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A warning to those who don’t like swear words: The F word and others are liberally sprinkled throughout the resource.
Fuck Depression is a free online resource to support people living with depression, developed by former George FM DJ Jack Stack.
I first came across the resource on The Spinoff, in an article by Stack called How depression saved my life. In the article, Stack wrote about how surprised he was to find himself in the company of half a million other New Zealanders experiencing depression, and how for two years he had been in a “psychological patch of thorns, tearing everything I loved away from me and leaving me broken, unemployed, homeless, and alone”.
Stark frankly detailed his experience of depression simply and without embellishment and his article resonated with me and the people I shared it with.
Stack has recovered and now has a job he loves, financial security, and is surrounded by great people. He has learned a lot about depression, asking for help and what to do to recover along the way. He has lost some friends to suicide and the resource he has created is the conversation he wishes he had had with those who have passed away.
I clicked over to the website, handed over my email address and was immediately emailed a free copy of the resource. I read it in one big gulp.
I loved it. It’s frank and funny without being glib or cheesy, it’s really well-designed and laid out, and, most importantly, it contains useful and easily adopted advice for those living with depression about how to get help and what they can do to help themselves.
The resource is full of hope and positivity without being condescending – a tricky balance to achieve in my experience. It never lets you forget depression is manageable and recovery is possible, and reading it was a really uplifting experience.
All the advice is scientifically proven and includes some background information about why, for example, getting sunlight is important, and then includes tips to put that advice into action.
I particularly appreciated the inclusion of advice for those who are in debt (debt and mental distress often go hand-in-hand) as being in financial difficulties can place a huge burden on mental health. Too often acknowledgement of this and information about what to do is left out of mental health resources, and it’s great to see it included here.
There’s something in here for almost everyone. The only thing that’s missing is advice about connecting or reconnecting to culture, which we know can be really important in coping with and recovering from mental distress.
Fuck Depression is a free resource. Download it at fkdepression.com
Reviewed by Sophia Graham, Marketing and Communications Manager at the Mental Health Foundation