"Just a teenage thing"

[Eclipse]

I was reading something on the internet, I cant remember where but it was like a problem page where people write in and the agony aunt replies online.

A teenager wrote in saying they had been feeling really depressed lately, and sometimes they would feel so bad they had suicidal thoughts, then sometimes they were OK again and had some not too bad days.

The agony aunt person or whoever it was replied that it was just a teenage thing, and that it was perfectly normal for teenagers to feel suicidal one minute then fine the next and it was nothing to worry about basically. And that all her friends were probably feeling exactly the same. She never once mentioned there even being a possibility of "real" depression.

I just dont understand why if a teenager feels like this its OK and perfectly normal, but if it was an adult they go to the doctors and no one argues.

Alot of people seem to say its just a teenage thing, and it annoys me, coz Ive not been diagnosed and it makes me think "well maybe it is just a teenage thing and Im really over reacting"

I seem to go in a cycle where I get gradually more depressed until I start having suicdal thoughts and literally feel like I cant do anything, then after I sometimes have some quite OK days.

I actually feel guilty for having "happy" days sometimes, as in, I shouldnt be doing, Im meant to have depression, and if Im happy sometimes they are obviously right that its just a teenage thing, and Im fooling myself its a "real" problem.

Does that even make sense?

OK Im rambling now, I just thought Id tell you :embarass:

[Shanta]

Hi, it's like a rollar-coaster, you can be really, really down one day and feel ok the next.

Is this still classed as depression even though your not continually feelin down?