What is the best way to cope with depression during the teenage years?

[Gale]

i'm a loser never mind

 

[Gale]

please don't reply to this, I'm so stupid. i didn't mean to post this. i edited my big long sob story, but i suppose what i left isn't too much better. just don't make me feel worse by trying to make me feel better. i just feel dumb.

 

[Zantra]

You're a looser by who's standard? If it's by your peers, don't worry too much. Most of those "cool kids" will be soon pumping gas and asking which flavor slurpee goes with the corndog as a career

I don't think there's anyone I've ever met who doesn't have at least once social horror story from High School. Even the cool kids. Don't let a bunch of 17 year olds define who you are. Only you can do that. Believe in yourself, because when you get out in the real world, it's how you define yourself that will make the difference. in another year or so you will never talk to 90 percent of those people who define you as a "looser" again. Just something to keep in mind.. hehe

 

[BoulderHead]

in another year or so you will never talk to 90 percent of those people who define you as a "looser" again.

Zantra, you meant 'loser' didnt' you?

 

[Gale]

i originally posted this thread for some help with my depression, five minutes after posting it though, i hated myself for sounding so stupid. i tried deleting it, couldn't, so i edited it. then i asked for no replies, but of course...

i had depression for two years. i don't anymore. i just have relapses where i get very sad and stuff. i don't want to explain too much. i don't want drugs or doctors but any advice'd be nice.
thanks

 

[Zantra]

Originally posted by BoulderHead
Zantra, you meant 'loser' didnt' you?

ya typo- I'm famous for them. My brain moves faster than my typing. can't keep up.

Gale

Well let's see- as a now aspiring psychiatrist, my first instict is to prescribe some wellbutrin or epinephrin and ask when the depression started- but I won't go there

My advice is to be around positive people, and still to believe in yourself.

 

[Zero]

Originally posted by Gale17
i originally posted this thread for some help with my depression, five minutes after posting it though, i hated myself for sounding so stupid. i tried deleting it, couldn't, so i edited it. then i asked for no replies, but of course...

i had depression for two years. i don't anymore. i just have relapses where i get very sad and stuff. i don't want to explain too much. i don't want drugs or doctors but any advice'd be nice.
thanks

Stop drinking so much!

 

[zoobyshoe]

I bet I know what's behind this
depression:


Gale, you have to take that stupid
Mayan end-of-the-world book and
throw it away. That would depress
anyone who reads it and takes it
the least bit seriously.
I saw a show about this on Discovery or somewhere and what the Mayans predicted what not the
end of the world. I can't remember
exactly what it was but it has to do with the number of days in the year. You know how the Earth
doesn't go aound the sun exactly
365 times a year? Every four years
we have to add a day to make up
the difference.
The Mayan thing is something like
that. But it's an adjustment that
only has to be made to the calen-
dar every 5000 years or so. They
were obsessed with calendar making
so this date was a big deal for
them. They decided it was as good
a place as any to stop writing out
future calendars.
Somehw this got misconstrued as
a prediction of the end of the
world, but it wasn't.
So toss that book.
Zooby

 

[Gale]

my depression has nothing to do with the maya. i only began reading the book after i came out of depression.

as far as staying around positive people, that's pretty much what I've been trying to do, and yeah for the most part it works. i tend to feel guilty though about usuing people though. and I'm more the kind of person who perfers helping people rather than getting help. my biggest problem now though is just that sometimes i just kinda start feeling sad and depressed, like last night. i mostly feel really stupid and needy.i don't like telling people because i feel guilty. but i usually feel worse if i don't tell anyone. when i get in that situation i just don't know what to do. it's just little relapses from when i used to really be depressed.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Well, dear, even though you prefer
being the one who does the helping
it's completely against the rules
not to go to others for help when
you need it, yourself.

People aren't allowed to live
just on one side or the other
when it comes to helping. There-
fore your guilt is exonerated.

 

[LURCH]

Have you tried large doses of CHOCOLATE?

J/K: I hate chocolate!

 

[Zantra]

Originally posted by LURCH
Have you tried large doses of CHOCOLATE?

