Can someone give me some depression advice?

Question

Last night I was looking @ my high school yearbook, & it brought back depressing flashbacks of me being singled out, harrassed, bullied, & picked on by 98% of the school, & the former foster mom punishing me from my Senior Prom for petty reasons. She knew that I suffered Anxiety, OCD, Depression, & Tourette's Syndrome. One cognitive behavioral therapist encouraged her to punish me for every symptom of my disorders, which was very hard for me because TS is involuntary tics & outbursts. I shouldn't have been punished from my high school senior prom, & I graduated from high school with Honors-a 3.6 GPA. & on graduation day, my foster mom wouldn't let me wear my hair down. She combed my hair in an embarrassing child's style & was yelling @ me, cursing me out & yanking my hair while combing it. Also after graduation, our neighbor across the street cursed me out for no reason. I had no good high school senior memories. I'm a 23-yr old college grad now. I know that's in the past but it hurts.

Answer 1

Wow. I totally feel your pain. When my son was very young, his Dad and I would try to make him "stop it". We found out that he had Tourettes and felt just absolutely awful that we were punishing him for something he had no control over. I'm glad that we found out somewhat early (dx at 10 years old, he's 12 now). He is allowed to tic at home without comment from others. I feel that is the best treatment for TS. To love unconditionally. I am SHOCKED that anyone would direct parents to punish their child in that way. That therapist needs to be removed from practice!

KUDOS to you for managing to get such good grades in spite of how difficult it was for you. Great job! I'm very impressed. There are doctors, professional athletes, authors and many other successful people with TS. You can do or be whatever you choose to!

As for the past, it's just that. The past. I'm not saying forget it altogether, but you need to leave it behind. Move on with your own life. I think you should write a book about your experience. It would help other parents when their children display symptoms. I am hoping to write a pamphlet to help parents, and teachers in the early stages of diagnosis.

Here is an inspirational book that you will relate to:

"Front of the Class, How Tourettes Syndrome made me the Teacher I never Had" by Brad Cohen.

There is one other point I'd like to make. You posted this question in the Mental Health category. You (and others) need to recognize that TS is NOT a mental Illness. It is not degenerative, nor does it impede intelligence or ability to learn, as you have aptly proved! Now I'm not saying that it does not cause emotional problems, but those are a by-product born out of the frustrations of having TS, not the TS itself. Look at it this way: Your software is fine (mental), but your hardware is not properly connected (brain, brain stem, nervous system) and that causes the tic and vocal tremors.

I hope this helps to get a grasp on the bigger picture. Blessings to you!

Answer 2

Congatulations on making it past a bad childhood. I think that if you took it upon yourself to help kids that maight be in the situation that you were it might help you a little bit as well. I don't know what your degree is in, but is there a way that you could use it to help similar kids actually have some good high school memories? Maybe you can find a support group for young people that have your condition(s) and volunteer to help moderate the group, or become involved some other way.
As far as that old yearbook, I would invite some friends over, and have everybody bring an item that symbolizes a past hurt that is still weighing on them. Then, build a fire, and each person can tell what the item symbolizes, and throw it into the fire. As the fire burns, everyone should contemplate what that item symbolizes, and how they are going to live now that they no longer carry the burden of that pain. I know this sounds kinda freaky, but there is something very cleansing and helpful about watching this symbol of your pain be destroyed.

Answer 3

I am sorry to hear that your High School year book brings back sadness for you that is a shame. I do know of a good way yo help with feeling a bit depressed though, and that is get excited about improving your health! I am no healt nut trust me but I do enjoy going a couple of weeks at a time eating 10 fold healthier than I do at the time I am Bummed out. I increase my physical activity, Eat no fast food drink only water and so on. Seeing the improvment I can make in myself is a great reminder that I control my moods I can be happy if I want to be, feeling physically fit does wonders!

Answer 4

You have my empathy. I guess the best advice I can give you is spend more time focusing on the present and the future and don't be ruled from (but learn from) the past. Don't punish yourself for what your mom and others believed. Take each symptom that you view as a weakness, and turn it into a strength. Sometimes, it only takes a little patience and effort to turn things around (heck, as a 23 year odl college grad, it's my guess that you're doing all right).

