Advice Questions about Feeling Down:

• I'm really afraid that I might have depression. It's been going on for almost 2 years, ever since someone I knew died of cancer. I always feel really sad, some days it's so bad I can't even smile. Almost whenever I'm alone, I find myself crying for no reason...HELP ME!

• My Grandma drives me crazy! She says my writing looks like chicken writing, and I don't know how to clean properly, and that I belong in a dump because I'm dirty and lazy. She's always rude and only picks on me. She criticizes my way of talking, and will only let me have 1 hour to myself. She sneaks looks in my journal, and interferes with my personal life. Even though I talk with my parents about it, they say I still have to be respectful! What do I do? Continue to bear it, or tell her my feelings? She's really making me feel bad. Please help!

• I hate my name, Florance. It seems like it should be a old lady's name. All the girls at school have cool names like Kaylie, Chrissa, and Nikki. Sometimes people even tease me about my name! I always feel really embarrassed when people ask me, 'What's your name?' and I respond 'Florance.' They look at me funny, then they laugh and walk away. I don't have any friends because everybody thinks my name is weird. What should I do? Please help me!

• I'm running for secretary for my school. I have no idea how to persuade the student body to vote for me. Any ideas? I'm kinda freaking out!

• A bunch of girls at my school are way too into clothes. Almost half of the girls there wear either black clothes or insanely mismatched clothes. I am the kind of person who wears normal, cute clothes, but no one else does. I don't want to get made fun of. What should I do?

• I am too shy to speak up for myself and I will be starting high school later next month. I 'm really worried about my academic performance. I can't get over my shyness and I don't know how anyone will understand my problem! Do you have any advice on how to not be too shy to ask for help and speaking up?

• I need help! I am supposed to be moving next month and I don't know what to do. I will be moving away from my friends. It will be 5 hours away from my friends and I don't know if I am going to fit in at my new school and town. What should I do?

• I just found out my mom has cancer. It has been really hard on my family but mostly on me. Every day I go and sit in my room and cry. My mom is usually never home because of tests and doctors and when she is, she sits in bed and sleeps if she isn’t in pain. I am beginning to get really depressed. I am afraid because some of my family members have died of cancer. I have no one to talk to and now my friends are avoiding me. I just want everything to be the same again!

• Every adult in my life has really high expectations of me! They expect me to be good at everything, and when I told my mom she can't expect me to be perfect, she said, ‘Yes I can!’ My teacher admits to picking on me and treating me different because I need to be pushed and I am ‘smart.’ I didn't ask to be smart! What can I do? I feel so pressured to do everything right, and I know I can't and if I keep going like this, I will end up disappointing the entire world including myself. Please help!

• I have a really important question. Do you think it's normal for boys my age to have stuffed animals? I have been collecting Beanie Babies since I was 4, and lately I have been thinking it's way too ‘girly’ a hobby. I asked my brother (age 13) about it, and he said if I like them, it's a good hobby for me! But I just didn't find his advice helpful. Help!

• I play on a sports team and messed up on the semi-finals. We didn't lose, but the leader of our team kept yelling at me. He kind of apologized later after everyone got mad at him but I brushed him off. What should I do so we can go back to normal?

• I live with my grandparents and I am embarrassed to be seen with them! I don't want it to be this way! Plus when people see me and them together, they ask why I live with them and I get so sad! Please help me find a way to relax when they are with me.

• I just moved to the US from India. This is a HUGE change, obviously. Everything is different, from the people to the culture to the climate. I have really deep roots in India, and some of my best friends live there. I'm finding it really hard to adjust to my new home. Where I used to live, it was always noisy and kind of crowded, and I liked it that way. But now everything is quiet and I feel depressed all the time. I used to be outgoing and extroverted, but now I'm shy and withdrawn, and I can't seem to make any new friends. My parents have tried to explain that this move was for the best, but it doesn't make me feel any better…Please help me get over my post-moving depression!

• My mom and dad HAVE JUST GOTTEN A DIVORCE. I'm really upset and sad because one of the reasons why they got a divorce is my dad doesn't love my mom! He has been secretly going out with another woman. I'm so depressed and so is my mom. What do I do?

• One thing I dislike about fifth grade is that school is no longer entirely about learning and making friends. Suddenly, I am supposed to care about girls, how I look, how other people look, who's hot and who's not, and who to be friends with. Now, it would be considered ‘uncool’ to hang out with anybody in the group labeled, ‘uncool.’ All I really care about in school is learning, my friends, and my straight A's. School is overwhelming with so many complications. My dad just says, ‘Be yourself and set yourself apart from the complications.’ I'm afraid it is not that simple. Any advice?

