depression?

well, i have to ask...are you not talking to strangers about your personal feelings here on Y! answers?

i am very sorry you are having trouble, i too have had a panic attack, and i know they aren't fun ...i also know you can do something about panic attacks, anxiety, depression, etc.

First you should know, that just because depression runs in your family, that doesn't mean you HAVE to have it. I know it's difficult because it may even seem normal to have depression, if enough people in your family have it...but you CAN fight it.

also, you should know, that medication is no walk in the park. most all Anxiety/depression medications have side effects that range from sexual problems (and you don't have to be sexually active to experience these problems) to sleep disorders, nightmares, focusing problems, and a whole lot more. If you start the meds, you have to take it until the end, AND YOU WILL have side effects in the beginning - think about it, these drugs are altering the chemical make-up in your brain.

Counseling, is not bad. Most of the time in life, we NEED to hear a new perspective. Counseling gives you the opportunity to hear what other people can see/hear from you. If you talk to your friends or family, then they may be biased (even un-knowingly) simply because they know so much about you, BUT counselors, listen to YOU and hear what YOU tell them. Counseling really is not bad at all, and i believe that everyone should go to atleast one session in their life, even just to vent, you know.


anyway, i hope you will get better and i have faith in you. it isn't easy, but here are some tips:

- before bed, have some quiet time, time where you just imagine calm things and let all your worries slip away. This only has to be 10 minutes, or 5 minutes, or 30 minutes,...however long you wish.
-know that depression/anxiety is something THAT EVERYONE deals with, it is a part of life. Different people manage it differently is all. Some people may not have a major depressive episode and some have them for long periods of time. it is up to YOU to handle your stress.
-try to cut out some caffeine. this will help ease your everyday stress and make life more manageable.
-when you feel depressed/sad/stressed,etc...walk to a quiet space, and tell yourself out loud (you can whisper if you wish, you don't have to yell it) "i am fine, I control my life and today is a great day"

i hope all this helps you and good luck.


EDIT- i am not making up the side effects stuff about the meds btw. I would imagine that many people reading your question has dealt with depression and meds in the past, if any of you have dealt first hand with the side effects of the meds (like i have) then i encourage you to mention that atleast, or give my response a thumbs up.

i just want you to understand that meds, aren't a quick fix OR an easy way out.

#1. I'm no doctor BUT I DO have my own opinions! If I had a doctor tell me that it MIGHT help if I talked to a counselor there was a possibility it would help, believe me, I would jump at it! My affliction is much different than yours, even though I do sleep alot, as well as about 2 more "signs of depression", I have a physical handicap that sometimes makes me feel "less of a man". I have gran mal & petty mal seizures,(caused bt a scar tissue on my brain from birth), athsma ,C.O.P.D., I have had more than 1 mini-strokes, and I have chest pains that hurt so bad I want to cry. Like you I USED to have a hard time finding good in anything. I felt totally worthless! None of the armed forces had any use for me--THAT was a real bummer! I turned to God. I found a good church where I was actually learning the scriptures and the more I learned the more I learned to trust other people's "input". There is no shame in going to counseling. What IS a shame is doing nothing to "better your situation". Wanna know what else I learned--no matter how bad my health gets, there's always sombody else 'out there' who is worse off than me! I'm not saying you don't have a legitimate problem--but once again, I'm no doctor. You sound alot like me, and most teens out there. Maybe someone said or did something to hurt your feelings,(believe me, I've been there!). I also have another "tip" for you-- If you are being "ragged on" causing you to have low self-esteem, tell the person doing you wrong that you forgive them! Once they realize they can't make you feel less of yourself, (that's how THEY get their "power") they have a tendency of "backing off". Be proud of who you are! If others can't accept you for YOU, they don't deserve your friendship! They're the losers!As for the crying--be glad you can cry!. I always felt that if I cried it would make me less of a man. Guess what--by bottling my feelings inside I ended up having an "emotional breakdown"! Now I can be watching a CARTOON that's "touching" and I wind up in tears! Oh how I wish I had "let myself go" when I was younger! Imagine a 54 yr old man crying over almost anything --even in public! That's me today! I hope I was able to help at least a little!

wow, your life sounds like me when i was your age (depression started around 15, had an anxiety attack in a movie theater, cry alot, eat lot , sleep a lot). now i'm 43 and have been on medication for about 13 years or so. trust me, i don't want to be on it, but i need it to function. however, i wouldn't recommend putting a 15 year old on meds unless they were seriously suicidal.

