Teenage depression is a growing problem in today’s society and is often a major contributing factor for most adolescent problems. Each year, there are many reports of adolescents committing suicide. There are various causes far depression which lead to disastrous effects that impair a teenager’s life. Every human being can infrequently feel down, yet depression is a constant feeling which is considered to be a mental disorder.
There are two major diverse forms of depression; major and minor depression. Major depression affects one’s life from functioning normally. For instance, it affects a person’s daily routine as it also affects one’s capability to sleep, eat and enjoy delightful events. Furthermore, minor depression is not permanent; it last for at least two weeks. Minor depression eventually leads to major depression. It is necessary for one to know the causes and symptoms of teenage depression in order to know how to avoid and confront it.
Teenage depression has many different causes. It can be environmental or genetic. If one is alert to symptoms; it is easy to prevent the disease. One of the main symptoms of depression is losing interest in all activities. When teenagers sleep too much or experience insomnia, it is definitely a symptom of depression. Anhedonia is another symptom that occurs in adolescents, it is the teenagers’ inability to enjoy things which they used to enjoy.
The question arises why depression is common in one’s teenage years. One of the main causes of teenage depression is extreme trauma. In other words, teenagers are depressed when they are sexually, mentally or physically abused. Moreover, trauma might also occur to those who lost a parent, someone they love or faced medical illness.
Stressful events can negatively impact teenagers because if they attempted to handle a situation and it did not work out, it will eventually lead to depression.
Another determinant why teenagers suffer from depression is because of the inherited traits. In other words, teenagers can suffer from depression if they have a family member who suffered or still suffers from depression.
The last common cause of teenage depression is caused due to family circumstances. Parents have a powerful impact on their teenagers moreover, they motivate and inspire them. However, when parents argue and start fighting a lot in front of teenagers, it causes depression. Teenagers feel depressed because they start thinking if their parents will get divorced or not. When parents separate, most teenager’s lives start disintegrating. Separation causes depression because teenagers have lived their whole lives with both of their parents and now they are forced to see them drifting apart. Family issues cause stress for teenagers which eventually lead to depression.
Depression has many effects, some of these effects are self-harm, violence or even suicide. They can be violent and nervy because when teenagers are depressed they feel worthless. Finally, teenagers who suffer from depression are likely to think about committing suicide. Teenagers who cannot handle family problems probably will run away from their homes because they want to escape from what is causing their depression.
This serious mental disorder has been addressed by various organizations. The first recommendation for overcoming teenage depression is psychotherapy, the process of talking with therapist about one’s depression. Antidepressant medication is another solution. It helps healing teenagers suffering from severe depression. But it has various side effects like insomnia, dry mouth, anxiety or dizziness. Cognitive behaviour therapy is another solution that would help teenagers in getting rid of their negative thoughts and altering their behaviour patterns. This solution helps in improving adolescents’ mood. All these solutions were formerly known yet they were never implemented effectively. Therefore depression still exists and teenagers are still suffering.
A good solution to the problem is talking out with family members or trusted friends. Moreover, share their thoughts with people they trust and love because depressed people need someone to talk in order to be relieved. Furthermore, teenagers’ family and friends can help them through their tough times and help them to overcome their problems. The second thing that teenagers should do is to participate in social activities even if they do not want to.
To conclude, depression is an awful disease that must come to an end since many teenagers are affected by it. Depression has numerous symptoms, should be noticed as soon as they show and teenagers should seek immediate help to prevent depression. Teens should comprehend that depression is a mental disorder that might ruin their lives forever. Adolescents should seek treatments because it will definitely help them heal. However awareness should be increased on all social levels to enlighten teenagers who suffer from depression. Depression is a severe problem that should be immediately addressed.
Elizabeth C. Jacob
(MD Seminary HSS, Kottayam)
