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• February 8, 2010 5:02 p.m.

  im 15 and i got beat up by 5 girls in september whu i new and i thought 2 of them were my friends. & eva sinse then im not the same. i alwys feel alone, depressed, everything and i hate it and dont know what to do. i got councilling in school for it ih helps a bih buhh my mental state is not good. i act like everythings fine but its not and the slightest thing can get me down and i never used to get angry i used to be so calm and now im nott:( i hate it can anyone help me? or give advice.

  - pj15

• February 1, 2010 7:13 a.m.

  Im 18, I have felt depressed quite often but the feelings come and go. I've felt like this for about 2-3 years now, I havent talked to my parents about it because my parents are the kind of parents that would say suck it up or it'll pass, but it hasnt. I've somewhat talked to my best friend about it and I keep telling her that im going to make a doctors appointment but I dont know what to say or what to do to make that happen and without my parents knowing. Im tired all the time, i go to bed at about 11pm wake up at 6am then as soon as i get home i take a 2-3 hour nap along with sleeping alll day at school, i have lost interest in a lot of things and i cant concentrate in school, its gotten bad to where im dropping out in a week. I just would like some advice on what to do....

  - nicole

• January 28, 2010 3:16 p.m.

  i'm 14 and have all the symptoms for atypical depression and i have done for about a year now, i've had suicidal thoughts but i don't know if i'm just being silly or if there is something wrong with me. i find it hard to talk too people and managed to open up to my best friend who i no longer see anymore. i have tried slitting my wrists a few times and nobody seems to understand. a lot of stuff has happened this year to me and i dont know if it's just the fact that i've been putting on a brave face for so long, has anybody got any advice?

  - ..

• January 24, 2010 5:49 p.m.

  Hi, im a 15 year old girl, and i have manic depression otherwise know as bipolar, this type of depression is when you get random burst of depression, and the littlest thing can set it off, or sometimes i just get random depression. When other people ask, "Why are you drepressed?" i say i dont know, it frustrates me that i have to live with this, i noticed symptoms of my condittion when i was 13, and for a whole year told, no one, then opend up to my friends and i scared some of my firends so much that i lost some off them, When i was 14 i had sucidal actions, and thats when i realized i had to tell my family... my point being i hate depression, im not trying to sound whiny, but i wish i was i could live as a normal teen instead of feeling depressed.

  - A girl

• January 14, 2010 1:05 p.m.

  Hi, I'm the mother of a 16 year old depressed teenager who also suffers from social anxiety and school refusal. Since noticing most the above symptoms I have taken my son to see our GP. My son found it very difficult to explain about the way he felt becasue it is very difficult to explain when you are feeling low and not good. But with our support and the GP's understanding we have now managed to get him the help he needed from the mental health service. Don't give up and know that you don't have to feel this bad forever. There is a lot of people out there who can and want to help. Trust someone with your feelings... friends, teacher, relative, parent or try your GP. It is worthwhile and noone has to go through this by themselves, but you have to make the first step. Ask for help. If there isn't someone you feel you can trust phone a helpline like childline. It can get better. all the best to all.

  - Urs

• December 23, 2009 10:35 p.m.

  Me and my dad does not get along anymore. He is not very nice to me he gives me things but they dont change how i feel towards him. I'm sick from somatic pain from depression. I'm seeing atherapist, currently but my pain is not going away. I'm only 15 years old.Do you have any suggestions that can help me

  - Brendon

• December 18, 2009 6:57 p.m.

  ive had all of these symptons for a year and it just keeps getting worse and worse. i told my parents about it but they yelled at me and told me i have no reason to feel this way and my dad beats me. they could care less about me. T i wish i had u for a father ur son doesnt now how lucky he is

  - No name given

• December 16, 2009 6:46 p.m.

  My son is 16 and has shown some of the signs. T hey have come and gone and at first I thought it typical teenager behavior. Now I know better. How do I get him to talk to me about it without getting angry? I 'get on' his 'nerves' and he 'can't stand being around' me. He refuses to go to school, defies me in every way, curses me, threatens violence, to run away. What do I do? I will not give up on him.

  - T

• December 1, 2009 10:10 a.m.

  How does a parent get a teenager to go for help? Our 19 year old has uncontrollable mood swings, particularly typified by anger and cursing. She has gone for counseling twice in the last four years and medication once for only a week or so. Each time she only goes two or three times and then tells us she has "fired" the doctor or therapist, is not going back and won't tell us what happened or consent to the doctor speaking with us. It then takes a year to get her to try again if we are lucky.

  - Jay

• November 12, 2009 3:35 a.m.

  I have overlooked these symptoms and i have all of them, i have for many years because of past history with my family. I feel really angry all the time and it causes me to overreact majorily. I try to get help but i dont know what is needed. I was taking lexapro that a physchiatrist prescribed me for about four months but i honestly felt no change in my mood and at points in time felt more like i couldnt control my temper once it was sparked..what should i do??? p.s. The lost of interest symptom with me is really bad. i feel like i never get excited about anything, im never happy even when i want to be, i just feel like im not myself at all.

