Bobby, hun, when you say "sick," do you mean you're physically ill or sick with depression or both? Sometimes one leads to the other, I know, and it's very easy to feel physically sick when you're depressed.

OK, here's the perspective from a mom. She can certainly tell you're struggling right now and is worried about you. I also think you may be playing the I'm-sick factor to the hilt, along with your break-down talk, in order to hook her into believing it's stay-at-home time. If you're depressed, it's very easy to want to isolate and hole up at home and not do anything, including getting out of bed and going to school. And I'm not at all sure that's necessarily the best thing for depression, although it does ease external stressors. Is there anything going on at school that you're avoiding facing? Tests? Classes? Complicated romantic situations? Tormentors? (Sorry for a standard mom question, but I had to ask.)

Is your Thanksgiving break beginning after today? I hope so for your sake. Talk to your mom and explain that you're just going through a bad spell and need some chill time. Be prepared for her to still insist on school. Moms can't very well endorse truancy. One of the few things, in addition to exercise, that has helped me endure depression when I've had it has been pulling myself up and out of bed and getting on with what I've had to do. It's also the hardest thing to do when you're in the pits. I know. Let us know how things turn out!