NEVER HAPPY ANYMORE

Dear Jellybean,

I am really not sure whether I am depressed or not. I have had to go through a lot of things lately. My parents are getting a divorce and my siblings have been have been in and out of prison and court. I feel so much stress and dont know how to deal with it. I dont talk to my friends because they get annoyed when I try to talk about my problems and they will quickly change the subject. Some of my friends have even stopped talking to me. It really hurts me that they dont care about me. I am starting to feel like I am worthless and that it would be so much easier if I was never born or if I would just die. I cry myself to sleep ever night and nobody seems to care. I am afraid to tell my parents how they feel because they have enough to deal with and I dont want to hassle them with my problems, especially when they wouldnt care anyways. I would never try to kill myself but I think I might have some problems. I am never happy anymore, what should I do?

Dear Writer,

It doesn't really matter what you call it, you obviously are having a troubling emotional time and you need some extra help. Whether it's depression, or a normal reaction to terrible circumstances, doesn't matter. What does matter is that you are smart enough to recognize that you are feeling differently in a bad way, and you need some support to get better and cope with the challenging issues in your life. There is help out there and I can point you towards it. I do strongly suggest that you talk to your parents. They may be wrapped up in their own trauma right now, but it doesn't mean that they don't love you or want you to be happy. Try telling them - the worst that could happen is you'd be right back where you started, but the best is that they could listen to your pleas for help and assist you in finding a counselor or making things better at home. So tell them, and hope for the best. Sometimes parents surprise us. I also think you should call a teen hotline for depression or general crisis issues to get direct support and advice for what to do next. For a list of teen hotlines in your country:check the Myjellybean.com Hotlines page. Good luck - I hope you get through this time okay. I'll be thinking of you. :)