Do I need help or is it just teenage angst?
by Harley
(Eagle Rock, MO, North America)
I feel sad almost every two weeks and it'll last for 3-4 days. I never feel like talking to anyone anymore. I hate being at school, any social situation, or even at home. When I get like this I always try to hurt myself, idk why. My sister says its because I want attention. Is that true? I often look at myself and think why do I even try? Whats the point?
I always sleep as much as I can. But when I get this way again I'll stay up all night just lying in bed. Sometimes I won't even eat for a couple days just because I can't get out of bed. And why can't I get out of bed? Every time I can't it feels like I have a heavy blanket on top of me and its just to much work to get up. So I'm not sure. Do I actually need help? Do I have depressive disorder? Or am I just a normal high school girl with raging hormones? Do other people feel this way normally? What can I do to change my mood? Please help me.
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Harley,
What you describe does not seem like typical teenage angst. In our teenage years we all struggle with our self worth - these are the formative years where we are trying to figure out who we really are, what we want to do with our lives.... And today, more than ever, teenagers deal with so much
You do sound like you have teenage depression. You can check out my page about signs of teenage depression to learn more but the fact that you are losing interest in things, wanting to sleep a lot, wanting to hurt yourself... these are all signs of depression and, perhaps, anxiety.
You might want to take a depression test to learn more. While it is not a means to diagnose you, it can give you an indication of whether you may have a form of depression.
Do you have a support network? If not, you may want to consider checking out the depression hotlines page. On that page, I have a substantial amount of places where you can reach out for support depending on your personal situation. A couple of them specific to teenagers.
I hope this helps and I applaud you for reaching out and trying to understand what might be going on. This is a testimony to how amazing you are as a person. Your care about yourself and really want to get better. That is a good sign. And, please know, depression is nothing to be ashamed of. It is more common than you think and it is treatable so you can beat this!! Find support, get treatment, believe in yourself and reach for the stars! You have so many years ahead of you. Make them the best they can possibly be!
With light and love,
Dana
