home links bulletin board about what now? make a comment
Someone Asks...
Hi Im 15 years old im suffering from depression but i have and having been having bad thoughts about taking an overodse , i have taken overodse on three times to make the feelings go away i use to self harm but that didnt work for me , also i think about death when im feeling really low in myself, I here my own voice telling me to do bad things to my self in my mind and its really making me worried and scared and confused when i am hearing thease voices :'( , I do have support in school and outside off school , i have spoken to a teacher at my school about the voices im hearing she said that she had to email the main people in the school , but i dont now how im going to explain this to my mum as i think my mum is going to think im been stupid and stilly, I feel so stupid for even telling the school about this becuase it sounds like im crazy,
Please Help If you can
Thank you
What we suggest...
Hi
We hope you have recognised and found your answer here, your question came in on one of our comments forms so we had no way of returning it to you except via the bulletin board.
Firstly, we want to reassure you we are sure you mum is not going to think you are stupid or silly. You have been very sensible in telling school how you feel because staff there are in a strong position to be able to get you additional support to help you at this difficult time. Your mum may be slightly upset that you did not tell her first, but we are sure she will recognise that you are doing your best to take control and sort things out for yourself. We are sure she will admire and respect you for this. She may though, as your mum feel a bit sad that you did not come to her first. But we guess that you had gone to her first earlier when you first realised you needed help. We are sure she will understand and continue to do her best to support you. Its a difficult time for everyone in a family when one of them is not coping too well, and it can affect everybody in one way or another.
We can appreciate that hearing your own voice telling you to do bad things to yourself must be very distressing. Often people find it very hard to confess to others whether professionals or family or friends about what they are hearing which in turn makes them feel like they are the only ones suffering. However this is not true. Depression affects far more people than we realise and if this is not treated accordingly then it can escalate - voices being a part of this.
We are guessing that if you do have support both inside and outside of school then both are aware of you experiencing depression. This in itself takes a lot of courage so in a way you have done the hard part already. Well done for then explaining to a teacher that you hear voices - hopefully they should pass this information on to some people that can help you further.
With regards to your mum you could perhaps tell her in the same way that you told your teacher if you think that would be helpful. Perhaps pick a time in the day when you know your mum isn't going to be busy making the tea or tidying up etc so you have her full attention. The more you open up to her about the situation and what you are experiencing the more she should be able to understand and help and support you.
If you are feeling like you can't tell your mum face-to-face you could perhaps try other ways:
- write your mum a letter
- speak to your mum on the telephone
- text your mum (although if you do this think about your words carefully as only a limited space)
- Perhaps have someone sat next to you when you tell your mum for moral support
With regards to the depression have you officially had this diagnosed from a doctor? Have they put you on medication or offered you further support such as counselling for instance.
A possible explanation of how you are feeling and what you are hearing now is perhaps a result of something that has happened to you in the past. The self - harm you once experienced and the voices you are hearing now are common ways people use to deal with painful and difficult feelings and distress. If there was no - one to talk to or any support at the time it's possible for the mind to block it out all together, sort of forget that it ever happened and consequently the feelings about what happened also get buried. This lack of support can also make people feel that what happened was their entire fault; they didn't get help because they didn't deserve it. Or perhaps the person was too young at the time to be able to realise what was happening or be able to ask for help. This could be an explanation of the 'voices' that they aren't really 'voices'. They're the thoughts you have about yourself and your situation when you're having bad days. Although you do have the support in place now to help you it does take time for things to come together and for you to improve.
There are a lot of reasons why people find themselves in the same situation as you are now in; just a few examples are:
- being bullied
- having feelings of rejection, lack of love and affection by parents or carers
- parents arguing, splitting up or separating
- physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- someone close dying
- money worries
- isolation or loneliness
We know it will be difficult when you're having your bad days even when you have the support around you as it's easy to let things drift into a downward spiral. However there are things you can do to help yourself:
-try to eat healthy and regularly. There is a strong connection between food and mood. The less we eat the worse we feel, the worse we feel the less we eat
-try to get a good night sleep. Difficult we know when your head is full of stuff but you could try reading, listening to music, relaxation exercises etc
-get regular exercise - it makes 'happy hormones'. It doesn't need to be expensive or complicated - a half hours brisk walk can help
-get out with friends as often as you can, it will take your mind of things
Although you say you do have some support apart from school we are unsure of what support is in place. We can't give specific places in your area as you haven't mentioned the town you live in, however general places are:
-a Young People's Worker / Youth Worker in school if appropriate
- your GP who may be able to refer you to counselling or to a mental health specialist if they think it would be helpful.
In terms of helplines:
-Us, The Line on 0800 511111. We are open every day from 10am - 10pm at night
-Saneline - local call rate - 0845 767 8000. Open 7 days 1pm - 11pm
In terms of you hearing voices there are numerous websites you could look at:
-http://www.mind.org.uk/information/Booklets/Other/The+voice+inside.htm
-http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/information/mental-health-a-z/hearing-voices/?locale=en
-http://news.bbc.co.uk/1hi/health/963545.stm
Although you say you don't self - harm anymore you may still wish to try the following:
-The national Self - harm Network (NSHN), Po Box 7267, Nottingham NG1 6WJ. Website: http://www.nshn.co.uk
-For more ideas on ways to overcome the urge to self harm text FLSH to 077 66 36 33 90 any time 24/7. There is no cost for receiving a text, and the cost of sending a text is only what your service provider charges.
We hope you feel reassured by what we have said in our reply and by the information and resources we have given you. We hope it gives you the confidence to talk to your mum about the voices and to continue getting the support you have in place and more if needed. You're not alone in your situation and there is help and support out there for you. We hope with this support things will start to improve and get easier for you. Please contact us again if you need to about this or anything else.
Best Wishes
q2a
Expert advice and every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information on this page is trustworthy and reliable, but the publishers do not hold themselves responsible for any inaccuracy as information can go out of date very quickly. This page gives general guidance only and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. With regard to suggested weblinks given in this reply please note that Lancashire County Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
here's what i think about ...
Hey, Danielle, if you come back to this page, we have put our answer on the bulletin board for you, click the link at the top of this page and it will take you there. Its in your name.