I could take my illness and use it constructively to help myself. Everywhere I looked it seemed like I had been in relationship with a form of healing that was disjointed from my life. It did not support me in the way I needed it to. It wasn’t until I threw myself into my creative work that I felt a powerful healing effect. I needed to throw my whole life into something powerful. I needed my whole life immersed in it because that was how I was involved with my sickness. Art and healing transformed my life. I healed myself. My process was not fragmented: one hour, twice a week. My illness was so overwhelming I needed to live my healing all the time, not just in visits to a therapist. Since I was a nurse, I hoped to bring art into the healthcare system. This was my opportunity to help others help themselves. No one had ever told me I could use my illness constructively. What was going to heal me—and others—was a relationship with myself that was fundamentally different than any I had had before. I could always be there for myself.

Source:  http://www.utne.com/arts/art-therapy-ze0z1311zcalt.aspx?PageId=2

Gut Bacteria Transplant: A New Treatment For Anxiety?

Recent scientific studies indicate that gut bacteria may play a pivotal role in brain chemistry and mental health. More specifically, the right type of “healthy bacteria” in your gut may treat/prevent depression and anxiety.

In research circles the gut is often referred to as the "second brain". There are over 100 million neurons in the gut (more than the spinal cord or peripheral nervous system) and many contain the exact same neurotransmitters as the brain.

We know that the gut and mood are related—think butterflies in your stomach when anxious or a knot in your stomach when stressed out. This link is via the vagus nerve, a direct neuronal connection between the gut and the brain. In fact vagus nerve stimulation via an implanted electrode treats depression.

What’s new and exciting now are studies that indicate that bacteria in the gut are doing far more than simply digesting food and maintaining a healthy immune system.

Here is some background on recent findings related to gut bacteria:

Don't be put off by the term "bacteria" like it's a bad thing. Actually, there are over 100 trillion microorganisms living in the gut—vastly more than the number of cells in your whole body. These bugs weigh about five pounds, the same as your brain and perform a multitude of functions, much like other organs in the body.

Transplantation of good, healthy bacteria from one person’s gut to another is quick and inexpensive via endoscopy, colonoscopy or enema. This is essentially a “stool transplant”, but is more accurately known as fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). FMT is currently used to treat life threatening infections, has a 90% cure rate and is being studied as a possible treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. Could weight loss be next?

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201309/gut-bacteria-transplant-new-treatment-anxiety

Depression: New Causes, New Treatments

New research reveals a wider variety of causes (and treatments) for depression than ever before.

People who experience depression are usually more focused on treating the condition than finding its cause. But new research is beginning to shed light on both the triggers for depression and how to alleviate it.
Depression affects one in 10 Americans at some point in their lives, and the number of patients diagnosed with depression goes up by about 20 percent each year. The World Health Organization says it is the top cause of disability worldwide, and that five to seven percent of people on Earth experience a major depressive episode in a given year.
As science evolves and more people speak out about the issue, we’re finding that depression has more root causes than anyone suspected.
Read More: Meditation's Effects Similar to Pills for Depression »

Cause: Concussions

A new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health recommends that doctors screen teens with a history of concussion, as they are three times more likely to suffer from depression. Researchers evaluated data from 36,000 adolescents; of them, 2.7 percent had a concussion and 3.4 percent experienced depression.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.6 to 3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur each year in the U.S. Moreover, a mild brain injury occurs every 21 seconds, so screenings are crucial.

Cause: Chronic Stress

A research team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that changes in one type of brain cell, called microglia, indicate depressive symptoms brought on by exposure to chronic stress. Microglia make up about 10 percent of brain cells and represent the immune system in the brain. They are also involved in physiological processes that have nothing to do with infection or injury—such as the body’s response to stress, research has shown.

The Israeli researchers were able to demonstrate in animals that compounds which alter the function of microglia make efficient drugs. The findings were published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Raz Yirmiya, a professor at the university, said the research shows that disturbances in microglia cells play a role in causing psychopathology in general and depression in particular.
“They may be able to help people get symptom relief faster,” said Amy Morin, a therapist from Maine, who said this could be great news for people who are experiencing a loss of day-to-day function due to depression.
“Waiting four to six weeks to see if an anti-depressant is working can be fatal for people who experience suicidal ideation as part of their depression,” she added.
See Why Emergency Rooms May Be the Wrong Solution for the Mentally Ill »

Cause: Immune Cells

Other research also indicates that immune cells outside of the brain can play a role in the development of depression.
Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that rodents with high levels of the circulating pro-inflammatory immune chemical known as interleukin-6 were more vulnerable to symptoms of depression. This suggests that differences in the peripheral immune system can affect a person's mental state.
Learn More: Newly Discovered ‘Teen Gene’ May Help Doctors Combat Mental Illness »

Cause: Inactivity

The December issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology included a report showing that people who were inactive after cardiac surgery had as much as a 40 percent greater risk of depression.

