Readers Respond: What Signs and Symptoms Let You Know

It took me a long time to know that I was depressed. Looking back, I now realize that I had my first bout of depression when I was about 7 years old. I can remember waking up day after day, hoping that today would finally be a "good day." I was quiet and withdrawn at school, didn't sleep well, and felt sad. It was several years later, however, when I took a college psychology class that I realized that what I had been feeling all those years wasn't the result of personal weakness. It was a real illness and could be treated. That realization changed my life.

How did you know that you were depressed?

Too young...

im only ten! and in thinking im stressed or depressedi have 6 turtles that i want to keep alive but i have had thoughts of suicide but never got close to died when i stoped. my friend abandond me and my teacher called me a hooliganand my music teacher called me a loser(well they both called the whole class)i feel alone in this war i just want help. i just need a good friend(im unpopular) mabye from this site but everry one on here is probably older than me.i almost cried making this...i just need help please

—Guest daniel j

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Depression is something that has been with me for as long as I can remember. When I was very young, I had lost a big part of my family- people who I lived next to and loved since I was born. After that, I never truly let anyone else in; I figured that if I did, they would leave too. Now I'm almost sixteen, and I have no social life whatsoever. School was so frustrating and stressful for me that I had to be placed into homeschooling. I'd been made fun of and misunderstood because of my intense social anxiety, which to this day causes me to be stuck in a sort of paranoid limbo. It just made everything worse, and now I'm so far in, there is no way out. I never thought of suicide, thank God. I always found people who wanted to opt out to be rather weak. I handle my problems, but it's still a weight on my shoulders, and I sag beneath that every day. I don't sleep well, or have motivation, and I walk around in a daze. It feels like I'm playing robot every day. It's no way to live.

—Guest Emma

Feeling Useless

I feel as if nobody cares or knows how i feel maybe if i tell my frendz theyll tell somebody else and i want to tell somebody but cant and dont want to i cry and have several thoughts of suicide i get in trouble at skool and hate it i cry and cry nobody noes wat i do i hate living withy frendz and having to tell them everthing is ok i want to be loved and think of being a useless person maybe if i check into a place ill get better im only 11 so i say to myself its a phase and its not true but in my head i live a lie tht way, somaybe i need medical help i tell my mom and she laffs ihate it i juss hope my parents will forgive me and so will god

—Guest LostandConfused

is this depression

im so unhappy.i long to be happy again.its like im dead alive.im married,have a son nd expecting another baby.i did not even want this baby.im feeling guilty about everything.i feel like my hubby doesnt love me infact i dont remember the last time he expressed his love towards me

—Guest ndo

advice please

I am 13, grade 8 about a month ago i was kicked out of ,my house, i have missed 5 months of school in the past year, i have cut 47 times just to see myself bleed, i have been losing almost a pound a day lately, my stomach hurts but when i eat i feel like im gonna throw up, im sweating non stop, im scared, im nervous, i miss my family, i live with my 20 year old sister and her 3 kids in a 2 bedroom apartment... i just want to die, i have nothing to live for, everybody hates me, im worthless.help.

—kool_sox

Depressed During the Holidays

I am so broke. For three months I have struggled financially. I met a friend who promised me a job amongst other things. Three months ago i had a job and was out of debt. But because he was certain I would get a job I left my job and also invested into a few business deals but as I write this I have no job, no money, not one penny from the deals and I have no one to turn to. I dont know how people can be so wicked in this world that we live in. I have smoked myself silly and I am drained physically and mentally. Also my brother is in jail. I feel so alone. Why does God let people suffer. Ive cried myself to sleep because of hunger. Because i am so confused. Its not fair. Im not sure how much longer i can even hold on.

—Guest dutch-dutch

i don't know

I am fifteen and ever since I could remember I hated myself. I am lucky, I have a family and a home but when I was a child many horrible things have happened which have broken my heart beyond repair. It's not falling in love with a Guy then crashing but more of a paralyzed heart which has juat been thrown onto the ground by your parent. Although things have gotten better I hurt myself more than usual and feel worthless and stupid. I am no good but I don't know who to tell this to because I know no one can understand me. If my mum and dad can't help me who can?

