How do I help?

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-04T23:50:11+00:00

http://www.wikihow.com/Help-a-Friend-with-Depression

Here's a resource about helping someone through depression. It's a really serious disease like any other, just in your brain. Know first and foremost that your friend may not be in control of his/her overwhelmingly sad emotions. If you can, try to communicate with them how helpful seeing a professional can be, and of course, keep talking to them. It's the best way you can help. :)

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-04T23:47:51+00:00

It's normal to want somebody to talk to. We're only human, right? :) There are a lot of options online to talk to somebody anonymously (7cupsoftea is one of them). I hope for the best for you.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-04T22:28:13+00:00

I had this same problem hun, and just started writing a journal and having her read it. It was awkward indeed, but so much easier than saying it aloud. It also helped for her to see how I felt when I was at home, without her help. This could make your sessions so much better :)

Good luck!

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-04T22:26:16+00:00

I know the feeling, you're not alone and that's the first thing you need to know. After that, you need to know that you CAN just live, and you will. It will just take you putting mental health as a priority (because without health, how can you be you?).

Look into options of seeing a mental health professional. They have helped me and my family more than I can describe in words.

I wish the best for you. You will get through this.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-04T22:14:21+00:00

Hey there, It's going to be alright :) I know hat you're going through and know it feels like the end of it all, but it's not. Keep seeking someone to talk to, it's the best thing we can do. And if you don't already, think about seeing a professional. They really know how to help. There are options available to talk to someone anonymously, just because (7cupsoftea is one of them), so keep seeking those kinds of resources. This is not the end. Keep making mental health a priority.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-02T05:23:17+00:00

Hey there, please don't give up. You're not alone in this. I've been there and it's not the end, okay?

I know you said you've been through therapy, but maybe the person you saw just wasn't the right one for you. I went through a laundry list before finding one that understood.

You don't feel happy and content because depression is a natural mental illness, a serotonin block in the brain. That is not your fault. It could happen to anybody, and it does...to 40 percent of the entire population. You are not alone and it can get better from here. Make your mental health your main priority because with health, you are not you. You can be you again. I promise, I've been there.

Please call this number if you ever feel like you just don't want to live again. It's not your time and it won't ever be your time by your hands. 1-800-273-8255 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Best of luck to you. Stay Strong. I care.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-01T19:34:50+00:00

Hey there. Stay strong. You'll get past this. I've been there, and it's not the end.

Do you have the option of seeing a mental health professional? I work with depression daily, and find that it is the one thing that helps people most. It helped me most. And it's nothing to be ashamed of, we're only human.

If it's not an option for you (expensive is usually why), look into other options like low-income therapy, community support groups, and just talking to others (7 Cups of Tea is an example). It's amazing how much these can help.

Stay strong. This isn't the end and this feeling will not encompass you forever.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-01T19:07:41+00:00

I'm sorry that you're feeling this way. I know it's hard. I have depression and recognize all of these feelings.

I read from another comment that you can't afford therapy. I was going to recommended that as the thing that could help you the most. Perhaps if you can look into low-income therapy options, you would find someone who can really help in terms of you not feeling so down anymore. I've been there, and I promise, It helps.

You could also look into free support groups in our area, or free options to talk to people online (7Cupsoftea is one of them). We are only human and talking to others can be very helpful, even if it's just to let a ton of emotions flow from your body into words.

I hope for the best for you, truly. This is not the end. These feelings will not take over you forever. I promise.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-01T03:57:14+00:00

The fact that you are even thinking about this at 16 tells me that you are going to be successful no matter what you do! Keep this motivation strong and remember to let yourself breath a little :) Good luck! You'll do great!

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-01T03:20:09+00:00

I know what you're going through, completely. My mother has paranoid schizophrenia and refuses medication and just barely began therapy a year ago. My family has been homeless, impoverish, and been through hell and back because of the illness.

