Depression Sux

Blimey - well, don't!

Wilso
Cricket starts here today! We have tickets for Sunday. It's going to be a great match! I think we might be in the open - so wear/bring cover up clothes and hat!

Bought a hat last week just for this occasion.

got any floral decoration on it???

You need to make a stand! But just what sort of stand????

Any suggestions -not necessarily sensible???

I'm thinking of going in one of those all over chador things myself - keep the sun off! And apparently they're cool to wear - may be a factor.

Well, Margo, you could take a giant muumuu (how ever you spell them)...

Aw, sorry to hear you're so low, Wilso. Nah, don't take the pills. Not a good solution at all.
Are you on holiday? Are you getting enough exercise? It's really good for you, I've discovered. I walk around 10k with a friend every morning, before it gets warm. It has a very good effect on how I feel. Why not try it, that is, if you're not doing something like that already. And keep talking to people at A2K, too! It always makes me feel better if the glooms have set in.

Take good care of yourself, Wilso,
Olga

Another thought, Wilso. Feeling as bad as you say, maybe you should go back to your doctor & discuss the situation? Life is too short to suffer so badly ....

depression
hey, i'm a first time user who just happended to come up on the chat.
I've been depressed for the past three years now, and tried to kill myself three times in the past 6 months. I've been thinking about asking for anti-depressants but I know my parents would kill me. I was wondering if you have any advice.

Yikes, Tierayn! And welcome.

Sorry you have been feeling so bad.

Do your parents know how you are feeling? Are you under age? Do they know about the suicide attempts? Have you/are you seeing a doctor or therapist at all? Why would your parents "kill you"? Because you are depressed, because they do not treat you well? Because they are anti-medication? Because of the suicide attempts? Might you be seeing their reaction as possibly more negative than it really would be?

Clearly you need some sort of help with your feelings. If you have felt bad for so long, and you are worse now, you need to be assessed for depression, and it might be that medication would help - even if you only used it for awhile.

A doctor would be a very reasonable start for you.

Are you old enough to see one independently? (Not knowing your age makes this a little cumbersome!) After certain ages, in most places, you are entitled toa confidential service from a doctor. Can you see a school counsellor, at least?

It sounds as though your situation is very serious, and you really need some help.

If your parents do not know how bad things are, and you are under age, I would really hope that you tell them. I have no idea of your family situation - but unless it is really bad, your parents are the people who should be helping you to get some proper help.

Perhaps you can let us know more about your situation?

Do what dlowan said ASAP!

Re: Depression Sux


It might take 3+ weeks to see any effect by an anti-depressant. You should also know that when one medicinal doesn't work, there are many others that can be tried.

Prior to Rxing any med for depression, the patient must have a complete PE .

Many metabolic disorders cause the individual to be "depressed". A good example is hypothyroidism. Have you had your thyroid hormones evaluated recently?

Re: depression


First of all, how old are you? If you're an adult, please consult an MD.

By the way, most "normal adults" at least once in their lives "contemplate" suicide. Most don't carry out their "contemplations".

Well i'm by far not an adult. I'm only 14. I've had everything checked out as far as my levels go, and the only thing that came back a while ago was low Iron, but i've been taking pills for that. my life has been really screwed up lately, between deaths in the family, family troubles, bf troubles.. it hasn't been going well. It's like one day i'm fine and the next i'm suicidal. the last time i tried to kill myself was like two days ago. I really don't want to do this anymore, I'm sick of life and being depressed. I just want to give up.

Tierayn

Hey,
me again. had a HORRIBLE day. feelin really down, in fact if any gets this message write back because in a little while it could be too late. I've had enough, I'm quitting. Not really sure what i'm gonna do yet, but i've been leaning towards O/Ding. If nobody gets this in time, just wanna say thanks for all the advice you gave me, and just hold on.

Tierayn
Please don't do anything. You're obviously crying out for help and you need to get that help. If you can't talk to your parents, go to the hospital and they will get you the help you need. You are so young and have your whole life ahead of you, so please, please don't throw your life away. Talk to us if it helps, or talk to friends, but don't take your precious life. Believe that things will get better because they always do.

