You are absolutely not alone!
I struggled with this for a long time. All of my doctors told me that I was just depressed, all I needed was a little bit of prozac every day and some therapy and I would be fine.
Here I am, years later and just now finally getting a real diagnosis and a plan put into place.
I suggest going into treatment. At the very least, get a therapist. That way you can start to explore other symptoms that you have and start to build a better understanding of whats going on. What I'm actually doing right now is a day program. I'm there five days a week for six hours a day and I get to be a part of four groups in that time. It's a way to gain perspective about mental illness across the board. You can speak openly and get advice. You also meet with a doctor and a clinician and set up out-patient care. They give you handouts and resources about coping skills and strategies. It's wonderful.
I swore off treatment for the last year of my life. I started to spiral real bad and I was almost at my breaking point. I've been back in treatment for four days and I feel a motivation to live that I just haven't had in a long time. It's always a work in progress but you're not going to get very far alone.

that sounds amazing. i wish i had the time to do something like that, but there's no way. i would be able to see a therapist, but i have no idea where to start. i'm not really sure how it works. most of the therapists i've ever seen were forced upon me by my parents as i was growing up and i hated it. a couple years ago i finally tried moving past that to get help and that experience wasn't great either. i don't really know how to find a good one or what to tell them or anything...

Not every therapist is a good fit for every person. It's hard in the beginning but if you stick to it then you'll find someone who you'll come to trust.
You tell them whatever is significant to you. Symptoms, stories, your opinions. You can ask questions. It is whatever you make it to be.

I can understand not having time, and I hate to be preachy but come on, I'm up at 3 a.m. on self-harm support group forums so that has to say something about where I am right now...
But there is always time for your health.
I support myself, I have bills, I have school, work, animals.
I have a lot that I used as an excuse to not get treatment, but if you need help, then it will work.
You just have to use your resources and be open with people you trust. You have to ask for the help.

how would i go about finding a place like that?

Are you in the US? If you're not, I don't know, but if you are, you can try googling counseling/therapy near your zip code, try Psychology Today's online therapist referral, try asking local churches, try calling a local hospital for referrals, also look up the closest YWCA (not YMCA, WY) - they have therapists, and if you have insurance, you should be able to call and ask them for referrals or go to their website to get some.

If you are in the US, you can try NAMI (national alliance on mental illness). They have hundreds of resources! And support groups (I run some of them)!

I think that if you found a therapist that you could trust, it would be beneficial to you. Remember, you don't have to open up to them until you are ready to. You could test them out and see if you can trust them first.