Adolescent Depression Case Study

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Teenage years are the most formative and often difficult times for children today. Peer pressure combined with personal hormonal struggles can lead to depression. It is estimated that nearly 5.7% of teenagers experience depressive occurrences (Rogge MD & Zieve, MD, 2012). An alarming 77 % of those cases go untreated (Rogge MD & Zieve, MD, 2012) . It is a challenge to identify and treat adolescence depression without sending the wrong message to developing minds. Holistic treatment is the best treatment method for adolescence depression when considering the options available because it treats the entire person. Depression is a disorder of the brain which leads to feelings of sadness and loss of interest in normal activities. (Depression, n.d.) …show more content…

Now that I had a reason to explain his behavior changes, it was time to identify his triggers and treat them. In his article Depression: Causes, Symptom & Treatments, Ghoulibar (2015) tells his audience that additional causes of depression include environmental, biological and genetic issues. A person with a family history of depression is 2 to 6 times more susceptible to experiencing depressive moods than someone who has no family history. The behavior that is observed can be learned and in turn misinterpreted as acceptable conduct. Misunderstanding can lead to learned behaviors such as the inability to communicate effectively with others. The breakdown in communication can cause teenagers to develop aggressive behaviors. The aggression is a defense method for dealing with depression (Preddy & Fite 2014). Reactive aggression leads to withdrawal from daily routines and friends contributing to the depression. The isolation reduces the amount of human interaction and ability to make rational decisions. It is easy to become irritable and frustrated when anyone tries to initiate contact (Depression, n.d.). If not controlled the outbursts can lead to abusive behaviors. Each of the traits when considered independently and combined are indicators of male …show more content…

It heals the body, mind, spirit and emotions which results in a positive perspective on life (Mathew, 1998 - 2007). Holistic therapies can be incorporated into a family’s daily routine with little disruption. Changes in diet and increase in vitamins contribute to the healing process and reduce the depressive symptoms. Light therapy is one subtle change that is instrumental in treating depression and is change that can be easily made without anyone noticing (Mathew, 1998 - 2007). The light triggers the thoughts of longer daylight and also helps with Vitamin D deficiencies. Dietary changes are also easy to incorporate into daily life style by adding nutrient rich vegetables. Foods rich in Vitamin B include almonds, whole grains, broccoli, spinach, milk, eggs and yogurt and they are beneficial in improving the nervous system allowing the body to handle stress more effectively. (Mathew, 1998 - 2007). Healthier meal choices will not only benefit the teenager struggling with depression it becomes a life style change for the family. Holistic therapies will create positive changes and improve the overall mindset of a

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