my mom is "concerned"..

[silversun]

my mom is concerned that i may be depressed.. i thinhk it may be true... how can i know for sure?

[Dream]

For sure- see a psychologist and ask them. What symptoms of depression do you have and how long have you had them?

[emerson]

There are a lot of lists of symptoms online, like this: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guid...ing-depression . But, as Dream said, the best way to find out is to see a doctor.

[L'espoir]

Hey Kayla,

Your mum could be right and you may have depression but the only way to find out for sure is to go and see your doctor who can either diagnose you or refer you to somebody else who can. If you look on the NHS website [click here] it talks about depression and the signs/symptoms/treatments etc.

On the other hand though sometimes children/teenages often can show syptoms that are linked with depression because of their hormones. The signs can also be from something else completely different so it's important not to self-diagnose. There is support out there for how you are feeling you just need to access it. Why don't you have a chat with your mum about how you feel and ask her to take you to see the doctor for some help and support.

Take care,
Jen

[silversun]

I've been tired alot, dont want to hang out with friends, have not been hungry AT ALL recently, i have no interest in playing dodgeball at camp, i want to quit band and chorus, and i have bad self-esteem. I have felt these for about a week or two..

[L'espoir]

Originally Posted by alythegr8

I've been tired alot, dont want to hang out with friends, have not been hungry AT ALL recently, i have no interest in playing dodgeball at camp, i want to quit band and chorus, and i have bad self-esteem. I have felt these for about a week or two..

Hi Again,

I can see you have been feeling bad lately; I understand how awful that can be . I am going to suggest again that you see your doctor because he/she can help you and support you in feeling better or even reassure you that you are fine if that is the case. Has something happened lately to make you feel bad? If it has then its ok to feel that way; its normal to feel sad for a few weeks after something bad happens.

I want to say to you though that even though you feel bad right now and you feel like staying at home and quitting band etc, you should really try and keep going out and doing things like that because it will help in the long run. If you give everything up and stay at home it will only make you feel worse and more hopeless. Whatever is going on with you remember that things can and will get better

Take care,
Jen

[Prozac]

Hey there Kayla,

Well, it seems as Jen and Beth have hit the nail on the head - seeing a medical professional is the best way to determine whether you have depression or not.

Only a medical professional can diagnose you with depression, Kayla, but the symptoms that you have described are often related with depression and I'm sorry to hear that you're suffering with them. It is really good that your mum is showing interest and perhaps you could ask her to get you some professional help - to see a doctor, psychologist or counsellor, perhaps? These people can really help you with the problems and negative thoughts and feelings that you're dealing with right now. I think it's definitely worth a shot going to see a medical professional about this, especially if your mum is concerned about you and you have been feeling this way for more than two weeks.

As Jen has said, for now, I would urge you to try and keep on eating a healthy, balanced diet and continue doing exercise (these are both extremely important for a good mental wellbeing) and try and keep participating in band and chorus. Negative behaviour just reinforces negative thoughts and feelings. It may be hard to keep yourself motivated, but it's worth trying your hardest to try and keep doing everyday things.

Take care.

[Pour the Teapot]

going to a therapist and getting screened can help you know for sure. usually you will know when you're depressed. once you know you're depressed, you can get some meds that will help you feel better.

[silversun]

i have been missing my old neighbors alot recently, since i made a facebook..