What's the difference between being depressed and just being a teenager?

So I have sleep problems - need over twelve hours a night and can never get to sleep. I'm always miserable. I've got really pale and always have bags under my eyes. I'm always exhausted. I've lost all my friends because of it and I never want to go out. I used to have several hobbies I was extreamly dedicated to and now I hate them SO much. I don't enjoy anything I hate school, I hate being there. I'm ill all the time with head aches and colds. All I ever want to do it stay in bed as long as possible and not go out. I used to go out all the time with friends and be popular but now they've given up with me and I can't go out even if I want to.

So yes, I tick most of the boxes I see in magazines and on the internet regarding depression. Sometimes it's much worse than times for a few weeks. And guess what, it started when I was 13. Now I'm 16. I had just thought it was because I was a teenager. But how would someone tell being a teenager and being depressed apart?

Next year I'm going to do my A'levels in somewhere quite far away and where I won't know a single person. I am hoping it will help me get back on track and make friends, but I'm really scared incase things get worse and no one there likes me. Will this help? I want it to stop, I'm realy sick of it. I made another group of friends in the past but they all decided to stop speaking to me because they said I was boring and always miserable. Before, I was the outgoing one with my friends. :frown:

I dunno what to do.

Reply 1

PinkMobilePhone

Chat Forum Helper, Life & Style Forum Helper

22

Well I have to say, I had a few teenage wobbly moments (mostly the increase in arguments with parents) but I never felt the way you do at the moment.

It kind of sounds like a bit more than normal teenage angst to be honest.
Go and see a doctor and tell him/her how you're feeling. They will be able to tell you better than anybody on here if what you have is clinical depression or not.

Reply 2

lazyswot

I'd go to the doctor, just to check. If it's been affecting you this badly for this long, it might be depression or something else, like some kind of deficiency making you tired, or a physical illness instead of a psychological one. And I don't think it is just teenage hormones, not from what you've said. If it was just a teenage thing you'd tend to have fluctuating highs and lows, and it doesn't sound like you've had any proper highs for a while :frown:

Get help. It will get better. And good luck for your new start! :hugs:

Reply 3

sidi

1

Yeah, sounds like you need a bit of help there. Be good to get it sorted before you change college so you can make a fresh start. You've taken the first step by telling us so take it further. Good luck!

Reply 4

IzzyWizzy

10

Well that's exactly how I was, in fact I was probably even worse. Maybe I was depressed and didn't know it. I just put it down to not liking school, being fed up of being treated like a child (we still had uniforms and weren't allowed out at lunch time - in 6th form!), not liking most people at school etc. I felt really claustrophobic and paranoid in my small town where everyone gets in your business. Sure enough I did improve a lot when I came to uni. It might just be down to circumstances, hard to know really.

Reply 5

lljaneth

my boyfriend suffers from depression and he described it and sounds similar to what you seem to be experiencing. if you suffer from clinical depression then you dont necessarily know why your feeling that way which seems to be your case..and usually its genetic and other than that there really isnt a reason..i'd say see a doctor about it..as an 18year old i cant say ive ever felt that way for longer than an hour or so and have never seen any friends going through that, it doesnt seem like just teenage angst. good luck!

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

OP

I'd go to the doctor, just to check. If it's been affecting you this badly for this long, it might be depression or something else, like some kind of deficiency making you tired, or a physical illness instead of a psychological one

Well my head of year rang my mum and told her to take me for that reason when I was always tired, back when I was 13. My mum laughed at her and when I got home my parents shouted at me for acting like something was wrong and told me nothing was, I was tired because I was 'growing'. My dad punished me by not letting me do my hobby that night. I've never spoken to them about it myself, but I know they think depression is one of those things that's all in the mind. I can't remember ever going to the doctor because they've never taken me other than for jabs etc. So that's not really an option, and anything the school could arange needs parental consent.

Thanks for your replies. Hopefully the long summer and finishing my GCSEs will help me before my new start.

Reply 7

Jillie Boe

14

I could list you the factors that are involved in biopolar and uni-polar mood disorder if you want. There are two types and believe it or not, both of them don't really class feeling "down" as a factor. It's a lot of things.

If you want I'll post them and you can tick them off to see if they're relevant to you. And then you could take it from there?

Reply 8

*pink_sapphires*

1

Depression is not "all in the mind." Without getting too detailed...your body produces hormones which control your moods. Sometimes your body can stop producing hormones that make you happy and so you are constantly sad and depressed. So by trying to overcome depression by thinking it's all in your mind won't help. People with depression do need help.

