[Fae]

my life is a total mess... let me start from the begining.
im a 20 yr old female from the arab world and i have seen things and been through things which no one i know or met has been through.
at the age of 11 i found out my dad was having an affair and my parents were fighting till i was 15 and my brother went through OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)
my parents marriage seemed to have been sorted out since my brother needed them both. he was under heavy medication and within 2-3 yrs he was ok. i watched my grand father die from cancer 2 yrs ago which tormented me a great deal, he was the light of my life and since then i fear everything even freindship.
now im engaged to be married to a man i love very much. my dad doesnt like him for no good or sensible reason. in the arab world you cant run away from your parents, you cant live on your own, its considered shameful. tell me.... what do i do ?? the man who is supposed to be my dad has called me a prostitute inspite of the fact that everything i have done in my life is to make him proud. he is never satisfied. and now... he wants to ruin my future.... i cant sleep ... i cant eat.... i cant study properly....

please help.... even if it is a form of medication.... this depression needs to go..... im a nervous wreck !!

[Rapunzel]

Hello Fae,

I'm glad to meet you. It sounds like you have had your share of sadness and difficulty in your life. Will you be able to marry your fiance, or will your father be able to prevent it?

Not knowing what resources are available to you where you live, I'm not sure what to tell you. In order to get medication, you would have to see a doctor. I use St. John's Wort, which works for me and can be purchased in grocery stores and health food stores here without a prescription. It might work for you too. There is a book about it that you could try to find, The Natural Prozac Program - How to Use St. John's Wort, The Antidepressant Herb, by Jonathan Zuess, M.D. But I don't think that medication alone is adequate treatment for depression. It helps with dealing with some of the symptoms, but it takes therapy too to deal with the underlying reasons for the depression. If you can get access to therapy, that really is your best bet. There are also self-help books that can be useful, and you can get some support and understanding here on this website.

I hope you feel better!
Wendy

<font color=orange>"If we are going to insist that people pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, we must ensure that they have boots."</font color=orange>