[IrishLad]

My girlfriend has had depression for a long while, and recently she told me she wanted to get help; that she wanted a way out. So we started looking and realized...we aren't old enough to get help on our own, as we're both 17. We can't ask her parents because frankly her mom, who is the head of her household, is a main part of why she's depressed. The mom believes any problems my girlfriend has is fake which is extremely frustrating. We would wait for college but that's another whole year to wait. I just don't know what to do. If we were 18 we would undoubtedly be seeing someone at this moment, because then we would be able to do so legally without needing to go through parents. I know this is really wordy with lots of twists and turns but please help does anybody have any ideas? We know that she needs to get help..we just don't know what to do.

[Skeezyks]

Hello IrishLad: Unfortunately, I'm afraid a lot of this is dependent on the laws in your state. If your gf is in high school is there a school counselor she could see? Beyond that, I wonder if there might be teen organizations of one sort or another in your area that might be able to be of some help or might at least be able to point your gf in the right direction.

Your gf certainly could also come here to PC herself. We're not therapists. But there can be a lot of support available here. Beyond that, here's a link to a website that lists various on-line hotlines & websites for teens who are struggling with mental health concerns. Perhaps something listed there can be of help:

Resources ~ Hotlines and Web Sites for Teens | Cry for Help | PBS : Cry for Help

I see this is your first post here on PC. So... to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! May the time you spend here be of benefit.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!

[CANDC]

Hi IrishLad. Welcome to Psych Central. Sorry to hear about your girlfriend's depression. It sounds like traditional avenues may not be available to her, but you may find alternate options that could help. It is up to her to try if she is so inclined.

I will share some options here.
Become a member of Psych Central and Frequent the Depression Forum and the Bipolar Forum. By reading and posting to these forums, a sense of not facing the problem alone can be discovered.

Ask the Therapist accepts a question and will try to answer it as their time allows.
https://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/

Read some of these articles
https://psychcentral.com/lib/lifesty...th-depression/

https://psychcentral.com/lib/strateg...ng-depression/

Living with Depression: A Guide for Coping with Depressive Feelings | Psych Central

there are online help sites that can help to various degrees. This free site allows members and guests to have a chat session with a trained listener who is a peer supporter. http://www.7cups.com

NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness | NAMI: The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a group that offers free support in local groups and online.

Hope some of those help. Feel free to send me a private message or reply in this thread.