I need advise : I'm 20 years old and i... - Mental Health Sup...

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I need advise

C_Frenchie profile image
10 Replies

I'm 20 years old and i have had a great life.

But i feel empty.

i suffer badly from stress and will only know until my body tells me.

Earlier on in the year i suffered from a major panic attack and ended up in hospital but they couldn't find anything wrong with me and boiled it down to stress.

i get waves of feeling low threw out the week but it's only when i feel alone.

i have days when i cry for hours but only when i'm alone.

I'm happiest when im with people so im not alone with my thoughts.Don't get me wrong they're not suicidal there just things that have happened in the past maybe guilt or lose i don't know.

Am i depressed. i feel like i am but then i don't know if it's just me overthinking it.

Am i depressed??

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C_Frenchie profile image
C_Frenchie
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10 Replies

Hi I am sorry you are feeling so bad at the moment. There are no doctors or nurses here and even if there were you can't be diagnosed over the net. The only way to get a diagnosis is to visit a medical professional ie your doctor. If you are not sure, why don't you google online depression tests? They can give you a guide. x

C_Frenchie profile image
C_Frenchie in reply to

Thank you for your reply.

I have done the online test but none really give me the questions on what I'm feeling. I have an appointment on Friday to see my doctor thank you again for the reply. X

mstirling profile image
mstirling

To be honest I think you'd know yourself if you were depressed. It's a very intense feeling, not like being sad. It's a good thing your thoughts haven't progressed into suicidal ones so it would be good to see a doctor ASAP to get it sorted before it goes that far. It does sound like you maybe have a form of depression but then again I don't know how long it's being going on for or if you're just going through a bad time I.e stress from school/family life or a loss which may settle down once you've come to terms with it.

Best to get checked out as only a professional can decide if you are depressed!

Good luck

maggie91 profile image
maggie91

You are doing the right thing by seeing your doctor. It could be a deficiency of some vitamin or mineral. Blood tests will determine that. You already know what makes you feel down. Being alone. Maybe call a friend or family member to talk or even go out for a walk. Exercise helps with depression as well as eating healthy foods. You can also find something to do like a hobby or even doing chores around the house to take your mind off being alone. If you live at home, I'm sure someone will eventually come home and you can relax. Did something happen that makes you feel this way? Start journaling and write everything you feel and think. This might help you figure out why you feel stressed when you're alone. Keep in touch and let us know what doctor says. Wish you the best. Keep busy.

C_Frenchie profile image
C_Frenchie in reply to maggie91

Thank you for your reply.

I'll keep you posted.

X

Xilentstorm profile image
Xilentstorm

Hey C Frenchie,

I have experienced/am experiencing something that sounds very similar, just less extreme. I'm almost exactly the same age and also have had a great life, and I also experience periodic feelings of emptiness and also get waves of feeling low, only when I'm alone. Basically everything you've described (including the stress) minus the panic attack. You're not alone :) And it does get better :)

As for whether it's depression, I'm not entirely sure. In my case I think it was some form of depression made a lot worse by stress, so it might be similar for you. However me and my doctor are looking into it (I do advise you, as others have, to ask a doctor). The emptiness and the overthinking and the loneliness is awful, especially when you don't know why you feel that way.

As a very general guide, do you have several of these: trouble concentrating, feel guilty, lost interest in something you previously found interesting, too much or too little sleep, changes in appetite, decreased energy. Several or most of these together can indicate depression, but please don't take this as gospel :p

How many of your friends and family know about it? I would highly recommend telling a few friends that you trust, and probably your parents too. The few friends I told were great - I learned that I could go to them when I was feeling down and talk about it in general. Highly recommended. I also felt great relief when I told my parents. Also highly recommended :)

For the stress, look after yourself - take time out to watch a TV episode, go for a run, read a book, spend time with friends, whatever you like. Build it into your daily routine (e.g. before you go to bed) so you don't get to the panic attack stage in the first place. Eating healthy also helps (if only so I don't feel guilty when I do eat lollies ;p).

Hope this helps a little :) Feel free to ask for clarification if you need to.

secondhandrose2 profile image
secondhandrose2 in reply to Xilentstorm

Hi

After responding to the write of the original post I have only just read your reply - it's good you have been able to talk with friends about how you are feeling.

Often when we only experience the negative feelings when we are alone it is the result of being unable to deal with the emotions on our own, often the emotions relate to lack of emotional contact with a caregiver so that inside we have feelings of having to manage on our own, this leads to feelings of emptiness and sadness. If you feel that is true for you and you find you become very low again then you might speak with a counsellor who could help you understand where the feelings stem from.

Suex

Xilentstorm profile image
Xilentstorm in reply to secondhandrose2

Thank you, I'm already speaking with a counsellor. I'm not sure if you're right, but it's an interesting point - I'll think on it :)

secondhandrose2 profile image
secondhandrose2

Hi

I am sorry you are feeling so bad. What immediately strikes me is that you say you have had a great life but then go on to say you feel empty - how we feel about ourselves is the result of the experiences we have had, if you feel empty then there has been something missing in your life experiences or else something has happened to put you out of touch with your emotions.

Why not ask your GP to refer you to a counsellor as a starting point, also if you feel low each day then a very low dose antidepressant may help lift your mood a little so you can feel more positively about things whilst waiting to see the counsellor.

You do say there are or may be things that have happened in the past that you feel guilt or loss about and if so then those might certainly account for your feelings of emptiness - if you do know there are specific experiences that you found very difficult do you feel able to share them with us as sharing experiences is the first step towards reducing their negative emotional effects.

Suexx

ijeasike profile image
ijeasike

Hello dear , it my sound like a cliche to say i know the way you feel but sincerely i do. I got my diagnosis in 2011 but fully understand what it was in 2012. I wake up in the middle of the night crying and asking my mum forgiveness for all i have done. The agony i was going through made me feel i brought this illness on myself , for being disobedient to my family. I could not have any personal discussion with anyone without crying. I could not see beyond the pain i was going through. My consultant refered me to the hospital psychologist who in turn refered me for therapy called CBT. It did help me acknowledge that am depressed. Having lupus at a young age is depressing because age wise your young but health wise you old. Like a young soul traped in an old unwell body. It will be good if you can be refered to a psychologist by your local gp. It should help. I wish i could be of better help but i just hope that you understand that your certainly not alone. Take care and God bless.

Xx

Ijeasike

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