Dear Dish-It, I Hate My Life

Help for teens with drinking, drug and family problems.

Advice for Teens with Depression

Dear Dish-It, is thinkin' about this some more, so TTYL.

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 want to say is... you are NOT alone -(Did you know that, as a result of depression, approximately 25% of high school students every year seriously consider suicide)- 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, ya gotta burnin' question? Need some love directions? Thinkin' 'bout stuff like depression, sex,how ya feel 'bout YOURSELF (that's called "self-esteem"), boyfriends, girlfriends, losin' old friends, bullyin' or peer pressure, but too scared to ask the parents? Don't be scared to here. But 'member, if ya hang out in Chat with other Kidzworld members who know ya by your 'username', ya might wanna use a secret nickname when ya write in. That way no one'll ever know it's you. And, just in case ya don't know, Dish-It gets a lotta letters everyday, and she can't answer 'em all. So keep checkin' the column cuz she's prob'ly answerin' somethin' very similar to your question while you're out doin' somethin' else. K? And Thanks! Ya keep her outta trouble. Oh! And if ya've got words of wisdom you wanna share, We'll dish 'em up, too.