[goottastic]

So my friends have been telling me I have issues with "talking about my problems". My best friend since kindergarten has only seen me cry a few times, but knows I have mild depression. She tells me all the time how unhealthy it is to not cry when you need to, and such, but I don't really know what to do about it. I think my issue is I was raised believing crying is a sign of weakness. If you cry, you don't deserve to be happy. This came as a constant reminder from my father, on the soccer field... "Get up! Stop crying! Score a goal, be a champ!" after the recent death of my dog... "don't be sad. don't be sad." and basically any other situation, even as a young child, I was found crying in. So I know what my problem is, why I can't seem to cry in front of people, why I can't tell people when I'm really sad or depressed, it's because I think crying is for the weak, and I don't want to be weak. But how can I fix this?

[DrBill100]

"Men don't cry", "don't take your problems to town," it's not just you. It's a masculine and cultural phenomenon.

Could you tell me your age? And
Do you think you are depressed? And
If so why? Otherwise, why not?

[goottastic]

Well I'm in my teens and I don't know if it's depression or anxiety or both, or maybe I'm just making something out of nothing. Just my outlook on life makes me think I'm depressed. The things my friends go through, the way my father acts towards my family, and just every little thing adds to it.