Depression - How it Affected Me and Could Affect You

Depression was a big problem in my life growing up. Even now through adulthood I still sometimes suffer from it. I would hide from my family and sit back in a corner to cry. My parents would look for me and wouldn't be able to find me. I felt ashamed to be around others because i never felt adequate enough. I somehow felt ashamed that I existed. Like I was the underdog and didn't deserve to live. I would feel in school that nobody liked me and was too shy to talk to them. I literally felt hated and there didn't seem to be any reason for my way of thinking. My family didn't realize what was going on until later when I had attempted suicide.

I was admitted to a local hospital and then diagnosed and treated. I believe that if my family had paid more attention to my behavior I would have been diagnosed sooner. I would have been enrolled into counseling and gotten the help I needed and wouldn't have tried suicide. A lot of parents feel ashamed to ask for help. They feel it makes them a bad parent or that it would make their child seem crazy. That isn't the case though and depression should never go untreated. They have medicines that can help. Here is some information about depression.

Depression is believed to be a chemical imbalance in the brain. While the exact cause is not known their are theories about how if affects the brain. One theory is that it is caused by low levels of neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters thought to be involved are serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine. Certain drugs that can elevate these levels are believed to help with depression. Depression can cause a feeling of increased sadness or a feeling of being worthless. It may make you feel tired, sad, irritable, lazy, unmotivated, and apathetic. It can sometimes be brought on by a life changing event such as a death. Clinical depression is generally acknowledged to be more serious than normal depressed feelings. It often leads to constant negative thinking resulting in suicide attempts. It can be disruptive to social functioning and daily activities.

If you feel that you or your child may have depression never hesitate to ask for help. Whether it be a health care professional or through a counseling agency they will not turn you away. The information is confidential and will not be told to anyone outside of the agency. Never wait until you get so depressed that you feel like hurting yourself. If this is the case and you have not received help there is a hot line that you can call. The number is 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-273-TALK. The line is toll free and is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.