am i depressed???

[mano31]

i am 15 and following are the reasond why i feel i may be depressed:
i feel like crying on every small thing
i eat very less
i dont get proper sleep
i have lost weight
i feel sad and depressed
at times i feel fed up of life

[omhome]

hello hon----i have three daughters and some experience with what happens at your age to  your emotions---and crystal has pointed out the effect that "hormonal imbalance" can have on how you feel-----which at your age i have to say is Normal_------again---Normal stuff hon--those hormones are powerful and you need  to talk with mom or g'ma or a woman counselor  or friends about what is happening to you---there  are things you can do to help and in time they will stop "pestering" you.
      Mano----if i was to inject someone with the same hormones---they would start crying too.  Make sure you have an empathetic dr. who understands what is happening to you. It will pass. Try saying to yourself that "this will pass" and  trust it.  A little time---some help----and the strength you have shown will definitely help let "this pass". Really!  Please post back and keep in touch ok?        omhome

[evewisewoman]

Hi mano31,

Have you look at a series of slides under " Featured Articles". It's called
Warnings of a Depression. It's bang on with the information. Many of
the warnings I experienced myself when I was going through my depression. I thought it would be helpful for you to look through the slides
and see if you're experiencing any of the warnings of a depression.

[evewisewoman]

Hello mano31,

I just finished reading your comments. You may be suffering from a depression. Feeling like crying a lot of the time, having very little appetite,
not being able to sleep are symptoms of depression. I know about that.
I went through a very difficult depression about twelve years ago now.
You're only fifteen. I'm a lot older than you, but I've heard depression can
occur at any age. The words I'm depressed are bandied around quite
frequently, but a real depression is much more than just feeling sad all
the time and the severity of the depression is different for each individual
person who experiences depression. Is it fair to say, you are a sensitive
young woman whose feelings are easily hurt? If you don't sleep properly
and you don't eat properly, are you experiencing a huge lack of energy?
Are you losing interest in things that in the past normally interested you?
This is also a symptom of depression. You say " you feel fed up of life" .
That's also something that happens when you're feeling depressed.
Do you have trouble remembering where you've put things even though
you just had that object in your hand a couple of minutes ago. Do you
have trouble making even the most simple decisions, something as simple as what to wear. Do you think what's the point of getting up? If any of
these things I've mentioned are things that have happened to you, these
are things that I experienced when I was going through my depression.
You said you've had frequent fights with your mom. Sometimes mothers
may be frustrated because they don't know how to help you. They might
just say it's a phase you're going through. What I think may be needed is
an honest discussion with your mom. You could tell her how you're feeling,
what's been happening with you. That you think you might be having the
beginning of a depression. You could ask her if she could make you an
appointment with your family doctor. If you don't have a family doctor,
perhaps you could go to a walk in clinic if something like that is available
to you. If you can go to your family doctor, that's what I did, tell him or
her what's happening with you, i.e. not being able to sleep, eat properly,
the fact that you've lost weight and that you're feeling fed up with life.
Your family doctor will be able to suggest what he or she thinks is going
on, make some suggestions and probably a referral to a counsellor , maybe. Good luck, mano. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I went
through a depression almost twelve years ago now. Depression runs in
our family so I inherited my tendency to depression. At the time of my
depression, I also was fortunate to have a terrific psychiatrist who helped me immensely and it was through him that I got a referral to group counselling with other people who were also going through a depression.
Talk therapy is equally important. Take the first step though and talk to
your mom. Good luck. You will be okay. :)

[ViolinAddict]

Good for you for recognizing how you are feeling. It takes a lot of strength to recognize that you would like to feel differently than you do and even more to DO something about it: like posting here, it's a great first step. I started having similar issues with depression when I was about your age and they can be difficult but manageable if you decide to take them head on! A guidance counselor is a very good person to talk to. Also, next time you are at the doctor (or make an appointment specially) mention how you've been feeling and your past hormonal issues. This should give the doctor the information they need to refer you to the right place and help you  feel better! Good luck and post updates when you can :)

[Crystal413]

Did yo take something for the hormonal imbalance back then? If so, do you still take it? If not you should go to the dr again and get checked. If it is still out out of balance and you get it fixed ( because it can effect how you feel, react and the crying spells ),  maybe it would be easier to deal with your mom and the other kids. Some kids can be very cruel. It's about their own insecurites not about you. Sometimes we need to have a thicker skin to deal with people like this.

Have you tried sitting down with your mom and sharing your feelings about the kids and what is happening between you and her ? If not, this can open the lines of positive communication between the two of you.  I know it can be hard but give it a try. You don't have anything to lose by trying. You can also talk to her about going to the dr about the hormones. Explain to her how you are feeling otherwise she doesn't know to help you.

Do you have a guidance counselor that you would feel comfortable talking to? I think this would help you with what you are feelings. It will also help with the kids at school teasing you. It's good to get your feelings out there and it also helps you to process things and figure out how you can make things better for yourself. Another suggestion would be a therapist. If you choose this route, I would still talk to your counselor about the teasing especially if it is still going on. This behavior needs to stop. It is hurtfull and I understand how you feel. Walk proud and don't give them the satisfaction of hurting you.

Let us know how things go.

[mano31]

thanks for the answer....
well it has been occouring since a few months back some people at school teased me and i had frequent fights with my mother too
i cry always when such a thing happens
a few years back i had hormonal imbalance....

[Crystal413]

Hi there, Could you tell us when you started feeling bad? Is there something in particular that is making you feel depressed?

Your not alone, many girls feel the way your feeling, finding the cause is helpful in feeling better. At your age hormones are a bit unpredictable with our emotions. Have you ever had yours tested to see if they are in normal range? Not eating right and not sleeping good can most definitely contribute to feeling bad/depressed.

Going to Therapy will help you work things out in your mind and just talking to someone and unloading your emotions will help you. You can feel better but you do have to work at it, like eating and sleeping. It may sound simple but it really does effect the way we feel.

[Bubulous]

I always tell teenagers that they may get better advice on the teenage depression forum but I will still put my input on their question.
How long has this been going on?
I believe that you have these emotions and you will likely have them quite a bit throught your life.  It is part of it.  Every human on this planet, with the exception of a few with serrious mental complications has the same set of emotions and they include everything from depression to happiness.  Don't feel that you are abnormal because you are not the only one your age, in your school, or likely even in your home that is depressed.
It will pass, I promise.  What makes it pass quicker is if you can accept that it is going to pass.  When it does you willl be a little stronger and better prepared to deal with it when it happens again.
That is all I can say based on the information that you gave.  I am sure you know that if you looked up depression on the internet it would say you were depressed based on the symptoms you have so the answer to you question is.....yes you likely are depressed.