Im only 14 and i have major depression and anxiety

[HeartSupport_Fans]

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Belongs to: Therapist Reacts to Troubles by Ren
I’m only 14 and I have major depression and anxiety. I’ve had it for years before I was diagnosed and whatnot, not wanting to tell anyone because I was scared people would think of me differently worse than they might already do. It got so bad and I cut so much I just had to say something. Today, I’ve been on antidepressants for I think 3 weeks and nothing much has changed. I hope they help, and I hope I get better.

[bmao]

Hey! Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your heart, I know that can be so hard. I’m so sorry that at 14 years old you’re already feeling the heavy burden of depression and anxiety. It must feel crushing, like your childhood is being robbed by pressures and anxieties that no 14 year old should be facing. It grieves my heart to hear that you’ve had to turn to cutting to express the deep anguish going on in your life.

Though it took a low point to get there, I am so glad that you have begun to open up about your struggles. There is nothing in this world, no opinion, no pre-conceived notion, no struggle too powerful to overshadow how important and life-changing sharing your struggles is. Even your post, right here. The courage that it takes to open up online and bear your heart is so admirable, and I truly cannot state how happy I am that you’ve begun to find a form of peace in sharing your story. I encourage you to continue to share your story, continue to talk about your struggles, and continue to show others in your life who you really are, eve in the tough times. Those rough moments shared among friends and family are what breed true, deep, and meaningful connections. Though not much has changed in the past three weeks, I encourage you to never stop seeking health and healing. You deserve the best, and that means the best from yourself. So continue to open up, continue to engage with others about your struggles, and continue to talk to us here at HeartSupport when you need us. We love you and wish you nothing but the best in these amazing years you have ahead of you!

Additionally, I just want to encourage you as a person. I am currently a senior in college and it feels like just yesterday that I was 14, struggling to have real conversations with those around me. I just want to let you know that you will grow so much in these coming years and you will become more and more truly yourself every single day. Make sure you highlight the unique and amazing person you are. Don’t let the pressures of your classmates, friends, or family shape you who are. Hold true to your true self, because there is only one of you, and nobody has the ability to impact the world in the exact same way that you do. I can tell simply by your writing that you are a bright and warm-spirited person, and my heart goes out to you. I care for you so much and I’m so excited that you have these amazing years right on your horizon. I’m always here for you and I appreciate you so much. Keep being your amazing and unique self- the world will thank you.

[lu2910]

Hey, thank you for opening up to us, you’re in the right place and you are so loved and so special. You’re in the right place, you are safe here.

I can understand how overwhelming this must all be for you, I also struggled with having such heavy anxiety and depression when I was younger. I remember having times at friend’s birthday parties, sports games, or any other gathering and I’d need to leave and go cry, or run away so that everyone would stop looking at me. I have been in your shoes and I know how hard each day can seem.

I want to say right now is that I am so proud of you. I’m so sorry you’ve felt so much hurt to the point you wanted to hurt yourself and wanted to not be here anymore. I am so happy that you are still here and that I am able to write to you in this very moment. You are a gift. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Anything that tells you otherwise is a lie. I know how these lies can consume us, I have found that they can tend to creep back in and I have to punch them away again and again. Although they might come back, you will get stronger. You will be able to punch these lies away so well that they won’t be coming back for a long, long time.

I’m someone whose 20 right now, and almost 6 years ago I had to go to a mental hospital because I was so bad. So believe me when I say this: I know it gets better, because I didn’t think it would and it did. The lies are so strong, they will tell you that you are worthless, they will tell you that it doesn’t get better, but they are only lies.

Please know that you are more than just your anxiety and your depression. You are an amazing person. To be as brave as you are to reach out for help is beyond admirable. I know there are people in your life who love and care about you so immensely and want nothing more than to be there for you and wrap you in their loving embrace.

I can’t stress enough how certain I am that this darkness will not last forever. This is a battle that you will win. These antidepressants will start to work, it may be gradual, but they will fight this inner battle for you. If you hold onto the hope that you will better and keep striving towards your happiness and tearing down these lies, you will be amazed and the change you will see in your life.

You are an incredible person who deserves to be here. I love you, and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Keep your head up, remind yourself daily how very special you are. You are not alone <3

[JBrach]

Sometimes anti-depressants take a while to kick-in- take this with a grain of salt because I am getting this from psychcentral but they say they can take 2 to 8 weeks. Your body is acclimating to a new way of being. If it is an SSRI- those neurons are relearning that they can receive more serotonin. That takes time to reprogram- be patient in the process.

I remember getting on antidepressants a few years back and being impatient that they didn’t kick in suddenly and fix all my problems. I had to learn that serotonin is not a happy chemical, but a stabilizing one. Most anti-depressants give you a baseline of stability so that you can experience something other than numbness, but they can’t give you that spark. That still comes from things that genuinely spark joy for you- a pet, a loved one, ice cream, music, whatever it is. Find the remaining thing that gives you the smallest, tiniest whisper of happiness and lean into it. Amplify the sound of that moment- dwell in that moment-think about it and be thankful for the smallest moments of relief. What we focus on will increase because it becomes central to our perspective and our mind’s eye. At the end of the day, think on the one of two things that went okay, or maybe just not as bad as they could’ve, or those tiny glimmers of something besides grey. The color will return as you slowly open your eyes to the wondrous reality, but it comes in the fight for gratitude. It comes very very slowly and will take a lot of effort to focus on the good-the wonder-and those special moments that make life worth living.
I am glad you no longer have to hide your struggles and have gotten some support. I hope those around you are pouring out love to you and wrapping their arms around you. And if they are not, I hope you feel my love for you. I hope you get better- and I hope you thrive. I hope you see the beauty again in new ways that you didn’t see even before this depression and anxiety kicked in. You are not alone. You are not forsaken or abandoned, but so so loved. There IS hope for you. We love you here at HeartSupport! Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability and please keep us updated on your journey!