Depression
9/21/2009
Depression Is The New Black
It's a Friday morning in early August. The summer was ending in only a few weeks, and you were getting all you could out of it. This was the summer before your senior year, and you went out every night. That’s why when the phone started ringing; you only looked at the clock and groaned: eight a.m. There’s no WAY you were going to answer that. And then the incessant ringing stopped. You start to drift back to sleep when the ringing starts again, this time you answer. It’s your mom on the other end, asking if you were paying attention and fully awake. With the phone to your cheek so you could easily go back to sleep when the phone call ended, you say yes. She tells you to listen closely, it’s important. So you do, but only kind of because it’s really early. Then she tells you: your best friend has committed suicide. Jared High was 12 years old when older students bullied him in his middle school. The bullying came to a head when a well-known bully assaulted Jared inside his middle school gym. Because of the bullying and the assault, Jared began to show signs of depression, which included lack of sleep and emotional outburst. On the morning of September 29, 1998, just six days after his 13th birthday, Jared called his father at work to say good-bye. While on the phone with him, Jared shot himself, dying instantly. “A lot of people don't realize that depression is an illness. I don't wish it on anyone, but if they would know how it feels, I swear they would think twice before they just shrug it.” This is a quote by Jonathan Davis. There are at least 15 types of depression and in 2009 up to 8.3 percent of adolescents in the United States suffered from depression. So next time you’re feeling sad you might want to ask yourself “Do I have depression?”
Hello, I’m Nia Lavington and today I bet that you can already guess that I’m talking about depression. This is a serious topic and it could help your family, friends, or even you. Not only is this a serious topic, but a sensitive one and I’m telling you this so that anytime you feel down you can watch for signs of depression and help prevent something even more serious suicide. But, today I will be telling you a little about depression, what causes it and how to treat it.
The symptoms of depression include but are not limited to: Appetite changes, such as loss of appetite and sometimes even an increase, difficulty concentrating, difficulty making decisions, episodes of memory loss, fatigue, feeling upset, restless, and irritable, feeling hopeless, worthless, sad, or self-hatred, loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once fun, thinking or talking about death or suicide, trouble sleeping, too much sleeping, or daytime sleepiness. But, just don’t watch out for the symptoms watch the behavioral changes such as: acting out, criminal behavior, irresponsible behavior, poor school performance, grades dropping, spending more and more time alone, or the use of alcohol or other illegal substances. But, depression is found in more women and teens than men because depression in women is twice as high as they are in men. This is due in part to hormonal factors, particularly when it comes to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), postpartum depression, and perimenopausal depression. Women are also more likely to suffer from seasonal affective disorder. But, while some depressed teens appear sad, others do not. In fact, irritability—rather than depression—is frequently the predominant symptom in depressed adolescents and teens. A depressed teenager may be hostile, grumpy, or easily lose his or her temper. Unexplained aches and pains are also common symptoms of depression in young people.
Left untreated, teen depression can lead to problems at home and school, drug abuse, self-loathing—even irreversible tragedy such as homicidal violence or suicide. But with help, teenage depression is highly