I'm one of those troubled teens now.

[Einan]

I don't much about depression, but I do remember being a teen and thinking life sucked. A couple things got me through:
1. No matter how much it sucks, it ends. You turn 18, you go to college, you have a blast. No one knows you, no one cares what you did in high school and there's always someone out there who wants to sleep with you. College rocks.
2. Nothing you do in high school really matters. It all fades. The person other people think you are in high school is not the person you have to be for the rest of your life.
3. Human flesh smells really bad when you burn it. Burn some incense. It's much prettier and it smells better.

Get help. Keep getting help until it's better. And it always gets better, unless you end it, in which case you'll never have a chance to have all the fun you're going to have when you become an adult and get to make your own decisions. All the time. That rocks.

Chin up, man. All you all to do is get through the next couple years and life'll improve. Oh, and go to college. Far enough away from your parents that you can't go home all the time. Be your own person. You'll learn things about yourself you never would have guessed in high school.

Einan, who is 27 and very glad he made it out of High School

 

[Captain Needles]

Okay, I never burned myself but I was a cutter in my teens. I understand that sometimes physical pain seems a "sensible" alternative to emotional pain at the time. It's not. I work with emotional troubled teens now, and off the top of my head, here a few suggestions:

1) Like a lot of other people here, I suggest immediatley talking to your guidance counselor and school nurse. A lot of school systems have a dedicated psychologist on hand to help with depressed children, because it is a recognized mental health issue. If you are religiously inclined, you can find help their as well.

2) Talk with your parents and loved ones, talk often. Make them understand that you need to be heard, and that you won't really ever feel better unless you both work through it together. Usually i family counseling, which can be rough at times, but incredibly rewarding for all of you.

3) Not just a psychiatrist, but talk with a psychologist. The former will be able to identify the major issues and possibly presribe medication to help with things (the meds get a bad rap, but trust me, they really can help). But often a psychologist will be better at helping you talk through the issues themselves, which is key.

4) In the mean time get yourself some time-consuming hobbies, especially with friends, so that you don't have a lot of "alone time" to just sit and stew over things. Keep yourself busy and occupied. It's hard to be depressed when you are engaged in something. And again, spend as much time with friends as possible, and talk to them about how you feel. Good friends will help you out when times get rough.

5) For god's sakes, avoid drugs and alcohol. Don't become another statistic because some drug enhanced your already depressed mood. And avoid situations where drugs and alcohol are plentiful and available.

6) get the number of a 24 hour help line from your guidance counselor. That way you can call and talk to someone when nobody else is around to help, and you really need a person to listen to you.

There are some other options, but those are good starting points. And don't put it off, get your butt in gear and help yourself out, so you can salvage some good times from your teenage years. Good luck, hope things work out for the best.

 

[PowerWordDumb]

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?"

There are too many f*****g depressed people in the world. Believe it or not, the insensitive approach doesn't work.

So, if I told you to get over it, that would be wrong?

 

[Vindicator]

Bingo.



What's wrong with the Jets?

The fact that they have fans like yourself is a huge strike against them.

 

[mojo1701]

So, if I told you to get over it, that would be wrong?

No. That'd be the Scientologist approach. I can make fun of them all I want because they're not a religion in Canada .

 

[Kanegrundar]

No. That'd be the Scientologist approach. I can make fun of them all I want because they're not a religion in Canada .

Believe me, they catch a lot of flak here in the states as well.

 

[jaerdaph]

Believe me, they catch a lot of flak here in the states as well.

Don't be glib. You haven't studied all the research like Tom Cruise has.

 

[Kanegrundar]

Don't be glib. You haven't studied all the research like Tom Cruise has.

That's true. If I'm lucky, I'll stay "unenlightened" forever!

 

[warlord]

Thanks for all the advice guys it really helps to know that I can count on you guys for support. And as of now i've stopped burning and just snap a rubbberband against my wrist. Also I'm getting in to see a psycologist soon. So hopefully everything'll star getting better soon. But I have to ask do support groups exist for stuff like this? They got groups for former alcholics and drug users so why not people who used to harm themselves?

 

[jaerdaph]

Good to hear and good for you, Warlord.

Always remember during the tough times, it will eventually get better if you want it to.