It is VERY IMPORTANT to talk to a trusted adult and get help right away! If you feel that you are unable to talk with your mom, you should talk to another adult with whom you feel comfortable. If you don’t feel comfortable telling an adult that you are depressed on your own, you might ask a friend to be with you when you talk with someone, or ask for help with finding someone trustworthy. Remember, it’s NOT your fault that you are depressed and harming yourself is NEVER the right thing to do.
Adults you might feel comfortable talking to about being depressed:
When you are feeling depressed or very sad, it is always best to talk with someone in person rather than email or text them.
- Parent, guardian, or other adult relative
- Teacher or coach
- School counselor
- Health care provider
- Minister, priest, rabbi, or other clergy person
Any of these adults should be able to help you find a counselor who works with depressed teens. If you tell one of these people and they are not able to get you help, tell someone else. You know your feelings best! Sometimes even adults may have a hard time accepting that someone they love is depressed.
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.