Definition
Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who experience it need treatment to get better. Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the vast majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Intensive research into the illness has resulted in the development of medications, psychotherapies, and other methods to treat people with this disabling disorder. What are the different forms of depression? There are several forms of depressive disorders. The most common are major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder.
Articles
- Teen Depression
- Teen Depression Facts
- Depression Basics
- Teen Girl Depression
- Dealing with the Depths of Depression
- Teen Depression Treatment
- Adolescent Girls: The Role of Depression in the Development of Delinquency
- Depressed Teens Using Marijuana, Other Drugs to Relieve Symptoms
- Depression or Feeling Blue
Article Summaries
Although depression is less common in children than in adults, about one in five young people will experience depression before they become adults.1 Young people with depression may have a hard time dealing with everyday activities and responsibilities. Depression can happen at any point in a child’s life, even when things seem to be going well. There is a difference between sadness and depression. Sadness can last for 1 or more days and may make a person feel like crying. Depression is very different. It is more severe, lasts at least 2 weeks, and includes several symptoms. Depression, which affects the whole body as well as feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, is not a personal weakness; it’s a mental health problem. It affects the way kids behave at home and at school, how they interact with others, and how they feel about themselves. However, depression is treatable, especially when it is diagnosed early.
Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who experience it need treatment to get better. Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the vast majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Intensive research into the illness has resulted in the development of medications, psychotherapies, and other methods to treat people with this disabling disorder. What are the different forms of depression?
Depression is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is a serious illness that affects the body, mood, and thoughts. People with a depressive illness cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. Depression is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. Without treatment, depression can lead to personal, family, and financial problems, and, in some cases, end in suicide. Studies have found that depression is about twice as common in women as men. But we don’t know if depression is truly less common in men or if men are just less likely than women to recognize and seek help for depression.
Life is full of ups and downs. But when the down times last for weeks or months at a time or keep you from living “normal,” you may be suffering from depression. Depression is a medical illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. It is different from feeling “blue” or down for a few hours or a couple of days. It is not a condition that can be willed or wished away. What causes depression?
Dealing with the Depths of Depression
Imagine attending a party with these prominent guests: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Robert Schumann, Ludwig von Beethoven, Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Vincent van Gogh, and Georgia O’Keefe. Maybe Schumann and Beethoven are at the dinner table intently discussing the crescendos in their most recent scores, while Twain sits on a couch telling Poe about the plot of his latest novel. O’Keefe and Van Gogh may be talking about their art, while Roosevelt and Lincoln discuss political endeavors. But in fact, these historical figures also had a much more personal common experience: Each of them battled the debilitating illness of depression. It is common for people to speak of how “depressed” they are. However, the occasional sadness everyone feels due to life’s disappointments is very different from the serious illness caused by a brain disorder. Depression profoundly impairs the ability to function in everyday situations by affecting moods, thoughts, behaviors, and physical well-being.
Over eight percent of teenagers suffer from depression—the most common, mental disorder in the United States. Not only is depression becoming more prevalent in adolescents, but the age at which it first appears is becoming younger. A major concern is suicide. Over the last decade, the suicide rate in young people has increased dramatically, and by 1996, the last year for which data are available, it ranked as the fourth leading cause of death among 10-14 year-olds and the third leading cause among those aged 15 to 24. Depression can also cause loss of energy, problems concentrating, thinking and remembering, and increases the risk of problems such as teenage pregnancy, school dropout and accidents.
Adolescent Girls: The Role of Depression in the Development of Delinquency
Over the past 60 years, social scientists have sought specific predictors of violent and antisocial behavior. Much of the research on criminal activity and delinquency, however, has been conducted on men and boys; far less scholarly attention has focused on understanding the development of such behavior in women and girls. This remains the case today, despite recent reports indicating the rate of increase in troubled adolescent girls’ antisocial behavior surpasses that of boys.
Depressed Teens Using Marijuana, Other Drugs to Relieve Symptoms
Millions of American teens report experiencing weeks of hopelessness and loss of interest in normal daily activities and many of these depressed teens are using marijuana and other drugs, making their situation worse, according to a new White House report released today. The report, from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), reveals that marijuana use can worsen depression and lead to more serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and even suicide.
As a teenager, there are so many changes taking place in your body and with your emotions that it can be very overwhelming. You might feel like you are in a great mood one minute and a bad one the next. This roller coaster of emotions is normal. It’s OK to have the blues sometimes and there are things you can do to feel better. Try these tips to improve your mood: Know that what you are going through is very common. Find a way to relax, such as sitting down and taking a deep breath or taking a shower. Talk to your friends, parents/guardians, teachers, counselors, or doctors about what you are feeling. They can help you sort through your emotions. Get some exercise. When you exercise, your body makes more special chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins can help improve your mood. Make sure that you get enough rest. Being tired can make you feel more stressed.