If you’re having thoughts of suicide, start here instead

If you might act on them, call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department now. Otherwise, read Thinking about suicide? How to find the right help, or go straight to where to get help, and how fast ▾. I’m a psychotherapist, not a crisis service, and I can’t respond to emails or messages straight away.

PART 1WHAT YOU MIGHT BE FEELING

When everything feels heavier than it should.

Depression doesn’t always look like sadness. Here are some of the ways people describe it.

“I feel flat, like the colour has gone out of everything.”Things you used to love don’t give you the same lift, or any lift at all.
“I’m exhausted all the time.”Even after sleep. Getting started on anything feels like wading through mud.
“I snap at everyone, and then I feel awful.”Irritability is one of the most common, and most missed, signs of depression, especially in teenagers.
“I just want to be left alone.”Pulling away from friends and family, even when part of you wants them close.
“I don’t even know why I feel like this.”Sometimes there’s an obvious reason. Sometimes the feeling goes back further than you can explain.
“Everyone keeps telling me what to do.”Feeling talked down to or not understood can make it harder to reach out, not easier.

If you’ve felt like this most days for two weeks or more, it’s worth taking seriously. Not because something is wrong with you, but because you deserve to feel better, and the right help depends on what’s driving it.

A rough patch or depression? How to tell the difference.

Everyone has low times. Sadness after a loss, a move or a hard term is a normal response to a hard situation. Depression is when the low feeling settles in and starts to take over.

A rough patch

It’s linked to something you can name, like a breakup, a move or exams.
You still have good moments, and things can still make you laugh.
It eases as the situation changes, or as you get support.
Sleep, appetite and energy are mostly okay.

What helps: talking to people you trust, looking after the basics (sleep, food, movement, time outdoors), and giving it time. If it isn’t easing after a few weeks, check in with your GP.

Depression

Low, flat or irritable most of the day, nearly every day, for two weeks or more.
Losing interest in things you used to enjoy.
Changes in sleep, appetite, energy or concentration.
Feeling worthless, guilty or hopeless, or thinking about death.

What to do: work through the checklist below to find what might be underneath, then book a long GP appointment and take it with you. If you’re thinking about suicide, get help today: see where to get help.

PART 2WHAT MIGHT BE UNDERNEATH

It’s rarely just one thing.

Depression usually builds when several things stack up. Working out what’s contributing helps you get the right help for each piece, starting with the physical causes. Tick anything that might apply, even a little, then print your list and take it to your GP. Your ticks aren’t saved anywhere and disappear when you close this page. Contact details for every service mentioned are in one list at the bottom of the page.

You’ve ticked 0 of 34

AYour body: get your bloods done7 items

Start here. A physical cause can look and feel exactly like depression, and many of them are simple to test for and treat.

Thyroid problemsAn underactive thyroid commonly causes low mood, tiredness, weight change, feeling cold and brain fog. An overactive thyroid can cause anxiety, agitation and poor sleep.Help: Your GP · blood test (thyroid function)
Low iron, B12, folate or vitamin DLow iron is common in teenage girls and women with heavy periods, and it can leave you exhausted, flat and foggy. Low B12, folate and vitamin D can also affect mood and energy.Help: Your GP · blood tests (full blood count, iron studies, B12, folate, vitamin D)
Hormone changesPuberty, the menstrual cycle (including PMDD, where mood drops sharply in the week or two before a period), after having a baby, and perimenopause can all bring on or worsen low mood.Help: Your GP · track your mood against your cycle for 2 to 3 months
After a virus, like glandular fever or COVIDFeeling flat, exhausted and low for weeks or months after an illness is common, and it’s easy to mistake for depression.Help: Your GP
Not sleeping, or sleeping all the timePoor sleep feeds low mood, and low mood disrupts sleep. Snoring, waking unrefreshed or daytime sleepiness can also point to sleep apnoea.Help: Your GP · ask about a sleep study if you snore
Chronic pain or a long-term illnessLiving with pain or illness every day wears down your energy, your hope and your patience.Help: Your GP or specialist
A past head injury or concussionIncluding sports concussions. Head injuries, even ones that seemed minor at the time, can change mood, irritability and concentration, sometimes for months.Help: Your GP

BMedicines and substances4 items

Some medicines, and alcohol and other drugs, can lower mood. Never stop or change a medicine on your own, but do ask the question.