J/K: I hate chocolate!

you're not normal. But then I've know several people who hated pizza as well. To each his own


Gale, based on what you're telling me it sounds like you have manic depression, perhaps as a result of some other issues. It could related back to your family, or something else. If you do indeed have that, then no advice we are able to give you is going to help. It's a chronic thing, and not something that you can change with a philosophy. It's a chemical imbalance. Something that can be controlled with medicines, but not something you can choose not to be subject to. I had a very close friend who has manic depression, possibly due to a bipolar disorder. I honestly don't know for sure because she never would tell me. But I know that when she wasn't taking her meds, she was a very different person.

 

[Gale]

hmm, well I'm not a big fan of chocolate or pizza... but i knew i wasn't normal. either way, i refuse to believe that i can't be happier without meds. i don't have depression anymore. i don't spend every night alone in tears anymore. i don't hate people anymore, and I'm pretty much my old self. i just a little more sad than most people a little more often than most.

so let's just forget that I've told you i had depression, and pretend that I'm just upset like any other person, what can i do to cheer up?

 

[zoobyshoe]

I find the "Ask A Stupid Question..." thread has some good
humes in it.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Incidently, Zantra, your diagnosis
was bad enough to have your
medical license pulled in a heart
beat. You better hope Mr. Robin
Parsons doesn't stumble into this
thread and see that.

 

[Zantra]

Well basically what most other 17 year old girls do- go to the mall with some friends and scope out hot guys
(the same applies to any guy under 30 as well in respect to women )

Seriously though, you need to find something that you truly enjoy doing, and take it to the next level. I mean really get into it. Like for instance, if you enjoy camping or hiking-plan a bunch of hikes and camping expeditions. If you enjoy Philosophy or physics, take a summer course at the community college just for the heck of it. If you'e into biking, join a bike club and ride regularly every week. Idle time is wasted time, and dwelling time. Don't give yourself that luxury. I think you'll find in the process that you'll meet new people and have lots of experiences that you hadn't even considered before.

 

[Zantra]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
Incidently, Zantra, your diagnosis
was bad enough to have your
medical license pulled in a heart
beat. You better hope Mr. Robin
Parsons doesn't stumble into this
thread and see that.

Notice I said "aspiring" shrink. Haven't had a single day of med school "yet". But you're right. In reality I'd need a lot more info to make an accurate diagnosis But how do you know it was a bad one? hehe

And is Robby a doctor or something?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Zantra,

Don't go into psychiatry. For two
reasons.

1. You'll probably kill someone.

2. Psychiatry is a sinking ship.
It's being supplanted by neuro-
psychiatry and straightforward
neurology.

You might become a therapist or
counsellor if you want. But stay
away from prescribing medication.
Because: See reason #1 above.

 

[Zantra]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
Zantra,

Don't go into psychiatry. For two
reasons.

1. You'll probably kill someone.

2. Psychiatry is a sinking ship.
It's being supplanted by neuro-
psychiatry and straightforward
neurology.

You might become a therapist or
counsellor if you want. But stay
away from prescribing medication.
Because: See reason #1 above.

Well I'm going into medicine no matter what. I am considering neuropsych as well. But no matter what I'm going to be a doctor. That's my goal above and beyond psychiatry. Besides, if I'm really that horrible I won't make it through med school anyway, right? I'm assuming you're joking (btw, how's mom doing?), because I was really just kidding about the wellbutrin.

In reality I'd need to have at least several psych sessions with her where I could do a proper evaluation. In reality no amount of studying would allow someone the luxury of making a diagnosing and providing a prescription based on few sentences over the computer.

And again, are you a doctor zoob, or you just yankin my chain?

 

[zoobyshoe]

I haden't gotten to your last
question yet. Had to go back and
reread what you said.

The reason I know it was a bad
diagnosis is because you said you
had a friend who suffered from
manic depression possibly because
of bipolar disorder.

Manic depression IS bipolar disor-
der.

No uses the term manic depression
anymore. The current term is bipolar disorder.

Gale hasn't reported one manic
symptom so it was insane
of you to jump to the suspicion
of bipolar.

I don't believe Mr. Robin Parsons
is a doctor but he has a mind like
a steel trap and among the other
stuff he has in there is a huge
amount of medical knowledge. Read
his post in the thread on apendicitis. Written off the top of his head.

-Zooby

 

[Gale]

gee thanks you guys, you sure know how to make a gal feel soo much better.

listening to people argue over who's the worse doctor is always heartwarming... come to think of it, reminds me of when the family gets together for dinner...

