should i see a school counselor
My senior year of high school is about to start, and i've been debating whether or not to talk to one of my schools counselors about my mental health for over a year now. I'm pretty sure that I have depression, its something i've been dealing with for all of high school and maybe even middle school. I keep putting it off because i'm afraid its not serious enough or i'll waste their time. I have had counselors in middle school who only cared about acedemics, and would not help with personal problems, and with it being my senior year, i'm afraid they'll brush me off or ignore it because it's not about college and that seems to be almost all they're at the school for. I don't think i can handle that, this is literally a last resort. I've talked to friends but there is only so much they can do, my family is unsupportive, and i'm not close enough to any of my teachers for them to care.
Hello there, @reneaa
This senior year of high school can get really stressful even if you aren't having any background mental sensibility (I just finished high school this year) so I think it would be a good idea for you to see a professional. From personal experience I know school counselors can be a bit unhelpful with more serious issues sometimes so if you could see an outside of school therapist or counselor you could probably get more support, but it depends a lot on the people involved. Anyway, what I say is not to postpone it.. these issues can be treated and managed with a bit of help so don't hesitate to ask for it as often as you have the opportunity. I understand that you feel pretty disappointed by the reactions that you've already encountered but please don't make this an "all-or-nothing" try. After all it's for you and your own happiness and well-being that you're reaching for help and you deserve all the tries in the world, dear! :)
I wish you the best of luck with everything and take care of yourself! (hugs)
@reneaa
For my high school, there were two types of counselors - guidance counselors that dealt with college and graduating, and mental health counselors who work on issues such as depression. It may be worth looking into and see if your school has that second group because it sounds like the counselors you're talking about are the academic ones.
Online support systems can also be helpful! There's 7 Cups, and there's also online support communities for depression and they may be worth checking out as well.
Sending youy lots of support <3