Hi, my name is Niesha. Im 14 and my mother passed away 9 months ago. Lately, I have been very sad and depressed. The only tings that make me happy anymore are my boyfriend and school. The rest of the time, I feel like there is nothing I can do to feel like the normal excited, funny me again. What can I do to feel like myself?
Hello Nisha. You are very young, and I am glad that you have reached out. You are grieving the loss of your mother, which is normal. Grieving can take any amount of time, and grieving is a very individualistic experience. It takes different lengths of time to get over the death of a very close person. One of the best things you can do is to be very good to yourself. Try to eat healthy, get enough sleep, and spend time with people and things that you can enjoy. Be okay with as long amount of time to grieve, no matter what anyone tells you. You need to know it's okay to feel sad after losing such an important figure in your life. Take note and praise yourself for the things that you do right and do well, like doing well in school. Praise yourself and reward yourself for a job well done. If your ability to function in school worsens, like your grades start to fall, you have trouble concentrating, then I would consider seeing a psychologist or other therapist for additional help. Journaling or talking to someone are two perfect ways to help you feel better. A therapist can also suggest other things to help you cope better. For now, just be very good to yourself and be okay with the time it takes you to grieve. Good luck to you and take care.