i can give you the best advice in the world which will almost certainly make you feel better on a daily basis. however, it's advice that while i know to be absolutely true, i can't seem to make myself do it. i know though that if i did, i could be happy. i think my depression keeps me from doing it though... DAILY AEROBIC EXERCISE. before i started taking medication, that's how i managed it. it worked nearly as well as medication. but then i stopped working out and felt horrible.

if you can exercise at least 5 days a week and eat a good diet (avoid packaged foods and eat a lower carb diet overall with more fresh foods), you can do a lot to ease your depression.

you really do also need to examine what is causing it. if you don't want to go to therapy, try keeping a journal and and write a little bit every day examining your feelings about things. not every day stupid things, but bigger more important issues that bother you.

good luck and i hope you don't end up having to deal with it like most of the people in your family. it truly is an illness that has to be managed properly.

I have been suffering from post partum depression for the past one year when I gave birth to a baby boy. I couldn't stop thinking about how my husband loves him more than me and how things might be better if he wasn't born at all. Thus, I stayed away from him because I knew that I might do something I will regret for the rest of my life. Almost instantly I went to a therapist and convince them that I need help. Among other things, I've tried herbal supplements and other book to treat depression but nothing works like the Depression Free Method. So now I'm proud to say I'm one of the happiest mother in the world. My husband loves us both very much and I thank the Lord for the blessing he gave us. Depression Free Method?

I totally agree with John N. There is definitely no "quick fix", but there is lots of help available.
The medications can have lots of side effects, and might not help very much anyway.
I spent more than a year on a merry-go-round of different doctors, different drugs (Anafranil, Zoloft, Luvox, and others I forget the name of), and different doses. Nothing seemed to help, but I did have lots of horrible side effects, ranging from panic attacks and confusion (once my wife even took me to emergency because she thought I might be having a stroke or heart attack) to sexual problems, weight gain and feeling numb....etc. Even really wierd things like sweating for no reason.
Eventually, after 3 psychiatrists, I discovered that (for me) Prozac is the best drug, and that the side effects are outweighed by the benefits, at least at the moment.
Don't be put off medications as an option, but they shouldn't be your first choice.
Only a doctor (preferably a psychiatrist) can tell you if you need medication, but don't be afraid of changing doctor or trying lots of different things.
Best Wishes!

I know it feels uncomfortable talking to someone about your feelings, but its not as bad as you think it is. I would say try out the counseling first.

I think medication should be the final alternative.

I use to think that I did not really need anyone's help dealing with my depression until i had to talk to a counselor about things. I felt really good afterward.

I know what you're going through, because I used to be like that too. I tried counseling and I hated it so much that I pretended I was okay so I could stop going. I kind of regret that, because it would have helped me in the long run.

I eventually just dealt with it, and I eventually grew out of it by trying to do things that I enjoyed. I still have my bad days, but I cope with them a lot better than what I used to.

You should just go to counseling for a bit, and after awhile they'll ask you if you're doing better. Just say no and they'll most likely give you medication.

Good luck.

I went searching for answers to my problems when I came across your question. We have similar symptoms. I am thinking seriously about calling my health plans crisis line for myself. one moment i am fine and then the next i am seriously not fine. I would see the counselor first, they can give you meds if you need them and you don't have to tell them everything if your not ready.

if it runs on both sides of the family you might have something building up. if she says u dont need medication then be happy, you shouldnt Want to take a medication. id be happy if i could go without mine but i cant i have to take them, plus more for the rest of my life for my schizophrenia/depression. go to a councilor it will help you alot. most are very kind and funny and helpful :) u can talk to me if u want whenever u want at xxslipknotfreak46 on yahoo messenger or xslipknotfreak46 on aim

dont worry hun, teenage years are hard. you remind me of myself ALOT. im 18 now and i was the same at your age and it passes trust me. i also got refused medication and didnt want to see a bloody counsellor so i didnt and eventually it just went and i was back to normal, simple as that. stay away from medications because they do not treat the cause of depression, they just deal with the symptoms. and you may also find that they change your personality in a way you wish they didnt. one of my friends went on anti-depressants last year and he is a different person now (in a bad way). he shows no emotion, he is just on the same level the whole time and it is a shame because i really dont think they have hepled him. good luck, and with time your hormones will be back to normal x

Once you go to counseling, you'll love it. It's not like they make it look on TV. You worry me by saying all you want are meds. This will only suppress the problems you've been having--whatever happened 2 years ago.
Sometimes the counselor (psychiatrist) will prescribe meds ALONG with counseling, but try talking 1st.
Meds also have side effects which can make things worse--mood swings, weight gain, gateway to other drugs, etc.
So...try counseling is my advice :)

do u feel dizzy or lighheadedness all the time?