I Think I'm Depressed

[brennaluvv]

Hi, I'm Brenna. For about a year now, I've noticed that I've stopped liking a lot of the things I used to, I've started having suicidal thoughts a lot, especially when I'm alone, and I gained 10 pounds over the summer. I've become extremely lazy and I just don't care about things anymore. I used to cut myself, but I stopped and I just can't bring myself to do it anymore no matter how much I want to. My mom told me that she was clinically depressed when she was in her 20s and 30s. I told her that I think I'm depressed and she yelled at me, so I'm not really sure what to say to her anymore. It sort of just made all my problems worse. I feel like I'm also having trouble in school, more than I should.
So my question is, is this for real or is it just a stage? I think I may also have a split personality, which I feel I developed around the same time.

[DarkHorses]

Hey Brenna,

I'm sorry to hear that you've been feeling this way lately. It's not easy to deal with depressing emotions and suicidal thoughts, and I think you deserve credit for pulling through this for as long as you have. It's not easy to deal with this kind of thing, and you're really strong for making it on your own so far.

A lot of the things you described are symptoms of depression, and they're similar to how I felt before I was diagnosed with depression. I'm not saying you have depression, because only a doctor can diagnose you with a mental health problem. But since you do meet several of the symptoms, I think you might want to think about seeing a doctor.

You said that your mom's reaction wasn't too great, but maybe you could try approaching her about all of this again? When you have depression it's something extremely hard to get over, and your mom definitely wouldn't want you to suffer through it. Because of that she might not want to be willing to admit to herself or accept the possibility that you might be depressed. But if you sit down and talk everything through with her and let her know how you're feeling once again, she may better understand.

If she's still angry or doesn't listen to you, maybe you could talk to the counselor at your school? They may be able to help you come up with ways to get through to your mom and to get the help that you need. Talking through things alone may help you as well.

I hope that things improve soon. :) Hang in there.

[iMukuro]

Depression can run in the family. So it's possible you got it from your mother.
It sounds like you have entered depression and without help soon, it can get a whole lot worse. Try talking with people you're close to, not family, but maybe a school counselor, or a close friend.
Counselors can usually do more than you think.