Sex, Etc. -- I feel depressed all the time, and it's...

I feel depressed all the time, and it's getting worse. Sometimes, I cut myself, and I've even thought about suicide. Can you help me?

It is SO important that you have reached out to us. Because we happen to care very much about what happens to you, even though we’ve never met! It’s really normal to feel sad sometimes or really overwhelmed by what you’re dealing with as a teen. But hurting yourself, or even considering killing yourself, is never, ever the answer.

If you seriously feel like you might try to kill yourself, please do one of the following:

Call 911. 911 is for emergencies. And if you are thinking about killing yourself, it’s an emergency. The folks at the other end of the line will be able to get you help immediately, so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call.

Call 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) or 1-800-HIT-HOME (448-4663). These are 24-hour, toll-free hotlines that are staffed by trained counselors. Sometimes we feel really bad and think that it would be better if we just didn’t feel anymore. Some people think that translates into suicide, but suicide is NEVER the answer. So call one of the hotlines, and talk to a caring counselor to figure out what your other options are. (If you need a different type of hotline, check out our list here.

Get to a counselor or therapist. Before you even get to the point of thinking about hurting yourself, try to get to a trained professional who can help you deal more effectively with everything you have going on. You can ask your parents to connect you with a counselor or a therapist, and you don’t necessarily need to tell them why you want to see someone. You can just tell them that there’s a lot on your mind and you think that talking with someone could help. You can also find a counselor by talking to your school counselor or asking him or her for a referral to another counselor. Or try this Web site to find a professional counselor near you.

Now, hurting yourself without trying to commit suicide is also something you need to take action on and stop. Some people try cutting as a way to feel better and have ended up cutting too deep. They end up trying to or successfully committing suicide without even meaning to.

You need to know that you are not alone in cutting or hurting yourself. And we are not alone in saying that it needs to stop. There are self-injury and self-mutilation Web sites with people telling their own stories. But, as they all say themselves, these sites cannot substitute for the help of a trained mental health professional.

Remember, you took a brave step forward by just visiting our Web site and clicking on this question. This means that you can take the next step—reaching out to someone close to you, so you can start to feel better.

Your Comments

RESOURCES

Posted by: DanR on Apr 18th, 2008 9:30am

I have noticed that some people seem to be going through
similar types of situations. Adolescence can be a very
rough time and present a lot of challenges. I think you are
all very brave for coming to our site and sharing your
stories. I do want to direct you to this page on the site
that has some hotlines in case you ever need someone to talk
to: http://www.sexetc.org/page/crisis_hotlines. I am glad
to see that some of you have already started talking to
someone about this. Hang in there!

i am the same

Posted by: selena! on Apr 15th, 2008 11:33pm

i cut my wrist alot! im 14 and ive been cutting sense i was
13. im one of the girls tht like to be out going. i tend to
make things worse and more complicating. when i get mad or
sad i hold it in, then when i cant take it anymore i go in
mybathroom getarazor blade and sit inthe corner. i cant
stand my life but no one takes me seriously anymore. ive
gone to counslors but the stuff they tell me dont work for
me. you just have to put up with things i guess.

I am JUST like you! :'(

Posted by: emo_vampire on Apr 5th, 2008 8:26am

I finally stop cutting myself i little...I used to sit in
the corner and scream while i cut myself....and yes i also
tried to commit suicide. But the cutting was worst with me,
suicide wasn't much in my head. I probley have ALOT of
scares on my arm. Just like lovesick26, im scared to tell
ppl close to me about my depression and epcially about me
cutting myself...but this site helped me out.

hi iv read these storys

Posted by: kendra_v_xox on Mar 1st, 2008 9:53pm

i know for a fact what everyone is going threw. Myself i
have been in situations where i cut my wrist to feel better
and if ur concidering on killing urself well id advise u to
call or go to someone imideatly other wise it could be too
late. When you try comitting suicide or harming yourself
like cutting you dont just hurt urself. but,everyone around
you and thats selfish on my point of view.Right now im
living a hard life since i was 11 and im 14. sometimes i
wish i could be a kid again.

RE: help :(

Posted by: DanR on Feb 21st, 2008 10:47am

I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this.
Unfortunately, because we deal with sexual health issues, we
have a very limited number of resources to offer in this
area. In addition to the information given above, we can
offer a list of crisis hotlines, which can be found at:
http://www.sexetc.org/page/crisis_hotlines. Talking to a
counselor is a great start, but before you fall too far into
your old habits, you should seek additional help. Hang in
there!

help :(

Posted by: Regrets... on Feb 20th, 2008 11:36pm

I talked to the counselor the other day but it didn't really
help and now i am falling back into old habits of going to
the bathroom just to cut myself :( i need help but when i
get it i can't talk about anything and that just makes me
want to cut even more :(

I have been there.

Posted by: rudolpbr on Jan 18th, 2008 11:02pm

I have been in the same situation that you are right now. I
was depressed and tried to deal with that depression by
cutting myself and drinking. Then, one night when I was
drunk I attempted suicide by cutting. Luckily one of my
friends was there and she stopped me. I know that things
seem bad right now, but if you reach out for help I PROMISE
THAT THINGS WILL GET BETTER.

RE: am i seeking attention?

Posted by: DanR on Jan 9th, 2008 12:12pm

Sometimes if you are depressed it is difficult to think
clearly and really understand why you do certain things.
The most important thing for you to know is that your
feelings are your feelings, and they are not right or wrong.
Cutting, however, is definitely not a healthy way of
dealing with these emotions. I suggest trying to talk to a
counselor or a teacher at school, contacting the National
Teen Emergency Hotline at 1-800-448-3000, or coming to one
of our Monday night chat sessions.

RE: I dont know what 2 do........

Posted by: DanR on Jan 9th, 2008 11:08am

I am sorry to hear that you are going this. I think that it
is very important that you see your doctor again and let
them know what you are experiencing. Different
anti-depressant medications do have different side effects,
so not every medication works for every person. If you need
to talk to someone, you can call the National Teen Emergency
Hotline 24 hours a day at 1-800-448-3000 or you can come to
one of our Monday Night chat sessions and speak with one of
our experts. Hang in there!

RE: Almost Gone

Posted by: DanR on Jan 3rd, 2008 2:42pm

It is important that you follow-up with the doctor who
prescribed the medicine for you and let him know how you are
feeling. For some people it takes a couple tries to find
the right medicine to work, and each drug can produce a
different type of side effect. Depression is something that
is very personal and you have the right to tell (and not
tell) whoever you want. The most important thing is that
you keep up your treatment with your doctor and feel better!

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