what to do now?

[ivan_elbisivni]

it seems i am suffering from severe depression,mild to severe bipolar disorder,ocd and trichotillomania, adult attention deficit disorder
do i see a psychiatrist or a psychologist?
what's the difference between these two?

[Haddock_Entrap_Propulasion]

That's not all antidepressants, just SSRIs...there's no known increased risk from atypical antidepressants.  And there are better resources than the internet...

[sdbrit]

Smart advice from Kage...

Definitely do not go straight to meds. without seeing a doctor qualified to help with adolescent depression.  Anti-depressants have been proven to contribute to teen suicide - as crazy as that sounds!  If you do take meds. be sure you have adequate monitoring.  google teens and anti-depressants for more info. on that.  Not saying they are out of the question all together - just need to be super aware.

I look a lot of stuff up on the internet and totally appreciate it's value, however, sometimes when looking at big lists of symptoms it's easy to see yourself having a lot of the problems.  The smart advice is to go talk to someone and discover what your unique issues are and go from there.

Plus, keep in mind that you are a teenager and for many it's a tough time, you have a lot to deal with - hormones, future, relationships and not so much experience knowing how to deal with all these things  - good job reaching out and asking for help.  We all need help from time to time and you are smart enough to see that - I'm sure you'll do well.

Good Luck to you.

[Haddock_Entrap_Propulasion]

Two things: first, you are probably not bipolar.  Second, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can diagnose and prescribe, usually that's all they do, whereas a psychologist will listen to you talk about your problems, and help you find non-medical ways of coping with things.  You've self diagnosed yourself with 5 different mental disorders, so I would recommend that you see a psychiatrist, at least initially, who will probably tell you that you don't have more than one or two of them.  

[Judy246]

Try a doctor first. he can prescribe medication without you having to see  a psychiatrist.  He can also evaluate if you need to see a psychiatirst. I believe a Psychologist teaches on  psychiatry. Depression can be treated and you can live a full healthy life depression free if you seek help. Good luck. Judy