Question about depression?

Question

Half a year ago, I was depressed for seven or eight months. It wasn't like an 'I feel a bit miserable today' type, it was like I was suicidal and I withdrew from all my family and friends and I couldn't do anything without crying. It just seemed like life was pointless and all I wanted to do was kill myself. I had really low self-esteem, and gradually it seemed as though everyone would be better off if I was dead, especially my family because I'm always the one who causes all the arguments. So I didn't tell anyone except my best friend who took it up the wrong way and thought I was just feeling sorry for myself and trying to get attention, which didn't really help matters. But then it just sort of went away, and to make sure that it got better, I started making efforts with all my friends and exercising and writing. Then a few weeks later I told my mum, who immediately started crying and it made me feel so guilty that I never brought it up again. Now, I think it's coming back because I've started crying again and wishing myself dead, and it's scaring me because I've started wanting to cut myself only I can't because someone would notice. And to make matters worse, my sister thinks I'm just acting bratty and ruining life for the rest of my family. I really don't want the depression to come back, because I'm only 14 and I don't want to spend the rest of my life like this. I can't tell my parents again, and the experience of telling my bf makes me not want to tell any of my other friends, who would probably be more understanding. I've been thinking of going to a doctor but he'd tell my parents and no way do I want them to find out - my dad has a reall low opinion of depression and mum and dad would just tell me to cheer up anyway. Sorry this is so long but i just have to get it off my chest. But anyway, what I'm wondering is: can depression come back? and is there any way of getting better from it long-term without anti-depressants?

Answer 1

Depression is a very common thing. There may be thousand reasons we get depressed and it has a very bad habit of finding you when ever you are not fortunate enough. The best is to get proper medical help. Although talking to different people would relieve the pressure temporarily , only a good psychiatrist and or a psychologist can find the reason and help you.Visit your GP immediately.But be aware that even he may be overbooked and has not enough time and expertise to help you.

Answer 2

Of course depression can come back again and again. It can affect you throughout your whole life unless you find a way to cope with it. Anti depressants don't work for everyone and my opinion is they only trick the brain into thinking its getting better. You need to write down a list of reasons that might be causing your unhappiness, then try to work through them one by one. Set goals for yourself and find new interests for you to focus on. Tell yourself something positive each day. Do good things for people and it will make you feel worthwhile and exercise can help too. Remember there are people worse off than you and remember you are not alone, many people including myself go through the same thing. Good luck.

Answer 3

Yes there is something you can do. First of all, avoid antidepressants. They all have side effects and are or will make your anxiety disorder worse  when you stop them. Here's why:

Antidepressants actually block or eliminate your body's neurotransmitters and "trick" your brain into thinking that the levels are high when they are not. In depressed and anxious people, their levels of neurotransmitters (seratonin, dopamine,etc) are often too low due to either stress, poor nutrition, etc. Taking medications often eliminates the neurotransmitters altogether and causes one to become dependent on them (when they stop, they are more depressed than before).

Anyone who tells you otherwise is misinformed or trying to make money off of you. (your doctor)

My DO (doctor who treats the entire body, not just the symptoms) has put me on amino acids, Neuroreplete, which help to stimulate your brain to produce more neurotransmitters. I am told is 100% safe and effective and is all natural. There are NO side effects. That, coupled with cognitive-behavioral therapy can completely eliminate depression and anxiety, including a number of other mental health issues.  

If you choose the natural and safe route, I would advise against stopping your medication until a DO can taper you off gradually. Look in the phone book for a DO or online. Good luck!

You can go here to see info. on my DO.

www.osteodocs.com

www.neuroreplete.com

Answer 4

Why can't you tell your parents ?  Would it be better to take the chance that at some moment of weakness that you will kill yourself and have your parents writhe in guilt/confusion wondering why you didn't trust them to love you ?  A person's parents are usually the people that will love them consistently and selflessly.  Your Dad "has a real low opinion of depression" ? What a Neanderthal !  What's his opinion about teenage funerals ?   Talk to your mother - maybe she can educate your father and bring him out of the 17th century.  Yes, depression will continue to return until you find a successful way to deal with it.  Do it !  Soon.  Dead is a very long time.  My prayers for you.

