What to do?

Question

Hello everyone
I am asking about, well, depression. For a while now I have been very irritable and down. Just completely blank, sometimes very sad or disconnected feeling. I also have no desire to do anything, not even get up in the morning. There are other things, but I know enough about depression (it also runs in my family, from what I can gather) to recognize the signs. My question is: where can I go to get help? I'm in high school so I always though of guidance but now I'm not sure if they only do career counseling or not. Where can I find a therapist? Any suggestions on how to approach the subject with my mother? Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

A guidance counsellor is there to do exactly what it says on the tin, and they might well be a good starting point for you to get some advice on some of the options that are available to you.

They might try to explore some of the cloud hanging over you to try and figure out where best to refer you on to, so you should be prepared to let some of it out, but it probably won't come out in any specific order.

With your mother I have to say just take the honest approach. Tell her you are struggling to understand why you're feeling down, and you want someone outside of your everyday life to talk to it about, someone that will help direct your flow of thought without relating to their own examples or turning the conversation to be about themselves.

Good luck with the future, I hope whichever path you take manages to stick a smile on your face.

Answer 2

The guidance counselors should be able to refer you to someone. You can also talk to your family doctor. If you can talk to your mother, that would be the best thing all together. I'm sure she had noticed changes in you and if you ask for help she should jump on it. Depression is a "touchy" thing. Don't fall for the "snap out of it" response by others. Depression is not something you can snap out of. If you let it go too long, it can cause permanant chemical changes in your brain, which will require medication to "fix". Keep a journal - this is good to help monitor your moods and see if there is a pattern for the depression - what triggers do you have? A journal can help answer many questions. Good luck. I've lived with depression and bipolar disorders 75% of my life. With the proper care and treatment you can live a productive life. I have two college degrees and starting on my third. I have a great job and live independently. I'm a member of two national organizations for mental illness. Life is good - overall.

Answer 3

I would certainly start with the guidance teacher, though he/she may be specialized in career counseling, they are still psychologist and in any case if he/she can't help they may perhaps direct you to a therapist. As for telling your mother, you can say that your guidance teacher suggested it and you can tell the guidance teacher that you'll be telling her that in case she contacts him/her.
In the mean time you have to try and concentrate on what is positive in your life, you'll get there. The fact that you are able to see that you have a problem that you can't solve and are actually looking for help is a first and very positive sign.
Remember every cloud has it's silver lining, though it may be hard to see on rainy days.
Take care and get back on line if you need us!!!

Answer 4

Go see your doctor(general practioner is fine). He can check u out and see if it really is depression. Make sure your family history is known, so you aren't brushed off as having "typical teenage behavior". Your guidence counselor can redirect u if they don't deal with emotional issues. It's a hormonal imbalance and trust me, the sooner u deal with it the better. High school is tough enuf:). As for your mom, just sit her down and tell her. It's important that u have the support of those u love. Hope i've helped. Much luck & ur not alone!

Answer 5

In the morning, drink hot chocolate and make some peppermint tea (or eat 1 or 2 peppermint candys). You can also take Ginseng tea (if you don't have high blood pressure or heart problems) Also, take a 30 min warm shower or bath.

Answer 6

Are there other members of your family that you can talk to? Do you have a family Dr. who can make a recommendation to see someone? It takes a lot of courage to take this step to admitting you need help. Good luck.

Answer 7

You need to deal with this now. Just suck it up and talk to your parents straight-foward like an adult. I only wish that my teenage children would have come to me sooner. You are showing great maturity by being able to identify what you think is wrong. Take the next step. For you!!

Answer 8

You might be hormonal,try a course of B-complex vitamins before you resort to anything drastic.