All of us get blue once in a while -- when we wreck the family car, say, or get dumped, or run into trouble at work. But when you start feeling that way all the time, or if you're having trouble sleeping, or finding yourself unable to carry on a normal conversation, you may need to get some help. It's nothing to be ashamed of. As Rita Mae Brown said, "The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they are OK, then it's you." Here are some online resources to help you or one of your three best friends out, but remember: none of these is intended to replace good professional counseling.An excellent first stop is the no-frills, information-packed Depression Central. You'll find articles on everything from depression in children to schizoaffective disorder.For some reason, twice as many women as men are affected by depression.For an intelligent article on depression in women, read Thrive Online's "How do you know if you're depressed?" by Dr. Kimberley Mulvihill. Dr. Mulvihill discusses signs and possible causes of depression, basic changes you can make in your life to ward it off, and additional help and resources if necessary.Wing of Madness: A Depression Guide presents an excellent guide to clinical depression for those not in the field, including a recommended reading list. A reading list we recommend is Famous People Suffering from Depressive Disorders.Mediconsult.com: Depression Medical Information is a small community for people suffering from depression. It offers news and educational material on this condition, as well as success stories and connect visitors to information directly from experts.The Webmaster of the Internet Depression List no longer has time to maintain his site regularly, but the resources he's gathered to date are very impressive. This site houses a collection of newsgroups, mailing lists and online destinations where people can find support and advice for dealing with and beating depression. The incomparable Mental Health Net, a one-stop resource for information on all aspects of mental health, has a special section on depression, complete with site reviews and ratings from the MHN's founder and maintainer Dr. John Grohol. Visitors can connect to organizations, support groups and other depression-related sites from here.For more information on depression and offline professional assistance, you should contact the National Foundation for Depressive Illness Inc. Visit its online home for contact information.And remember that dealing with depression is a lot easier if you have some support -- so you'll also want to commiserate and share your experiences with other depression sufferers. Try the newsgroups alt.support.depression, soc.support.depression.crisis and soc.support.depression.treatment or the Living Through Depression chat, Fridays at 6:00pm PT/9:00pm ET.