Bipolar Depression

[Cece16thnote]

So... I have had problems all my life with what now many people believe to be bipolar depression. Which to me makes a long of sense with everything that happens... But the thing is, is i really want to go and get help for it. I don't like it happening and i thought i could handle it on my own but the swings are really hard and well i can't control them. I just know they are happening. I wanna ask my parents to take me but then they are going to ask why and well they never believe me. They call me a drama queen and say i am just over reacting. It took them 3 days to take me to the doctors when i broke my arm because they thought i was lying about the pain. That's the only injury that has been taken care of. Because they never believe me. The swings have gotten so much worse and i am really scared of what might I may do because of them. I have only cut myself once but that has only been because i have worked really really hard not to keep anything around me that I could do anything like that again... any advice?

Hi, Sierra!

Dealing with your bipolar depression all this time must have been really hard. I'm sorry you've been struggling so much. Honestly, I think it's really great that you want to get help for it. In fact, you should be proud of yourself for that. It takes a lot of courage to recognize and admit you need help. Although, the way your parents accuse you of being a drama queen must be pretty frustrating for you. The first thing I'd suggest is to try to talk to them about it. Sit them down on a day they're in a fairly good mood and things are quiet. Explain that you're being truthful, how much this is affecting you and that you'd appreciate if they took you to get help for your bipolar depression.

Side suggestions if that doesn't work:

1. Do you go for routine check-ups or anything? You can talk to your physician about your bipolar depression and they may talk to your parents about getting you a therapist/psychologist if you ask them to. If your doctor tells your parents and refers you to one then it might be a push to convince your parents that you need to talk to someone.

2. Can you speak to your school counselor about your situation with what you're going through, explain how your parents normally react to things like this and have them talk to your parents?

I hope I helped. Good luck and feel free to keep us updated. You can PM me too if you'd like someone to talk to. Stay strong.

[Always *]

I am glad that you realize you need to get help.

My experiences are similar but different to yours, I thought I had ADHD and I down played the depression when I finally saw a psychologist because I didn't think the fact I was so unhappy I wanted to hurt myself was a "real" problem, at 15 years old I thought it was just cause school and people sucked. It took me a year to convince my parents to let me see the psychologist!!! It was ridiculous, especially because when I was depressed my mom was all to happy to suggest that I go see a counsellor so I wasn't sure why they were so resistant to the idea of a psychological assessment. They finally bent when they realized things weren't getting any better for me....

I am really hoping you won't have to wait for a year to see a professional. I would strongly recommend that you go and see a doctor, if you are 16 or older (your profile says you are 17) you may see a doctor without parental consent because you can now consent for yourself. Perhaps the doctor can give you a game plan and perhaps even speak with your parents to explain to them why it is so important

A school guidance counsellor may so be able to help you out with getting the help you need.

Some communities have places that offer free counselling, so this might be a good place to start if you can locate this service so that you can start managing some of the things that challenge you. Other places will offer counselling on a sliding scale (ex. if you can only pay $30 or even less).

Also, a few habits such as eating healthy and exercising have helped me a lot. I've actually been noticing that if I work out first thing in the day that it works out a lot better for me than if I work out later in the day. I feel like a good work out will sort of elevate your mood in a healthy way so if you do so in the morning it could theoretically *to a certain degree* improve your mood. A consistent schedule and a tidy home help as well. But these sorts of things only help to a certain degree as I said, so I would still strongly recommend finding other areas to seek help.

As we are struggling with similar issues, if you ever need to chat just PM me

[Paint]

Hey there.

Can I just tell you that I'm in the exact situation, except with my anxiety? I know how hard it must be to not be able to reach out for help through your parents. My parents are wonderful but they don't like admitting that anything could be wrong with me, so I stopped telling them about my anxiety years ago. Living with it silently has been a nightmare, but there is good news - we don't have to suffer in silence!

Your parents are not your only ticket for getting help. Coincidentally, last week I reached out to my friend after about six years of having this terrible anxiety. She told me how her dad is a psychologist AND a pastor, so he would be willing to talk to me. We're scheduled to just meet up and chat on Friday. What I'm trying to say is that you can also do the same - reaching out to a friend and asking them if their parents can help you out. Or perhaps a school counselor? Really any adult in your life that you can think of can probably help you.