  - Anthony

• November 6, 2009 12:57 p.m.

  I'm 15 and I have all of the symptoms. When I try to tell my mom she just says i'm to young to feel this way and only adults do. I like to take my anger out by sparring with my bro though...

  - Mekina

• October 28, 2009 4:59 p.m.

  Hi, im 18 years old and i feel like i cant live up to my step-fathers expactations.. i have alot of guy friends, but he makes it like im a bad person and always points out my flaws.. lately it has made me become more shut down and quiet everytime we talk. i have most of these symptoms, but withdrawal from family and friends. but everything else is real. i dont know why i have been getting such 'evil' thoughts. i want to see a psychiatric but i know my mother is going to say just talk to us (my mother & stepfather) but i cant..

  - Anne

• October 6, 2009 8:46 a.m.

  Your depression is treatable! Please ask your parent, trusted teacher Pastor, friend's parent, etc. for help now! Do not try to kill yourself- the permanent pain and scarring that is left behing is horrible. We know how much pain you are in but you don't have to feel this way- ask for help and talk to a live person now. This blog cannot treat you or diagnose you. As you can see, you are not alone- please pick up the phone now. You can do it!

  - Mayo clinic.Com Staff

• October 2, 2009 5:40 p.m.

  hi, i'm a 15 girl, sophomore and i've read through some of the comments here. I've noticed that most of the kids around my age i can really relate to...when i was a child i was raped, i've never gotten over it, it was by my mothers boyfriend of 8 years now... he did it in grade 2. i tried to tell my mother, but she called me a liar. my mother is an alcoholic and her boyfriend got her into booze in the first place. i've tried to kill myself 4 times, i already commented that...and i keep getting found. i have a phobia of needles, and so i can't inject an airbubble in the side of my neck to go fast... i get really snappy, a lot of the time, and i take my anger out on myself through cutting, especially in my school's bathroom during class. my marks are really low, and none of my friends really care and are quite stupid......i've had boyfriends in the past year, but i've always ended up dumping them because they cheat on me. i'm 5'3 and 82 pounds. im not sure if thats natural or not. my father's family hates me because i don't believe in god....my grandmother told me straight to my face im going to burn in hell for the rest of my life, alive or not. she's actually very well off. my mother tries to make me live her dreams, so she got me a horse which i care about, but wish she had a better owner. When i try to confront my mother, she tells me to stop " being emo" and " start playing sports" . which i hate, i'd rather sit in my room and listen to music...im unabl

  - Bea ( brittany )

• October 2, 2009 5:22 p.m.

  Hi, im brittany, i have all of those symptoms... i've already tried to kill myself....4 times but my mother found me twice, and the other 2 times i was unconcious i'm 15, and i really don't want to be anywhere what do i do?

  - Brittany

• October 2, 2009 1:07 a.m.

  I have been having troubles with my family and friends and everything else in my life. I checked the symptoms and I have all of them. Please get back to me as soon as possible.

  - emily

• August 16, 2009 7:58 p.m.

  mmm i have many of these signs. at least half of them. My depression first began in the 5th grade and it gradually increased. It did get really bad, i was constantly crying and having suicidal thoughts. My parents were not there for emotionally, so i had to just write down everything and keep everything bottled up.I never attempted suicide, but i wrote about it constantly in my diary. Today, i'm 18, however, my depression is still with me, but its not as severe as it used to be a year ago. My boyfriend has really made me happy and less depressed, and i can not thank him enough for that. It still makes me really sad that my parents are not there for me still. they tend to just ignore the problem and don't acknowledge the fact that something is wrong with me. But now instead of being alone, i have my boyfriend to talk to and my nana. But do try to talk to someone, i really recommend it, they might be able to help, especially if you have supportive family.

  - rhi

• August 2, 2009 8:41 p.m.

  im 16 and have been depressed almost all my life. i remember when i was 5 and i would look at the stars and think about how insignificant i was compared to the universe. my parents then put me in a catholic school but religion made me feel worse about everything. it didnt make sence to me and that made me sad. i didnt have any friends untill the end of 1st grade when i met a girl who felt the same as i did. things got better. then in 4th grade it got worse then before because everyone started to make fun of me. in 5th grade i started to cut myself and confided in a teacher that i wanted to kill myself. i got help after that. but i stopped going to my apointments in 7th grade and got depressed again shortly after that. in 9th grade i became open with my atheism and felt the best ive ever felt. then last year(10th grade) i got severely depressed again and i am now. i never thought id live this long. im depressed because i think at a deeper level. my parents are alcoholics. my mom almost bled to death. they are both depressed and incredibly smart. my mom would take out her anger on me everynight when i was little. i have a speech impediment where i stutter. my doctor says neurons in my brain are fireing to fast in some part of my brain that causes it. its genetic. but i dnt stutter so much anymore. it was the reason i didnt have any friends because whenever i spoke i would be ridiculed. and thats it.

  - renata

• June 29, 2009 12:49 p.m.