Starting an antidepressant, or changing the doseFor a small number of people, starting an antidepressant or changing the dose can bring on agitation, restlessness or suicidal thoughts, most often in the first few weeks and in people under 25. This is one to watch closely in teenagers and young adults.Help: Your GP, psychiatrist or pharmacist · today if this is happening
Coming off an antidepressant, even months agoWithdrawal can start days, weeks or months after reducing or stopping. In some cases, it can start up to six months after reducing or stopping. Very few people know this, including many health professionals. I’ve experienced this myself, and I’ve seen it in many of my clients. It can feel exactly like depression coming back, so it’s easily mistaken for relapse. Read more.Help: Your GP or prescriber · say “could this be withdrawal?”
Other medicines that can affect moodFor example the acne medicine isotretinoin (Roaccutane), steroids, some hormonal contraception, and some blood pressure and weight-loss medicines. If your mood changed after starting something new, tell your prescriber.Help: Your GP or pharmacist · bring a list of everything you take
Alcohol, cannabis, vaping or other drugsMany people use them to feel better, but they can deepen low mood and anxiety, especially the comedown. There’s no judgement here, and help is confidential.Help: Adis · your GP

Did you know? Depression in teenagers often doesn’t look like sadness.

In young people, depression often shows up as irritability, anger or snapping, pulling away from family, sleeping much more (or much less), dropping activities they used to love, falling grades, or constant tiredness. Many teenagers can describe exactly how they feel and still feel unheard.

What helps: take it seriously without taking over. Ask how they feel, listen more than you advise, and let them have a real say in what kind of help they get. A teenager who chooses their support is far more likely to engage with it.

Did you know? Antidepressants need extra watching in people under 25.

Antidepressants help many young people. But in the first few weeks of starting one, or after a dose change, a small number of people under 25 become more agitated or restless, or have new or stronger thoughts of suicide.

What helps: keep the prescriber in the loop, especially in the first month, and tell them straight away about any change for the worse. Never stop or change the dose suddenly without talking to them first.

CYour mental health8 items

Depression often sits on top of something else. Naming it helps you find the right kind of help.

Anxiety underneath the low moodYears of worry, panic or always being “on” can leave you exhausted and flat. When anxiety is treated, low mood often lifts with it.Help: Your GP · a psychologist or psychotherapist · I can help with this
Past trauma, even if it feels dealt withSomething frightening or overwhelming, recent or long ago. You might still be reliving it, or you might feel you’ve moved on. Either way, your nervous system can still be carrying it, and that can show up as depression.Help: Your GP · a trauma-trained therapist · I can help with this
Sadness that goes back further than you can explainIf the low feeling started long before anything that’s happening now, it’s worth gently exploring what’s underneath, rather than only managing how you feel today. Depression can be a by-product of past trauma, even trauma that feels resolved.Help: A therapist you trust · I can help with this
Big mood swings, racing thoughts or barely needing sleepTimes of feeling unusually high, wired or reckless, then crashing, can be a sign of bipolar disorder. It’s important to know before starting or changing antidepressants.Help: Your GP for a psychiatrist referral · soon
Self-harm, or emotions that hit hard and fastIf you hurt yourself to cope, or your emotions swing quickly and intensely, please tell someone. There are specialist therapies designed for exactly this.Help: Your GP · Kids Helpline or Lifeline
Struggles with eating, food or your bodyEating disorders affect every age and body size, and they take a heavy toll on mood. Restricting food can also cause low mood on its own.Help: Butterfly · your GP
ADHD or autism, diagnosed or notYears of masking, overwhelm and feeling different wear people down, and this often shows up as depression in teenage girls and women.Help: Your GP for an assessment referral
Treatment that hasn’t helpedIf you’ve tried therapy or medication and you’re still low, it doesn’t mean you can’t get better. It may mean the plan, or the fit, needs a rethink: a medication review, a psychiatrist’s opinion, or a different kind of therapy and a different therapist.Help: Your GP for a medication review · a different approach · I can help with this

DWhat’s happened, or happening, in your life11 items

Depression often makes sense once you see everything someone is carrying. Some of these are happening now, and some may be years old but still with you. This is the part of depression I help with.

EYour daily life4 items

These won’t fix depression on their own, but they can keep it going, and they’re worth checking.

Spending most of your time aloneLow mood makes you want to withdraw, and withdrawing makes mood lower. Even small doses of connection help.Help: One person you trust · a peer support service
Late nights on your phone or social mediaScrolling late into the night cuts into sleep, and comparing yourself to others can quietly feed feeling not good enough.Help: Try phone-free time before bed for two weeks and notice the difference
Skipping meals or living on very littleGoing long periods without eating, or not eating enough, affects mood, energy and concentration.Help: Your GP · a dietitian
Hardly moving, or no time outdoorsMovement and daylight won’t cure depression, but they support sleep, energy and mood, and they’re free.Help: Start small: a 10-minute walk outside each day

PART 3THE PATHWAY

Getting help, step by step.

