Is it real? Help. I don’t know if I really am depressed or not. I mean, I went to therapy and I constantly think about suicide or self harm, but I can’t help but feel like I am faking it or I’m not that bad.
CONSIDER THIS:
- You wonder if your thoughts about suicide and self harm are indications of a mental health issue, such as depression. You should trust your instincts. If you feel that something is wrong or are having trouble coping, you should consider talking to an adult about your worries about depression, suicide and self harm. You deserve to be happy and you should not sell yourself or your feelings short. If you start to harm yourself or are considering suicide, please immediately call CHILD HELP USA at 1-800-422-4453 to speak to someone. This is a 24-hour number, and there are people there who want to listen to you and keep you from harming yourself.
- If you are wondering if you are depressed, you should talk to someone who can help you to figure out. This may be a parent or relative, school counselor, your former therapist or another adult that you trust. Your health is important, so please do not hesitate to reach out to the adults around you who can help. Consider telling one of these adults how you are feeling and why you think you might be depressed and also that you want to speak to someone who can help you figure things out. Reaching out to someone, may not seem necessary, but you need help and support right now, so please ask for it.
- Teencentral.net can provide you with some support. Sharing your feelings and thoughts, can help, and you can look up what other teens have done in your situation. Also, this website has a list of hotlines for every state. When you have feelings of depression or negative thoughts, please consider calling your state’s hotline. You can talk to someone about how you are feeling and they may be able to help you to find someone in your local community who can help you.
- Finally, think about what you can do to help to deal with your feelings of depression. What activities improve your mood? For some people, writing down their feelings in a journal helps them to cope. Others find that doing an activity they like, such as exercise, cooking, reading or watching TV makes them feel better. The next time you feel sad and depressed, consider doing some of these things.
HELP YOURSELF:
- Who are some people who you could talk to about getting some help?
- If you do have someone to talk to, what would you tell them about your concerns?
- What activities can you do to try to make you feel a little better?
