Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

When people have a bad day they can describe the effects of it as feeling depressed, meaning that they feel down, sad and low. If these feelings continue and start to have a big impact on a person’s life so that they are no longer able to do the things they used to do, or feel that their life isn’t worth living, it could be that they have depression.

You’ve done really well to get support for your depression. But it sounds like you don’t feel it’s working as well as it might. In this case, it might be a good idea to go back to your doctor or therapist and explain how you’re feeling. This means they can check things out for you and perhaps make some changes to your medication or suggest other ways of coping.

It might be useful to start keeping a record of these depressed days. And what’s going on during that day and the time around it to see if this helps you and your therapist or doctor to understand more about what’s happening. You can also get some tips on talking to your doctor.

You mention that when you have free time you can go for a walk or talk to someone. Distractions are one way of taking your mind off the depression but as you say, it can be difficult to distract yourself in some situations like in the classroom. If you feel able to talk to your teachers about what’s going on for you, it might be possible to agree to take a break from the classroom if you need to. Or to try other coping strategies like squeezing a stress ball, writing something down or drawing.

Remember that you’re never alone with how you’re feeling. There’s a depression and feeling low message board where young people have shared their experiences that you might want to take a look at. Young Minds also gives more info and advice about depression.

If you would like to talk more about the way you are feeling, our counsellors are always here to listen and support you.

Take care for now,
Sam