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The Resilient Brain Project, by The Viva Center

Resilient Brain Project

A comprehensive library of resources to support you on your mental health journey towards a happier, healthier life

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    • Trauma & PTSD
    • Depression
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Depression

Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.
—American Psychiatric Association

Depression - man staring out window
Actions for now

Actions for Now

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For Allies

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You’re Not Alone

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Master the Subject

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Advocate

Actions for now

Actions for Now

Steps To Reduce Symptoms
  • Depression Screening
    Determine whether you might be dealing with a depressive disorder with this screening from Mental Health America
  • Understanding and Changing Self-Defeating Beliefs
    An online program that focuses on understanding and analyzing self-defeating thoughts
  • Emotion Explorer
    Get to the bottom of how you’re feeling, how it’s affecting you, and what you can do to soothe yourself with this interactive website
  • Positive Thinking/Affirmations Meditation
    Engage in positive thinking with this 10 minute meditation
  • ImAlive
    A chatroom for those in crisis
  • Mood Boosters for the 5 Senses
    Try out these everyday sights, smells, and sensations that can boost your mood.
  • Gratitude Visits For Lowering Depression
    An everyday positive psychology strategy for relieving symptoms of depression.
  • Automatic Negative Thoughts Education And Exercise
    Identify negative ways of thinking and fight against them
  • The Science of Wellbeing
    Enroll in Yale’s most popular course, designed to help you increase your own happiness over a 10-week period
  • Self-Compassion and Mindfulness
    A digital workbook with multiple exercises for loving-kindness, self-compassion, and managing difficult emotions.
  • It’s always good to have a safety plan, in case of a crisis. You can create one easily with tools like this.
Apps
  • How We Feel
    An electronic journal to track moods, emotions, and patterns of wellbeing.
  • MoodTools
    This app offers psychoeducation about depression, a thought diary, and a suicide safety plan
  • Headspace
    Increase your sense of wellness with 10 minute daily meditations
  • ACT Coach
    Learn to tolerate and improve your awareness of negative thoughts
  • Happify
    This app offers games and activities designed to put you in a good mood
  • Depression CBT Self-Help Guide
    This app offers psychoeducation on depression and ideas for soothing it by using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • SuperBetter
    Play games that strengthen your emotional resiliency
  • notOK
    Receive immediate support from your friends, family, or peer network
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For Allies

Give The Best Support Possible
  • Helping Someone With Depression
    Learn what signs to look out for, how to support a loved one coping with depression, and how to maintain your own emotional health
  • Read This Before You Help Your Friend With Depression
    Important things to consider while supporting a loved one with a mood disorder
  • Support for Families
    Strategies for families when one or more members are coping with mental health issues.
  • How to Help Someone In Crisis
    Tips for aiding a loved one during a mental health crisis
  • How You Can Help Someone Who Is Depressed
    What you can do (and what to avoid doing) to support a loved one
  • It’s Time to Talk About Suicide in LGBTQ Communities
    Discusses the disproportionately high rates of suicide in the LGBTQ community
  • How You Can Support a Partner Who’s Struggling with their Mental Health
    Kristin Dart, LICSW, offers tips for those unsure how to best support their significant other during tough psychological times.
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You’re Not Alone

Stories
  • Check In With Me
    Having a rough day and looking for support? This community from The Mighty has you covered.
  • What Better Feels Like
    A series of interviews with individuals living with mood disorders.
  • 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Diagnosed
    A reflection on being diagnosed with bipolar disorder
  • 20 Stories of Depression And Suicide And Living Our Lives
    Buzzfeed readers shared their experiences with mood disorders and suicidality, demonstrating that those who suffer are not alone
  • My Happy/Sad Mummy
    A video by the author of a children’s book about parenting with bipolar disorder
  • Five Must-Watch TED Talks for Mental Health
    Six talks from renowned psychologists and individuals coping with mental health issues. They include “Depression, the Secret We Share,” “The New Era of Positive Psychology,” “The Power of Vulnerability,” “What’s Funny About Mental Illness?”, and “Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid”).
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder
    The writer describes her slow discovery that she was coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder
  • “Depression Defined
    A poem from Alise Leslie, author of the blog “In My Mental Mind: a black girl’s journey through mental illness”
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Master the Subject

Learn The Science Behind It
  • Crash Course Psychology, Depression and Mood Disorders
    A basic intro video to depression and other mood disorders.
  • Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Overview of Mood Disorders
    An overview of the different types and symptoms of mood disorders
  • 10 Things Depression Makes Us Do
    This video illustrates common symptoms of depression
  • 10 Signs of Bipolar Disorder
    An infographic detailing common symptoms and signs of bipolar disorder.
  • PET Scan Of The Brain For Depression
    Observe the differences in the brains of people with and without depression to get an idea of how depressive disorders alter your mind
  • Six Signs That You Might Be Mildly Or Moderately Depressed
    Helpful tools for self-evaluation
  • Maternity Monday: The Reality of Postpartum Depression
    This blog post defines postpartum depression and offers advice for supporting yourself and/or loved ones
  • The Science of Wellbeing
    Enroll in Yale’s most popular course, designed to help you increase your own happiness over a 10-week period
  • 3 Signs Your Mental Health is Interfering With Your Work
    Melanie Shapiro, LICSW, details ways in which chronic mental health concerns can derail your professional goals and offers advice for coping
  • Physical Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders
    Learn how mental illnesses like depression can affect your physical health, and methods for resolving those issues
  • Depression and Social Security Disability
    How to apply for social security benefits for mood disorders.
  • Can Positive Thinking Really Increase Happiness?
    A blog reviewing the effects of positive framing on those dealing with low mood and/or depression.
  • Feeling SAD?
    Information on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and strategies for coping with it.
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Advocate

Connect To The Larger Movement
  • Right Direction
    An initiative designed to give employers the tools to deal with depression in the workplace
  • Students Against Depression
    A website by students, for students, offering resources and information to those affected by low mood and suicidal thinking.
  • Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression
    This nonprofit is dedicated to bringing awareness, prevention, and treatment to those suffering from mental health issues, and to reduce the stigma around them.
  • Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
    A peer-directed national organization focusing on depression and bipolar disorder.
  • Postpartum Support
    Education and resources for parents suffering from postpartum depression
  • Anxiety and Depression Association of America
    This nonprofit is a leader in research, education, and training for mental health disorders

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