The researchers recommend that doctors screen heart patients for depression and level of physical activity to minimize symptoms. Patients should also remain as active as possible after surgery.

Treatment: Psychobiotics

Research into depression treatments is also advancing rapidly.
In an article in Biological Psychiatry, Timothy Dinan and his colleagues at University College Cork in Ireland discuss the concept of psychobiotics. These are live organisms taken like probiotics to help treat psychiatric illnesses.

Dinan and his team examined a study on the benefits of B. infantis, a specific probiotic. They found that it normalized rats’ behavior and previously abnormal immune response. Some psychobiotics have anti-inflammatory effects, which is beneficial because depression and stress are exacerbated by inflammation in the body.
“We need to be careful not to reduce all depression to a purely biological level,” noted Eileen Kennedy-Moore, a psychologist and co-author of Smart Parenting for Smart Kids. “People can have marvelously healthy guts but still need to work on communicating better with their spouse, coping with their child's tantrums, making time for friends, managing office politics, or finding meaningful and satisfying work.”
Read More: Therapy Provides 'Critical Breakthrough' for Depressed Insomniacs »
Morin agreed that the development could be a game-changer.
“Although it sounds a little like a science fiction movie, the research on psychobiotics is showing some interesting results,” Morin said. “It could prove to open up a lot of new possible treatment options for people suffering from depression.”

Treatment: Pharmacogenomics

Mona Shattell, a registered nurse and professor at DePaul University specializing in mental health, said that new research on genetics and psychopharmacology—called pharmacogenomics—can help doctors determine which medication works best to treat an individual patient's depression. This would do away with the “trial and error” method currently used, which involves testing different medications that can take weeks to have an effect.
“It can't be overstated…providers who can better target—that is, choose the right drug the first time—will improve the quality of life for persons experiencing debilitating depression,” she said, adding that it could also have a positive impact on those experiencing despair and suicidal thoughts.
Source:http://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-new-causes-of-and-treatments-for-depression-011314

 

A Belfast teen undergoing treatment for depression is celebrating her 18th birthday in a poignant way

A Belfast teenager who is undergoing treatment for depression is set to mark her 18th Birthday in a very poignant way.
Emma Norris, turned 18 back in March this year, but because she was unwell, her special day wasn't celebrated how she wanted.

Now, the brave teenager has taken the decision to mark her birthday by joining with her friends and talking part in a Mood Walk organised by mental health charity AWARE.
Emma explains: “Participating in a charity walk is probably not how most 18 year olds would choose to celebrate a birthday, but for me this is very important.
"Last year I was diagnosed with depression and it was an extremely difficult time in my life. For that reason I was unable to do anything to properly celebrate my 18 birthday.
“I have received so much support from my friends and family in the last year and by participating in the AWARE Mood Walk, I am able to bring everyone together in a bid to stamp out the stigma that’s still associated with depression."
Earlier this year, Emma, a student at Aquinas Grammar School, released a video to mark Mental Health Awareness week, to tell her story to help educate and inform people about how to talk to someone with an illness, that people can still find very difficult to talk about.
After being diagnosed with depression at the age of 17, Emma found that her family and friends were keen to offer her support but found the subject difficult to approach.
“Through my battle with depression it became apparent that everyone around me wanted to help, but they just didn't know how,” said Emma.
“It is completely understandable and I don't have a problem with that, but maybe it's time to address it."

By uploading the video on a public forum Emma helped to generate a discussion around how to talk to someone with depression in an appropriate and sympathetic manner.
Emma said: "Now that we have ended some of the stigma associated with depression and we are ready to talk, we need to talk openly about what each individual finds offensive or difficult to listen to, which topics we struggle with and which we don't. And that’s just the sufferers' role.
“To the supporters we need to refine our emotional intelligence and be aware, but not scared, of the difficult conversation topics. Each and everyone one of us, sufferers and supporters, need to be aware of what we are talking about and how we say it.”
Source: http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/belfast-teen-undergoing-treatment-depression-11460151

Enjoy peaceful relaxation and freedom from anxiety

Enjoy peaceful relaxation and freedom from anxiety

Nature provides us with the instinctive 'fight or flight' response to external threats, but when the physiology is out of balance this response gets triggered too often and for the wrong reasons. If you are able to rebalance the nervous system naturally then when life unfolds its challenges you can take things much more as it comes. The secret lies in dissolving the stresses and strains in the nervous system which have accumlated over time. This then allows the mind to be free from worries, anxieties or fears.
By naturally allowing any negative emotions like fear and anxiety to dissolve, life becomes more fulfilling and the body enjoys better health.

