Depression..?

Question

I need to know if im depressed or not because i'm too scared to go see a doctor. I'm only fifteen and i have alot of problems on my plate, family wise, school wise, work wise and in particular problems with my mother and boyfriend. Everynight i seem to cry over them but then like last night at my mums bday party i was upset and felt like crying over nothing. I find it hard to fall asleep, breathe, i get constant headachesand blurry eyes. I have hurt myself alot of times, but it seems like it calms me down. I don't want to see anyone i just want to know if i have mild depression or something. I'm fifteen and its like i'm having a mental breakdown. Please, i need comments that will help me not ones that would make things harder on me, ie. abuse..
Thanks
x

Answer 1

Being depressed when things are stressful is a normal reaction - being depressed for no particular reason, or for an unusually long time is a sign that something is wrong, especially if you are also hurting yourself. You might have a low-level, chronic depression that is referred to as dysthemia. This type of depression is actually worse in some ways than people with severe depression because people with dysthemia usually don't seek treatment, so they may suffer for years. You said that you don't want to see anyone - which is OK, but what if all it took to feel normal was a 10 minute visit with your doctor, a prescription for an anti-depressant, and things got much better in few days or a few weeks? That's what happened to me. I had minor depression for about 15 years before I did anything about it. I just accepted that I was different from other people, and I had no idea how much depression was affecting my life. Finally, it got so bad that something had to give. I didn't want to see a doctor, so I bought some prozac from a internet pharmacy, and tried it. It worked pretty well, so I then went to the doctor to get a real prescription. This really helped me.

Take a look at this web site - you will probably find it interesting: http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/dysthymia.asp

Answer 2

It does sound like you are experiencing symptoms of depression and it sounds like your life is very stressful for you. While it may seem scary to see a psychologist or doctor about how you are feeling, you may need to talk with someone. This can be difficult because you probably don't want your family involved. What I would suggest is you contact your local hospital and ask to talk to their Crisis department or the department that deals with psychological emergencies. You can ask them what are some strategies for you at your age to explore to help you feel more grounded and less depressed. They may also help you talk with your family in a safe and healthy way to minimize any risks you feel might occur. Additionally, you can request to talk with your school counselor. If you are not experiencing child abuse or you do not disclose this issue, you can generally speak without your family being contacted.

If you really do not want to speak with someone, you can look online for self-help techniques to reduce depression. One resource you can look at is www.NAMI.org. They have some good resources about depression and management techniques. Additionally, looking at resources like WebMD can also generate some self-help ideas. A book is the "Depression Workbook" and the "Anxiety Workbook". For self-harming behavior, you may wish to look at workbooks associated with a disorder known as Borderline Personality Disorder. These books generally discuss how to manage self-harming behavior, known as self-mutiliation.

In the end, though I would really encourage seeing someone. They can be very helpful and you'll have someone on your side to help you feel more empowered in your life.

Best,
Katie MacDowell, M.Ed.
Masters, Counseling Psychology
Doctoral Candidate, Clinical & Health Psychology