Best of luck. Know that others out there have similar experiences.

Answer 5

I'm sorry you had such a miserable child or teenage hood, she sounds like an evil woman. It sounds like you are doing good as far as school and all. But old memories do hurt. But now you need to just get rid of them, If you can't do it see a Counsler. Seeing someone you just let it out, You need to make new happy memories now. Get some help before bad depressions hits you because it is no fun I've been there, I take medication for it and I'm fine, Good Luck

Answer 6

there is not any valuable fire answer to the placement. some people get depressed and conversing to others can cause them to greater depressed or lead them into thinking there is greater there than meant, even perhaps tying them to you so which you become their reason for occurring. on the different hand, some persons are so a good distance long previous that they only desire a variety word from somebody. absolutely everyone. Its rather as much as you to go with the place your pal falls as you be responsive to them greater advantageous than we do. i will basically say that doing no longer something isn't the appropriate direction of action. i've got lost a chum that I generally think of i'm going to have performed something to maintain and its no longer a good element to be left thinking approximately. better of success to you and your pal...

Answer 7

I have poor school memories too, but I did not need to overcome anything like you did. I try to be proud of what I’ve accomplished despite my past obstacles.

You have a lot to be proud of – A LOT more than most of us. Have you ever heard of the saying that goes something like: the best revenge is to live a good, successful and happy life.

Please: Don’t let these evil people hurt you again!

After what you went thru you may need someone to talk to (maybe a professional). If so then do it. You sound like a special person who deserves the best and is worthy of taking the best care of yourself.

Good luck – you deserve it.

Answer 8

Seriously....if I ever encountered a person who needs to give herself a pat on the back....it's you babe.
No matter what people were like toward you....YOU ROSE ABOVE IT AND WENT ON....and graduated from college. What's your degree in?
Amazing success story.
You can't control how stupid other people are and you can't change anything that happened before...but of course you still remember so how do we get rid of the baggage.

ONE WAY

Tell jokes about the strange people in your past....if and when they come up.

Write stories about the things that happened and once you are finished...put them in a drawer or send them to a magazine....your choice.

You sound like you are one tough cookie....and you should be extremely proud of your accomplishments....

Hang with people that aprreciate you and remember to tell a few jokes....

DREAMS+REALITY+HUMOR= WISDOM

I salute you.

You have permission to stop thinking about the idiots in your past....because that's where they are and where they shall remain.

And always remember that EXCERCISE really helps when depressed.

Answer 9

i am so sorry that the people around you haven't been good to you. the best advice i can give you is to start seeing a counselor. not a therapist or a psychiatrist (although they have been very helpful to me) it seems more like you need to talk to someone more than you need pills to deal with your issues. i see my counselor regularly and not only has she helped me to get past the ignorance of others around me, she's helped me to find the strength i need to keep trudging forward when there are so many ignorant people in the world that just keep bringing me down. I've learned to love myself, and that the main reason that people are cruel and ignorant is because they are unhappy in themselves, so now i just ignore them. you aren't a bad person, nor do you deserve the bad things people have done to you. i hope this helps.

Answer 10

I don´t have an answer to your question, but I want to tell you this: If you know that you shouldn´t have been punished, or bullied, or cursed by your neighbor... whose mistake is it? THEIRS!!!
You have been the subject of other people´s issues. They can´t deal with themselves, so they charge it on you. Untill now you have kept going on with your life, so don´t let the memories of others´ mistakes pull you back. Stay good and strong... Try, for your own good to forgive them from your heart, understand their ways, and then, you´ll be ready to let go...

Think of how strong you have been to get over this, to face other´s stupidity and mental castration, (we all just see what we want to see), to face their lack of self control, and their way of treating you: Now think of how have you responded to their abuses, and be proud of yourself, of your strength, of how you have grown since every new abuse and .... Get rid of that yearbook!!