Hi everyone,

I am 18 and I am wondering if I am experiencing depression or something else. I do have alot of anxiety but there are times, I would say maybe once every two months or so where for 1-2 days, I just want to cry and be left alone. I feel incredible sadness and wonder what it would be like to just die and not have to deal with this anymore. I basically lay in bed or on the couch with the lights off and blinds closed. I don't feel like eating or doing anything. Then, as quickly as this comes on, it goes and I am feeling relatively normal (as normal as a teen with pretty bad anxiety can feel).

Also, I recently saw an alternative medicine doctor and was given an amino acid (5 htp) for my anxiety. The amino acid is supposedly a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However, I am 2 1/2 weeks into taking this and just went through a little 2 day bought of sadness. Shouldn't the 5htp have prevented my feelings of sadness? Is this depression or not because I am not always sad? I am really confused and any help would be greatly appreciated, I feel so alone through all of this.

Thank you

Shanna

Hi Shanna, I did the same thing when I was anxious. I would get really sad and cry and then be "fine" again. Anxiety can bring you down! It makes it hard to function and the issues that cause the anxiety make you keep people away which makes you sad. IMO, the "depression" lifts because you expressed your feelings of sadness instead of swallowing them. The swallowing of your feelings is what causes depression IMO. I would suggest dealing with your anxiety. I dealt with mine. Anxiety is caused by something and if you can figure this out you can recover.