I think the advice to go see your counsellor at school is a good one. Many schools have a student mental health dept. which provides help with therapy & possibly medication or they can point you in the right direction. My daughter had a terrible time with depression her 2nd year of college & she received help from the student health center.

Another couple possibilities are to look for support groups like NAMI (National Alliance of the Mentally Ill) & DBSA (Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance). You can find local support groups on their web sites. They may be able to help you find low-cost mental health clinics or providers in your area.

I started my depression at 15 & had a couple suicide attempts during my teens & early 20's That is NOT the way to go. I've been diagnosed by a professional with bipolar & have benefitted from medication & therapy & am doing SO MUCH BETTER now. There is hope. It's good that you have reached out to us. We do understand & can tell you that you can be helped. Most of us have had extreme struggles & are in different stages of recovery now--but we are recovering & learning how to manage our illness.

As for your brother, he sounds pretty ignorant & like he would be a very difficult person to live with as you are going through these struggles so it would be good to find someone supportive to talk to & just don't discuss your fears & concerns with him, in my opinion. I couldn't talk about my depression with my father (my mother died when I was a teen). He just didn't believe it was a medical problem & kept telling me to get over it (traumatic childhood issues & low self-esteem--which inhibited me from talking to people, too).

Keep in touch & keep searching for help. That is a good sign. Be determined to get a better quality of life. You deserve it.--Suzy