Sorry, just re-read your post and you said that its your parents who think that. Maybe bring it up in conversation or get someone to tell them that. Or see if school could send a letter home to parents explaining that at this challenging stage with GCSEs, sometimes students can become depressed?

A new start may help. I had a new start this year for 6th form, and yes, it did help. But now I'm back to feeling how I used to feel. I'm considering talking to someone about it and getting help but like you, my mother is difficult to talk to about these things because she cannot accept that her child is sad. If you want to chat, feel free to PM me. It often helps to talk to people you don't know. :smile:

Reply 9

*pink_sapphires*

1

Jillie Boe

I could list you the factors that are involved in biopolar and uni-polar mood disorder if you want. There are two types and believe it or not, both of them don't really class feeling "down" as a factor. It's a lot of things.

If you want I'll post them and you can tick them off to see if they're relevant to you. And then you could take it from there?

oooh...i've never heard of that. I'd be interested in hearing more about it. :redface:

Reply 10

Anonymous #1

OP

If you want I'll post them and you can tick them off to see if they're relevant to you. And then you could take it from there?

Okay thanks, that might be useful. :smile:

Reply 11

lifeispeachy

People's hormones are all over the place at your age so they generally tend to have emotional problems of one sort or another, some suffer worse than others. If you have clinical depression though, which it sounds like you might the best way to find out is to research DSM's criteria for diagnosis and see which apply to you (5 out of 8 indicate you are clinically depressed). You might choose to see a doctor about it.

Reply 12

Jillie Boe

14

Ok biopolar disorder (Isn't this what Robbie Williams is experiencing?) Tends to appear in late adolesence. It's really uncommon and affects 1% of the population. Unipolar affects 5%. Mood Disorder isn't as common as people think it is.

This is the one where the patient alternates between mania and depression, with periods of normality seperating them each time.

1. Elevated or Expansive Mood - The patient displays a very europhic mood state, they show intense joy and great enthusiasm and in general vieW the world as a wonderful place.

2. Inflated self esteem - Patients often see themselves in a positive way. They see themsevles as very attractive, important and powerful. They see themselves as capable of achieving great things even if they have no ability in that area.

3. Sleeplessness- Patients experience a decrease in the need for sleep, they many only sleep 2-3 hours a night

4. Talkativeness - Patients tend to talk loudly, rapidly and constantly. Often what they say is irrelevant and jokes that they only find funny.

5. Flight of Ideas- Patients seem to have racing thoughts that can often shift abruptly from one topic to another.

6. Distractibility - Patients are often easily distracted from what they are doing

7. Hyperactivity - Patients tend to be restless and have increased activity levels.

8. Reckless Behaviour - The patients high self esteem and positive self image often leads to them to encourage in inplusive and ill adivsed actions. They may go on buying sprees, engage in reckless driving etc. They tend to be insensitive to the needs of others and do things like ring people up in the middle of the night etc.

There you go hon. Hope this helps.

I know biopolar shocked me when I first read the symptons cos they don't sound pretty normal but meh! lol.

xxx

Reply 13

*pink_sapphires*

1

Jillie Boe

4. Talkativeness - Patients tend to talk loudly, rapidly and constantly. Often what they say is irrelevant and jokes that they only find funny.

my best friend would tell you that im the only person who finds any of my jokes funny :rolleyes:

Reply 14

sidi

1

There's no reason not to go to the doctor just because you've only been for jabs. Why not make an appointment for yourself? Failing that you could ring NHS Direct 0845 4647 for further advice. Or look at their website http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/
Seems to me you've suffered long enough, not helped by your parents attitude. Hope you get the help you need soon.

Reply 15

Anonymous #2

Anonymous

Well my head of year rang my mum and told her to take me for that reason when I was always tired, back when I was 13. My mum laughed at her and when I got home my parents shouted at me for acting like something was wrong and told me nothing was, I was tired because I was 'growing'. My dad punished me by not letting me do my hobby that night. I've never spoken to them about it myself, but I know they think depression is one of those things that's all in the mind. I can't remember ever going to the doctor because they've never taken me other than for jabs etc. So that's not really an option, and anything the school could arange needs parental consent.

Thanks for your replies. Hopefully the long summer and finishing my GCSEs will help me before my new start.

Can you not just look up the doctors number in the phone directory and arrange an appointment yourself? I might be wrong but I think that since they are legally obliged not to tell anyone your parents don't need to know you've been to the docs. Obviously if you are diagnosed telling them might be an idea.

What's the difference between being depressed and just being a teenager?

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