Bulletin Board Post

Feelings

Lost Without Dance

<div class="ExternalClassC4ED24C5B23D4865A520B6283B516A63">Hi. I have been struggling with life ever since I injured myself 2 years ago and lost dance as my coping skill. Since then I haven’t been able to dance still due to surgery. I started to get more emotional and it showed at school. My teacher recommended that I saw a therapist. My parents were never on board exactly with the idea, but they eventually caved. After a while my therapist said with confidence that she believes I am depressed and have social anxiety. It just seems to get worse. My parents don’t approve of medication and every conversation we have turns into a fight, so I have given up on trying. I just feel so stuck. I don’t want to go against them in talking to a doctor or anything, but I also don’t want to keep living like this. Some days it is like I wake up just to look forward to going to bed again. </div>

<div class="ExternalClassB4FC1B58AD6D457388B3730C47EB47F6">Thank you for reaching out to us to talk with us about what you are struggling with. It takes a lot of strength to do so. We're glad that you want to take steps to improve your well-being. This must be a very difficult and frustrating situation for you.It sounds like dancing was really important to you and made up a big part of who you are. You must have felt like you lost a part of yourself when you had to stop dancing. Do you have any other coping skills to help you? You describe having times when you feel like things will never get better and that your feelings of depression will never end. Overcoming depression and coping with it can be overwhelming at times. Try some of these tips: <ul><li><a href="/Pages/tip-12-steps-to-overcome-depression.aspx?Topic=Depression">12 Steps To Overcoming Your Depression</a></li><li><a href="/Pages/tip-9-steps-to-taking-care-of-yourself.aspx?Topic=Depression">9 Steps To Taking Care Of Yourself</a></li><li><a href="/Pages/tip-creating-a-safety-plan.aspx?Topic=Depression">Creating A Safety Plan</a> </li></ul>These steps can help you when you feel stuck and not sure what to do. It's hard to feel like you aren't getting the support you need from your parents. It sounds like you feel frustrated and misunderstood. You want to take care of your mental health through therapy and medication, but they have a different idea of how to handle this. Don't let this lead to fights, instead, try to understand their perspective. Parents are people too, and their moods can be affected by all kinds of things. The way they were raised, the coping skills that they have developed, and their own inner struggles or strengths will affect the way they approach parenting. The bottom line is, most parents genuinely care about their kids and want the best for them, even if they don't always effectively communicate this. Maybe you need to find a different way to communicate with them about what you want and what you need to help you improve. Here are some links that might help build that bridge for you. <ul><li><a href="/Pages/tip-how-to-talk-to-parents.aspx?Topic=Family">How To Talk To Your Parents</a></li><li><a href="/Pages/Build-a-Bridge-Not-a-Wall.aspx?Topic=Family">Build A Bridge, Not A Wall</a></li><li><a href="/Pages/tip-letter-to-your-parents.aspx?Topic=Family">Write A Letter To Your Parents</a></li></ul>You've already taken one very courageous step by reaching out to us for help and support. We hope you keep reaching out to us whenever you need to vent or even just calling to let us know how you are doing 1-800-448-3000. We are here anytime you need us. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help! Take care, Abby, Crisis Counselor </div>

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