Q. Dear Dr. Heller:
I have had a best friend for about 10 years. Our daughters, who are the same age, have also been best friends all that time. In addition, I provided her with free day care for that entire time. Suddenly, my friend began expressing that her daughter wanted other friends too, for variety's sake. It was true that her daughter never invited my daughter over, only other friends. Finally the break came when I learned through another friend that this woman said her daughter didn't want to be my daughter's friend anymore. I was also told she made it sound like a good thing. Okay, so I've come up with various reasons for this happening, but it doesn't dull the pain. We live in a very small town. It's like a divorce. I was on Paxil, and that was helping me through it, but I developed tinnitus and read that it can be caused by Paxil, so I stopped taking it. Now I'm lower than low. Thoughts of suicide, though I have 3 daughters whom I love dearly. What can I do?
A. You need your diagnoses made ASAP and don't hesitate to get treatment. Your brain is fooling you into believing that hope may not exist and that suicide is warranted. You can feel much better dramatically quickly and your daughters desperately need you. They may never recover if you don't get help. There is a suicide attempt per minute in the US - don't become a painful statistic!
The screening test I use for my patients is available for free at my website, and may be of use to you. http://www.biologicalunhappiness.com