[AngelWithWings2]

I've never done one of these before, so I'm not really sure what to do. I don't really know what is wrong with me, but for the past four months I can't remember a day where I haven't cried. I'm 18, and I'm just about to begin my final A-level examinations. I've recently been through a tough time with a guy I was involved with. We were together for 6months, but in the new year I found that he had been lying to me, and leading me on, and I took it pretty badly :( It was soon after this that the crying started. I'm not really sure what triggers it, one minute I'm fine and the next I'll just break down and cry :( In the last few weeks, I have stopped meeting friends, and have been staying in my room alone a lot more. There have been a few occasions where I have been bordering on panic attacks, and I know it sounds stupid, but when it happens, I have started lying with duvet over my head, listening to music, with the volume up full-blast to drown everything else out. I haven't told anybody about it because I don't want people to worry about me. But I really need to talk to someone :(

[O_Troubles]

See a doctor or a thearapist, most city's have a toll free youth phone line to call. I'm not a doctor so I can't say is you have depression but you don't seem OK. Either your stressed, and sad, or whatever you need to talk to someone who if you are indeeed depressed can help you out OK

[simoneaugie]

Do your girlfriends know that you feel sad? Can you talk to one of them, confess? Your depression, if it is that, sounds situational. Share it. We are only as sick as the secrets we keep.

See a physician. Tell them what's going on. You probably don't need medication. I think you need to talk about how you feel.

[KateBell88]

You need to force yourself to spend time with your friends. Don't be so hard on yourself, if you want to cry let yourself but then stop yourself after a minute and tell yourself you're being silly and there's nothing to cry about. Sounds like you're suffering from stress and anxiety which is closely related with depression, try taking St Johns Wort or something mild like that to begin with. If it lasts much longer an you don't seem to be getting any better you need to see someone about it.

[britster]

Angelwithwings,

Im 19 and I felt the same way you did for a very long time.. I always thought I was depressed cause I lost interest in TV and didn't want to hang with friends and I would constantly push my boyfriend away. I researched it on the computer one day and I didn't have symptoms of depression but believe or not I had symptoms of severe stress. I know it sounds crazy but stress is just like depression or bi polar. My suggestion for you is to go to Google and research symptoms of depression and browse around, you would be surprised what you would find.. I feel a lot better because they give you tips and such on how to control certain things.
Good luck
Britster

[Turasleon]

I've never done one of these before, so im not really sure what to do. I don't really know what is wrong with me, but for the past four months I can't remember a day where I haven't cried. I'm 18, and I'm just about to begin my final A-level examinations. I've recently been through a tough time with a guy i was involved with. We were together for 6months, but in the new year I found that he had been lying to me, and leading me on, and I took it pretty badly :( It was soon after this that the crying started. I'm not really sure what triggers it, one minute I'm fine and the next i'll just break down and cry :( In the last few weeks, I have stopped meeting friends, and have been staying in my room alone a lot more. There have been a few occasions where I have been bordering on panic attacks, and I know it sounds stupid, but when it happens, I have started lying with duvet over my head, listening to music, with the volume up full-blast to drown everything else out. I havent told anybody about it because I don't want people to worry about me. But I really need to talk to someone :(

Yeah, I'd like to agree with those who mentioned that it was stress related.

I've been in a depression myself for a long time. It hurts, both inside and out, but it can lead you into a cycle that, if you don't break free of it, it will never end. You need to try to get through this.

I would search for ways to cope with the stress in your life. You've been hurt pretty badly by someone you were with, and that I can safely assume you put a lot of trust in. At the same time, you are about to start some pretty heavy examinations. And this is just what you've told us: your family life, your friends, school, work, and several other factors can also play into the stress, and isolating yourself in your room is what seems to be the only way you can avoid these emotions: anywhere else just makes it worse, you just want to be alone at that time.

If you really need to talk to someone, just as a few others above me said, I would go talk to a counselor. Their job, after all, is to listen and perhaps give you some advice to solve your problems, no strings attached. Talking to some friends, while it may make them worry a little bit, want to know what's going on in your life, and by not telling them, you may be pushing them away. I've made the same mistake before myself, and it doesn't lead to the best of situations when everything clears. Talk to them. They are your friends for a reason, and friends who aren't willingly there for you really aren't such great friends to begin with.

Whatever you do, don't take medication. Given the information, I assume you were okay for quite some time before (an) event(s) happened. Odds are, then, that you aren't chemically imbalanced, and you are eating properly. As such, medication wouldn't do much for you except make it worse for you when you come back to reality: if the stress isn't taken care of, it will still be there when the meds go away.

So...
-Talk to your friends.
-If that fails, or doesn't help, talk to a therapist/counselor.
-Do your best to begin to reduce the stress in your life.
-Eliminate depressive habits/thoughts when they start if you know they're unnecessary.

Oh, and by the way...

... good luck on your exams.

[boredINmind]

Depression is serious and should be taken as such. You should definitely talk to someone you trust family, friends, or a DR. This could just be hormones, but regardless hormones have caused people to do drastic things. Just keep in mind that you don't want anyone to have to worry about you now, so imagine how they will feel if you do anything bad to yourself or just sit suffering alone in your bedroom!

GET HELP!!

[starbuck8]

Depression is serious and should be taken as such. You should definitely talk to someone you trust family, friends, or a DR. This could just be hormones, but regardless hormones have caused people to do drastic things. Just keep in mind that you don't want anyone to have to worry about you now, so imagine how they will feel if you do anything bad to yourself or just sit suffering alone in your bedroom!

GET HELP!!!!

I think you have answered your question with your last statement. You may however, just be in the early stages of depression, so don't let it go untreated. It can get out of control if you allow it to. You are only 18, and you have so many more relationships to look forward to.

Force yourself to get out and do things with your friends... even when you feel so depressed that you don't want to. It really does help, and it takes your mind off how you are feeling.

There is NO boy/man that is worth sitting at home and getting depressed over. The longer you sit and think about him, the harder it will be to get back out there and get on with your life and be happy. Trust me, I'm at least a day and a half over 18 ;)

Good luck to you. :)

(ps. St. John's Wort is an herbal supplement, and has anti-depressant qualities. Much better to take if you don't really need a prescrip. Drug that can possibly be addictive, if you can try a different alternative)