  All of those signs describe me exactly. I just turned 21, but i've been this way since i was 16. I was ok over the last year, but lately its been getting so much worse again, i feel like I'm 21 and still don't know who i am and i should by now. Im afraid to ask for help because i don't feel like i can talk about why I'm like this. I know the cause of it but its a lot of stuff from my past that I'm trying so hard to forget, and i feel like if i talk about it, ill feel worse and end up becoming as depressed as i was a couple of years ago and i never wanna be like that again.

  - Diana

• June 9, 2009 11:33 p.m.

  It seems to me that everyone posting here is crying out for help. Most have stated that they're fairly young, & have asked for help from parents or teachers. I am a 30 mother of 4 I've suffered from depression all my life. My mother had a nervous break down when I was 7. wasn't able to walk for over ayear because of it . My father is dead now, he went blind & died prison after molesting little girls, including my sister (a complete basket case) my brother is a compulsive liar, & thief. I have anxiety/anger/guilt issues. I had to abort a baby for health reasons. My point in typing all of this is to show - we all have issues. my 11 year old daughter has issues & won't talk to me. It doesn't matter who you tell. Just keep looking till you find someone who gives a damn. SOMEONE WILL!!!! dont' let depression get the best of you.

  - MommaD

• May 30, 2009 2:44 p.m.

  Im 13 and turning 14 in October. My mom just had twin boys in September and she almost died. In school i thought everything would be great like last year. I was wrong. my team at school (my school does 2 teams per grade) has decided that if you get a F on a assignment that you completely fail that class. When I get home from school i help take care of my brothers everyday and i help put them to bed everynight. I watch them when my mom goes out. I have had signs of deppressions for the last few months. i have thoughts of suicide and I just told my parents that I have deppression signs and they still don't get it and they just say it will go away and it hasnt. They just dont get it.My dad just says to hang out with friends and I try when im at school cause we have completly diff. sceduals and they dont talk to me out of school at all. he says that i need more sleep and itll all be fine but i know it wont.

  - Michaela

• May 29, 2009 4:52 a.m.

  I am a 20 year old woman and have been diagnosed with major depression. I have been on an antidepressant for the past 6 months. I have and am still seeing a psychologist. My attitude on life has changed drastically and I am able to speak to my parents about how I am feeling. I find it important to open up to them. My mother never knew I cut myself for two years and she never knew I had suicidal thoughts either. I think many parents are clueless when it comes to depression and suicide. I started drinking excessively, did not go to any of my lectures and spent most of the time crying. I never knew as a young child that I had suffered from depression as a young girl. I think it is vital that parents tell their children about their medical history... I was clueless and that scared me the most. I am now healthy, have stopped cutting and am happy with life. So if I can do it, so can you. I know that many of you are scared and if you need a friend you are more than welcome to contact me, even if you just want me to listen, it sometimes helps just to listen. I would advise you all to speak to your parents and parents surf the net... there is always info on how to handle depression etc. Take your child to the doctor if you think they might be suffering from depression. STAY STRONG!

  - Yvette

• May 16, 2009 12:11 a.m.

  I'm a fifteen year old sophmore guy and lately I've been feeling relly bad. I feel worthlessness in everything I do and I always feel guilty for no reason. I'm constantly getting picked on at school amd have supper low self esteam. allways being compared to my brother, I am too weak too loud and my grades arnt good enough. I'm constantly in some sort of pain like headaches or stomach aches and no matter how much sleep I get I am always tiered. I've been angered easily and am ignoring my friends because I would rather sit around and do nothing. exercize doesn't help and I can't concentrate in school. whenever I confront my family about it they tell me that its "called being a teenager". I have had short thoughts about suicide but never act on them. and I am forced to put on a fake me whenever I'm around anyone. people expect me to be perfect boy but I'm just not. the pressure is getting worse and worse and it sucks.

  - No name given

• May 14, 2009 8:50 p.m.

  Im a female, 16 years old and a sophomore.. Lately, like in the past month.. everyday all i think about is how bad my life is and about suicide.. I've tried several times to try and suffocate myself, yet i know im better than that... but i dont know why i keep wanting to do it. i've been btrayed by friends, best ones in particular... i dont speak to my dad, im feeling the pressure to be academically well off like my older brother, and i fear that i will amount to nothing when i graduate. im scared to grow up, and i feel like im wasting away quickly and i dont know what to do anymore. ive had 2 breakdowns at school in the past week, and ive cried everyday for 2 weeks now. i snap out on people for no reason. and people are suddenly starting to see an erratically rude change in me.

  - anonymous

• May 13, 2009 2:43 p.m.

  Please seek help to those of you who have written in! A blog cannot diagnose or treat you- you need to take care of yourself by speaking up and ASKING someone for help- a parent, adult relative Doctor, nurse, clergy (pastor, reverend) now! Writing to this blog will not get the help you need. Writing that you want to kill yourself will not help either- suicide is not the answer and will cause unbearable, permanent pain to those you leave behind. Depression is treatable, so get help from a live person now! Help is available. You deserve to get help and feel better.

  - Mayo Clinic .com Staff