• I have been doing Karate for 8 years now and love it. I also figure skate. I have tons of after-school activities, I help write the newspaper, I'm in the play, in band, and on the volleyball team. So I don't have any study hall. I don't want to drop anything but I'm so stressed out when I try to tackle my mound of homework. Help please!

• It seems like everyone has some kind of hobby they really like to do. I play the piano, but I don't feel like I'm really INTO it. And there's all this pressure from my parent that you have to have some kind of hobby to get into a good college. Worst of all, the only thing I really enjoy is a science program we have at school, and it's not really a hobby. I've tried sports and arts and all that and I still don't seem to truly like anything. What should I do?

• For the past couple of weeks, I've been bruising myself. I'm so sad, and it feels like it helps. I keep trying to stop, but whenever I get really depressed it starts all over again. I don't want to tell anyone, because they'd treat me different, and they'd want me to go on anti-depression drugs, and want me to go see a shrink, and I don't want to go within 100 feet of either of them. What do I do?

• My dog passed away a week ago. She got hit by a car and she was only 1 year old. I'm devastated because she was mostly mine. I cried for 2 days straight. Then I cry here and there randomly and it REALLY hurts. I feel so alone and I don't know who to talk to. I talked to the school counselor but now I feel ten times worse. I'm so alone. It feels so weird without her and without a pet. PLEASE help me!

• My mom is making me switch schools. The school I’m at now isn't very nice but the one my mom is making me go to is a lot nicer. I want to go there but I will miss my friends. I want to graduate with my friends and classmates that have been there with me for 6 years. Is there anything I can do? Please help me. I am really sad.

• I always have nothing to do at my house. It's either going online talking with my friends or just watching TV. Are there any fun activities that I can do IN my house?

• My older brother has left for Iraq and my older sister, who Im really close to, has left for Texas. I feel so sad because I have no one to look up to. When Ive had problems I would tell them and they would give me great advice. But now that theyre not here I feel sad and cry a lot because I cant handle all the stress everybody is putting on me. I dont know what to doIm so confused and so hurt inside!

• I feel like I am really ugly. My older sister always gets all the guys. And nobody likes me. I hate going into the bathroom because there is a mirror in there, and every time I look at the mirror I feel even worse. Every time I look at it, I start to cry a bit, but I have learned how to push tears back now. I dont want to tell anyone, though. I just want to feel better about myself.

• I'm really depressed! I just moved from my home in Massachusetts to California, and I'm still getting adjusted. All my friends here don't get me, and my friends in Massachusetts understand, but it's hard to keep in contact because of the time difference. I have headaches all the time, and I'm always really depressed now. I'm not that smart, pretty, or athletic, and the guy I have a crush on in school thinks I'm 'funny.' What should I do?

• I haven't been thinking straight lately. I'm 11 years old and turning 12 soon. I'm very afraid of growing up and facing hard challenges. I don't know what to do. I'm turning into a nervous wreck. What do I do?

• I am in eighth grade and recently I am having a lot of trouble with choosing a career. It is difficult for me because I am naturally good at a vast majority of things. I also just went through a depression and I am struggling with a lot of things at the moment. Can you possibly help?

  HREF="feeling_down4.html#a" onmouseOver="imgOver('go14','on'); return true;" onmouseOut="imgOver('go14','off'); return true;">My grandma just recently died, and I didn't notice how much I missed her until she passed away. I want to do something that will make her be remembered by everybody, but I don't know what to do. Have you got any advice?

• My room is always a pig sty! What can I do to keep my room clean and have fun at the same time?

• My dad and I both want me to play guitar. I was really excited to start playing it and the first day, I was enjoying it. Then came the next day and I said, Ill practice tomorrow The next day I said the same thing, and the next day, and the next day! I get so stressed out because I know that I should practice and I want to practice, but it just doesnt happen. Im afraid to tell my dad because the first time I was playing he said, I hope this isnt something youre just gonna throw away because you got bored, you have to be committed, and I said, Okay. Im afraid he'll be disappointed with me. Its my fault too, because I spend most of my day playing games on the computer watching TV, or playing video games with my friends. I just dont know what to do because Im never ever committed to anything. Please, Im in desperate need of advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• In books and movies, I have a weird tendency to like the villain better than the hero. Is this unusual? Also, does that make ME a villain?

• Today my dog died. He's been with me my whole life and I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to get over it. He was a black Lab and never hurt a fly. He was in pain and died this morning at 5:30 a.m. He was 100 years old in people years but IML, I don't know how to get over it! Can you help me?