 

[zoobyshoe]

I'm really glad we could help.

Lets go play "Ask A Stupid Question..." You know where the
thread is and how to play?

 

[Zantra]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
I haden't gotten to your last
question yet. Had to go back and
reread what you said.

The reason I know it was a bad
diagnosis is because you said you
had a friend who suffered from
manic depression possibly because
of bipolar disorder.

Manic depression IS bipolar disor-
der.

No uses the term manic depression
anymore. The current term is bipolar disorder.

Gale hasn't reported one manic
symptom so it was insane
of you to jump to the suspicion
of bipolar.

I don't believe Mr. Robin Parsons
is a doctor but he has a mind like
a steel trap and among the other
stuff he has in there is a huge
amount of medical knowledge. Read
his post in the thread on apendicitis. Written off the top of his head.

-Zooby

Now granted, I'm not a licensed shrink by any stretch, but I'm fairly certain that manic depression is a separate illness, as listen in the DSM-IV, and is a symptom of Bipolar disorder. I did say my friend may have been bipolor- she had other symptoms besides depresssion, but I never said Gale was. If I'm wrong, then I apologize. I guess I'd better go dig up my DSM.. /sigh...

EDIT: actually off the top of MY head, Bipolar disorder is characterized by "highs" and "lows" drastic opposite extremes that generally occur in 2-3 week periods and swings from severe depression to unrealistic highs.. This contrasts manic depression in that there is no high point wiht that illness, it's simply extended perids of depression for no apparent reason.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Manic depression is the old name
for what is now called bipolar.
DSM-IV lists Bipolar 1, BipolarII
Cyclothymic disorder (like bipolar
but not as severe) and bipolar
NOS (Not Otherwise Specified).
No Manic Depression.

 

[Zantra]

Originally posted by zoobyshoe
Manic depression is the old name
for what is now called bipolar.
DSM-IV lists Bipolar 1, BipolarII
Cyclothymic disorder (like bipolar
but not as severe) and bipolar
NOS (Not Otherwise Specified).
No Manic Depression.

I stand corrected. Good thing they have a school for stuff like this Or maybe gynecology...

 

[Zantra]

Originally posted by Gale17
gee thanks you guys, you sure know how to make a gal feel soo much better.

listening to people argue over who's the worse doctor is always heartwarming... come to think of it, reminds me of when the family gets together for dinner...

This reminds of my family too. Only here there is less swearing, name calling and violence

 

[zoobyshoe]

OOOOOOOH Gynecology!

Actually you would be better off.
A psychologist once told me that
psychiatry is the least respected
of all the medical specialties
among doctors themselves. People
who graduate at the bottom of
their class are pretty much forced
into psychiatry because the requi-
rments for all the other fields
are too stringent. Psychiatry
requires the least medical know-
ledge and they make the least
money.

If you just shoot for being a GP
you'll be doing pretty well.

 

[Zantra]

Really? I Wasn't aware of that bias. I did know about the requirements, but I wasn't necessarily doing it for the glamour. Was more of a personal thing. As far as prestige- Cardiology and Neurology are where it's really at. Had also been considering the Medical Scientists Training program, but I think that's a tad too ambitious at this stage in my ife. I won't know for sure until I go through my rounds and start to get a feel for each specialty. GP is good for being well rounded, but I intend to specialize

 

[Phobos]

The teenage years are rough. Depression is common during that time. Keep yourself busy & distracted (positive activities, friends). You'll have a new outlook when you reach your 20s.

 

[Galatea]

Originally posted by Phobos
The teenage years are rough. Depression is common during that time. Keep yourself busy & distracted (positive activities, friends). You'll have a new outlook when you reach your 20s.

I'm with Phobos. Teenage years are awful. It's been my experience that those who truly enjoy their teenage years usually peak at that time and long for those days again. Those of us who suffered a great deal of inner turmoil end up being better for it in the end. Unfortunately, all you can do is wait it out. But it's sooooooo nice once it's over!

As added advice, if you aren't currently working, maybe getting a part time job would be a good thing. Working tends to be rewarding; if not emotionally, at least financially. I think one of the best things about being out of high school is working - granted it gets old kind of quickly but I wouldn't trade working for high school any day.