My Depression Has Started to Come Back, but Something Else Came with It

From a teen in the U.S.: My depression has started to come back, but something else came with it, and I don’t know what it is. Well my depression is coming back, but now I can’t talke to people for over 10-20 minutes without feeling like I’m going to have a panic attack or just break down. Strange thing is, that wasn’t here during my first depressive episode. It’s like social isolation but I’m not sure if that’s what’s happening to me or something else is developing. It’s not agoraphobia or social anxiety (I think at least…), I don’t have the fear talking to anyone, but if I talk to someone for too long I feel like I’m about to go crazy! It’s weird and scary… I just want to know what it is…

A: Since you have had depression before, I expect you have had some treatment for it. If so, it’s time to go back to your counselor. If not, it’s important to see someone for an evaluation. I can’t tell from your letter whether there is something really wrong or if you are a normal teen who has been reading too much about pathologies on the internet.

I hope you know that every teen has social worries; that many, many teens get tongue tied when talking to new people; that emotional ups and downs are the normal abnormal feelings that go with hormone shifts at your age.

If you haven’t already, it’s important that you talk with your doctor about how you are feeling. He or she can give you some insight into whether your feelings are within the range of normal or if you need psychological treatment.

I wish you well.
Dr. Marie

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