<i>"When kids talk about how depressed they are, I'm well aware that most times it's not the depression I've always struggled with and always will struggle with."</i><br>errr... I think ZJ meant that not everybody has the same problems :I

<i>ZJ I'm sorry if this sounds rude but you go on and on about people having to "one up" each other in stories and such but yet after that you go and say<br /> <br /> "When kids talk about how depressed they are, I'm well aware that most times it's not the depression I've always struggled with and always will struggle with."</i><br /> <br /> That was exactly my point a little farther down. :P

ZJ I'm sorry if this sounds rude but you go on and on about people having to "one up" each other in stories and such but yet after that you go and say <br /> <br /> "When kids talk about how depressed they are, I'm well aware that most times it's not the depression I've always struggled with and always will struggle with."<br /> <br /> That just sounds like you are trying to one up most people right there, at least to me it does. The only reason I've been able to openly say some of my story is because I've come to terms with my life and that it won't change. I hate my story and no one should want to "one up" an already bad story but people are different in their search for someone to talk to. <br /> <br /> In my mind what you are basically saying is that no one has depression as bad as you, but really you can't say that because you just <b>don't know</b>.<br /> <br /> That's my two cents.

oh. i read both as "father" - forgive me. :)

Eh, I don't know how I am going to do this but I have to say I have never been neglected by my parents. On the contrary, they have been wonderful. It's my sister who has caused me all the pain (and sometimes joy).<br /> <br /> Now my sister is 2 years younger than me, but she is more headstrong. I am a quite person who is a wimp. And my sister for the last 10 or so years of her life has always put me down by calling me untalented, ugly, stupid, and she has hit me a lot. And I think because of her always putting me down I might have a low self esteem. I don't care what I look like because all I see is just ugliness, I have a hard time taking compliments about my physical appearence (or talent wise). I also don't stand up for myself that much and still don't and I get paranoid easily. It is just to much now and again, I am not clinically depressed but I know I have some really bad times. And they can last up to weeks, once in a 'bad time' I was thinking about suicide. But I thought I concluded it wasn't worth it. And also I have a hard time being social with people because I get picked on so very easily, so I don't trust many people.<br /> <br /> I know my background is nothing compared to others on here but I felt the need to post here.

Her stepfather hit her, but her real dad never did.

i don't mean to sound.. insensitive or anything? but in the beginning of your post, Larthan, you said your dad hit you.. and then at the end you said he never hit you.

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I also just want to add that...just because someone is "worse" than you are in terms of mental health, please don't degrade them for it. It's not as if they asked for their problems, much the same way no one here asked for theirs.<br /> <br /> Of all the places, you'd think this thread would be more sensitive to that fact. :/

<i>"But the fact is, the majority of the stories I hear about depression or how awful life is come from people who are either lying or who have no idea how awful life could be."</i><br /> <br /> I find that in some cases, this is true. However, not everyone deals with every situation the same way. There are approximately 120 million people struggling with depression in the world. Who's to say what these kids are feeling isn't real? Because they're younger, maybe they just don't know how to express it in a mature or rational manner. Who knows? <br /> <br /> The "one-up" thing really, really pisses me off. I'm not one for the sympathy olympics. But in that same line, how can you say <i>"I'm well aware that most times it's not the depression I've always struggled with and always will struggle with."</i>?<br /> <br /> Not everyone who claims they're depressed, is. I don't doubt that for a second. But everyone struggles with <i>something</i> in life. <br /> <br /> This year I was on my school's mock trial team as a lawyer. A couple months previous to the competition, our coach brought in one of his former students (one who everyone who had taken his class had heard stories about) to help us prepare. He competes on a nationally ranked team. I was intimidated as hell. <br /> <br /> He went back to college after winter break. I texted him again the day before the competition telling him how I was absolutely sick to my stomach nervous. He told me he'd be at the courthouse in the morning, to watch us compete. At the time, I kind of wanted to cry. Little did I know he'd have a lasting impact on me.<br /> <br /> After the competition, the team went out to dinner, then we just hung out for a few hours. He ended up driving me home. We ended up in my driveway, and we talked for almost two hours. I told him that I was currently experiencing some rough crap in life, embellished with many "Oh, it's fine though, really's." and "I'm okay's." I'm not really comfortable talking about my problems in a face to face setting. And then he told me his story. He'd been through so much. I looked over at him and said "Wow...I just feel awful because my situation is nothing compared to that." He then looked me in the eyes and said something I'll never in my life forget:<br /> <br /> "That doesn't make what you're going through any less significant."<br /> <br /> And I don't think that anyone, no matter what their problems are should be made to feel that way.

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That's precisely why I don't get into those sort of discussions, ZJ...and why I won't be posting here with my experiences. Well, that and the fact that remembering all of that nonsense isn't really what I want to do with my day. <br><br>When it comes up in chat, I usually just go quiet, but I have messaged people privately to ask if they want to talk about it/give advice I think they could use. I think that's honestly the best answer to someone bringing it up...public "one-up-ing" just tends to make the person think it's normal and that since others have it worse, they should stop complaining. I know that's one of the major reasons I didn't seek help, myself, for many years.

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