Dear Dish-It, I Hate My Life

Dear Dish-It is here to help with all your hot tops - from the really heavy stuff to the totally fluffy. Be it a fight with friends, a rough time dealing with school and the peeps in your class or the big problems like bullying, sibling rivalry, self-esteem problems, depression and suicide, Dish-It is here for ya. On the fly, she gives great teen dating advice, some deep thoughts on the hot topic of teen sex (cuz all you peeps keep talkin' about it,) flirting, cheaters, best friends, the straight up on boys and boyfriends as well as the real deal on girls and girlfriends. Listen up you guys... if you're jonesin' for that someone fine or crushin' on that super hottie, Dear Dish-It's got the words to make it work. Need advice on love and life, then just start writin' Dish-It.

Dear Dish-It,
Hi, I think I have a problem. I think I'm depressed. For the last two weeks I've been drinking vodka from the cabinet and wine every night before I go to bed. I hate my life and who I am. I am in high school and am so stressed out cuz I go to a hard school. My parents are so preoccupied with my brother and their own messed up lives that they don't even care about me. All they do is scream and scream at me. Tonight they screamed at me for not hanging up my shirt the right way. They yell at me for everything. The only way I get out is to drink. I have a little punch with it and sometimes I take a vicodin with it. I don't know what to do or who to talk to. My friends would judge me and my parents would hurt me. Please help.
Anonymous

Dear Anon,
Wow! Where to begin? I guess the first thing I wanna say is... you are not the only person to feel depressed -(Did ya know that as a result of depression, approximately 25% of high school students seriously consider suicide each year)- so don't bother thinking your friends will judge you. For all you know they may be depressed too. Course, the problem with depression is you feel totally alone. Right? And it sounds like things are really rough with your 'rents. Now you're drinking and mixing pills cuz depression very often affects your sleep... and it feels like nothing else will help. The good news is you've already taken the first step to helping yourself. That's big cuz, whether you know it or not, it means you're strong and you really care about yourself. The next step is finding the right professional. If you're not good with talking to your school counsellor or your docotor, a walk-in clinic might be a good way to start. They don't have to know everything about you - you can remain somewhat anonymous - while working through some of your feelings. If you want to remain even more anonymous, try one of the following crisis lines. And Anon, stop with the pill mixin'. Stay alive long enough to feel good again.

The Alcoholics Anonymous Web site will have info on local chapters. They are people there that will be able to direct you. Also, they've got some info specifically for teens.

For some anonymous support and advice from peeps your own age, check out www.teenhelp.org.

For a national, or local, phone number to help with depression, try www.suicidehotlines.com.

So gotta burnin' question? Need some love directions? Thinkin' about stuff like teen suicide, depression and just feelin' bad, sex, low self-esteem, boys and boyfriends, girls and girlfriends, or peer pressure but too scared to ask the 'rents? Don't be scared to Dish-It. Just remember, if you hang out in chat with other Kidzworld members who know you by your nick, you might wanna use a secret nick when you write in. That way no one will ever know it's you. Remember though, Dish-It gets tons of letters a day - she'll definitely answer ya, but it may take a bit. Thanks! Got some words of wisdom you wanna share? We'll dish them up too.

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