Teens and Depression
Monday, March 24, 2008
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
I am very concerned about the number of teens who seem to be depressed these days. Granted, I understand that our society is a little out-of-control and we seem to instill in people at a very young age that they are entitled to a perfect life - romance, cars, homes, vacations, great-paying jobs, recreational toys, and a beautiful body - without hard work or effort, I might add - but is having these delusions causing mass depression?About Teen Depression reports that one out of eight adolescents may suffer from depression, and only about 30% of those teens get diagnosed, treated, and receive therapy. Depression is more common in teens with chronic disease, who have been abused or neglected, have experienced a recent trauma, or lost of a loved one.
Parents need to know that although the teen years can be tough and all teens feel pressured at times, most teens balance out the rough spots with friends, hobbies, success in school or extracurricular activities, church, or sports. If a teen experiences any of the following symptoms for more than two weeks, it is time to find help - from a doctor or counselor.
Signs of Depression
- Sadness or hopelessness
- Irritability, anger or hostility
- Tearfulness or frequent crying
- Withdrawal from friends and family
- Loss of interest in activities
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Restlessness or agitation
- Feelings or worthlessness and guilt
- Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Difficulty concentrating
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Photo Credit: hunterseakerhk
Labels: Emotional Health, Healthline, Teen Health
5 Comments:
At Thu Mar 27, 11:37:00 AM 2008,
Anonymous said…
thanks alot for the information i thougt it was very useful now i know that i'm experiencing similar signs
At Thu Mar 27, 05:01:00 PM 2008,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Awareness is a great thing - if it leads to action. If you have felt this way for two weeks or more, it is time to ask for help. You can talk to a parent, doctor, teacher, school counselor, etc... and ask for support.
At Mon Mar 31, 12:33:00 AM 2008,
Anonymous said…
i was depressive now!i am 22 year old and i dont know how TO TREAT MY depression!psychiarist said that i have major depression and they gave me anti depressnt and i took that for 4 to 5 monts and i dont know wats the effect on me!help me plsss!!!
At Tue Apr 01, 01:48:00 PM 2008,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Many people find that it is the most effective to use verbal therapy and anti-depressants together. I encourage you to go back to the psychiatrist who prescribed the medication, talk about what you liked and did not like about taking the medication, and maybe try another one. Talking to a counselor about your thought patterns and ways of coping with the depression might also be very helpful. Keep trying and good luck.
At Sun Apr 20, 05:05:00 PM 2008,
Anonymous said…
I AM LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME BUT I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT IM READING UP ON INFORMATION SO THANX ALOT FOR THE HELP
Post a Comment
<< Home