[Prozac]

Hey.

It can be hard to figure if this is a mental illness or what comes along with being a teenager! I'd say that if it is severe and it is affecting your daily life, I would say that it probably isn't just "average" teenage feelings, though that doesn't necessarily mean you have a mental illness (such as depression). However, at TeenHelp, we can not diagnose you as we are not professionals, the best thing that you could do would be to talk to someone you trust about this, such as a doctor or a counsellor, or even your parents or a teacher to start off with. If it is affecting your everyday life, I do feel as though you should ask for help as you don't need to do this alone and there are people who can help you with these feelings. Your symptoms are signs of depression, but it doesn't mean that you have depression. I really do not recommend self-diagnosis at all. You could however, go to your doctor and tell them that I have "symptoms a, b + c and I think that perhaps it could be depression". If you feel that situations and things that are happening are worsening these feelings, it may be helpful to try and resolve or talk about them. Talking can really help, whether it is a rant on here or to someone you trust. There are people out there to help you with these feelings and I hope that you find someone to talk to and perhaps find some coping methods alongside these feelings (such as drawing, writing) to try and help to express them and get them out of your system.

Stephanie