"Anxiety in all its various forms will generally respond well to Transcendental Meditation. Even in those people already receiving treatment for anxiety, adding TM to the mix often means that their drug levels can be lowered as their response improves."

Dr Norman Rosenthal, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, previously NIMH Senior Researcher, author of "Transcendence".

Transcendental Meditation – the facts

Whether your symptoms have resulted from stressful or disheartening events or circumstances, or whether they always seem to have been there, sustained regular practice of Transcendental Meditation can, in time, help you deal with life's challenges without anxiety and depression.
A comparative study, involving 1,295 people with high anxiety, found Transcendental Meditation was more effective than other approaches at reducing anxiety. The effect was greatest among people with the highest levels of long-term anxiety.

 

How does TM Work?

Transcendental Meditation allows the nervous system to access a special quality of rest different from ordinary rest and relaxation - and in some ways deeper than sleep. It allows the brain to break out of the cycle of stress. The frontal lobes of the brain are then able to coordinate mind and emotions, and you see life in perspective once again.

Transcendental Meditation is simple and easy. You don't have to develop a skill. You don't need any aptitude. It's just a matter of creating the conditions for a built-in physiological response to take place. It's very different from other forms of meditation.

Learning to meditate

Transcendental Meditation is easy to learn. Even children as young as 10 can do it without difficulty, and there is a special version for the under 10s.

TM allows the mind to settle in an automatic and effortless way. It is not controlling or training the mind. It is not trying to be in the now nor is it a change of attitude, belief or value system. It's not positive or wishful thinking.
The mind is automatically drawn to more silent levels of the mind because those levels are more charming. It's the same way your mind is attracted, or drawn, to your favourite song without any conscious effort. This natural settling of the mind happens effortlessly and spontaneously during Transcendental Meditation.

Source:http://uk.tm.org/web/clpgg/anxiety?leadsource=CRM1784&gclid=CLqNsIjBmM0CFcO4Gwod6gIGnA

Understanding depression

In its mildest form, depression can mean being in low spirits, but at its most severe, major depression (clinical depression) can be life threatening and highly distressing.

Some people suffer from Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which sees them become depressed during winter due to lack of daylight, and many new mothers suffer from Postnatal depression any time between two weeks and two years after the birth of their baby. But depression can arise from any number of problems.

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What are the symptoms of depression? 

Depression can affect everyone differently. Some symptoms and signs include:

• being restless and agitatedrestless and agitated
• sleeping problems
• feeling tired and lacking energy; doing less and less
• crying a lot
• difficulty remembering things
• feeling low-spirited for much of the time, every day
• being unusually irritable or impatient
• losing interest in your sex life
• finding it hard to concentrate or make decisions
• blaming yourself and feeling unnecessarily guilty about things
• lacking self-confidence and self-esteem
• being preoccupied with negative thoughts
• feeling numb, empty and despairing
• feeling helpless
• distancing yourself from others; not asking for support
• taking a bleak, pessimistic view of the future
• experiencing a sense of unreality
• self-harming (by cutting yourself, for example)
• thinking about suicide

How can I help myself? 

Fight negative attitudes - Try to recognise your negative thinking pattern and replace it with a more constructive activity. Look for things to do that occupy your mind.

Care for yourself 

Look after yourself by eating healthily. Oily fish, in particular, may help alleviate some symptoms of depression. Don’t abuse tobacco, alcohol or other drugs which can make your depression worse.

Alternative therapies 

Acupuncture, massage, homeopathy and herbal medicine can all be beneficial.

Self-help groups 

Talk to your GP or visit MIND, the National Association for Mental Health at www.mind.org.uk.

What treatments are available? 

Antidepressants

• Antidepressants work on chemical messengers in the brain to lift your mood. The usual recommendation is that you stay on them for six months. There can be some unpleasant side effects, which are worse to begin with.
• Of the various different types available, SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are usually better tolerated.
• When coming off anti-depressants, it is important to reduce the dose slowly over a period of weeks to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Psychological treatments

• Counselling can be short or long-term. It involves talking with someone who is trained to listen with empathy while you express your feelings and find your own solutions to your problems.
• Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) identifies and helps change negative feelings affecting behaviour and may last up to 12 months.
• Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) focuses on relationships. Therapy often continues for six to 12 months.
• Psychodynamic counselling or psychotherapy focuses on how past experiences may be contributing to experiences and feelings in the present.
• Psychotherapy is not usually available on the NHS. It is more frequent and intensive than counselling. For lists of qualified and regulated therapists, visit the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy at www.bacp.co.uk.

Source:  http://www.retailtrust.org.uk/products/retailhub/emotional-support/understanding-depression?gclid=CMekr5CZjs0CFRG3GwodQSsHeA