Five percent of teenagers suffer from depression because of difficult situations and also because parts of the adolescent brain have been found to be physiologically under-developed.
We all know about the high accident rate among teen drivers, who can often be impulsive and who can have poor judgment. Just consider the consequences of a depressed teenager contemplating suicide.
Fortunately, depressed teenagers are the most treatable patients because their brains are also physiologically very resilient. Teens can respond well to a combination of counseling and medication. Despite some concerns about antidepressant medication, most health professionals recommend their use.
Teens are very familiar with the terms "depressed" and "emotional." In fact, a derogatory term "Emo" (for emotional) has evolved to describe teens who wear all black, listen to depressing music and are anti-social.
But depression is not a clothing style. It is an illness when hopelessness and despair interferes AND persists with an adolescent's ability to function.
Teenagers can become depressed if relationships have ended, if they have experienced traumatic events or if they succumb to extreme stress from school or peer pressure. Depressed youth often have problems at home. Sometimes, parents are depressed, and their children have inherited that disorder.
How do friends and family realize that a teenager is depressed? Well-known symptoms of depression include eating disorders, frequent crying, increased irritability, loss of energy, self-injury, loss of self-esteem and, at the most extreme, expressions of suicide. In fact, if a teen actually says, "I want to kill myself," it is best to encourage talking about the problem, rather than asking the teen to simply forget those thoughts.
Friends and family should look out for more subtle signs of depression, which are increased social isolation, extreme sensibility to rejection or failure and recurring physical illnesses.
Parents should be concerned if their teenager experiences change in sleeping patterns - late night TV watching, difficulty getting up for school or daytime sleeping. Further, frequent school absences and poor academic performance may also indicate depression in a teen.
Most notably, illegal drug and alcohol abuse can be red flags signaling depression.
Early diagnosis and medical treatment are important for recovery. To get a referral for a qualified mental health professional, a teen's family should:
Ask family and friends for support and a recommendation for a therapist
Ask their primary care physician for a referral
Ask their place of worship for support information
Contact community mental health associations (see the phone book listing)
Families should also be aware of the Suicide Prevention Hotline (see the phone book listing).
The teenage world today has incredible challenges. But ultimately, with many kinds of support from family, friends, counseling and medication, teens can address their depression and grow into strong, centered adults.
Catherine Connor
Catherine Connor Catherine Connor is a junior at Ann Sobrato High School. She writes a monthly youth column for the Morgan Hill Times. She can be reached at cthrnpm@aol.com.
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