hi im new and im sick and need help

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2004
hi im new and im sick and need help
6
Thu, 08-19-2004 - 9:22pm
hi i am new and i am sick and i really need help i have been trying to look for help for a long time i have major depression disorder and im just 14n years old what can i do ??? what medicationd can i take do i have to go to a doctor to get medication or can i find medicine in a store without a doctor prescribing what to take all i know is that i need advice and help

thankyou so much for reading this

sorry i posted this at first on the worng place but now its on the right place
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2004
Fri, 08-20-2004 - 6:26am
I would suggest you see a doctor because of your age and because there are different types of depression, which would mean different types of treatment. I think only a physician can advise you on what type of medication would be right for you.

Best of luck,

Tam
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2004
Fri, 08-20-2004 - 8:51am

((((Sweetcandy14))) Welcome to the board.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Fri, 08-20-2004 - 1:06pm
I'm glad that you are looking for help. I had depression from when I was very young, but it got really bad around the time I was 14. There are different types of medication you can take, but all are available by prescription. Stay away from Paxil and Zoloft. Those make you really tired and can make you gain weight, as well. You can ask your doctor about Prozac, Effexor, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, and anything else he or she can recommend. Those should keep you from being tired as well.

Depression is really common for teenagers. As all of us here can attest, middle school and high school are so awful socially. It's like a lion's den. Teens are so judgmental. We tend to judge ourselves very harshly in our teens. No one could pay me enough to go back to that time. It was bad enough to deal with a bunch of shallow, judgmental people at school, but I had no support or appreciation at home either. It was so lonely.

I'll tell you a secret. There is something that is proven to work much better than any medication to treat depression. It is aerobic exercise. If you do it 4 or 5 times a week, you will get better endorphins to raise your mood than anything a medication can do, without the side effects.

Also, sugar and processed foods are really bad for your mood. They make you irritable and depressed. I lived on sugar, like Oreos, candy, lemonade, and other stuff for most of my teen years. If I had to do it over again, I'd have a diet like I have now, mostly steamed veggies, brown rice, and some fish. It makes all the difference in my mood. I notice that I'm irritable and down whenever I eat just a little bit of candy. I still like candy, though! I've been staying away from it recently by reminding myself of how badly I feel afterwards whenever I get a craving.

Therapy can be really helpful for depression. If you have a way to get to a library, I recommend you check out a book called "The Feeling Good Handbook" by David Burns, MD. It is a great book. It can give you insight into the way that you view life and how it keeps you in the cycle of depression. That book has helped me a lot.

Remember that you are not alone. I always felt so alone growing up. Being depressed just made me more isolated. My family couldn't understand it. They expected me to perform and do well, even though they never encouraged or supported me. People used to tell me that college would be better and I was the type to do well in college. I believed them. I was so excited to go away to college. It was everything I had dreamed and more. The last year of high school was just counting down til I was out of there. I know it seems a lon way off for you, but try to find classes that you like. Ignore all of the popular stuff. I know that's hard, but it's so stupid and not real. Most of the popular people I knew in high school ended up alcoholics who didn't finish college. A couple died in drunk driving accidents. A couple ended up working at the same job they got right out of high school. Not that it's bad, but I'm saying that being popular in high school doesn't mean anything in real life. Have you seen 13 Going on 30? I love that movie. And it's true that the popular people are really mean and miserable to each other.

If you can see school as a job, be friendly to some people, and keep yourself busy with stuff you like, it will make high school so much easier to get through.

And you aren't alone. We're here for you whenever you want to talk, vent, or get support.

Take Care,

MariaC

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 12:56am
awwwwwwww thankyou so much for telling me about yourself and thankyou so very much for giving me advice the only problem is that only my best friend and some other close friends know about this and i really dont have the guts to tell my parents and thats gonna be the only way i could get medication is by them knowing and taking me to see a doctor but i dont want to tell them im scared to so i have to wait until my dad buys me a car so i could do my things without not telling them cause i am very scared to tell them this and that gets me really depressed seeing the fact that im not able to tell my parents something like this cuz i never thought this would ever happened to me you know im not a very strong person and i dont have the strength to be able to tell them so for now im gonna have to wait and try the things you said will help but im trying to hang on from doing anything stupid cuz i have thought many ways to hurt myself but im glad im still here i want to thankyou for being so helpful

cendy

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 1:28am
Hi Sweetcandy. I'm new to this group, but, not to depression... well actually I am. I was diagnosed with major clinical depression and post traumatic disorder due to a series of events during a 7 month period of time starting in August of 2000. But... I AM WELL NOW!!! Why? Because I knew, just like you, that something was terribly wrong, and that I needed help. I asked one of my doctors if he knew of a good psychiatrist. He did, and on my first visit, she placed me on antidepressants, and, we talked - a lot. That medication, and seeing her regularly, gave me my life back. I am well, and I am oh, so very happy. Please, please, please, find the courage to tell your parents - NOW. You haven't said anything negative about your relationship with your parents, so it seems to me that they would be understanding and would want to to do whatever it takes to help you get well. Please say that you'll try to talk with them. There is help "out there", but, because of your age, you're not able to achieve that without the help of your parents. Another idea... is there another relative that you could talk to, one that you would feel comfortable talking with? Just an idea. Please know that you're not alone. I truely know how you feel, and, I know you're scared. I had no idea what was happening to me. Please say you'll talk to your parents... - Tanya
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-19-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 9:21pm
i will try seriously i will but im really scared sometimes i tell myself ok today is the day i will tell them but then i cant do it