• It seems like anything I do is never enough. I get straight A's except one B all year, so I don't get honor roll. I get an awesome time when running track, but so did 6 other people, so I don't get recognized for it. I've worked hard all year with my friends in every honors class, but I'm still average. I work as hard as possible, and the teacher can see it so she grades harder and I still don't get a 100. I know there's always going to be someone better and my accomplishments won't matter. This may sound dumb, but it's how I feel when award ceremonies come around and I don't get anything from anything I do.

• Im a triplet, but Ive just been downsized to a twin. My sister died a month ago, and its been really hard on me and my twin brother. We try to talk a lot, but its really hard, because we feel so guilty. It should have been one of us that died because my sister was the strongest triplet. I hate myself for not being the one who died, because she died of a heart complication that I might have too. I dont want to hang with friends or even have fun at all because I feel so guilty.

• OK, I am a girl and all, but I am a total...well, I guess a tomboy. I read the same comics that every boy at school does. I have the tomboyish clothes, too. I dont try being like this, it just comes naturally. But I find myself hiding that fact, and I don't even know why! Like at school, I talk 'girlier' than my real voice, dress preppier, talk about more girly stuff, and hang out more with girls when I have many male friends! WHY?

• I am 11 and for almost a year I am scared to spend the night away from home. At first, I wouldn't even leave the house without my mom, then I got a little better. I would go with my brothers and sisters and then finally after a while, I would go places without my mom. But I am still scared to stay the night at a friend's house. I get worried that I'm gonna miss my mom or my home. A lot of times I think, 'Okay, I'm gonna stay now,' but I never do. Please help me!!! Will I ever get over it? Can you give me step-by-step tips on how I can improve it? Please help.

• Ever since we got robbed I never want to stay home alone, but now I have to do it a lot! I'm still a little scared about freaky noises! When my brothers see that, they think theres something wrong so they get scared too. Ive mostly gotten over my fear, but sometimes my brothers say to my Mom that they hate staying alone with me, and that makes me look like a bad babysitter. What do I do?

• I hate growing up! It is so difficult. Having all of these social problems, changing...ugh! I have also been having serious stress. I ache and I am tired. Maybe from schoolwork and friends, I dont know. What is the best way to deal with growing up? How can you make it easier?

• I'm so annoyed at school and at home because of my 'perfect at everything' best friend. She's the smartest kid in the grade, good at sports, can play the violin, flute and piano really well, and very creative at everything. But when she gets a 94% quiz back, she says she did a horrible job at it and that I probably got better than her when she knows I didn't. I feel like I have no friends and what makes it worse is that my little sister is sooooo popular, even though she's only in 5th grade, got asked out 8 times, is perfect, and makes fun of me. I am soooo depressed and feel like an ugly, stupid, not-good-at-anything kind of person with no friends.

• "I'm feeling really stupid these days. I've been trying really hard in school, but I'm not doing well. My parents are disappointed in me and I don't want them to think I'm dumb. My sister is really smart and that makes it even worse. I don't know what to do to feel better."

• "Lately, Ive been sad a lot...Im just having a lot of pain and sometimes, I have thoughts about hurting myself in some way."

Dear IML,
One thing I dislike about fifth grade is that school is no longer entirely about learning and making friends. Suddenly, I am supposed to care about girls, how I look, how other people look, who's hot and who's not, and who to be friends with. Now, it would be considered "uncool" to hang out with anybody in the group labeled, "uncool." All I really care about in school is learning, my friends, and my straight A's. School is overwhelming with so many complications. My dad just says, "Be yourself and set yourself apart from the complications." I'm afraid it is not that simple. Any advice?
--From Daniel, 11

Dear Daniel,
Fifth grade was really hard for me too. Learning about school stuff turned into learning how to be popular and in my case, how to get boys (but in your case how to get girls). I know how hard it is to separate yourself from the crowd. It gets easier though. I found out that there are other kids just like you and me, and I started hang out with them. Talk to other kids and hang with the kids who feel the same way. It gets easier if you just spend time with the crowd that feels the same way you do. Good luck!
--CinKay, IML Mentor

Dear Daniel,
Your dad's actually right in this case! What really matters with school is making some good friends, who are good people -- whether or not they're labeled "cool" or "uncool" doesn't matter -- and especially learning. If you really want to set yourself apart from all of the drama, find a group of really close friends who don't care about it. My closest friends and I have been tight since middle school; we were never involved in popularity contests, and we're still really close. (We also still don't care about popularity contests.) Trust me, once you get into high school all of this stuff gets watered down a lot, because suddenly you're in a school that probably has a thousand or more students who are trying to get into universities. Suddenly, making the top grades is what matters to everyone except the immature kids; popularity gets shoved far into the background by kids who have their priorities straight. You sound like a really mature guy, Daniel, so do the smart thing and don't get involved in the drama. There are other kids who are perfectly nice who don't care either; befriend them!
--Sarah, IML Mentor