Things aren't getting better, and i have my doubts that they ever will even if i don't kill myself right now. My life sucks, i've had four people die in my family this year, my parents aren't there for me. Whenever something goes wrong in their life they decide to take it out on me. My friends don't understand, and me and my bf aren't on good terms. My pop's dying with cancer, and I can't handel it!

Well, I hope I'm not too late.

I remember 14, and it was lousy, and believe me, I understand. But you can get through whatever the world throws at you. Really, you can. Human beings have been through billions of years of evolution and we're actually pretty strong critters. Things may look bleak but life does improve. Suicide is a permanent solution to what are likely to be rather temporary problems.

Now, some members have suggested you see a doctor, and I can see from your posts that you're concerned about what your parents think. Here's an idea (and yeah, it's deceptive, but let's get you help before we start worrying about that) -

Tell your folks you want to see a doctor. Not a psychiatrist. Just a doctor. Say you're having irregular periods, claim a bad stomach ache - anything! - just get them to take you to a doctor. And go in alone. You are old enough to have an appointment where you are in the room alone with the doctor - if you're unsure about this, or concerned that your mother will walk in, make sure to call your doctor's office the day or so beforehand and tell him or her that you want the appointment to be a private one.

And then, when you're at the doctor's tell him or her that you've been feeling depressed and suicidal, and make it very, very clear that you want complete confidentiality. You will feel better for talking to someone. The doctor may do a number of things (I'm not a doctor, and I don't know your MD, but here are a few possibilities:) - such as give you the name of a free mental health clinic, or he or she might give you a prescription for antidepressants (your folks will see that you have a prescription, but unless they see what it is and learn what it is [which they can do by looking it up on the 'Net or asking their own doctor], they need not know anything about it), or the like. Continue to make it clear that you don't want your parents to be informed -- but keep in mind that the doctor may be under some legal obligations to say something to your folks. You have a right to privacy and you have doctor/patient confidentiality, but if the doctor thinks he or she can save your life, some of that may go by the boards.

But that may not be so bad. Keep in mind that your folks might take it better if the information comes from your doctor - someone they trust and respect - than from you, who they love, of course, but who is in a subordinate position to them.

I urge you to get help. If the doctor route doesn't appeal to you, or you feel it'll take too long or involve too much planning, talk to a teacher you admire, or a friend you trust. You're valuable. Everyone is! We don't want to lose you!!

Trust me when I tell you that things will get better. Hard time always seem harder when you're younger, so please hang in there and don't give.

Maybe they seem harder because I don't have the power to change anything or help myself. When I say things are really bad, they're probably worse. I'm just tired of puttin up with everything. I just want to end this right now, life's not worth hanging on for.
I have nobody to talk to, the last time when I went to somebody they told on me becuase I was under 16, they have to tell by law. If I somehow by a miracle live through tonight and don't decide to kill myself, I'm supposed to have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. .. my mom insists on being there when I go to the doctor and i'd rather if she didn't. I was supposed to ask for anti-depressants and the b/c pill but i dunno.. i'd get in too much trouble. my parents don't take these things too lighty. They deny the fact that their daughter should, or could be depressed.

Well, your parents are ignorant.

Feeling down is very common at your age - at the moment, it is starting to be relised that your brain actually does a lot of re-structuring at adolescence. It is beginning to be thought that one of the effects of this (I forget the exact mechanism) is that a lot of our memory processing, and day to day processing, moves from an area of the brain where not a lot of emotional work is done, to an area which incorporates a lot of emotional processing - often this means that memories which seemed settled and done with resurface with a lot of distress. Other chemical changes occur which have the effect of increasing moodiness, increasing risk of depression, and so on.

This - quite apart from any difficulties in your life - can make you feel bad. Thing is, it does get better, if you let it.

14 is a damn tough time, too - er, as you well know! That gets better, too - you get older and more in control of your life - more independent.

I have no idea how bad your situation with your parents is - (I know mine was appalling at your age, and I felt things would never change...they did, of course) - but - if you cannot get into the doctor's without your mum, it is important still to be honest about your feelings - the doctor may hopefully be able to educate her about depression and your needs, and insist on further help...

Hope you are making sure to be doing some good things - talking to friends, listening to music you love, EXERCISING - drawing, painting - whatever you love to do - positive distractions and, as I said, exercise are helpful.

Hang in there..