Depression is physical, emotional, and it affects everyone.
Problems
Self-esteem / depression
It can hit the youth
Depression is a scary, yet popular, illness with teens today. According to safeyouth.org:
- major depression hits 1 in 12 adolescents
- 1 in 14 teens will commit suicide
The National Institute of Mental Health finds that women will experience it twice as often as men. In fact, men that do have depression hide it well with a mask of drugs and alcohol, working extensively long hours, and becoming irritable, angry, and discouraged.
What is it?
Depression negatively affects your body, mood, and thoughts. It interrupts someone from enjoying life to the fullest, and it can get worse over time if left untreated. You cannot “snap out” of depression, which is the largest misunderstood fact.
It is a medical illness, but it can be treated.
It comes in different forms
- Major depression
This is a combination of symptoms that prevents someone from fully enjoying life. It interferes with work, sleep, eating habits, study, and the activities one used to enjoy doing. Major depression can hit a person once or many times during their lifetime. - Dysthymia
This type of depression does not disable someone, but it keeps one from functioning well or feeling good. - Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)
A person with this illness has severe mood changes. They will have great highs of energy one moment and have very low moments of depression the next. These up and down mood changes can be fast or gradual. The moments of high energy is called mania. This overactive behavior can negatively affect judgment and social manners. It can also lead to a psychotic state.
How can my teen get depression?
Depression can be caused from the combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. Here are some common causes:
- Low self-esteem
- Stress
- Hereditary
- Medical illness
- Serious loss
- Difficult relationship
- Financial problems
Depression in teenagers is more common than one might think. It is important that this topic is taken seriously because so many fail to recognize that they or someone they know has the condition. It does not get better by itself.
