youth member of beyondblue

[amy41319]

I'm Amy, 16 years old and I am struggling with depression, general anxiety disorder and a little bit of social anxiety. Each of those were beginning to surface at about 10 or 11 years old, so for about 6 or so years now I've been having problems.

I enjoy watching tv shows, I watch far too many to name them all but my two favourites right now are Sherlock and Castle. After I finish high school I plan on studying to be a midwife, then later down the track I definitely would like to have a family of my own.

My social anxiety isn't too bad, but some days are more worse than others. I wouldn't mind getting to know some people on here and share my experiences, as physically there aren't any people around me who quite understand.

[The_Real_David_Charles]

Dear Amy,

It's good to have goals.     I'm only replying as my oldest daughter trained as a midwife at Sydney in one of those fast track courses that combines nursing and midwifery in only 3 years.   She started working at a regular hospital 4 months ago and has found it tough (as was the training).  I guess even if you have a bad day there are always babies to brighten up the day.

The one thing I noticed about the training was the no. of case studies.  Unfortunately, the study had to be consistant regardless of if you had got called in with your case study as she was giving birth overnight.   I remember a lot of drops or pick ups at crazy hours like 3am or 4:30am just to cover this side.

The shift work of medical staff is, again, another challenge.   If you can get a hold on your depression and anxiety you will find midwifery a great, challenging job.  Of the handful of teens that started (most of the course was mums returning to the work force) only about 50% stuck with it.  I believe distance was part of the problem for some, i.e. living 2 hrs away from the uni in the Central Coast or Wollongong.

I believe the Melbourne Uni midwife course is good too and you might be able to get accomodation.   I think it's one of those skilled professions where study and knowledge are all very well but if you don't have an approachable and easy manner no one can feel comfortable talking to you.  Anyway, the demand for midwives around the world is very high and the money is great.  My daughter had moved out within 2 months.

I've seen Castle a few times - bit of intrigue, hey ?    You know the ABC has been showing the UK series Midwives for a month or so.  Even if you miss it I'm sure it will be available from ABC shops as a DVD.  Apparantly, all the midwives watch it and there is a bit of emphasis on adolescent pregnancies which is a tad hard to cope with.  Well, from what I hear, some husbands are pretty terrible too.

Adios, David.

PS   I have a sister called Amy but she is more of a 666 than a 41319.  Lol.

[geoff]

dear Amy, welcome aboard, and you seem to be a very intelligent young lady with plans for your future and you should be commended for having these goals.

You know that there a huge variety of people here on this site, all suffering from this debilitating illness, whether it's a specific part of depression or a group of different types, just like you have.

The age group varies from young people, like yourself, to older type people like myself and others who have been to hell and back more times than you can count, however we try to help others in their struggle to begin to feel better.

This isn't an easy job, because some people post a comment and are given many replies by other people, but then we never hear from them again, which is disappointing, but that's their choice, and we move on to somebody else.

I feel so sorry for those suffering with this illness, but I extend this to a greater and higher level for those who are young and facing adulthood with depression hanging over their head.

It makes their challenge so much harder, because when I was living in hell, my youngest son about your age suffered from depression caused by myself, I believe, but also our marital divorce that was looming.

We want to make you feel as though there are plenty of lovely people who really want to help you, and for you to feel comfortable when you would like to open up to us. L Geoff.

[amy41319]

Thankyou for taking the time to reply back to my post, to be honest I wasn't really expecting much from anyone.. It's nice to hear from other people

I find that preparing things well in advance helps me quite a lot, as last minute decisions and such are what I try to avoid as much as I can to try and make things easier for myself. And with my particular goals, I know exactly where I want to head in life and what to make of it

[amy41319]

I'm quite fascinated by the line of work, I have three younger sisters and I've done a couple of school based work placements in hospitals, so I've gotten to observe and learn things over the past few years, which I think has helped me to choose which career is best suited for me.

Yes I am a bit of a fan, unfortunately Channel 7's broadcasting schedule isn't all that great so I don't get to watch it as much.. But sometimes is better than never, I suppose. And I quite like those midwifery shows, sometimes if I get the chance I'll catch up on a couple of episodes.

I can relate, I have three sisters and they're all 666's, unfortunately..

[vip]

Hi Amy 4 yes my depression started at the same age as you. I am 39 now. I  took myself off to a GP and then got referred onto to a psychiatrist that put me on a mental health plan this is what I would recommend you do. You probably dont need any medication as yet because there are alternate things they will try like acupuncture meditation , join a sport or a club ect. But by just talking to a professional it will just give you more reassurance and confidence. Goodluck with all your study plans