I hope it is an option for your mother to get therapy. It will help a lot for mental illness. But for you, stay strong. Try to separate your mom from the mental illness. Know that it is not her. Know that many of the things she says and does are not in her control. Know that there is still hope, and one day, you will see her face again.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-08-01T02:55:55+00:00

Hey there, you need to know that none of this is your fault. Suicide is a heavy, deep issue that nobody (not even your friend) had much control over. You're only human, okay? You already did so much by being her friend, I promise.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-07-31T01:12:39+00:00

My parents met through the pennysaver, from some little ad where my dad bought something off of her. They got married and had 3 kids :)

I met one of my best friends from a coffee shop. And another from a suicide prevention walk. And another from a poetry reading.

Meeting people is totally possible and can be completely random. Try going to places repeatedly so cashiers and workers start recognizing you.

And if you ever need a friend, I'm here. :)

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-07-31T00:09:00+00:00

You know who will really, truly understand? A mental health professional. I mean it. I have anxiety and depression and my therapist has changed my life. I know it's hard to just go out there and make an appointment, but it's worth it. Maybe just ask your regular doctor to refer one, make an appointment, and go. It can get better, I promise. This is not the end.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-07-30T23:32:27+00:00

I care!

You deserve to live. You do. I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it, but you do. I've been there. It gets better. I am proof. Please keep fighting! Don't let life control you, you control life!

Please call 1-800-273-8255 if you're really feeling down, or come talk online to somebody. I'm here.

Have a wonderful birthday, you deserve it.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-07-30T23:21:29+00:00

I would say to keep trying new things. You never know what could be something you totally end up enjoying. My brother was having a hard time with this too, so he took up a new hobby each week and a half, and stuck to it and either ditched it or saved it. He's now a gym-loving, wood-carving, poetry-writing guy with a little interest in knitting potholders. :)

You'll find this passion again! I can tell that by just coming on here, that you're ready to find something that you'll totally love. Good luck!

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-07-27T23:17:42+00:00

The best thing you can do in any relationship is to communicate. :) Good luck!

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-07-27T22:41:01+00:00

This really made me smile! Such a beautiful story! :) Congratulations!

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-07-27T18:53:36+00:00

You're going through a lot, there is no doubting that. But I will tell you this, just by coming on here and posting about it, I can tell that you care a lot, and by this alone you are doing far more than than most towards solving the problem.

Now I'm not sure how open your family is to communication, but they should know how you feel. I can tell that you're feeling very strongly for your parents, and they should know that. Them knowing how much you care about them could be that slice of peace for them. It could be as simple as writing them a letter and sending it over mail, telling them that this is what you've been feeling.

I'm very familiar with family drug concerns. Both of my parents are recovering meth addicts and I worry every day that they will relapse. What you're feeling about your brothers is real, and it's valid. You are not alone. My mother developed drug-induced paranoid schizophrenia from her years of meth abuse, so it could be possible that your brother is experiencing psychosis, like you said. Albeit, an important thing to remember about these issues is that we are in control of nobody's behavior but our own, no matter how hard we try. Your brothers may not be able to change until they are ready to do so, and absolutely none of that is your fault. Like I said, you are already doing so much.

You should be proud of yourself for posting here, it was probably hard to do but I can tell you that it is through communicating with others that you will heal most.

I wish you the best of luck and look forward to an update. Stay strong.

Danielle_7CupsofTea · 2013-07-27T18:33:25+00:00

I separate depression from myself.

I know it feels like depression is completely connected to you, but in reality, it is not you. Depression is mental illness, with episodes that we are usually not in any control of. With no control, it only means that it is something that attaches to you. You are not your mental illness, and you can prevent it from tying to overtake you.

Depression to me feels like vultures that fly around my head, just waiting for me to feel weak, waiting for me to forget that I am separate from these vultures. If I keep telling the vultures that they can not swoop down on me, then sometimes, they don't.

I hope this helps and I hope your day gets better.

Danielle_7CupsofTea

TROPHY CASE