Nothing seems to be going right in my life, and I honestly feel like just giving up most of the time and crawling in a hole. I feel like a failure most of the time and I’m tired of feeling so down. I don’t want to burden anyone with my problems, but I don’t understand why I can’t just be happy. What should I do?
Thanks for reaching out. That is the first step in overcoming the feelings you’re having. Without knowing you or your situation, my first impression is that you may be suffering from depression. The teen years bring a lot of circumstances that can bring on a lot of stress, but in addition to the outside factors that may be affecting your mood, there are physical things going on in your body that may be contributing to your feelings.
“Depression is complicated and rarely understood by most people.”
While reaching out is the first step, there really is no sure-fire method or technique that can be applied to everyone’s situation. It’s good to learn more about it and to understand the different forms of depression. Most importantly, know that you are not alone! Depression is a serious physical, emotional, and spiritual problem that affects more than 32 million people in their lifetime.
“Know that you are not alone!”
It’s good to understand the difference between depression and the feelings we experience with the normal ups and downs of life. Our mood naturally varies from day to day, and everyone gets down at times. Some people experience periods of depression that are linked to life situations, like a sudden loss or traumatic experience. Grieving is a natural healing process that needs to take place following such an event. Even though it sounds like a cliché, please know that healing takes time. However, if you continue to mourn and feel down for long periods of time, even when others around you have seemed to be able to move on, you may want to seek help.
“Please know that healing takes time.”
