Depression is a terrible disease and you need to seek the advice of a medical professional if you are experiencing these symptoms. Thinking of committing suicide is a big indicator that you need help, but the fact that you have tried to commit suicide twice is a big red flag that you need help. Depression is not a condition that you can wish away and try to mentally overcome. Depression is a serious illness and you need medication and a medical treatment plan to control it.

Since you have been suffering with depression for years, there is a large chance that someone in your family also suffers from it but you never knew about it. Older generations were not prone to discussing depression and only recently have researchers been able to come up with effective treatment programs for individuals suffering from depression.

A chemical imbalance may be behind your depression. The only way to control this chemical imbalance is to talk to your doctor so they can make a thorough examination of all the symptoms you have and then prescribe an effective medication. Blood tests are common as they need to look for imbalances in your blood sugar, thyroid, and other chemicals that allow you to function normally.

Some people suffer from depression due to hormonal changes. In women it is common to experience depression shortly after giving birth to a child, suffering a miscarriage, during your menstrual cycle, and during menopause. This is part of the body learning how to adjust and regulate itself and the affects may leave you feeling blue all the time.

Take a look at your stress load. As you mentioned, you are prone to cutting yourself when your feelings start to get the best of you. Can you identify moments when these feelings get worse? Some people feel them when they start to evaluate their life and they look upon all the bad things in their life. Stress at work, financial worries, relationship conflicts, and getting older are just as few things that can cause undue stress on the body, leaving you severely depressed. While these feelings may make you want to lay in bed all day and wonder why you are still living, you can find other ways to deal with them. The best thing to do is to head to the gym. You need to be around other people. Being alone is extremely dangerous when you are feeling this way because you do cut yourself and you have attempted suicide. Heading to the gym and exercising will help as it helps the body to release endorphins, which are a natural mood stimulator. They will make you feel better, although you may still not feel 100 percent better; you should be able to get your mind off thoughts of suicide.

If you feel the urge to cut yourself or you are getting ready to attempt suicide again, STOP and call 911 or contact 1-800-SUICIDE. This is the national suicide crisis line and they will be able to talk you through your problems and give you tips on how to manage them. Another option you have is to drive yourself to the hospital and check into the ER. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, depression is not something that you should just try to hide from your friends and family members. Be up front with your children and loved ones about it so they know what to watch for and so they can watch out for you and give you the help you need to overcome depression. It may take a few months before you start to feel happy again but most people with depression start to feel better with treatment. Antidepressants, therapy, and exercise are just a few of the treatment programs your doctor will prescribe or enroll you in to help you overcome depression. The best treatment comes from your ability to ask for help and then be willing to receive it.