Depression Essay Example For Students

Depression Essay The Depression Imagine for a moment, waking up one day to find yourself on a dirty floor, a pile of rags, or maybe even the street. You look down at yourself to find youre wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday, except they are completely filthy and have lots of holes in places like the knees and elbows. You have no access to a mirror to show you what you look like so you go to touch you hair with your hand and find it to be a pile of grease and dirt that obviously hasnt been washed in days, maybe even weeks. Then they get ready and go to school. They are depressed about school. They go to all their classes. The end of the day is nearing and they may be depressed about having to go home. Their family life might be bad. They go home and what do you do? Sit down, watch television, play a video game, lock themselves in their room, or just going around being mad at everyone and their life. This really is the pits. They need to change their life whether it be changing their after school activity or changing their attitude. Depression is defined as a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies. No two people feel or experience depression the same way. The symptoms and causes of depression are very different for everyone. Lawrence Clayton, Ph. D. and Sharon Carter write, The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reported that for 4 to 10 percent of the American public at any given time the downer mood doesnt lift. They also reported that one quarter of the population would experience a major depressive period during their lifetime (8). One out of four people will have a problem with depression in the United States. NIMH also reported that approximately 4 out of a 100 teenagers get seriously depressed each year. Clinical Depression is a serious illness that can affect anybody, INCLUDING TEENAGERS (Lets Talk 1). Gerald D. Oster, Ph. D., Sarah S. Montgomery, MSW, write, Clinical depression refers to a condition marked by the changes in ones mood and by associated behaviors that range from a mild degree of sadness to intensely experienced feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts (43). Did you know suicide is the second leading cause for death in teenagers? Suicidal thoughts, remarks, or attempts are ALWAYS SERIOUS. ..if any of there happen to you or a friend, you must tell a responsible adult IMMEDIATELY .. .its better to be safe than sorry (Lets Talk 3). According to a website called Depression.com Each year 250,000 teens attempt suicide, and 2,000 complete it. Since 1960, teen suicides have doubled. Girls are more likely to attempt suicide, but boys kill themselves four times more often, usually with guns (Depression 1). Suicide is not the answer. According to Lawrence Clayton, Ph. D. and Sharon Carter there are a lot of symptoms to depression: The symptoms to look for in yourself, or anyone you suspect may be depressed, are as follows: social withdrawal, lack of interest in usual activities, frequent tearfulness, unkempt appearance, belief that no one cares, feelings of hopelessness, beginning or increasing use of alcohol or other drugs, inappropriate feelings of guilt, pessimistic outlook, excessive anxiety, low self-esteem, inability to concentrate, excessive irritability, difficulty in making decisions, prolonged sadness, recurrent thoughts of death, desire for revenge, thoughts of suicide, sudden drop in grades or work performance, very high or low energy level, sleeping too much or not enough, loss of appetite or overeating, and confusion. They do not need to be experiencing all of these symptoms to have a problem. Experiencing any four is enough to warrant concern (9-10). Ancient Rome Essay There are many therapists willing to help; it is up to you to find a qualified and personable professional. Most teens feel a sense of relief after entering therapy and find it useful to be able to share personal feelings and secrets. Individual therapists come from a number of different theoretical perspectives, including psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral. Most therapies are helpful to reduce present family tension and to enhance communication (128). Depression in teenagers in the United States has grown through the years. One out of four people today will have a problem with major depression. This number is high. If teens can understand what depression is and get help today then they can learn how to deal with depression. We may be able to bring down this high statistic.BibliographyClayton, Lawrence, Ph.D. and Sharon Carter. Coping with Depression. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 1995. Depression in Teens. Depression in Special Groups. November 17, 1999. http://www.depression. com/health _library/special_groups/special_01_teens.html. Lets Talk about Depression. Nation Institute of Mental Health. November 17, 1999. http://www.nimh.gov/ depression/genpop/letstalk. html. Oster, Gerald, Ph.D. and Sarah S. Montgomery, MSW. Helping Your Depressed Teenager. New York: John Wiley Sons, Inc., 1995.