Start with step 1. Each step makes the next one clearer.

Rule out the physical causes
Book a long GP appointment and take your printed checklist. Ask about blood tests for thyroid function, a full blood count, iron studies, B12, folate and vitamin D, plus anything else your GP suggests, like hormones or blood sugar. Bring a list of every medicine and supplement you take.
Check your medicines
If your mood changed after starting, stopping or changing a medicine, including an antidepressant, the pill or an acne medicine, tell your GP or prescriber. Don’t stop anything on your own.
Name what’s underneath
Use your ticks to see the bigger picture: is this mostly physical, mostly about what’s happening now, or something that goes back further? Often it’s a mix, and that’s okay.
Choose the kind of support that fits you
There are two main routes. If you’d like talk therapy and a few sessions with a psychologist, your GP can write a Mental Health Treatment Plan, which gives you Medicare rebates. If you’ve already tried psychologist sessions or talk therapy and it hasn’t helped, and you believe your depression is linked to what’s happening in your life or what you’ve been through, a different approach may suit you better. You don’t need a referral or a Mental Health Treatment Plan to see me, as I’m a private practice. Whichever route you choose, you should feel understood, not lectured.
Work on each piece
Make sure each thing you ticked has someone helping with it: your GP for the physical causes, a therapist for what’s underneath, and practical help for school, work, money or home.

Feeling better usually starts with understanding why you feel this way.

WHERE I COME IN

Rule things out first. Then look underneath.

Once physical causes have been ruled out, I help clients whose depression is coming from what’s happening in their life right now, or from what they’ve been through in the past. Often it’s both.

In my experience, depression can be a by-product of past trauma, even when that trauma feels dealt with. You might have talked it through, made sense of it and moved on with your life, yet your nervous system can still be carrying it. That can show up years later as low mood, flatness, exhaustion or a sadness you can’t explain.

Many of the women I see have already tried psychologist sessions or talk therapy, and it hasn’t worked for them. If that’s you, and you believe your depression is linked to your current life or past events, this is where I can help. Together we work on resolving past trauma, repairing your nervous system, rebuilding your sense of self and building the future you want. My work focuses on the automatic, subconscious patterns that drive how you feel and react, so the change feels natural, rather than something you have to keep talking yourself into.

You don’t need a GP referral or a Mental Health Treatment Plan to work with me. I’m a private practice, so you can book directly. I do still recommend seeing your GP for blood tests, so physical causes are ruled out, and I’m happy to work alongside your GP, psychiatrist or treating team. I’m a psychotherapist, not a crisis service: if you’re thinking about suicide, the services at the bottom of this page come first.

If we’re already working together, please tell me if your mood has dropped, or if anything on this list applies to you. I won’t be shocked, and we’ll work out the right next step together.

WORRIED ABOUT YOUR TEENAGER, OR SOMEONE ELSE?

You don’t have to have all the answers.

Listen first
Ask how they’re really feeling, then listen without rushing to fix it. Being taken seriously is often a relief in itself.
Treat them as the expert on themselves
Young people often understand far more about what’s going on than adults give them credit for. Ask what they think would help, and what hasn’t.
Start with the GP
Help them book a long appointment and go through this checklist together, if they’re happy to. Physical causes and medicines are the first things to rule out.
Let them have a say in their support
Help works best when someone wants it. Offer options, rather than one answer, and let them choose who they see and how. If something hasn’t helped, back them in trying something different.
Know the warning signs
Talk of suicide, self-harm, giving things away, or a sudden change after starting medication means getting help today. See where to get help, and how fast, or call 000 if they’re in danger.
Look after yourself too
Supporting someone you love through depression is hard. Beyond Blue supports families and carers as well.

PART 4WHERE TO GET HELP, AND HOW FAST

Match the help to how you’re feeling.

If you’re not sure which of these fits, choose the more urgent one. Nobody will think you’re overreacting.

Right now · don’t wait
Call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department
- You might act on thoughts of suicide, or you’ve made a plan
- You’ve hurt yourself and need medical care
- You’re seeing or hearing things others don’t, or feel very confused
Call 000. If you can, don’t stay on your own. If you’re supporting someone, stay with them.
Today
Talk to a clinician, a crisis counsellor or your GP
- You’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, but you’re safe for now
- You’ve just started or changed an antidepressant and feel worse, more agitated or restless
- You haven’t slept or eaten properly for several days
- You ticked something in pink on the checklist
Call 1300 MH CALL on 1300 642 255, or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 if you’re under 25. Call your prescriber about any medication change, and ask your GP for a same-day appointment.
This week
Book a long appointment with your GP
- You’ve felt low, flat or irritable most days for two weeks or more
- You want to rule out physical causes before anything else
- You’re already in treatment and it isn’t helping
Take your printed checklist and ask for blood tests. Under 25? headspace centres see young people for free, and eheadspace on 1800 650 890 offers phone and online counselling every afternoon and evening.

