I don't understand???

Question

I am 17 and I have been severely depressed for three years now and I don't know what to do. My parents think I am just trying to get attention and I am tired of them saying this. They think I am crazy psychotic person that is looking for a way to just get any kind of attention and make up excuses not to do things. It hurts me so much that no one understands and I really don't know what to do anymore. The loneliness and confusion hurts and all I can think of from beginning to end is feeling like a worthless mess. I can't find any excitement in things and it just gets worse and worse everyday. My parents won't help me, I don't know anyone else to help me either.

I don't know what do, take medication, but what if I can't stop taking medication?

Can someone at least give me some suggestions, I would appreciate it so much.

Answer 1

If you do not have enough money, you could take drugs, like alcohol or crack, to feel better and many do. But that does not cure it. The cure is to make more money. If you are depressed, the cure is not to take a drug, like Prozac. The cure is to be happier. If you have panic or anxiety, which everyone feels at one time or another, the cure is not to take drugs. The cure is to feel more tranquility, calmness and peace of mind. See site below for more on this.

Kevin Trudeau says in his best selling book, Natural Cures They Do Not Want You to Know About, "All illnesses and diseases are caused by the same things; (1) too many toxins in the body; (2) nutritionally deficiencies; (3) electromagnetic chaos exposure; (4) mental and/or emotional distress." "The most effective way to cure and prevent disease is by getting the toxins out." "One very powerful cleanse is, of course, fasting." "Drugs only suppress symptoms, and they cause disease because they are toxic." In More Natural Cures Revealed, Kevin Trudeau says "The facts are clear, drugs, both prescription and non-prescription, do not make you healthier, they make you sicker. Drug companies are not interested in your health. Drug companies only want you to buy and use more drugs. If you want to cure yourself of any disease you have and remain healthy, you must eliminate all non-prescription and prescription drugs."

http://www.phifoundation.org/panic.html

Answer 2

I was severely depressed for one year about six years ago.  You are right that no one who has not been through it themselves understands.  One doctor told me that maybe if I put music on in the morning that would help.  I gave her the blank stare.  Music?  I couldn't even move to get myself to the stereo.

I went the medication route and Effexor was what worked best for me.  There are definitely downsides to medication, but I think that three years of depression might necessitate some action on your part.

After two years on the Effexor, I was able to get off of it.  I have been medication free for two years now.  I will say that a doctor will not want to take you off meds once you are on them.  You have to take control of your own health and be insistent with medical professionals about what is best for you.  Of course, that's hard to do when you are depressed.  So, definitely ask your parents for their support.

Tell all of your friends and family to pray for you.  I will too.

Answer 3

I too have depression. I couldn't remember the time I had fun or really laughed or was interested in any thing. the

'commercial" depression hurts". is so true. when i would try to talk to my family they would just smirk and say "what do you have to be depressed about?and mind you i was an adult in my late 40s. I finally discussed it candidly with my Dr. he put me on an antidepressant and it has really helped.

I refer you to Cathy's answer above, its excellent advise.

Answer 4

hey, i think the first thing for you to think about is, why are you depressed? Is it just normal teenage stuff, or is there something in your past that is causing the depression? If so, perhaps you should talk to your parents about it, or talk to a counselor.

You should be aware as well, that antidepressant medications were not developed or meant for teenagers or children. Teens brains are still changing, giving a teenager or child medication that affects their brain chemistry could have longterm consequences, including having to remain on a medication that may not have been needed otherwise. Also, side effects can be quite different with youth and kids. Frankly, I would be pretty disgusted at any doctor who prescribed antidepressants to a teen without a really really really d**n good reason. My counselor told me recently that diagnoses made before the age of 19 should be questioned, because a person's brain is still changing.

Some people never can stop taking antidepressant medication. Their brains just don't produce the necessary chemicals, and so they need medication to be able to live normally and happily. Think of it as a diabetic taking insulin. They need the insulin to live. Would you tell them not to take it? Same thing with antidepressants in a lot of situations. But I do think that you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

Again, i don't know you, so I don't know what you've been through in your life or what you're going through now. All I can do is give you advice based on my own experience.  If you'd like to talk more, go to my profile and email me. I'll be happy to talk more.

Answer 5

Start searching for a local church or a teen organization and reach out for help.

Answer 6

You need to find someone to help you. your  doctor, clergy, a counselor at school,a trusted teacher. Tell them you are feeling depressed and you need help.  They will get you to someone you can talk to and that can talk to your parents.

If medication is needed, sometimes it is not, but you usually only take it for 6 months to a year.

If you can't find someone to help, look in your phone book under mental health. Pick one and talk to someone. The sooner you get some help the better. Good luck!

Answer 7

Sam, get active! Don't sit around all day. You can always volunteer at a hospital & help others. Find a friend (a REAL friend, you can share each others troubles & fun with).

