Depression in Teenagers

2561 Words6 Pages

Depression in Teenagers As a teenager, I have experienced depression countless number of times. Many times, I just feel sad, and other times, I feel like the world is not worth living in. Innumerable incidents also have occurred where some of my friends get badly depressed. Since many of my friends would try to talk to me about how they feel when they are depressed, I see a lot the pain and dejection they are going through. Through these experiences, depression began to scare me because of how inferior and worthless it can make a person feel, and where these low feelings would lead to. I realized that depression should not be allowed to dominate a person’s life as it would slowly eat him away. I felt I had to find out what depression really is, what causes it, and most of all, how to deal with it. There are two main types of depression: minor depression and major depression. First of all, minor depression is the type of depression that is encountered most in our lives. It is usually preceded by problems such as adverse relationships, doing badly in school, or the loss of a job. In minor depression, people feel sad and anxious, cry, or are pessimistic. Second, major depression is a type of abnormal depression that might occur when a person experiences trauma such as having a loved one pass away. It can also occur when a person has hormonal imbalances or abuses drugs. In addition to what people feel in minor depression, people in major depression feel helpless and guilty, have insomnia, are lethargic and lose self-esteem. The causes of depression are not clear-cut, but the biochemistry of the brain, the environment, and personality all seem to have an effect on how prone a person is to depression.... ... middle of paper ... ...d gets depressed, I have also learned that there are ways to help ease him out of depression. Through my various experiences with depression in others and myself, I believe that many people are ignorant or badly misinformed about depression. Even though depressed people tend to block out sound reasoning to wallow in disconsolation or anger, some knowledge of depression would help them get out of depression. Works Cited Bootzin, Richard R., Gordon H. Bower, Jennifer Crocker, and Elizabeth Hall. “Personality, Abnormality, and Adjustment.” Psychology Today: An Introduction. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1991. p. 547-550. Cush, Cathie. “Feeling Bad.” Teen Hotline: Depression. Austin: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers,1994. p. 32-36. Goleman, Daniel. “The Cost of Emotional Illiteracy.” Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books, 1996. p. 274-283.

Open Document