Newbie Alert!!

[Ashes_]

Hello all!

my name is Ashes_:) and I'm a 17 yr old high school senior who has been and is struggling with the transition from childhood to adulthood. The stress of not being able to find a job, getting my licence and achieving decent grades to set me up for my future has been eating at me for months. Mix this with the hormones of a teenager and you're looking for trouble!

All of this stress is starting to chip away at my mental well being, as I tend to worry about not succeeding as an adult. I've been feeling really down in the dumps lately with no motivation to do anything I've noticed a change in my eating patterns and sleep schedule. This change in my behavior has been getting worse over this past few weeks.

I had similar behavioral patterns when i was younger than i am now, probably around the age of 12 when I was just starting high school but that was as damaging as what I'm experiencing at the moment. I'm assuming its brought on but massive changes in my life.

My school has been blasting this website at us for years if we needed someone to talk to so I thought it would be best to give it a shot. Any words of wisdom, advice or tips to help me to move through this rough patch would be amazing.

Thanks guys.

[PolarBear_-_]

Its Ok ' Ashes , I am a newbie Too Your not alone You have come to the right place 🙂

Hang In there '

[geoff]

hello Ashes, welcome to the site and I'm pleased that your school has been promoting this site.
It is an enormous change for everybody changing from childhood to adulthood, the thought of being able to drive, have a drink and start to do most things on your own without getting your parents approval, but it can also be overwhelming, simply because you could move out of home and start renting a flat with all the expenses that come with it, something that is completely new for you, so it can be quite frightening.
The expectations of getting the job you had your eyes on may not be possible, only due to certain circumstances, and yes that can be disappointing, and could then start to make you feel that you're not good enough, and then other negative thoughts begin to flood your mind, making you want to sleep, not eat and lose any interest in whatever you once enjoyed.
It's a sudden transition that can be too much, although the idea can seem to be exciting, but may fall flat on it's face, please book an appointment with your doctor who may then refer you onto a psychologist, something I shouldn't done when I was your age.
I hope you will stay with us and please let us know. Geoff.

[White_Rose]

Dear Ashes

Hello and welcome to Beyond Blue. Please thank your teachers for recommending BB to their students. It would be great if all schools could do that as the support we can offer may be different to school chaplains and counsellors.

You have a lot of insight into your difficulty. Not many teenagers/school leavers would understand the process of growing up is not only physical. I am a little confused. I gather you are still in school but looking for work. Is this part time temporary work until you finish school or a permanent position to enable you to leave school?

Getting a driving licence is probably the most common goal of all people your age. Do you have your learner's licence? Who is teaching you to drive? I went to a driving school initially but once I had grasped the essentials my brother and brother-in-law took me out to gain experience. I was over the moon when I passed my driving test and was free to roam. Ironically I found at first I was very nervous driving on my own. It's amazing how reassuring it is to have someone beside you. Will there be anyone who can take you driving to reach your hours total?

How important is it to you to get a job? I can see that having various priorities can bring you to a stand still because it is so hard to make a decision on what to do next. This is where you start practising to be adult and determining the order of priorities until the end of the year.Mostly students want to work to afford to go out with friends etc. Is this the top of your to do list?

What about driving? Are you OK with driving but need to amass you driving hours? This could perhaps take a back seat for a couple of months. Go driving with someone when there is nothing that needs attention, such as homework.

Yes, teenagers go through significant changes round about your age. As you say, hormones.... This may trigger a depression in you but not necessarily. Sometimes these hormones have their own agenda with little to do with depression. You are changing and this can be difficult. I doubt antidepressants would help you in this respect. However, I am not a doctor, and even if I was I could not give you an answer without more information and a face to face conversation.

So why not book an appointment with your GP and tell him/her how you feel. If this is depression the your GP will manage it appropriately. Either way, continuing to post here may help you. Please keep us up to date.

Mary