Pat's Answer
I am scared to talk to my parents about my depression
Your Question
Im scared to talk to my parents about depression, because they would give of a reaction, like, “Stop searching the internet for CRAP!!”. Or, “DONT SELF DIAGNOSE!!!”. or, “there is nothing depressive about you. ”WHY would i self diagnose?? And i dont search the internet for it! I just know about it. I have been feeling this way for 10 months now, and that is the last time i talked to them about it. And i have been feeling suicidal for 8 months
Answer
Hello, you are very welcome to Ask Pat,
Thank you so much for trusting us with your thoughts. We know it can be difficult, but we also know how great it is for young people to share their problems. Talking about and sharing what is going on for you is a big step forward.
You say you are scared to talk to your parents about your depression for fear of their reaction and how they have dismissed and not really listened to you 10 months ago when you tried to talk to them. You are feeling suicidal and have felt this way for about 8 months.
It seems to us that you have so much going on for you right now. We are concerned to hear that you are feeling suicidal and that you were unable to open–up about your feelings with your parents. It is understandable you are scared to talk with them again and it is brave of you to reach out to Ask Pat today. You have a right to get help and support for everything you have mentioned. Would there be another trusted adult that you could go to? This adult could be an aunt, uncle, grandparent, teacher or doctor. It would be very important that you get medical help for your depression as soon as possible.
If you are thinking of acting on your thoughts of suicide, it is important to seek medical help immediately! Please contact your local GP, call the emergency services at 999 or 112, or present yourself to an A&E department.
You do not have to go through this alone. There are websites you can look at; organisations which can offer help and support to you. Here are some you might find helpful: www.yourmentalhealth.ie; www.pieta.ie; www.aware.ie/information/depression/. You might also like to read some articles on the Childline website, www.childline.ie/how-i-feel/.
If you feel that you cannot talk to anyone around you just yet, maybe you would like to talk a little further with us? The Childline Team would really love to listen to you. You are welcome to talk to Childline by phone on 1800 66 66 66, by text to 50101, or through our web chat on www.childline.ie. Childline is here for you anytime. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The services are free and confidential. We are non-judgmental, and we will not tell you what to do. We can help you explore what options may be available to you.
Thank you for reaching out to us. We are here to listen, and we are here for you whenever you would like to chat. Please get in touch with us soon.
Take care of yourself,
Pat