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Introductions and welcomes.

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Oconachar
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 4:36 am
Location: Victoria, Australia.

New here.

Postby Oconachar » Sun Jul 07, 2019 4:54 am

Hi. This is my first time on any forums about mental health at all, though i've been on support hotlines and spoken to counselors/psychiatrists before. I have not been diagnosed, but there is a long family history of depression, my mother is diagnosed, as is my grandmother and father.

I'm 17, and live in Victoria, Australia. I am incredibly overwhelmed at the moment. I'm not exactly sure what i'm wanting from this forum, other than what help I can get. I'm honestly rather terrified. I suppose its pertinent to know that I have self harmed on numerous occasions, and have been close to taking the bus, so to speak.

Thanks for very much for reading. My apologies if I've broken any of this sites conventions or unwritten rules.

Spleefy
Posts: 240
Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2017 6:54 am

Re: New here.

Postby Spleefy » Fri Aug 09, 2019 6:04 am

Hi Oconachar,

Welcome to the family.

I hope things have lifted a bit for you since your introduction.

It is good that you reached out to hotlines, therapists, and now this forum. Reaching out and talking about how we feel is important. I encourage you continue with it.

I know your parents have depression, but have you spoken to them about it? They might be able to pass on some coping strategies that help them, as well as get some support networks in place for you.

At seventeen you want to hit this depression (or protect yourself from it) hard before it settles in and molds your growing brain and kills your personality.

If you haven’t already, definitely talk to your parents so they are aware of it. I would immediately get a diagnosis so we know what we are dealing with. Then get you into seeing a counselor regularly so you have formal supports in place. There are many other things I would do to make sure you have a fighting chance at protecting yourself from depression, whether or not you have it. And this is especially since you are predisposed to it, as there is a genetic component involved.

It is like someone who has both parents overweight. The child would have both environmental and genetic predisposition to also becoming overweight. Obviously, assuming the parents do have a genetic component to obesity, the child would minimize eating garbage foods since they may be fat storers. The parents would thus need to be responsible with what foods they feed their children.

Same with depression. You will need to make sure to eliminate or do less of the things that can trigger depression (e.g. addictive behaviours, poor diet, self-destructive behaviours,) and more of the things that enhance health (exercise, eating nutritious foods, adequate sleep, positive reinforcement, keeping stress down, etc).

The reason I mentioned all this is because I wish I knew this stuff when I was a teenager suicidal and a mess. Nobody told me any of this. I didn’t get the help I needed—doctors wrote me off and parents weren’t plugged-in. So I essentially had to become my own doctor and therapist (and my own guinea pig to see what worked and didn't work :P). I also have a genetic predisposition to depression, which makes things more "interesting."

It’s okay, don’t be terrified. You will get through this. Just arm yourself with knowledge, keep and open mind and heart to try new things that can help you, and always keep reaching out. Depression loves it when we isolate ourselves and cut off all contact with others. This can have devastating consequences.

Thank you for sharing your situation. It is important that we all reach out and give each other emotional support, boost each other up, share ideas, strategies, weep with each other and share in the joy.

athena.vhd
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:18 pm

Re: New here.

Postby athena.vhd » Fri Aug 09, 2019 8:52 am

i hadnt seen this!
anyway welcome :D

Prycejosh1987
Posts: 424
Joined: Sun May 31, 2020 10:54 am
Location: Birmingham UK

Re: New here.

Postby Prycejosh1987 » Sat Jun 06, 2020 11:59 am

Oconachar wrote:Hi. This is my first time on any forums about mental health at all, though i've been on support hotlines and spoken to counselors/psychiatrists before. I have not been diagnosed, but there is a long family history of depression, my mother is diagnosed, as is my grandmother and father.

I'm 17, and live in Victoria, Australia. I am incredibly overwhelmed at the moment. I'm not exactly sure what i'm wanting from this forum, other than what help I can get. I'm honestly rather terrified. I suppose its pertinent to know that I have self harmed on numerous occasions, and have been close to taking the bus, so to speak.

Thanks for very much for reading. My apologies if I've broken any of this sites conventions or unwritten rules.

If you have spoken to specialists then take on board what they said. The point of them is to help you make sense of things. You have a history of depression but that doesnt mean that you have to settle for it too. Think about what makes you depressed and suicidal and fight back. Speak to your parents they have been through what you are going through now. If they are still suffering, support and help each other. Suicide is not the way out. Self harming doesnt do anything to the situation, but to you in a negative way.


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