Please help me.

From Chelsea, with Elly's reply.
I'm a 18 year old college student and I'm having a rough time. I have never been completley happy, but I put up a good front most of the time. I know I sound like I'm complaining, but I'm just sad all the time.

I feel alone and lost. I cut myself. I don't know why, but it needs to stop. Some how it makes me feel better. It's retarded. I think about suicide, although I could never do it. Its just selfish. I'm just sick of being miserable and no one knows what's going on with me. What can I do? Please help.

----------------------------------------

Elly's reply

Thank goodness you are just sick of being miserable, Chelsea. That means that you are ready for a change. I am so pleased, because you have already taken the most important step, by realising that you need to be doing something different, making the decision and indeed reaching out.

Nobody seeing the pain.

I work at a school for 11-18 year-olds. These girls tell me exactly the same: they put on a brave face and nobody can see the sadness behind their eyes (in fact - one of my five girls today metioned it!). This becomes a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, as they focus more and more on themselves, cutting themselves off from the very people and experiences that are absolutely vital for their mental well-being.

Getting help

I would really like you to find local help. I wonder if you have spoken to support staff at your college? Believe me - you are not the only one in your college! However, you are one of the fortunate ones to have realised that you need to do something about it, rather than cutting yourself. Cutting may provide relief, but it is oh so short-lived and invariably means longer-term trouble. It prevents you learning the skills that you need to deal with life's up and downs.

So, absolutely next step for you is to investigate what help you can get in your college. Otherwise your town/city, wherever you live will have some voluntary or statutory services, where you can get help.

And you know what? The service will be staffed by people just like me - we understand, we are trained and we love to help. By the end of the day, we know that we have done what we enjoy doing: reaching out a hand to pull someone else out of a pit.

Helping yourself

There is lots of information on this site for you to make a start getting yourself well again. Start exploring it now. Make yourself a list of what you are going to do, with the dates and times you will do them by. Simply taking positive action right now will help.

I can also absolutely recommend this download
Depression treatment. By the end of today you could be feeling so much better, just by having made a start sorting it all out.

Wishing you all the best,

Elly

Fine-tune your relationship and lift your spirits! SIGN UP for my FREE newsletter Receive my Sleep Better Forever Ebook FREE Your first name Your primary email address I won't ever pass your email address on!