How do I get over this depression by myself?
Question:
I told my Mom how I was feeling and she said that she'll take me to a psychiatrist, but she never keeps her promises, and besides my family can't afford to take me to one. I told my Dad about it and he said there's nothing wrong with me and that I'm pathetic and have no will power to change myself. This just makes me so much more depressed when he says stuff like this to me.
I don't know who to talk to because I don't really feel comfortable talking to my Guidence Counselor. What should I do?
Answers:
You need to go see your doctor. Make up some kind of excuse to your Mom and see your doctor. The school nurse is sworn to confidentiality when it concerns a students well-being. Don't let your Dad get to you honey. Men don't normally know what to say so, they become defensive and feel cornered. Men are just weird like that. He still has no right to make you feel stupid and even weirder. I am on antidepressants and have been for nearly 3 years now. I have wanted to come off of them for a long time but, every time I do I end up right back in the same boat. However long you are on them, depends on how well things are improving in your life. As far as depression and anxiety go, that is. I remember the exact thing that put me over the edge, the first time. I just lost it. I couldn't explain it and I surely didn't understand what was going on but, my husband was on the phone and talked directly with my doctor. Instantly he put me on antidepressants. So darlin', before it becomes bigger than what you can handle, see your doctor. It's not a crime, nor is it bad, neither is it an indication that you are wacko in the head. Some people are just sadder than others and don't know how to be happy anymore, that's all. I want you to promise me you will see your doctor. Be well sweetie. Talon
Honey, I am 61 years old and I have depression alots. It is nothing to feel bad about, it just happens. I am taking Zoloft and it has helped alot. When I am off I want to cry over nothing. The best thing to do is get out more and get yourself involved in some activities that you enjoy doing. Find a hobby you like to do or just get out of the house and walk. Walking is good for depression. Hope this helps and I will pray for you.
I suffered from severe deppresion when I was young to, and still battle with it. I decided at about your age that i was going to live my life without any drugs. I had to make a consious decission that i was going to live and feel and see and do all that i could after living in a drug induced haze for about three years. I surrounded myself with family and friends, i had to remind myself every second of the day that someone else had it worse than i did and it wasn't going to do any good to feel sorry for myself, i started exercising and writing to release anger and pain. it was a long hard struggle, but now i am alot better, i only have to remind myself about every other day that everything is going to be fine. I hurt myself and alot of other people in the time that all i could do was feel sorry for myself. I didn't realize that at the time, but when i looked back thats what it was, your family loves you, your friends and classmates, despite what they say, dont really hate you. when you get to feeling awful and depressed, go ahead and scream into your pillow, cry, write, run a long long ways, kick the tree, what ever it takes as long as you don't hurt yourself or any one else, it will make you feel better.
If you want to try to do this on your own without medication or professional help, a place you could start is by exercising (if you dont). Exercise is suppose to boost the chemical levels in your brain that get too low and then depression arises.
Before I finally went to a doctor, I coped by writing. I mostly wrote poetry to release my frustration. However, that didn't help forever and I ended up self mutilating. It was at this point, when I realized what I was doing to myself after snapping out of one of my really deep lows, that I finally got help. Though it doesn't have to be writing, it could be dance, painting, or another hobby that interests you. The more you keep yourself occupied the better things will be even though it's soooo hard.
If you don't feel comfortable talking to a guidance counselor, does your school have a nurse? Maybe you could talk to him/her. Do you have a teacher that you feel you could confide in, even one as far back as Kindergarten? They may be able to steer you in the right direction. Maybe you have a cool aunt or uncle or an older cousin you could talk to. There are probably more people out there who care about you than you even realize.
I remember being depressed as early as 4th grade. You're not alone, and I'm sure there are other kids in your school who feel the exact same way. And if push comes to shove, you can always instant message me.
See depression and social anxiety, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris... on pages 2, and 9, and volunteer, even from home, at first. Spend an hour daily in sunlight (protected).
I know that some people are able to overcome their depression by focusing on their own thoughts and their "self talk" (the things they say to themselves) and by working on looking at the good things in their lives so that would be a place to start...
HOWEVER, if you work on these things and do not feel any better do NOT beat yourself up over it or think that you have failed or done something wrong!
Depression can either be brought on by circumstances and/or your thought patterns, or it can be brought on by a chemical imbalance in your brain. In those cases depression is an actual disease and you would have no more effect telling yourself to be happy than a diabetic would have telling their sugar levels to go down.
Depression can be caused by a decrease in either serotonin or nor-epinephrine in the brain, both chemicals that can be supplemented with medications that don't put you in a haze or cause you to feel drugged in any way, only to regulate the correct amount of chemical that should be in your brain.
Please don't hesitate to talk to your doctor (it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist, your family physician can handle this for you) if you feel that changing your outlook on life and your inner thoughts isn't helping the situation, it may be that it just isn't in your control.
Wow, I can relate to you a lot, you remind me of when I was a teen. I would talk to the guidance counselor and also your doctor, I wouldn't say anything at all anymore about it to your dad, he is insensitive and does not understand, that is obvious. There are also free places you can get help with therapists, that is why you need to talk to the guidance counselor, she can give you some numbers to call, or may even make the calls for you. Good Luck :)
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