I'm really sorry your feelings were denigrated in this way. Same thing happened to me. The first time I self harmed I was about four or five. I remember knowing that what I was feeling was called depression when I was about six. First time I was suicidal I was ten. First time I told anyone I was depressed I was twelve. My parents' response was exactly as you describe: "you can't be depressed, you're a kid."

By the time I was sixteen I was pinching my Mum's meds, when I was seventeen or eighteen I took an overdose. And can you believe... THEY DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE! I threw up, was delirious for three days... they said I'd had the flu. They didn't even call a doctor!

Yes, it makes me really angry when people are dismissive like that. It's one reason I try so hard to validate my son's feelings. There's no reason kids should have to go through this parental rejection. We need a lot more education to prevent needless suffering.

Thanks for posting this. I hope some parent somewhere reads this, and thinks again.