Episode 1 - Season 4 - 10 things I wish my parents knew about my depression

<p><strong>1. I feel so guilty for hurting you and being a “problem.”</strong></p> <p>I’ve seen the pain on your face. I know I’ve hurt you, and I know I’ve caused you extra work and stress. I sometimes feel guilty and selfish for being depressed. Just remind me you love me and that even if I create extra problems for you, I’m worth it.</p> <p><strong>2. Sometimes I don’t know what’s wrong.</strong></p> <p>Feeling down can come on whenever — it’s unpredictable. I don’t always know what causes it, and if I don’t know how am I supposed to tell you? Please stop asking me to try and figure it out.</p> <p><strong>3. Don’t try to fix all my problems for me.</strong></p> <p>I know I have problems, but it’s a victory when I overcome them. You can help me if I ask, and hug me when those problems get to be too much, but no one can fix another person’s problems. I need to be able to do that myself. Just be there for me.</p> <p><strong>4. Other teens can be cruel.</strong></p> <p>Whether they don’t understand my depression or they just don’t care, when they exclude or bully me it hurts. Be the person I can run to and who will love me no matter what.</p> <p><strong>5. Don’t be ashamed of my depression and try to hide it from the rest of the family</strong></p> <p>Yes, I have depression. Don’t try to hide it from the family. No family is perfect, and when you try to hide my depression you’re telling me this is something I should be ashamed of. Depression is a mental illness. You don’t hide it when I have the flu, so don’t hide it when I have a “mental flu.”</p> <p><strong>6. Sometimes I fake being sick because I feel mentally unwell and I’m afraid you won’t understand.</strong></p> <p>When I’m feeling down I don’t want to go to school or do other social activities. I’m hurting too much inside to try being happy while trying not to have a breakdown in public. The best thing for me is talking to someone who will listen, or doing a fun activity that doesn’t involve being around a lot of other people.</p> <p><strong>7. I get mad a