Depression

We as teens are at a point in our lives in where we must face many different kinds of problems, and most of us don’t know how to handle all of the pressure. We don’t normally like to share our feelings, so we keep them to ourselves. Actually, this can lead to a poor relationship within the family, and this, as well as many other factors, can lead to depression. Did you know that 1 in 8 teens suffer from depression? Depression DOES NOT mean you are really sad because you had a very bad day; depression is a real mental condition that is not fully acknowledged, and needs comprehension and healthcare. Many people, including adults, don’t understand/know the results of teen depression.

Teen depression can lead to many risky actions, the most common one is suicide., Tthis comes from that fact that by being sad all the time, you start to lose hope, and you go to suicide as your first option to help with your sadness. Actually, most of the times people who are depressed don’t want to die, they just want to end the pain. Heavy drinking, drug addiction or abuse, unsafe sex and cutting are all self-injurious behaviors that people can use to temporarily relieve intense emotional pain.

This condition affects drastically how you treat and react towards others and yourself, so it is not surprising when I tell you that depression is strongly linked to teen suicide. Depression occurs when at least 5 of these symptoms occur for at least two weeks: having a depressed or sad mood, losing interest in activities that were once enjoyable, weight gain or loss, fatigue, changes in sleep, misplaced guilt, lack of concentration, physical aches and pains, or even thoughts about death.

You might be asking yourself, what would make a person have depression? There are many factors that can lead to a person from having this condition. The most common ones include trauma; when people face early trauma, it can trigger long-term changes on how their brains react to fear and stress. These alterations can lead to depression. Genetics; mental disorders, like depression, usually run in families. Situations of life. Changes in the brain; imaging studies have shown that when a person is depressed, the frontal lobe of the brain becomes less active. ⠀

Teens who are starting to show signs of depression keep it to themselves, and that, can lead to the mental issue itself. So, if you, or someone you know is suffering from depression, please talk to someone. I want you to know that you are not alone, and you are definitely not your disease. You have to understand the lies of depression: it will tell you that you are worthless, helpless and that nobody cares. It’s certainly not true. You are extremely important. There is not a definite treatment to depression, since it is a disorder and it varies for every person but many people use psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral, family-centered therapy and emotional therapy. Medicines including antidepressants, mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medicines, and regular exercise, as itsince helps with preventing progressive symptoms.

In conclusion, depression is not a disease you can prevent, since most of the things that make you more likely to have depression are things you can’t control, like your genes, chemicals in your brain, and your environment. So what I would recommend to you, as a teenager, to help with depression, is to find a way to handle your stress, and try to improve your self-esteem. A great way to do this is to stop focusing on your flaws, and start focusing more on your virtues. By changing the way you see yourself, others will start to see it too. Reach out to family and friends when times get hard, I know it might be hard to talk to someone when you are not feeling good, but trust me, it will make you feel better. You just have to remember that every bad feeling is temporary, you just have to hold on and stay strong. You are beautiful and loved;, don’t let depression convince you otherwise.