I'm depressed. I know I'm depressed, and I understand that I am depressed. I also understand why I am depressed. I just don't know how to stop being depressed. Around 4th grade, I developed (possibly) OCD. The reason I say possibly is because it isn't normal OCD, and I've gotten mixed opinions about it from assorted people. I had a problem where I felt the need to mock everyone's coughs--That is, cough after other people cough. I felt that their coughs were extremely annoying and I would feel extremely angry, annoyed, unable to concentrate, etc. if I did not complete this action. This continued until 8th grade, when I finally controlled it and confined it to only at my house after my mother. Unfortunately, the damage was ...  
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My teenage son is having difficulties in school and is failing for the first time. He is a senior and hasn't even applied to colleges yet fully. He is very bright 4,5 on AP exams, but doesn't like doing the homework. He still is involved with friends and afterschool activities, however has become more distant and will not talk to us. When I have asked straight out about any drug use, he gets very upset, and I don't think this is the problem, since he broke off a close friendship due to the friend using drugs. He can sleep for more than 12 hours, can't seem to concentrate so he says and can't put his finger on it He won't speak to us about it, ...  
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Q: Hi, my step son is 11 years old and fortunately is a very clever boy, however every day is a constant struggle with him having to do homework, projects or studying for assessments (exams). He refuses to do none of the above (on a daily basis) and gives my husband and us a very hard time about these issues, we have explained the importance of having to do this in order to achieve well. The fights he gives us is now causing severe problems for the family. Please can you suggest what we can do and if a child has this problem? Should we look at sending him to a "special school" that can assist with this sort of problem. We have tried ...  
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Q: I have always been somewhat of a sensitive person, however lately the littlest things seem to upset me a lot more than they should. For example observing a football team losing a game (not necessarily even a team I am a big fan of) can bring me to tears. I have made some changes in my life fairly recently, but generally for the better. Let me explain a little bit about my habits the past year- I started using marijuana but I still maintained good grades and somewhat similar social habits. Then once summer came I smoked almost daily before work. During this period I did stop smoking for a month-pretty easily as somewhat of a confirmation that I am ...  
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Q: I am writing a paper on why teens cling to specific groups or cliques during their adolescent years, and I wanted a professional opinion on the matter. Please get back to me as soon as you can. Thank you! A: Adolescents are developmentally supposed to go through a process of breaking away from their parents (to a certain extent) to find their own identity. This typically begins in middle school and continues on into high school. During this time period their peers become more important and have more influence over them than their family much of the time. Teens have to separate from what they have always known to try new things and explore new identities. While trying to “find themselves” they are usually drawn ...  
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Q.Im 18/female and have been diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder since December 05. For 5 years before that I have been diagnosed with various other psychiatric illnesses and spent a 4 year period in a psych hospital. I have currently been out of hospital for about 7 months or maybe six and I have been studying my gcses at college now since september 05. At the beginning of the year I achieved very high grades and was the top of my class (even after 4 years of no education). However, in the last 2-3 months my illness has been seriosuly affecting my studies. I now feel that I should have spent a year or two doing a less demanding course before doing the extremely demanding course ...  
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Q. Ummmm this feels really akwards, but... Okey, I've tried suicide about 3 times now... It all has to do with friends getting into fights and expecting me to take one side and if I don't choose their side, they get mad at me and say things behind my back! My parents fight ALOT. I still love them, but at times, I just don't want to be there.... or anywhere. Then, my grades have been dropping because I can't think straight in school and then my homework just keeps coming! My parents only know that I've tried 1 time, but they don't know about the other times. I can hardly sleep anymore and I have my really depressed moments sometimes... That and my eating habits ...  
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