I've been struggling with depression and anxiety attacks for like two years now. I want to speak to a doctor for therapy or medication but I can't tell my parents or anyone in too scared and I feel like my parents won't take it seriously. Last year I started self harming. I stopped for a while but then started again. Currently I'm clean but I feel like it's gonna start again I have to try try hard .
Sam
Hi there,
Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety can feel very hard to cope with. And getting some support can really help. It can take a lot of courage to see a doctor about your mental health so you might prefer to start by talking to someone you trust in your life, like a friend or family member. Perhaps they could support you with working towards finding out how a doctor could help you.
Visiting a doctor can feel really difficult and it might be important to remember that they will have talked to lots of people about mental health before.
You can see your doctor by yourself at any age but if you tell them something that makes them feel you could be at risk, they might want to talk to you about telling your parents or carers. Its always worth asking your surgery about confidentiality if you feel unsure. You could ask a receptionist about privacy over the phone.
Lots of young people use self-harm as a way to cope with difficult feelings. It might start to feel like a habit, which can be hard to stop. Its natural to struggle with urges to self-harm after you have stopped. And relapsing can sometimes be a useful step towards stopping completely, as you learn about your triggers and find ways to cope that work for you.
Trying different coping techniques can be a useful way to work out what kinds of things help with your urges. You could try more than one technique together. Its important to remember that it may take time to find what works for you.
Seeing your progress when you manage not to harm yourself could really help to feel good about stopping. Perhaps you could mark the days off in a diary or reward yourself when you reach any targets youve set.
If you would like to talk to the counsellors about anything thats on your mind, they are always there for you. The Docready website can really help when you feel ready to see a doctor, it allows you to build a checklist of your symptoms that you could read to your doctor. Or if showing it to them feels easier, that would be okay too.
Take care, Sam
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