Excerpt
Excerpted from chapter 1 of Recovering from Depression: A Workbook for Teens, Revised Edition, by Mary Ellen Copeland, M.A., M.S., & Stuart Copans, M.D.
Copyright © 2002 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Am I Depressed?
Overview
Have you been feeling really awful and don' know why? If so, you may be depressed. Many people are depressed, don't know they are depressed, and don't know why they feel so bad. You deserve to feel well. Your health and happiness are important. If you are depressed, you can help yourself to feel better, and you can get help from others. This book will give you information to help you do that.
Information
The Depression Survey on pages 4–6 will help you discover if you are depressed. But before you take this survey, answer the following questions.
Have you been:
- Feeling like killing yourself?
- Making plans as to how you will kill yourself?
- Wishing you were dead?
- Wishing you would get killed accidentally?
- Feeling like killing yourself is the only way to solve your problems?
DO NOT ACT ON THESE FEELINGS. GET HELP RIGHT NOW.
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need help right away. Turn immediately to Chapter 3, Suicide Prevention.
Things to Remember
- If you are feeling bad, even if you are not sure whether or not it is depression, don't use alcohol or street drugs to make yourself feel better. They will make you feel better at first, but you will feel much worse later. Street drugs and alcohol can keep you from seeking the help you need to really feel better, and they often lead to an addiction, which can be a very big problem.
- You may think you will never feel better, but you will. Depression ends. By helping yourself and getting help from others, you will begin feeling much better very soon.
- It is not your fault you feel this way. Don't blame yourself. That will just make you feel worse.
Every morning my mother tries to get me up to go to school. I feel so awful. I don't want to get up. I just want to keep my head under the covers and sleep all day. If I go to school, I know I will fail. I'm sure I will flunk that math test. I can't understand anything the teachers are saying anyway. None of my friends like me anymore. I used to like the Drama Club, but now I can't stand it. Everyone is laughing and having a good time, and I'm not part of it. I don't think anyone even cares about me.
The following checklist will help you discover for yourself if you are depressed. Check off any symptoms that apply to you.
Depression Survey
DO YOU FEEL:
- Hopeless, worthless, useless, like not caring about anything, like you might as well be dead, like you are a failure?
- That there is no solution to your problems?
- Numb, without feelings?
- Like you have nothing to look forward to?
- Like you never have any fun?
- Ugly, like everyone is staring at you?
- Like nobody would miss you if you were gone?
- Like sleeping all the time or sleeping much more than 8 hours a day; or you have trouble sleeping and seem to be awake all night?
- Like you don't want to eat anything or like eating all the time?
- Very tired almost all the time?
- Irritable, angry, and/or anxious most of the time?
- Like you don't want to do anything?
- Very lonely, even when you are with your friends or family?
- Like you are a bad person?
- Lik