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Dear IML,
I have been doing Karate for 8 years now and love it. I also figure skate. I have tons of after-school activities, I help write the newspaper, I'm in the play, in band, and on the volleyball team. So I don't have any study hall. I don't want to drop anything but I'm so stressed out when I try to tackle my mound of homework. Help please!
--From Cani, 12

Dear Cani,
Unfortunately, it sounds like you might have to drop something if you need more time for your homework. If that really doesn't sound like an option to you, though, there are plenty of ways to tackle your homework to make it less stressful. For example, dealing with one thing at a time has always helped me, instead of just stressing out about how much you have on your plate. It sounds so simple, but you'd be surprised how few people think to do that! Also, planning out your time well can help you deal with your stress, like saying, "Okay, from six until seven, I'll be doing my homework, except on days where I have karate, and then it's from 7 until 8," or something like that. Hope I helped! Good luck with your situation.
--Sarah, IML Mentor

Hey Cani,
I know exactly how you feel! Hectic scheduling is MY LIFE. It’s hard to balance out a whole medley of activities when you are trying to go all out in each one. I suggest maybe getting a planner. This is always great to have not only because it keeps you in order but because they are fun to use! I have a planner for school that my friends and I designed together. We had a whole day of just crafts and organization, which may sound crazy but it was insanely fun! We bought stickers and colorful pens and it was the most relaxing and exciting day. It made us all forget for a little about our stressful calendars. Try setting aside time for all of these things separately. If you ever have downtime during rehearsal for your play, try jotting down some notes for the article for the newspaper, that way when you get home you can go straight to your studies! For the volleyball, try running your lines in your head. There are millions of ways to multi task, you just have to find which way works best for you!
--Natalie, IML Mentor

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Dear IML,
It seems like everyone has some kind of hobby they really like to do. I play the piano, but I don't feel like I'm really INTO it. And there's all this pressure from my parent that you have to have some kind of hobby to get into a good college. Worst of all, the only thing I really enjoy is a science program we have at school, and it's not really a hobby. I've tried sports and arts and all that and I still don't seem to truly like anything. What should I do?
--Anonymous

Hi Anonymous,
It’s true that most people have their own hobbies, but it sounds like you just haven’t found your niche yet. I know that it took me years to realize that I absolutely disliked sports! I tried basketball, tennis, gymnastics, and many, many other things. Until one day I saw this audition sign for the play at my middle school. At first, I automatically told myself that I wasn’t going to audition because I was absolutely horrible in front of crowds and I was terribly shy. But I figured, why not get the best of both worlds; I’d already tried sports so why not give theatre a try? As it turns out, theatre was actually more fun for me and I ended up continuing it until this day. There is nothing bad about enjoying the science program at your school! That can totally be considered as a hobby! There are experiments that are just waiting to be done and how can they be accomplished if there aren’t any people out there who LOVE science enough to make a hobby or job out of it. Because let’s face it, you’d want a job doing something you love right? And aren’t hobbies usually something you are very enthusiastic about? See what I mean? I have the utmost confidence that you will find your hobby soon. Push yourself to the limit and try things you’ve never thought you’d like. In the end, the worst thing that can happen is that you'll learn more about yourself!
--Natalie, IML Mentor

Dear Anonymous,
When I first got into high school, I joined the cross country team and HATED it, but continued with it because I thought I should be involved in something outside of school. I ended up dropping out of it and joining the swim team, and I love it there. You shouldn't do something that's considered "for fun" if you don't like it! You like the sciences, and that's a great place to start. Lots of schools have science clubs and there are science camps you can go to during the summer. When you get into high school, there will be even more opportunities for you in that direction. Not only that, but saying you're involved in a science group on a college application sounds really impressive. ;) Don't give up, and most importantly, don't let anyone tell you what is and is not a hobby. If your hobby is finding out more about science, go for it!
--Sarah, IML Mentor

Dear Anonymous,
Well, it seems you're having trouble finding an activitiy that you're able to get into, and that fits YOU! Does your school offer art clubs? If so, try joining one! Art is a great way to express yourself, and occupy your time! If you're looking for something rather than paint and drawing, try collecting things! You can collect anything you want! Maps, buttons, candy dispensers, T-Shirts from other states, coins...I could go on and on with things you can collect! Sometimes it's fun to see how many of one thing you can gather! If collecting just isn't for you, try going to your community center, and see what kind of activities they offer! You never know what they're going to have!! Good luck!
--Emily, IML Mentor

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