EVERY SERVICE ON THIS PAGE

Every number in one place.

Checked November 2026. If you’re outside Queensland, the Australia-wide services work everywhere; for 1300 MH CALL, use your own state’s mental health line or call healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

Emergency000Police · ambulance · 24/7If you might act on thoughts of suicide, have hurt yourself, or someone else is in danger. Or go to your nearest emergency department.
1300 MH CALL1300 642 255Queensland · free · 24/7Queensland’s public mental health line. Mental health clinicians can give advice, arrange an urgent assessment and connect you with your local mental health team.
Lifeline13 11 14Australia-wide · 24/7Crisis support by phone, by text on 0477 13 11 14, or by online chat.
Beyond Blue1300 22 4636Australia-wide · free · 24/7Talk to a counsellor about depression, anxiety or anything that’s weighing on you, by phone or webchat.
Kids Helpline1800 55 1800Australia-wide · free · 24/7For young people aged 5 to 25, by phone or webchat.
headspace1800 650 890Australia-wide · free · 3pm to 10pm local timeFor young people aged 12 to 25 and their families: free online and phone counselling (eheadspace), and headspace centres across Brisbane. Find a centre.
Medicare Mental Health1800 595 212Australia-wide · free · weekdaysHelps you find the right mental health service. Free walk-in Medicare Mental Health Centres need no appointment or referral; the Brisbane centre is in Lutwyche.
Suicide Call Back Service1300 659 467Australia-wide · free · 24/7For anyone thinking about suicide, worried about someone, or bereaved by suicide.
Butterfly1800 33 4673Australia-wide · free · 8am to midnightSupport for eating disorders and body image concerns.
Adis1800 177 833Queensland · free · 24/7Confidential alcohol and drug support, for you or someone you care about.
QLife1800 184 527Australia-wide · free · 3pm to 9pm dailyPeer support for LGBTIQ+ people, by phone and webchat.
13YARN13 92 76Australia-wide · free · 24/7Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
DVConnect Womensline1800 811 811Queensland · free · 24/7If you don’t feel safe at home. Crisis counselling, safety planning and emergency accommodation.
1800RESPECT1800 737 732Australia-wide · free · 24/7Domestic, family and sexual violence counselling.
Griefline1300 845 745Australia-wide · freeSupport for grief and loss of any kind.
PANDA1300 726 306Australia-wide · free · 7 daysFor expecting and new parents and their families.
Your GPYour starting pointBook a long appointment, take your printed checklist, and ask about blood tests to rule out physical causes.

WHERE THIS INFORMATION COMES FROM

Sources.

Information on this page comes from Australian government and health services.

Depressionhealthdirect AustraliaSymptoms, causes and where to get help in Australia.
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)healthdirect AustraliaHow an underactive thyroid can cause low mood and tiredness, and how it’s tested.
Iron deficiencyhealthdirect AustraliaSymptoms of low iron, who’s most at risk, and testing.
Antidepressant utilisation and risk of suicide in young peopleTherapeutic Goods Administration, 2021Why young people starting antidepressants, or changing the dose, need closer monitoring.
Isotretinoin (Roaccutane) safety alertTherapeutic Goods AdministrationReports of depression and mood changes with the acne medicine isotretinoin.
Emergency assistance and eheadspaceheadspaceeheadspace phone and online counselling, 3pm to 10pm local time.
1300 MH CALL: mental health access lineQueensland GovernmentQueensland’s 24/7 public mental health access line.
Mindframe guidelinesEverymindAustralia’s national guidelines for communicating safely about mental health and suicide, followed in writing this page.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Buckle

Women’s Specialist Psychotherapist · Brisbane-based, online worldwide

I work with intelligent, capable women experiencing anxiety, panic, trauma and low confidence. I don’t teach coping techniques. I work with my clients to resolve the patterns driving their symptoms. Sessions are online, so I work with women wherever they are in the world.

MEET SARAH ▸

WOMEN’S SPECIALIST PSYCHOTHERAPIST Private Online Therapy · Worldwide · Brisbane-Based Client resources. Feeling depressed? Start with what’s underneath.

When everything feels heavier than it should.

A rough patch or depression? How to tell the difference.