Friendships are one of the most important things for someone to have when they are mentally ill. It is so important to have someone out there that you can have a chat with when you are feeling a bit down and it is nice to have company should you need it.

However sometimes the strain of the work you put on them can take its toll on the friend and you need to understand that they may need some time away from the strain of everyday life whilst keeping friendships healthy.
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The circle of death is something that my councillor told me about a few weeks ago. In its most simple terms it is a circle that is split into 3 sections that I will explain.

The first is soul. This is YOUR soul and your mind. If you get depressed over the death of a loved one then this is the section that you will fall into. When they refer to the soul they are talking about how your mind copes, the types or emotion that you show and your will to go out and do things. This is mental...

Coping with something like this can be one of the toughest questions you may ask yourself. It can often be quite daunting when you realise that this is reality and you have to get over this but with some easy steps it can work.

Resting is one of the most important things anyone can do during this time. Nobody is going to think that you are stupid because of it and if you need to rest a lot then that can happen. Most people won’t mind even seeing you in bed if you are down because...

One of the hardest things I for one found is crying. I just simply did not want to do it.

I felt really low for a while because I had built my emotions up which one of my friends thought was stupid. He suggested crying as a technique which does work. I would suggest that if you decide to go on with this method to do it in private maybe at night. It will make you feel better in the long run.

Crying helps to express emotions out and helps to clear the mind. However daunting...

Taking good care of yourself is important when you feel in a very bad way. There may be times when feeling down is normal and you need to learn (sometimes in hard ways) to cope with these.

The most important thing to remember is that this isn’t the end of the world. You have to learn (sometimes in hard ways) to cope with these.

The most important thing to remember is that this isn’t the end of the world. Keeping a positive mind is one of the first most important things...

Memory boxes are one of the best inventions that have ever been invented. I myself have one which is full of bits and pieces that are important to me.

Photos are perfect for memory boxes as they can bring back very happy memories of anything that you like. I have over 50 photos so you can never have too many photos.

If a close relative has died then maybe some things that they had when they were alive could be useful. I have a walking stick from grandad, lots of jewellery,...

Emergencies are a nightmare for everyone around you. Most people you need to be prepared may not be able to cope with then and you during this time. This you should be prepared for as normal during this time.

The biggest emergency out of all is wanting to kill yourself. Whatever you do DON’T!!!!! I would be the very first person who has tried before to say no. There are hundreds or better techniques that you can use which are hundreds times better. Speak to anyone that takes you seriously...

If you have lived in the same place or area, for a very long time then maybe you need to think a bit outside the box. Sometimes the only way that you can cope is to try and restart your lives. That may sound scary but with these easy steps it will be ok:

Firstly go on holiday to somewhere new to experience something new. For me I decided to go to York as I for one love trains. I found that it made me feel almost better whilst I was away and I felt like when I came back I wanted to...

Having just started writing for TeenHelp, I decided that the first thing I was going to write about was my personal experiences with depression. For me, it started back in January shortly after the death of my nan in December, the third death in my family that year. It had a huge effect for me and I felt distraught. With three deaths within five months, it gave me no time to mourn them until after so it was too much for me. That started my mental health illness. It is tough for me including the...