I'm one of those troubled teens now.

[LostSoul]

I don't know if this is really the place for this but I need someone to talk to. As of late I think I've been struggling with depression. I justy don't really care about school and have just ended a 3 week period of self harm involving burning myself with matches. Granted I've told my parents about it and am going to see a psychiatrist noboy in my family really wants to talk about it. So I guess what I'm getting at is where do I go from here? I'm completely lost.

Dude. I am familiar with the self-abuse thing. For me, it was about the pain overriding the feelings that I couldn't deal with. If I was in a bad way, some pain would always help.

But there are people out there who can help you. I went to a group in town called SAFE (self-abuse finally ends). It is an American organization, so there may be someone offering this in your town.

What you have to realize is that self-abuse doesn't really help. It's a short-term solution to a long-term problem. And it escalates - where x amount would have done it at one point, you need x+1 now to get the same effect.

Unfortunatly I don't have any of the hand outs they gave me. But there is a cycle here that it helps to identify. It goes like this: Trigger - feelings - self-talk - action. When you are into self-abuse, the action is, well, self-abuse. What you need to do is identify the process. When you are able to see what is triggering you, then identify your feelings, and listen to your self-talk, you may be able to get yourself out of the cycle. If at any point you are able to break the cycle, that's great. But the first thing to do is to identify it. If you still choose to hurt yourself, that's okay. But when you can identify what's going on in your head, you're learning the means to end it.

Here's the SAFE website: SAFE

Good luck! And remember - this is far more common than you think. It's a natural response to too much.

 

[jaerdaph]

Here's the SAFE website: SAFE

Good resource - thanks LostSoul.

 

[Torm]

Warlord -

One of the things that helped me get through those dark times in my teenage years was this paraphase from Douglas Adams:

"Some people can make you wish you had never been born - or (if you are a clearer minded thinker) that they had never been born."

Or, put another way, the problem isn't you, it's "them". And, even if it IS you, you have to live with you, so you may as well assume it's "them", anyway.

And remember, every time you burn yourself, the terrorists win.

 

[evileeyore]

Oh, and guys, while it is a bit of a gray area what is general teen angst and what is indeed depression, telling a guy who's inflicting wounds on himself to "get over it," and "stop it," comes off as ignorant, as a lack of recognition that the guy is sick. Would you tell someone with HIV to get over it, or "it's your fault; why should I be sensitive about it?"

Quite likely yes.

But then life is a bitter pill. Best to swallow it now and get used to it, than to let it drag out. See RW I believe in "only the strong shall survive".

Warlord: Pull yourself together long enough to see the shrink. I was in a similiar boat, 'cept I preferred to see others in pain, it dulled the edges for me.

You can get over it. The best way is take a real long look inside. Decide what ya like, decide what ya don't, decide what ya can live with. Fix or discard the stuff you can't live with, strengthen the stuff you can and that you like. Then decide this is how I am, screw all the rest of them, just decide you like you.

It worked for me.

 

[Umbran]

Granted I've told my parents about it and am going to see a psychiatrist noboy in my family really wants to talk about it.

Here's something the others seemed to have missed.

I don't know your parents, so I cannot say for sure. But you may be off the mark here. It is rather likely that they want to talk about it, but don't know how, or what to say.

You don't understand what's going on with you, right? So you can't expect them to, either. They probably don't have any better grasp on it than you do. They are likely to be confused and frightened, and having to deal with "is this somehow my fault" and "what do I do that won't make it worse".

And, to be honest, unless they really do know what they are doing, it may be better for them to hold on until you and they can talk to a professional. The misconceptions they may be carrying and their reactions to their own confusion, fear, and avoidance of guilt may not be helpful to you.

So, hang in there. Talk to someone who knows what they're doing.

 

[ph34r]

Why your asking for help on a role playing board is beyond me.

But my advice is stay away from lighter fluid until this problem is resolved.

Were you held too much as a child or not enough?

 

[ph34r]

What's wrong with the Jets?

Maybe the fact that they haven't existed as a team since 1996? But since we're talking sports, I need to go and pick up my line of 05-06 Houston Oilers jerseys...

 

[soulforge]

'Cause the road is long, it's a long hard climb
I been on that road too long of a time
Yes the road is long, and it winds and winds
When I think of the love that I left behind.

Stick through your stuff now, and just sorta secure what you deem
yourself to be. Don't worry about others, or things you can't control.
So much of life is what happens around you while your worrying about what
has passed.

 

[William Ronald]

Warlord,

Hang in there. There are many avenues for help, including counselors, psychiatrists, and good organizations. Seek people whom you can trust and have the skills to help you find your way.

Your parents may well not know how to discuss what is going on. Possibly you and your psychiatirists might want to have a family session to help address the issues.

Remember that you are not alone. Depression is a serious problem, but people can recover and have better lives. You have a lot of hard work ahead of you, but when things are rough, remember that you are a valuable person in your own right.

 

[Lord Ravinous]

EDIT: I'm bad boy, sorry.