DEPRESSION
In general, depression may be described as a
condition or a feeling of sadness, of being so overcome by the conditions of
life that there is a growing pessimism concerning all aspects of life.... The feeling
of being blocked in and powerless. This condition is frequently accompanied by
a loss of ability to concentrate, and a lessening of ability to reason
rationally. Difficulty in being able to sleep, and a constant sense of sadness
accompanied by the desire to cry. Most times when you feel down, you’re not depressed.
Feeling sad or low is a big part of life and can’t be avoided. When something
goes wrong in your life, whether it’s an argument with a friend, a bad mark on
a test, or a fight with your parents, your mood might drop.
What Causes Depression?
Depression is not simple. Researchers have identified five different parts of your
life that can cause depression or keep it going. These parts are: your
situation, your thoughts, your emotions, and your physical state and your actions.
These five parts all affect each other. The way you act changes your situation, the way you think about yourself changes
your feelings, the way you feel changes your physical state, and so on. So we can
think of these five parts as part of a circle of depression.
Depression is an extreme low mood that lasts a long time and makes
a person feel sad, irritable or empty. Many people, including many teens, have
suffered in this way.
A depressed person:
Has much less energy to do activities, Feels like nothing matters,
Sees life in a negative way, Feels like it will never get better
Depression is . . .
If you feel very low mood or almost no interest in your life, every
day, and this feeling continues for at least two weeks; AND if you have
other
Problems like:
• Big changes in weight or appetite;
• Not being able to sleep enough or sleeping too much;
•
feeling that you are always restless or slowed-down;
•
thinking that you are worthless or guilty;
•
Feeling really tired most of the time;
•
feeling numb or empty;
• having a lot of trouble concentrating
or making decisions;
• thinking about death or suicide.
What Can You Do About Depression?
There have 2 general types of
Depression
MILD Depression
MAJOR Depression
MILD Depression
Talking to family and trusted friends about how you’ve been
feeling is usually a good thing to do. They can help you to figure out
solutions to some of the problems you’ve been dealing with; besides, just
knowing that people care about you can be helpful. L Writing about problems
you’re facing, your feelings and thoughts, and possible solutions can help you
to understand what you’re going through and what choices you have. L Speak to a
health professional (family doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social
worker, mental health counselor, or mental health nurse) if you think you might
be depressed. A professional can help
you figure out what’s been going on and can make useful suggestions. L In some cases, antidepressant medications can
be helpful in overcoming mild depression. But for most adolescents with mild
depression, the answer does not lie in medication.
MAJOR Depression
Talking to family and trusted friends about how you’ve been
feeling is still helpful. L Writing about problems you’re facing, your feelings
and thoughts, and possible solutions is also still helpfully Definitely see
your family physician if you think you might be depressed. Major depression is a serious problem and should
be diagnosed by a family physician, psychiatrist or psychologist. You might
visit your local mental health centre, where these mental health professionals
are usually available. One effective
treatment for major depression in adolescents is cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]. CBT is a talking therapy that teaches new skills for thinking and acting
more effectively. This guide is based on CBT methods’ another effective
treatment is interpersonal therapy [IPT], a talking therapy that teaches new
skills for dealing with friends, teachers and family. Antidepressant
medications are often helpful in overcoming major depression in adolescents.
But they don’t seem to be as effective for adolescents as they are for adults:
talk it over with your physician.
