What should I do?

[Yarraway]

Hey, Im a 17 year old male currently doing the HSC, I guess im writing this just to see what others would do if they were put in a similar siduation. This may sound like an exaggeration and or chiche, but I want to put my exact siduation to get some personal results. I will start from where I begun to think I had depression. Well here goes...

This year has been a bit of a roller coaster in dealing with my suspected depression and HSC and I understand that the HSC is a very stressful time however I dont believe that its just the HSC that is causing these emotions. What started as maybe a week here and there of feeling down has begun to get alot more constant and alot stronger.

The first time I began to think I was depressed was on a 2 week holiday where I basically just stayed inside at our accomdation laying around whilst the rest of my family was at the beach etc.

Some time went by and I would go through Good and bad phases where I would be happy for a period and then just Crash and this would vary in how long I was Good and or bad. I noticed changes in a complete loss of interest in all the things I enjoyed even the subjects I liked in school. I began to not care about anything, School and my job. And this took effect on my grades going from winning awards to almost flunking everything. I used to want to become a paramedic and goto uni and any passion to do so is now lost. I feel as though my life has no direction and im going to end up working a full time job I hate. Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and being a general loser have become more constant. A few times now I have broken down and just begin to cry (usually when I try to goto sleep). Guilt has also been huge even though I have done nothing wrong or bad! I hate it! and lastly last night at work (Causal job in fast food) A woman came into pick up her order which wasnt ready yet, As I finished the order I froze up and felt extremely nervous, I had never had this happen before I was shocked, it was so intence and I didnt know what to do, I just remember being worried she was going to be angry even though she had been waiting not long at all. I took a deep breath in and was able to calm myself however. I havent spoken to anyone about this (Not even my mum) out of fear of how they will react. What should I do? Is this normal and how do I ask my mum for help

[Zeal]

Hi Yarraway,

I'm sorry to hear about the struggles you're having this year. It sounds as though you do have clinical depression. The symptoms and feelings you've described are typical (and unfortunate) signs of a depressive illness. However, I am not a professional, so you will need to visit your GP for a diagnosis and some advice. Depression is much more common than you'd think, and anyone can develop it. Depression does not discriminate! I had mild depression in my teens, and I've had OCD (an anxiety disorder) since I was 13. I'm now 22, and I'm managing the condition much better, thanks to getting help from my GP, and having great friends and family.

If your Mum cares about your welfare, which I'm sure she does, she will probably be glad you confided in her, and help you. As you are over 16, you can go to the doctor confidentially, without your parents knowing. If you are nervous about talking to your Mum, you could make an appointment with a GP yourself first. Writing down a list of things you want to say is helpful. You could even print out this post and take that as well! If you are avoiding going to the doctor, try approaching your Mum first.

Whichever way you choose to first seek help, you will have told someone, which is vital 🙂 Getting assistance now is really important. Allowances can actually be made for students who have conditions such as depression. These allowances are confidential, so other students do not know about it. I had this in Year 12, as I was struggling with my mental health.

I hope you talk to your Mum soon, and hopefully you'll also see your GP! Feel free to post back 🙂

Best wishes,

SM