Now if you're anything like me, I know what you must be thinking - "yeah but my parents will find out that I did that and get even more upset." Here's what you can try and do - tell your parents that if they don't understand, then you're going to have to go to other sources. Explain to them that living like this has gotten so much harder and that this isn't like a broken arm where the pain is visible. Say that this is internal pain, something you cannot prove to them exists. Be honest with them like you are with us. You could even write a note.

Reaching out to other people should be the last resort, after letting your parents know that you'd have to do that if it gets this bad. Upsetting your parents cannot stop you from reaching out for help, especially when it comes to something so serious.

Lastly, if you go to the doctor for a physical (literally, any kind of doctor. Eye doctor, dentist, anything), you can explain your situation. Even if it's your dentist, they may not be able to give you any help, but they can maybe steer you in which direction to go. It'd work out great if you are seeing your regular doctor anytime soon.

I also want to address your self-harming. I know it's going to be so difficult, but maybe this can help you get to a doctor: tell your parents. If you show them this is how serious you are, they might open their eyes up. I hope you don't self-harm every time it gets this bad because I promise you there are better ways. Check this thread out if you ever need to get a quick distraction.

I just want to mention that my PM/VM is always open. We can talk more and figure out a solution for this. Just don't give up because you've held strong for so long - you wouldn't want all that to go to waste would you?

[Astrophile.]

Hey,

I have bipolar so I'm hoping that I can help you in some way with my own experiences. First things first, I'm SO glad that you're actually wanting to seek help for your symptoms. I know that a lot of people, myself included, need a push to get help when needed. So good for you.

My father brought me to a counselor when I was fifteen, and I was diagnosed with severe depression, PTSD, and GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). The only reason why my father brought me was because I was hurting myself pretty intensely, and he got very worried. I went into counseling weekly, and I got on medication. It helped for a bit, but then I lost mental health treatment when I turned eighteen. I was on my own. I ended up moving away and coping with my symptoms by myself-- and it was very unhealthy. I found out when I was 20 years old (by being hospitalized) that I was misdiagnosed, and that I'm really bipolar. It took a toll on me, but after being put on the right medications and getting a new counselor, I started the road to recovery.

I suggest you go to see a counselor BEFORE it gets to the point where you're hurting yourself consistently-- I read that you're worried about what might happen, but bring it up to your parents that you are worried and see what they say. You deserve treatment. You deserve an accurate answer as to what is going on with you. I know it's scary, and that they might not agree at first, but your safety and mental health is what's really important. So, if they won't take you, take matters into your own hands and talk to another trusted adult. One that will help you get on the right path.

I understand how you feel, I really do. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to PM me. I'll help in any way I can.

[Philomath]

Hi There,

I am really glad you notice that you need help and that you are seeking ways to get that help.
The previous people that have responded to this thread have given you some excellent advice. I would just like to add to that.
First, if you can not find someone to talk to immediately, you can call a hotline. Though the person on the hotline may not be able to help with bipolar specifically, they can help with strategies to cope when you are feeling stressed, be somewhere anonymous you can talk and may even be able to help you find the resources that are locally available to you.
Second, since your parents do not seem very helpful, talking to another adult may be your only route to getting the support you need, want and deserve. Here is a link to a list of people that may be able to help: click here.
Lastly, everyone here on TH is here to help as best as we can. You can send me a message if you would like someone to talk to.
Hope this helps and that all goes well with finding a psychologist/counselor.
You can do this!

[Cece16thnote]

Thank you all! I don't want this to be taken the wrong way but it's kinda nice to know i'm not the only one who copes with this stuff too. I have asked my parents to take me to the doctors for an appointment but it hasn't happened. I didn't know i could take myself now, with out their consent, that is actually really helpful to know. I didn't know i could contact hotlines for this either so I think I might at least keep their numbers in my phone so i know i can always call them. Hopefully i can make a change soon