Depression & Grief
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Start your journey to better understand and navigate depression and grief.
On this page you will find a wide array of resources crafted and sourced by Mind Blossom’s team.
Do you know of a resource we should add? Send us an email at info@mindblossom.org.
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
What is depression?
Learn more about what depression is – and what it is not. This short video gives a great overview of the symptoms and neurobiology of this complex illness.
Download our handout
Depression and anxiety are the leading mental illnesses worldwide, and together with eating disorders, have been on the rise among teens.
This 2 page handout provides you with an overview of the symptoms, clinical criteria, and guidance for support. It also digs into what a panic attack is and what to do during a moment of crisis.
What does grief feel like?
Grief can come in many forms. This video is an empowering reminder that grief is a normal response to events that happen to us. Grief is something we all experience at one point in our lives.
You are not alone.
A powerful take on grief.
In this funny, engaging, and heartwrenching TED talk, Nora shares how she moved on after experiencing a series of significant losses, including her husband.
If you recently lost someone, this is for you.
If you are supporting someone who lost someone, this is for you.
If you want to better understand the grief of losing someone, this is for you.
Our neurobiological understanding of depression keeps evolving.
Over the past decades, research has advanced to deepen our understanding of what really causes and mediates depression.
While it can be a helpful starting point, it’s too simple to think of depression as a chemical imbalance.
Check out these videos, featuring two of our favorite medical doctors, to learn more about what happens in the brain when you experience depression.
Read these books!
Everyone can experience depression and grief. These books may help you better understand why you are experiencing these feelings, and what you can do to manage them.
Make sure to tune into our weekly book clubs where we review a new book every month!
Use the links below to purchase the book from Amazon while also supporting Mind Blossom’s mission!
In Bad Vibes Only, Nora McInerny, bestselling author and host of Terrible, Thanks for Asking, tackles the pressure to stay positive. Through candid essays, she embraces the messiness of being human, reminding us it’s okay to be imperfect.
This book, written in collaboration between Cheslie and her mother April, gives a heartwrenching insight into what it means to experience persistent depression even in the midst of success.
In his memoir, Pulitzer Prize winner William Styron describes his harrowing experience with depression and his recovery with literary expertise. His intensely personal writing makes this an effective, life-changing read.
Andrew Solomon’s investigative book examines depression on both and individual and a cultural level. His research marries his witty and quick writing style to make this best-selling book both undeniably informative and intensely touching.
This book is an updated, all-encompassing guide to modern medical treatments for depression, as well as how our neuroanatomy affects depression and how it develops. Dr. Gold’s technical writing aims this book towards those familiar with scientific terminology.
Written by neuroscientist Camilla Nord, this book examines the neurochemical causes of poor mental health, and how social behavior can lead to recovery. In her clear voice, Nord matches the science of mental health with undeniable humanity.
What is hidden depression?
Have you heard of Smiling Depression? It’s not a clinical diagnosis, but a way to refer to people who experience depression but act and appear happy. Cultural, personal, and social expectations can lead us to mask what we really feel. This video is a powerful reminder of why it’s important to ask and inquire about each other’s wellbeing, even if it appears like we are fine.
Depression often comes accompanies other illnesses
Comorbidity refers to the presence of two or more disorders at the same time. Depression is often comorbid with other mental and non-mental illnesses, such as addiction, anxiety, eating disorders, chronic pain, cancer, and diabetes.
There are many different types of depression.
According to the diagnostic manual for American healthcare providers, there are five types of depression, with women being twice as likely as men to experience depression, due to differences in hormone and brain activity, as well as the increased chance of childhood sexual trauma.
Perinatal depression (or postpartum depression) manifests during pregnancy or after birth, but is different than the “baby blues,” which are relatively normal.
Major depressive disorder lasts at least two weeks, and is characterized by disinterest and negative moods.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) develops as the seasons change, due to the body’s reaction to less sunlight.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is usually at its worst during the back half of a person’s menstrual cycle, with symptoms similar to, but more intense than, PMS.
Persistent Depression is usually less intense than Major depressive disorder, but lasts significantly longer. More information can be found below.
Spotlight: Persistent Depression (Dysthymia)
Comorbidity refers to the presence of two or more disorders at the same time. Depression is often comorbid with other mental and non-mental illnesses, such as addiction, anxiety, eating disorders, chronic pain, cancer, and diabetes.
Persistent Depression, or Dysthymia, may be less intense than Major Depressive Disorder, but it lasts longer, usually at least two years. It is characterized by a consistent (sometimes considered chronic) low mood.
Comorbidity is common in Dysthymia, as the hopelessness and fatigue that patients face can contribute to anxiety, substance abuse disorders, or even physical illnesses, including heart disease.
Dysthymia also affects women more than men, likely due to the added chronic stress of gendered oppression and violence. However, the complex reasons behind this gender gap are still being researched.
Listen to these podcasts and webinars to learn more about grief:
Dr. Huberman dives into the science and process of healing from grief. This is an empowering reminder that grief resides in our brain and body and that it’s a natural response we all experience.
We often ask, “How are you?” and usually get a quick “Fine!” in return, even if someone’s struggling inside. But things aren’t always fine, right? “Terrible, Thanks For Asking” by Nora McInerny is a show where real people get honest about how they’re really doing. It’s sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and often both.
In our Let’s Talk livestream series, we invited three fantastic women to share their diverse stories with grief. It’s an empowering and eye-opening conversation, that will leave you feel connected and hopeful.
Certified and expert grief therapist Chris dives into what grief is and skills to move through it. Chris also shares her personal story of losing her big brother when she was just a child. Chris, or Little Sister Chris as she is famously known, is your go-to grief therapist.
Give these a listen to learn more about depression:
How do we actually treat depression? Where are we at with neuroscience research? Is serotinin involved at all? This is an excellent episode from the Huberman Lab featuring Dr. David Linden’s expertise in this complex and important area.
Neurosurgeon and Medical Reporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta dives into what really makes us happy, and the neuroscience of us all. All of the episodes are relevant to learn more about happiness – and depression. We particularly like the episode called “Treating the Depressed Brain”.
Host Kimberley Quinlan aims to give listeners a virtual hug with each episode, offering real-time tools and inspiration to combat stress and negative emotions. She covers a wide range of anxiety topics, interviews diverse psychosocial professionals, and shares her own insights.
Motherhood is stressful, and UK-based mum Zoe Blasky created this podcast to help mothers live their best lives. Episodes cover all aspects of self-care, from health and relationships to career.
Sign up for peer support!
Sometimes all we need to reduce our anxiety is to share with someone we trust. These peer support groups can be a great place to start if you’re looking to connect with and learn from people that also have lived experience with anxiety and stress.
The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) is a leading organization providing free of cost peer support for everyone. They offer both for those struggling and for those supporting someone struggling.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) offers four different online peer support communities. Check out which one may fit with you!
The Tribe offers peer-to-peer support that is tailored to your mental health challenge. It also offers specific support groups for LGBTQIA+ and teens.
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MindBlossom is on a mission to empower people’s mental wellbeing through mental health education and community engagement. We utilize evidence-based methods to help people understand themselves and others in ways that are proven to enhance mental health and prevent mental illness. While we work with companies and other institutions, MindBlossom’s overarching cause is to help develop and implement mental health education programs in all K12 schools, colleges and community programs. All profits are reinvested in this cause.