Will counselling help?!

Will counselling help?

I'm 17, nearly 18. When I was 13 - 15, I was quite badly depressed (not diagnosed, only ever told friends), but there was never one main reason, it was a combination of things. I was also anorexic for a couple of years. The depression seemed to disappear when I met my boyfriend at 15 (so I thought). I'm still with him and we're really happy together, but I don't think it actually ever went away, I just seem to get worse and worse. I feel down all the time, I just about stopped self harming when I met my boyfriend but still want to all the time. My boyfriend has just been diagnosed with chronic depression (also disappeared when he met me, has now come back), is now getting help, and he wants me to aswell.
I'm not sure if I'm actually depressed though, I don't know what's normal anymore.

I was just wondering, if I saw a counsellor, I wouldn't know what to say because I can't think of anything that's wrong...so do you think it would help or not? Sorry that was so long. Thanks.

2 weeks ago
Thanks so much for your answers so far. I know I should see a doctor, the thing is I don't want my parents to know about any of it. I know about their confidentiality and everything, but it would still be weird. And the doctors at our surgery aren't very friendly and I don't think I would feel comfortable with it.

2 weeks ago
I'm definitely ready to change, I'm fed up of this. Just nervous about getting help because it's been so long, i guess. thanks everyone!

The short answer is, absolutely yes.

A slightly longer (but still somewhat over simplified) answer-

There are two schools of thought about mental health issues:
1. Psychiatric symptoms are the result of chemical imbalances in the brain, which are best treated with medication to correct the imbalance.
2. Psychiatric symptoms are the result of life experiences and our perception of them. They are best treated with counseling, which can help us deal with our issues and move on as best we can.

If you believe you need medication, see a psychiatrist. If you aren't sure or think you may have some life events that have set off this depression (it sounds off-hand like self esteem is a strong suspect), counseling is a good way to start, and the counselor will refer you to a psychiatrist if they believe it necessary.

A counselor should know how to get to the root of "what's wrong", and will ask questions to get at it pretty fast. Getting results can take some time, but identifying a few core issues should be done within the first couple of appointments.

An important thing to remember is that counselors are abundant in many areas, but good ones can be hard to find. Ask around and get a referral to a good one. If you're not sure who to ask, start with other healthcare professionals, friends and family.