I'm not getting this...

Alright, so I'm a 17 year old male in high school, and you all probably should know that I shouldn't be depressed at this point, there really isn't much you should be actually depressed about at this stage, as the only thing that matters in high school is education, anything social, well, that's all going to go away after you leave and go to college.

However, I found myself a few weeks ago behaving differently than I normally do, I started looking for more sympathy from people way more than I ever have (None is my usual), and I started not caring about anything I was passionate for. I'm a normal procrastinator, but I usually always pull through and get the job done, however, I just stopped doing it altogether. Nothing really seems to make me happy, the only thing that makes me happy for minuets at a time is having fun conversations with this girl I've, let's just say, cared deeply about for over a year, however, I barely get to talk to her anyways, so that doesn't happen a lot. I've lost a good portion of my friends because I keep caring about stuff I shouldn't, dramatic stuff. I don't joke around very often like I used to, and ask all these questions to my friends about whether I annoy them or not, because it seemed like it. And if I didn't before, then I do now, as I'm only talked to by my very best friend, while all my old friends ignore me.

I started wondering why these changes occurred within me, as I do not like the person I've become comparative to who I am a year ago. I am very ashamed of the changes that I have gone through, and it's difficult for me to post here, because usually I can fix these kind of things myself, however, I feel that this would require some more help, as it's been going on for a while, and I see no improvement. So I started doing some research, and I've learned something that disconcerns me. I am depressed, medically according to this page: www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm

On the "Signs and Symptoms" part of that, I have every one of those except suicidal thoughts. This does not make sense to me, I don't understand how I can be depressed. I DO have problems, like everyone else, however, they aren't very big, and I'm not about to expound and look for sympathy here. I am fully aware that I SHOULDN'T be depressed, that I shouldn't feel the way I do, that the feeling of crying shouldn't haunt me. I am fully aware that this is stupid, that this shouldn't be happening, that I should just suck it up as I have in incredibly worse parts of my life. Things are going well as compared to my childhood. I know why I'm sad, I just don't understand why it's making me depressed.

So, any advice, counseling, input or anything would be nice. I'd really love to not be the person I am, it's ruining me.

Hi Bravery,

Welcome to the depression forum.  Though your depression might not be situational, it could be a chemical emballance in your brain.  Like Jamie says, go to the doc and talk it out.  Maybe counseling would be in order.

Here are some more teen sites that might help you...

http://www.teencentral.net/

http://nineline.org/

http://forums.teenhelp.org/

http://www.teenhut.net/

I hope that this helps some.  Keep posting and let us know how you are doing.  We do care.

Hugs, Karen

Hi Bravery,

Not necessarily.  When you have a chemical imbalance, you take the medication to level it out.  I don't think that the body will compensate for it.  If you have situational depression, which many do, that can be corrected by changing your environment.  But I think counseling would be the best thing for you at this point.  No sense in getting into medications when it can be solved with counseling.  If the counseling doesn't work on it's own, then the doc will think about putting you on medications.  But you are young, so that would most likely be a last resort.  Worrying about it only makes it worse.  So if I were you, I would talk to my doctor and get some answers. 

I am not a doctor so I can't tell you for sure if you will go away or not.  But I think talking to your doc would be a way to start.  Or pick up some books on depression.  There is one called "Feeling Good", the new mood therapy by Dr. D. Burns, M.D.  It is a good book, you will probably benefit from reading it. 

I hope that you are feeling better.  I would talk to the doc if I were you, I can't stress it enough.  Keep posting and let us know how you are doing.

Hugs, Karen

Merry Christmas Bravery,

I am so happy that you are feeling better. I hope that you have a joyous holiday.

Hugs, Karen