ABOUT DEPRESSION

Sometimes I get depressed. Somebody pisses me off, things don't go my way, or I ran over a cat. That's called "Situational Depression." It happens to everybody, it's annoying, makes you feel lame, and goes away on it's own most of the time. Especially if you eat ice cream. (Not recommended if trying to lose weight.)

Things that can help this include:

1. Exercising. 

Yes, believe it or not, strenuous physical exercise releases endorphins into your system that kill pain and make you feel good. It's like the body's natural version of drugs. 

2. Call a good friend  

(as long as it wasn't their cat you  ran over)

3. Prayer: 

your "higher power" can help you see the lighter side of things.

3.a: Write about your feelings! 

At a couple down intervals, I was scraping away with a black ball point pen all over the paper, rants and obscenities about how much this sucked and that person needed to go to hell, and then I drew them out in horrible stick figures. It was so funny I started laughing, and before I knew it, I was up and rolling! (Those pics are still good for a laugh.)

4. Listen to upbeat, cool music. 

The temptation may be there to listen to your depress mode classics, and my girlfriend/dog/wife/kid died specials, but try to refrain. Do you really want to get a headache from crying?

5. See a good movie: 

There's nothing like watching that freak complain about "No Schlitz Malt Lickah?!!" (In Double-Take) to help you get the giggles back.

6. Cuddle with your significant other - 

or if you don't have that feature, a stuffed animal will work - sometimes better.

8. Take a nap

etc, etc. It depends on what you need at the moment. When you're depressed, it will be times 10, so keep that in perspective.  With time, you'll get to know your body, and when you are tired of feeling like crap, you'll know what to do to get out.

                            Oh yea,

9. Don't make any big decisions, or write that letter you've been stalling on sending Aunt Matilda, either. Your letter may make her think of killing herself, or just that your life sucks 24/7. She won't realize this is just a phase.

However, if depression lasts for more than 2 weeks or you have some of the following symptoms, you might need to be seen by a professional:

My name is Shebuah Burke. (Ask the parental units) People call me Boo or Buah or Christina. I am the result of no birth control and religious hippy parents. Well, they used to be hippies. I could tell cause they had long hair and beards & thought the world would end any day,  and thought it was cool not to shave your legs. 

Ha. ha. Hha.

We still love each other, which is cool.

Well, one day I figured out we weren't all going to die any minute in a flash of glory, and I was stuck with a big dilemma for a confused teen. If I'm not going to die (or kill myself from depression)

HOW AM I GOING TO LIVE?

SOME OF THE FOLLOWING STORIES WILL DEPICT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

SERIOUS DEPRESSION:

SYMPTOMS: