Am I depressed or is this normal?

[james]

My life, for the most part, has been normal. I have good parents, lots of friends, and a stable home environment. Lately I have started thinking about a rather tragic event in my life.
    About two years ago, there was a tragic shooting at my school. I saw one of my friends get shot in the head, and many fellow classmates get injured. I waited in a pitch black hallway for an hour, jumping at every sound, and truing to keep my composure while helping those stuck with me from breaking down. Even when a police officer knocked on the door, I was hesitant at opening the door. Little information was relayed to us of who was injured. It wasn't till two days later that I found out the second death was my very best friend.
   At my friends funeral, all I could think about was comforting those around me. I felt that those who were the ones that should be crying were family and close friends. And now, two years later, I am hesitant to talk to anyone. My main reason for my silence, is that I feel that with all of the talk of moving on and healing, I don't want it to appear like I am milking it.
    Some of the reasons that I am unsure or not that I have depression is that I have not given up and hobbies, I have no trouble sleeping, and I do not have an eating problem. I do get saddened whenever the slightest thought or memory of the incident creeps into my mind. When I am watching an episode of ER or Law & Order, and the plot involves a shooting, my mind drifts to memories of the shooting. When I heard about he shooting in Michigan and Pennsylvania, my mind was flooded with thoughts of two years ago. When this happens; I become sad, not aware of my surrounding, and I come close to sobbing.
    My question would be: Am I depressed, and should I seek help? Or am I just experiencing typical reactions to a tragic event?

[ChazandAlyssa]

I'm in love with this girl and my parents won't let me c her alot only Tuesday n someother day. I've tried suicide. I'm only 13 but I feel like I'm 15+ I hate my parents WHOLE family hates me. I hate me i don't wonna tell my family bcuz they will do to many things to help. I get kinda bad grades and parents ground me. Can any1 help me u cud txt me 1 859 749 6909 I could really use it n if I tell my gf shell get rly rly scared and freak out.

[Marla]

James, what you are going through sounds  'normal' to me, but I urge you to seek some help in dealing with your thoughts. Post traumatic stress can cause lots of serious problems. Did you receive any counselling after the shooting ?  Ideally, you and your friends should have received a critical incident debrief after the incident. good luck for the future and please go and get some help.

[rhonni]

Do you know what PTSD is? Its Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  You may want to research it on the net or in the library.

[HFHS.MD-AJ]

It is unfortunate that you had to go through the traumatic experience that you had. Your symptoms of sadness and re-experiencing two years after the incident are not "typical reactions", and may be due to depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which are topics that have been extensively discussed in this forum. You may search through our forum archives for more information on these subjects. I also urge you to seek evaluation by a mental health professional. Both depression and PTSD are treatable by a combination of medications and psychotherapy.