I'm about to graduate college with a degree in music education. I've found success as a teacher, musician, student, and as a leader on campus. I'm still not happy. I struggled with an eating disorder and depression in the past. I thought I had left it behind, but I'm not sure anymore. I've always believed that if you choose a career you love, you will be happy — at least, be happy most of the time. Not all careers are perfect, but I'm unhappy more often than not. I can put on a happy face at work and have a great, successful day — yet when I walk out the door, it's gone. I've gone from a natural, confident extrovert, to someone who fakes her ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

Q. I don't know why, but people ignore me all the time. I try to be friendly at work or what very little social situations I might be in, but when I speak, they just look away. I could be walking down a hallway at work, say hello to someone, they look right at me and keep walking. It makes me feel like I could die inside. I attend a group exercise class 3 nights a week, and everyone talks out loud to the instructor or the rest of the class, but when I say something, everything goes quiet, and my comment is totally ignored. I really am a friendly, funny and intelligent person. Being the last of 4 children in my family, I've learn to ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

Since my family and I moved to Florida (5 years ago) my wife has been getting progressively worst with depression. She has 8 of the 10 symptoms from the depression quiz in your web site. She seems to always blame others for everything that happens to her. I feel very strongly that she needs professional help but she will not acknowledge that she has a problem. How do I get her to realize she does have a problem and get her the treatment she needs? A: When a family member needs help but won't accept it, it's very frustrating I know. Please consider it another sign of her depression, not as stubbornness or pride or defiance. As often happens with depression, she's not motivated ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

Q. My husband of 23 years, the love of my life, my soul mate, died July 9, 1998. I remember the Doctor in the emergency room telling me he had died. I remember going with my children into the room where he had died to say good-bye to him. I remember being very calm at the hospital. After that I don't remember too much at all. The funeral, the graveside service, the get together afterwards, all a blur. It took me 8 months, 3 hospital visits, many different medications and 3 rounds of ECT to get me to a point where I could finally be around other people and get myself back to work. I was treated for major depression and today, nearly 10 years ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

Q. Avoidant Solitary Personality? or what? Over the years, my husband has become more and more reserved. He doesn't like to talk personal, even with me. He becomes irritated when I ask questions in an attempt to get him to talk. Evidentially, he sees these as attempts to pick on him. So often, he doesn't bother to tell me things, and as a result of our lack of communication, efforts or doubled or connections are missed. He prefers spending time alone, enjoying reading, watching history shows, and being very intelligent, thinking of innovative ways to make money or do business. He will however spend time with our young children. Oftentimes, he will go thru phases of ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

Q. My boyfriend is a negative thinker,he gets angry on small things,he cuts himself if we fight.he loves me. how can i help. i have a boyfriend who loves me a lot and so do i. m the 1st girl in his life. v have future plans too. hes very serius for me and so m i, but he is very insecured, he trusts me a lot, but still hes insecured, he gets angry on little things.. we have a long distance relationship.. we both are in dirrent countries n meet each other for three months in an year.. so most of our fites are on the net or phone.. when we happen to fight he cuts his hand.. if hes guilty he will ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

I have struggled with depression for years. It has progressively gotten worse over the past two years. I have been in therapy and do have a safety contract with my therapist, which I do understand the purpose of. Yet, it has been made very clear that if I were to attempt that all ties would be cut and I would no longer be able to continue therapy. Why is that? It's as if when I am at my lowest that is when the person that I trust would just discard like everone else. A: There are many effective ways to do therapeutic work. I don't know for sure why your therapist says she will cut all ties if you attempt suicide. Perhaps she is hoping that ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

From an 11th grade guy: Ok, here's how it is, I've suffered from depression ever since i was eleven and it has tampered with my school progress ever since, but NEVER like it has now. I have an IQ of 122 and I'm a history buff, mentally I guess I am pretty smart, but in school it's a complete different story, only class i'm passing would be history. History is the easiest for me because its basically straight from the book. But every other class I take I fail. I have all of the stuff in my head but when it comes down to writing it down I get stuck and I just can't get it down on paper. It feels like some kind of ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

Hi, I am 19 years old. One of my biggest problems is that i have a very difficult time being open and showing my emotions to anyone. I think it's odd considering that I am a female, and women are supposed to be really emotional people. I'm more like a man in the sense of hiding any emotion whether it is happy, sad, angry, or excited. I have an idea of why I act this way. Let me give you a little background of myself. I was raised by my great grandmother. My mother had me out of wedlock at a young age and was not ready to handle the responsibilities of motherhood. I've never met my father and I don't know anything about ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

Q. In my depressive state brought on not only by issues with religion but past sexual abuse I have been seeing a therapist. He has told me and I do not quite agree with this: We are in control of our own thoughts and actions, therefore how we feel is our choice. I have also heard and read that depression and other mental problems are not a sign that we are weak. How is this possible? If we decide how we feel and we are deciding to feel like crap all the time isn't that weakness on our part.To choose to live day in and day out with feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness seems pretty week to me. So which is it? Do we ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

I was diagnosed with depression about 15 years ago. I was on Prozac for many years which made the biggest improvement. Since then, I have been on a number of different drugs. I have been on Lexapro, 30 mg. for over a year now and it is not working. I saw my dr. last week and he is supposed to be checking into something additional for anxiety. I am so tired of being depressed, so tired of being tired, so tired of feeling grumpy and would like to know what it is to laugh and smile again. Could my depression be resistant? What other options are out there? This is causing problems in my marriage...my husband does not understand how my lack of being able ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »

hi i dont know why alot of people take advantage of me in many ways exspecially sex and its starting to ruin my life,i need some help and need to figure why this keeps happening,,,its so sad i wanna cry until i get the help!thanks A: Writing to me is an important first step. Good for you! By acknowledging that you must have some part in the problem, you are taking charge. Now we need to find someone who can help you figure things out. One of the best places for kids and teens to get help in Canada is the Kids Help Phone. They have counselors available 24/7 to talk to you by phone. They can also match you ...  
Read the rest of this question and answer... »