Answer 5

Feeling for you chuck, and sorry but there is no real easy answer.  Going to you doctor isn't such a bad idea if you really feel as if you might act on  your suicidal thoughts.  No doubt your doctor will want to prescribe you some sort of anti depressant.  I am pretty sure if you ask your doctor, anything you say must remain confidential between you and them.  I am not a fan of anti depressants to be honest.  They deal with symptoms and not the cause of your unhappiness.  The are an important last resort for some people.  

My advice, keep up with the writing, really gets your feelings out.  Show some of it to special friends if you feel ready, give them some idea how you are feeling inside.  Go out, see your friends, as tricky and hard as it seems sometimes...  Exercise.  Take the herbal remedy St Johns Wort if you think you need a hand.  This is prescribed to 90% of patents in Germany with depression and can be brought at any health food shop in the uk.

Best of all good luck.  You are so young and life has so much great stuff in store for you.  Don't give up, things get easier...  Believe in the universe, believe in magic and the fact there is more to this life than meets the eye...

Answer 6

My heart goes out to you on this one as so many of us have been there at some times in our lives. The good thing is that you are recognising what is happening to you and trying to do something positive rather than sinking into a chair all the time. I have this theory that when things don't go right in our lives, we have a 'switch off' mechanism that allows us, albeit subconciously, to withdraw from normal life and in some ways, we encourage ourselves to do it as it is a simply 'cop out'.  The result is that the days become grey, everything around us may as well be made of cardboard and we just simply want to crawl inside our own shell. This causes trauma when we see that something bad is happening, seemingly beyond our control, and the crying and moaning start. The way to deal with it, without drugs, is to make yourself forget about the trauma and this can best be done by activity .... any sort of activity, from taking a long walk, going around the shops, gardening, even writing  ,,, but it must be something in which to absorb the mind and body and in doing so the black side of life simply lightens. The good news is that tomorrow will be a great day for you again .. maybe not tomorrow exactly but little by little, you can ease the mental pain and start to see the sun shining again.  Being 14 ain't a good time to get depressed either, is it?  You are growing fast, dealing with increasing levels of adfult experiences and totally hormonal!  Take all this into account and give yourself permission to enjoy things again ..... laugh at it all and then laugh and laugh again .... wonderful tonic for a mind in disarray!  All the best ... !

Answer 7

I'm sorry you're going through this alone.  Sadly, yes depression can come back but you have to understand it is a disease and nothing that is your fault.  Because it's a disease, it needs to be treated like one and no amount of "Oh, just buck up," comments are going to make you feel any better.

You mentioned that you don't wish to upset your mum, but how much more upset would she be if this disease forced you to kill yourself?  Many parents of suicidal kids state, "We had no idea they were so depressed," and they live with a lot of guilt afterwards.  Sometimes, those of us who suffer, end up supporting everyone else around us, as you are right now and it makes it so much harder.  You're being very brave but you need to be even more brave and take this fight to your parents.  You can't worry about what it might do to them, they should be worrying about what this disease is doing to you.  If they don't listen, at least you tried.  I have teenagers of my own and yes as parents we worry about them, but I'd rather worry myself sick and have my kids still here than plead ignorance and have them gone.

Try taking some facts to them.  Suicide is the 11th cause of death in the USA and the 13th worldwide!!  It is the THIRD leading cause of death amongst teenagers.  

You can help yourself by becoming more knowledgeable and conducting research on the issue.  There are some excellent websites to help you:

http://www.yutopian.com/religion/theolog...

http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroup...

http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Teen+Suici...

http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?page_id=04...

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has a wonderful and very confidential crisis hotline.  Please call them:

1-800-273-8255

Finally, anti-depressants are not all bad.  As long as you're being monitored and follow all medical recommendations they really can help.  Remember, you're treating an illness, not an idea.

All the very best of luck to you!

Answer 8

from my experiance anti depressants make everything worse. all they do it drug you up so you shut up. just try calling child line or samaritans or some othere free advice line and talk to them when your feeling like this or...

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