What can I do?

[infel]

I just don't feel happy anymore. Lately things have been a bit of a depressing time for me and I don't know what to do. This week has been horrible...especially Thursday. I'm currently on probation due to messing up school to much. Why, well let's just say it's because of my depression...

I'm not having fun with anything anymore...not visual novels, writing, reading, or even something a simple as video games. I feel empty and lost.

This depression has been with me for a long time. It's messed me up not only in school but also my social life and visual novel making. What makes matters worse is that I seem to be getting sad over the tiniest things. Also I'm embarrassed because my teacher said I was too hard on myself since I have some serious self hate issues.

So yeah...many feelings are within me and most of them are not good. I don't know what to do anymore in truth...I really just wish this depression and anxiety would leave me alone so I can get back to my life.

[trooper6]

Are you being treated for your depression and anxiety? If not, you may want to get treated, there are medications that can help. If you are being treated, talk to your therapist and let her or him know that you need to adjust or change your medication.

[Thirteen]

I was in the same sort of situation that you seem to be in the last year of high school. I was so depressed that I was failing all my classes, and I'd have crying bouts for no reason. I also hated myself so much, it got to the point where I was planning suicide.

I talked to my school psychologist though and that helped a lot. She contacted my mom and basically made my mom take me to see a psychiatrist and talk therapist.
I was in talk therapy for 3 month and that really helped with my larger issues, and my psychiatrist prescribed me medication, which really got my depression and a lot of my anxiety under control.

I suggest you try to seek help from you school psychologist, and then seek medical treatment whether it be through medication or therapy. And if you are undergoing treatment I suggest you tell you therapist/psychiatrist that the plan you're doing is not helping you.

I hope you get the help you need and that things improve for you.

[infel]

Are you being treated for your depression and anxiety? If not, you may want to get treated, there are medications that can help. If you are being treated, talk to your therapist and let her or him know that you need to adjust or change your medication.

I have, but the pills always made me tired and at times even sick. Still, I think I'll go back to them...even with the bad side affects. Just wish they didn't make me tired or sic to the stomach...

[infel]

I was in the same sort of situation that you seem to be in the last year of high school. I was so depressed that I was failing all my classes, and I'd have crying bouts for no reason. I also hated myself so much, it got to the point where I was planning suicide.

I talked to my school psychologist though and that helped a lot. She contacted my mom and basically made my mom take me to see a psychiatrist and talk therapist.
I was in talk therapy for 3 month and that really helped with my larger issues, and my psychiatrist prescribed me medication, which really got my depression and a lot of my anxiety under control.

I suggest you try to seek help from you school psychologist, and then seek medical treatment whether it be through medication or therapy. And if you are undergoing treatment I suggest you tell you therapist/psychiatrist that the plan you're doing is not helping you.

I hope you get the help you need and that things improve for you.

Thank you =). I'm glad you were able to get better. I need to go back to medicine despite what it does to me. This depression is really making my life difficult and stressful.

[Mad Harlequin]

If you're having trouble with your current medication, talk to your doctor. You can see about switching to another one.

[infel]

If you're having trouble with your current medication, talk to your doctor. You can see about switching to another one.

I should do that. I suppose I also stopped because my sister gave me a thought that I should get out of depression myself and not take the medicine. I tried and did okay, but it's always came back. Maybe I just need someone to talk to though. It actually got worse when my sister left for Germany to become a teacher. She was someone I could always talk to and helped me greatly with anxiety and depression. Sadly with her gone I don't really have anyone since my psychiatrist was really bad. Been trying to get a new one, but the process is a bit difficult....It would be really nice if my mom and certain people at school didn't say 'Get over it'. It's not something the can be easily gotten over...Hurts me when others say/think that.

[Aviala]

I've heard that for some people the side effects of antidepressants are so bad that for them it's better to go through therapy instead. And maybe it's just me, but working through the problem without medication sounds like a better method, if possible... I'm not saying "don't take pills" because I know they can be really helpful, but some depression medication can actually make you addicted and make full recovery slower.

I hope you can find a better psychiatrist soon!

[Caveat Lector]

I've heard that for some people the side effects of antidepressants are so bad that for them it's better to go through therapy instead. And maybe it's just me, but working through the problem without medication sounds like a better method, if possible... I'm not saying "don't take pills" because I know they can be really helpful, but some depression medication can actually make you addicted and make full recovery slower.

Going off antidepressants, or any kind of major medication that many people need just to function from day to day, without consulting a doctor and/or a therapist is never, ever a good idea ever. Yes, it's true that antidepressants can make some people worse. But they can also make some people better. And the only person who can determine if their own antidepressants are making them better or worse is the OP themselves. I would advise the OP to talk it out with a doctor instead of just going off their meds and "working through the problem" on their own. Depression isn't something you can just easily "work through".

[Mad Harlequin]

And maybe it's just me, but working through the problem without medication sounds like a better method, if possible...

From what I understand, there are numerous studies on the efficacy of depression treatments that demonstrate a combination of methods (counseling and medication) works better than either medication or counseling alone. (I've done a lot of reading on the subject.) I'm not saying medication's for everyone, but at the very least, I can personally vouch for the combination approach.

[trooper6]

Also some forms of depression/anxiety are chemical imbalances in the brain...which just can't be "got over."
We wouldn't say to someone with cancer or TB or some other physical illness "just get over it."

Clinical depression is not the same as "just being sad." It is a serious thing.

OP, I'd say see if you can get a therapist so you can do talk therapy, and get a better psychiatrist who will work with you so you can try and get medication that works better for you and has fewer side effects. Take care of yourself.

[Biomass]

I've known a fair share of people with depression, and as the above posters said, sometimes you can NOT simply "get over it". It is a medical issue which you have no control over, so simply stopping your medication without consulting your doctor is not going to get you anywhere.

A friend of mine back in high school had roughly the same socioeconomic background as I did. Today, 20 years later, we are vastly different people because his depression went untreated. At the time, it was thought that the proper way to go about it was to "get over it". His parents were relatively well off, and he didn't have any great trauma as far as I know, but one day he decided to just stop caring about anything anymore. It's a dangerous disease because it doesn't show any symptoms on your body, so other people just assume you're okay.

Really this is just a +1 post cause I have no new advice to add, but I felt the need to chime in because so many people around me IRL are also depressed.

EDIT:

Actually I do have some advice. Have you considered changing your lighting? I mean the physical arrangement and type of the light sources in your room. The inexpensive light bulbs most people have give off a crappy yellow glow, but you can buy light bulbs that emit the same wavelengths as natural sunlight. Depression is often linked to vitamin D deficiency, so get more sun, sit outside whenever possible, and work in a brighter environment. On TV and anime, you often see the stereotype where depressed people will hang around in dark places, lit only by the glow of their monitors.