-notjustteenangst-

hey guys,

i've been battling depression. And it's not the stereotypical one where you see the person upset all the time. It's like for me, i can put on that smile on my face and go to school. I can laugh and joke and make people laugh, but at the end of the day, i cry myself to sleep. I've been battling it for about ive years and it's slowly consuming my life. I feel like i'm losing control and i don't know what to do. I'm not afraid that i'm going to potentially do something harmful, but i am afraid of permanently losing the will to live. It takes so much just to get out of bed.

What do i do? 

-notjustteenangst-


-Notjustteenangst-, 
We completely understand that this is not just teen angst, like you say. Depression is a serious condition, and unfortunately, we aren't professionals, so we can't give you any medical advice. However, we will try very much to give you advice on how to enjoy life a little more, because in the end, we just want you to be happy.
We totally get where you're coming from. We think the type of depression you have is probably the hardest, because you actually have to hide your emotions for most of the day. We admire you already for being such a strong person, because we both know it is not easy to hide our emotions whenever we're feeling blue. 
We are so relieved to hear that you are not considering harming yourself. Please continue to do so, as hard as it may be, because you have no idea how many good thing may lie ahead of you. 
As for losing the will to live, there are some options to help you be a happier person. If you have a good support system, such as family or friends, try and spend as much time with them as possible, because they are your number one fans and want you to be happy just as much as we do, if not more. If you feel like you can confide in your friends, or in at least one of your friends, talk to them. Tell them how you really feel and they should be able to understand. You have no idea how much better you'll feel once you learn to express your emotions. Plus, you won't have to hide them all the time from your friends. Family and friends are probably the most important thing when dealing with any form of depression. You want to make sure they have your back and accept you for who you are. 
Something else you might want to try are different, fun activities. Think about what you like to do. If you like to sing, try to join a choir at school or some sort of club that has singing. If you like sports, then try to play sports with a friend or join some sort of sports team. Hobbies can really help a person relieve themselves of any stress or problems they're dealing with. In addition, it will give you the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. Then you'll be able to have even more friends and an even stronger support system, which will allow you to focus more on something you enjoy doing. 
However, something you must always remember is: do not lose hope! We all have those moments when life just seems to suck. Everything seems pointless and we don't know what to do. For some people it may last a couple of days, maybe even weeks. For others it could last up to a year or more! But you must remember that you have no idea what's in store for you. Something might come along the way that you would have never expected and completely change your life for the better. 
Summer is just around the corner, so try to find a way to hang out with your friends and get your mind off of anything negative. Tell that little voice in your head to be quiet, because you want to enjoy life, have fun, and be happy. 
We hope this helped you with your problem. We aren't professionals, but we just want to let you know that you always have someone here who cares, whether it be a parent, friend, teacher, or peer advisor. We wish you the best in everything that you do and may you feel much better soon, so you can enjoy life and be a happy person. :)


Much love, 
Priory Peers