Go out to a stable & ask if you can groom someone's horse; maybe in return they'll eventually let you go for a ride... a horse is a great friend! Or go to your zoo & ask if you can become a 'docent'... being around large animals, you'll make a friend for sure! LIVE LIFE! Get out in it & move! Just do it. Good luck! :)

Answer 8

I started writing an answer to you about an hour ago & it’s turned into a book. There are some good answers here already, so here’s my summary: Antidepressant medication is not addictive, so “What if I can’t stop taking it?” isn’t really an issue. The people who take medication forever are either the rare few who have genetic brain chemical imbalances (& if you are one, it’s better to be on meds forever than miserable forever) or people who just use it to feel good (like some use alcohol &/or drugs) without trying to make changes in their lives. Yes, all the medication does is suppress symptoms, but sometimes that is what you need in order to be able to take ACTION. Some lifestyle changes that help overcome depression are: aerobic exercise (increases oxygen to the brain), meditation &/or yoga (brain changes again), cognitive therapy (“Feeling Good” is a good book to explain it), & having a social support group (all the suggestions about church, teen groups, volunteering, etc.). Try these kinds of things first, if you can; if your depression has reached such a low point that you can’t motivate yourself at all, get a boost from medication so you can ACT and make CHANGES. Further advice from someone with experience: (1) If you get meds, get your first Rx from a psychiatrist, not a family doctor. There are too many kinds of meds & varying dosages; family physicians usually prescribe the lowest dose, which may do nothing but give you side effects. Keep a detailed journal of your moods & side effects, & insist on frequent follow-up w/the prescriber, or a mental health counselor, or—if your family’s insurance won’t cover what you need—find a depression support group to compare notes on meds & their effects. (2) Be pushy about getting counseling, & about changing counselors if you don’t get what you need. Some counselors just want to keep you talking & crying & thinking of them as your good buddy, so you get dependent on them & come back every week with your fee. I know it’s hard to be assertive when you’re depressed & your self-esteem is less than zero, but keep trying. You have nothing to lose, right? (3) People w/severe depression do get suicidal, & people whose parents or spouses or friends or whoever don’t take them seriously are sometimes driven to suicide “attempts” that they hope will not succeed but will get them the help they need. DON’T consider this!!! Suicidal thoughts come from distorted thinking (see cognitive therapy). If you ever even vaguely find yourself thinking of suicide, tell yourself, well, at this point, I have nothing to lose, so I am free to disregard the opinions of my parents, friends, whoever. If you have to, just refuse to go to class, sashay down to the school counselor’s office, & tell them you’re depressed & want to see a psychiatrist. Your parents & whoever else doesn’t understand do not have power over you unless you give it to them. (4) If you’re 17, I guess you’re going into your senior year, & then what? College, a job, moving out on your own?  Does part of your depression stem from other people expecting you to live some kind of life that’s not right for you? Or are you beating yourself up because you want something different, or you don’t know yet what you want? If life after high school has already been planned out for you & it’s making you depressed, don’t be afraid to rebel! (What have you got to lose if you’re miserable already?)

Answer 9

Parents often have a difficult time separating out what is for attention, what is normal teenage behavior, and what is serious that needs outside help. Raising someone who is a teenager is hard. Don't totally blame your parents.

With that said, I would recommend that you visit with another adult. If you are in school, it could be going to the school counseling office and talking to someone there, it could be a school nurse, a teacher, or even a friends parent, maybe a clergy person, your doctor, someone who will listen to you so that they can make sure you are going to be safe. As you are talking to whom ever, you need to call a therapist. If you can't find someone to talk with, call the therapist now.

Many places have mental health centers that allow people to see someone extremely fast, you might have to wait an hour or twp. If you don't have a mental health center, you can call your hospital. What you want to tell who ever you end up talking to is what you have said here  "The loneliness and confusion hurts and all I can think of from beginning to end is feeling like a worthless mess. I can't find any excitement in things and it just gets worse and worse everyday."

If you feel that you need to speak to some one now, there are several hotlines you can call.

1-800-448-3000   -this is boys and girls town They will listen and talk to you, they are not a suicide hotline

1-800-273-8255 - this is a depression hotline they will give you some ideas to get through a rough spot

1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) - this is a suicide hotline they will talk to you to make sure you are going to be ok

1-800-400-0900 - this is a teen hotline

1-800-522-8336 - this is a TeenLine

There are many more places that you can call. The eliteskills.com website under sources has a long list a phone numbers for many different issues.

There are also some websites. This one is a very good one, the people are very compatienet. It also is not a hoax like some of the websites.

http://www.freedomfromfear.org/

also

www.depressionblog.org/

www.depressionblog.com

www.overcoming-depression.com/overcomi...

I would not worry about medication right now. Most of the time you will see a therapist or counselor for a couple times so they can make a diagnosis. This will help them guide you down the right path. If medication is on that path you will be referred to a psychiatrist.

I hope that this will give you some hope. Hang in there.

Best Wishes!!!

Answer 10

Talk to your school counselor. They should be able to help.