h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For some reason, I have discovered that when I think, I get really depressed. I can see why things happen, why people act as they do, but still there is a feeling of alienation. Further more, I am fearful of acting out and becoming reckless, so I stay in the shadows, then later I become depressed over not trying anything new and adventerous. I go through cycles where I am alright alone because there is nothing to be upset about, but I hate being alone and get depressed, or I am with people and glad to have company, but I am depressed that I can not be better than I am acting at the time. It gets really frustrating. The only solution I can see is to try to stop thinking... easier said than done.

JnKor
Your problem is not that you are thinking, but that you feel somewhat helpless to change some of the things you are thinking about. You are not alone. A lot of people feel isolated and alienated like you.

The trick is to get it urned around and into a positive way of acting for the good.

Focus on one thing and do something to help it change - there are lots of ways to get involved in change:

You can contribute personally or you can help from a distance by being a paper activist - writing letters, making phone calls, getting friends involved in helping you to campaign for change - what one thing would you like to change now?

ok, so no offence but that was a whole load of b******t, when ur down ur down, u can't think positive that's the point. u think the whole world is against u. u fall in love and it will be forever requited. school/college whatever always seems so crap. you might be doing really well and yet you feel like everything is going wrong. you're so pessimistic about your work, everyone tells you to cheer up when you know you can't. people make it better for 5 minutes, but when they go the sadness sinks again, and it takes so much effort to hide how you feel and it drains you. you get so tired, no matter the time you're bed seems so appealing, somewhere to feel safe, warm, somwhere to hide. Parents just get you down, you know they care and yet no matter what they do they always manage to p**s you right off. my dad thinks i'm anorexic, just because i haven't been eating proper meals for a couple of days cos i had exams. mum accused me of pregnancy, god they know how to make things better. don't tell me about teenage depression.

There's no mention in any of this of physiology. My teenage daughter's depression quite patently hormonally linked.

I can see what your saying but it isnt as easy as that. I suffer from depression and am recently going through a really bad spell and at the moment I cannot motivate myself to do anything. You cannot think positively because you have almost programmed yourself not to. I cannot get up in the mornings or do any of my work, Im a week away from my As levels and havent even started revising. Im going to bed earlir each nite and I cant seem to wake up any later than six in the morning. I just want somebody to tell me whats wrong with me and why I feel like this because I dont know. I recently went out with a group of friends and came home after being there no more than 1 hour because I dont like being near others. I then went to a restaurant last nite and sat in the very corner cus I dint want anyone to see me. I hate feeling like this but I just cant turn it around and think positively.

this is known as "clinical depression". You need to be careful because it its a nasty downward spiral. It's not a case of pulling yourself together, and as I mentioned before, it could be linked to physiology. Sometimes it's seasonal, sometimes it's hormonal, sometimes it's dietary. One of the easiest ways of becoming depressed is to not eat for a week. Sometimes the source is not clear, but it would be well worth seeking some counselling or seeing your gp. You don't have to immediately take any prescribed anti-depressants. Have you thought about homeopathy? It really does work.

Im already on antidepressants I was prescribed for them last february for 6 months. But I recently went back on them and I have been put on them for a year. When I saw the doctor yesterday he doubled my dose and also referred me to acouple of self help groups. Alot of peope in my family suffer from depression. Two of my cousins are on antidepressants at the moment and also My auntie grandma and other cousin have been on them in the past. Talking on this website often helps me though cus I get to talk to people who feel the same way.

It would seem that there's an obvious genetic link then. The anti-depressants are not good long term. They really are best used as a short term kick up the butt. Which country are you in as a matter of interest?

England, why?

Because I wanted a handle on the type of GPs we were up against. Since I'm in England too - I at least know what we're dealing with.

Thankyou for helping me It helps me to talk about things with people. Im still having trouble getting up in the mornings but once Im up Im feeling a little better about things. I have these weird states of mind where one minute everythings really awful and I feel very frustrated and the next minute Im not bothered about those things anymore, do you think this is just me being a normal teenager? Im just looking for an answer to tehse horrible feelings.

You know JnKor, sometimes I feel the same way...

I think 2 much.
Some say that ignorance is bliss...

but would you really trade knowing?

St.Trin

It is pretty typical teenage stuff. True of some adults too - but mostly those feelings settle down a bit when you reach your 20s. It can be very frustrating but it's worthwhile trying to remember that they don't last. This is why I wondered if you had tried homeopathy. A friend of mine (58yrs) takes it and the effects are immediate.

Are you serious?

boy I feel out of place now...

Im 24 and STILL feeling like that....

oh boy... trouble...

try homeopathic "ars alb"

wow! homepath.????

my mom is trying to convince me on that one...

haven't gone yet...

...cant stand the idea of living without coffee!

Coffee doesn't help - but you can take homeopathy anyway.
I've been convinced of it for a while now; empirically. You don't have to "believe" and it's not "natural goodness" blahdiblah; it's not a placebo effect, but for some thing's it's very effective.

I've taken stuff for
colds
hayfever
seasickness
pain (really effective!)
coughs (about the only thing that works)

Sounds like I'm really sickly doesn't it - but I've not had to go to the quack now for about 10yrs. Been off antibiotics for longer.

I've many friends who said homep. works on them, and I do believe it, but it's those things you can't do when you're on treatment that freak me out... but what the heck..maybe I should try it ....

Well there are things which don't help the homeopathy - but it doesn't mean you can't do them. It just means it might not be as effective. I drink tea for instance... it doesn't stop it working.

oh but I was told that you can drink tea, what you can't drink is coffee, Red Bull, Coke... anything that has caffein...