—Guest lilian

I am Deppressed Angsity

I amDeppressed Can not Make decins or Rember any thing at all

—Guest Virginia Parks

I don't normally post

I don't normally post so this could probably end badly, but after Reading so many of these stories and seeing so many people that really want help, or feel that they're not worth helping, or just feel lost, I just wanted to say a few words. I often feel some of the things that you've said you've felt, I feel alone even though I KNOW that I have people who love me, I really wish I knew some of you, because I'd probably love you. I feel either angry, sad, lonely, despair, but it is when I'm at home and noone can see, other wise I just look really really happy to everyone, I talk about my feelings too much to friends, I feel like some people might think I'm an attention seeker, and I start to think that maybe I am. i cry alot, I can't really control it it'sgone on for like a year, I'm happythen I'm sad.want to tell all of you that although I don't know if it will get better, I can't promise, but live for the future, bcos u won't know what'll happen. my friend told me this and I love her

—Guest Georgia

i am confused

since startingly as i remember i am always restless child i always looking for something and the wonder is i dont know what i always feel sad gloomy specially in weekend afterhours and everyday after evening time my mood is not constant its change in a day so many time thats why i could not take any decission of my life i am not interested in life i dont have any desire any wish any aim i am just living like alive dead body just breathing i dont know what my fatal will be i think it would be worst god ALLAH mercy on me good bye

—Guest hassan

i am confused

since startingly as i remember i am always restless child i always looking for something and the wonder is i dont know what i always feel sad gloomy specially in weekend afterhours and everyday after evening time my mood is not constant its change in a day so many time thats why i could not any decission of my life i am not interested in life i dont have any desire any wish any aim i am just living like alive dead body just breathing i dont know what my fatal will be i think it would be worst god ALLAH mercy on me good bye

—Guest hassan

Could I also have depression?

Since I was a child, age 7 actually, I have always thought about suicide. Praying to god at least once a week to kill me until i was 14. Then in highschool I went through bouts of insomnia were I just couldnt sleep for more than 3 hours a night. Last year I met a girl who changed me and made me feel essentially like my emotions didnt matter and I am extremely happy around her. Even though she doesnt want to be with me, causing me to constantly workout and sleep, often eating very little. Im extremely thin, my mother has manic depressive bipolar disorder and her attempts at suicide as a child may have caused all of these feelings. I just feel like I am never happy for more than a day at a time. Im always switching between depression and happy/confident. I worry that I just fear that i have bipolar disorder and this results in my mood swings; but I feel like i am just extremely responsive emotionally to my surroundings. I feel extremely alone again because that girl doesnt love me. Im 18

—Guest Henry

Too scared for help

I have had a weight in my chest and a cloud over my head for over 10 years now. I think I've resigned myself to never be happy. I've spent years being told by my parents that I'm worthless, useless and never gonna do anything with my life And know matter what I do nothing will ever change their opinion. I just wish I could stop thinking it as true when I know it's not. I own my own home, I am climbing the career ladder really quickly. But it will never be enough. I will never be enough. Which makes me think why do I carry on living?

—Guest Hiding it well

I AM Really in Depression

I am a person who is from a poor family.. I am now 21 and i feel alone.. From last 3 months i am attending placements and i am not able to get a job.. I am the topper in my college.. I tried some 15 companies i cant get a job.. I cry myself often and sleep 14-15 hrs.. I had involved i lot of work and projects and because of depression i am not able to do any work.. Burden is increasing.. I am feeling that i cant get a job.. Without job entire my family has to do suicide or become beggers.. I dont want to ask help or become begger.. Now i lost interest in studies and i lost interest in placements jobs.. Dont know what to do in life..

—Guest Pitri

Help

I've been intensly sad for no reason since the age of six and since the age of seven I have had thoughts of death. I feel like everything is my fault and that people only pretend to love me. I can't tell my parents because they wouldn't listen and say that that is not how i feel. I know this because when i told my dad, he dismissed it and my mum is even worse. I'm so unpopular and i have frequent hallucinations. I have nightmares every night and I keep feeling like I'm going to cry but I hold it in. The few people i tell say that I'm just doing it for attention. They say it so much that even I'm starting to believe it. please help me. please.

—Guest anonymous