Depression is it just me?- Page 2

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:52am

Okay. I guess you're right, but I have no time. I can't do any day of the week except MAYBE POSSIBLY Tuesday or Friday. But my sister and I go to different schools, so it's an annoying driving schedule for my parent's. I'm not sure it's fair to make them once again have to do even more driving.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:53am

When you get insurance, the company looks at how risky you are. If you smoke, you're at greater risk of getting lung cancer, so your rates go up. If you're officially depressed, then you're more likely to injure or kill yourself. So your rates go up, or you get refused altogether. I imagine you're on your parents' plan, though, so I wouldn't worry too much about it at this stage.

[2nd dead woman]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:54am

Just tell your mom or dad or sister. Help is a good thing. By telling people and talking about it, is the way to help you feel better.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:55am

I can't believe this kind of talk. If you are ill, you need to see a physician. Anyone who sacrifices their health and well being because they may have trouble with insurance, or their premiums may go up, is not ready or interested in helping themselves. How can money matter when it comes to your mental well-being? Anyway, MFL, from what you're saying in your posts, you are not ready for help at this time. I wish you well.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:56am

Talking to people I know is good. But my sister has enough problems of her own to deal with, and she doesn't need me to dump anything else on her. Telling my mom I guess is a thought...I'd need to be alone with her first.

[2nd dead woman]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:58am

Your mom will understand. She will make time to help you. It is more important to be healthy than convienient. (did i spell that right?)

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 7:50am

Talk to your mom and be as honest as you were here. It sounds like classic depression, it is not at all uncommon, and you *don't* have to feel this way. Jane is right...it's not 'normal' to feel this way all the time. Depression doesn't mean you are crazy or unstable. And having the insight to realize you might be clinically depressed and reach out for help makes you pretty damn smart, competant, and functional. Talk to you mom today, don't underplay how you feel, and be clear that you would like to see someone to help you get "unstuck" before it becomes a bigger problem.

And don't worry about the insurance...as a 9th grader, you're not going to be looking for your own policy for many years. And it won't have a negative impact on your parents either. Aside from which, having sought therapy myself in the past on more than one occasion during difficult times, it was NEVER an insurance issue and it never caused a problem.

Talk to you mom today. Please. Just talking that step will already put you on the path to feeling better. It doesn't matter if a gazillion other people post that they feel the same way you do...it doesn't feel good, and you don't have to stay stuck feeling that way.

Please PM me about how things go.

[RachLaura]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 7:59am

Hey -- I tried to PM you but you don't accept them. I just wanted to say that depression is hard, knowing first hand how it can have a toll on many aspects of your life. Definately talk to your mom, maybe even before talking about going to a therapist. It would be good to hear her persepctive, I mean moms DO know best. I know everyone is giving you the advice to go see a therapist, and I think that would be your best bet if you really think you're depressed and see know way out of it. But just remember, no one online knows your situation like you do, don't go just because everyone is saying it, go because YOU want to go. I'm not saying everyone is wrong, I completely agree that being depressed for 2 years entails seeing someone, but I've been in the position before where people's opinions have swayed my own and made me believe something that wasn't true. Just make sure you're 100% comfortable with that decision. I hope everything works out for you, being a teenager is a very hard time, I don't know one person who hasn't experienced depression one time or another. I hope you have people to talk to, if not, you can always PM me whenever you'd like.
Updated On: 2/13/06 at 07:59 AM

[wexy]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 9:32am

If you had a stomach ache for two years or a broken shoulder that didn't heal for two years, you wouldn't suffer, you would go to the doctor. This is exactly,the same thing. Why suffer?
Theres's lots of help available. You should speak to your family, they will support you and if you're not comfortable, there are counselors at school.

You're not the only person thats depressed or has up and down days but if this persisting, get help, there's no stigma to do so.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 10:44am

Ok, thanks! I'm actually home frm dchool today, so I think I'm going to tell her.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 11:23am

MFL-just to be clear-The first thing I said to do was talk to your parents. I then suggested treatment if necessary. the last thing I said was that you have to be ready for therapy and if you aren't it won't work. I hope you do talk to your mom today. One thing I'm sure of is that once you do talk to her, I think you may find a big burden lifted off your shoulders immediately!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 11:31am

Plum, I really wish you had not introduced the "if you use your insurance NOW you may not get any later" aspect to this thread.
The problem is now, the means are there now, best to deal with it now than put it off and have much bigger problems to deal with LATER. Untreated depression leads to much bigger problems which increase geometrically over time.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 11:58am

I talked to my mom. She said that unless I'm suicidal, she thinks it's normal teenager stuff, hormones. But she said she's try to take me to my sister's psychologist for a consultation time thing, to see if I really need it.

[cathyhyatt]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:22pm

my fair lady - You should really think about what is making you feel this way. If you find out what the problem is you may be able to overcome. Then again you could be depressed and there may be no reason for it...it could just be a chemical imbalance.

I think that going for consultation is a wise idea. And I also think that your mom may be right, it may be "normal teenage stuff". During my freshman I was very depressed because a lot of things changed. Sometimes the transition from middle school to high school can be hard, it was for me. But it only gets better, trust me on this one. Believe me I was just like you for a time, I thought I was going to feel depressed forever but that just wasn't true.

It's different for everyone but for me it was about finding the source of the problem and then changing that. (That problem being my self-image and confidence. But that's a different story...)

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:29pm

It's weird, it's been on/off for me since 4th or 5th grade. Over the summer, I'm usually fine, but sometimes it just comes completely unprovoked in the middle of the year.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:32pm

"I just don't have the time" isn't a reason to not do something about a nagging problem like this. Make time for it now, because if you continue to try to sweep the issue under the carpet it would eventually rise up and bite you on the butt real hard and you'll end up with big trouble on your hands.

At this point you can continue to detail both the symptoms of the pain you're in, get online sympathy for it yet do nothing in the real world to help yourself out of this situation, OR, you could make a fairly grown-up decision to handle this problem head-on now and work to get rid of it.

The choice is yours.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 12:35pm

The fact that you're okay during the summer might mean that some of it is stress-induced, with school and everything that goes on in the middle of the year.

And I agree with Namo. "I don't have time" is an excuse for why you didn't make your bed today, not something like this, if it might actually be a serious problem.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 3:05pm

Namo, I know it was a big fat mistake on my part; it's something that's been on my mind but it didn't have a place here. Kids on their parents' plans don't need to worry about rates.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 6:04pm

"Also, to let more out...I'm extremely paranoid. I live in a mainly residential area, one of the safest in the country, but I'm always worried about bad things happening. I don't like to walk alone at night or be the last in my house to fall asleep. Also, I'm paranoid about other things, such as whether people are really my friends or if they hate me and are trying to get close to me to reveal my secrets. I don't know when this started, but it makes it hard for me to trust people, and I'm constantly worried."

To me, that sounds like an anxiety disorder. And if it's gone on this long, it's definitely NOT just "teenage hormones." When I was 18, I finally got treatment for my OCD and depression and I don't know what I would do without my Paxil.
I think a consultation would be a good idea, if only just to give it a try. That way, if it works, all the better and if not, no harm, no foul. In all honesty, therapy doesn't work for everyone, but you'll never know for yourself if you don't give it a shot.
And if anyone tries to tell you that antidepresants don't work and that they know the history of psychaitry and you don't, kick him in the balls for me.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 6:09pm

The jury's out on whether or not you-know-who even has any balls.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 2/13/06 at 6:14pm

Someone get Katie on the phone, quick!