The Teen Survival Guide to Dating & Relating: Real-World Advice on Guys, Girls, Growing Up, and Getting Along

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22 The Teen Survival Guide to Dating and Relating

from a new perspective, which might lead to solutions. If your sadness is due to

the loss of a relationship, write a letter to the person you’ve lost—the letter is

for you to keep and not to send. As you write, notice how you feel. Read your

writing aloud when you’re done. How do you feel afterward?

4. Check in with your body. How do you feel physically? Are you hungry,
   thirsty, tired, or premenstrual? Overactive hormones or a lack of food, water,
   exercise, fresh air, or sleep can intensify your emotions. If you’re feeling sad, pay
   attention to your physical needs and take care of your body. This will help you
   feel better physically andemotionally.


5. Try a change of scenery. Sometimes staring at the same four walls makes
   you feel stuck in your sadness. Getting outdoors and breathing fresh air helps.
   Make plans with someone you enjoy spending time with. Seeing new sights or
   having something to look forward to may raise your spirits.

Sometimes sadness is really more than sadness. When the feelings are very

deep and hard to shake, they may be a symptom of depression. Depression

hangs over you like a dark cloud that won’t go away, and you may feel hopeless

and unmotivated—as though you’ll never be happy again. You may have trouble

sleeping or feel as if you can’t get up to face a new day. You may even have

thoughts of hurting yourself or committing suicide.

If you feel depressed or suicidal, get help right away. Talk to a trusted adult

immediately. You don’t have to face this alone! There are people who care and

want to help you feel better. Remember, you deserve to be happy, and you can be.

When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens by Bev

Cobain, R.N.,C. (Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing Inc., 1998). Are you feel-

ing helpless, sad, lonely, angry, or unhappy? This book can help you figure out

if you’re depressed. First-person stories of young people with depression let you

know you’re not alone and you can find the help you need.