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Let's Talk about Depression
Sure, everybody feels
sad or blue now and then. But if you're sad most of the time,
and it's giving you problems with
- your grades
- your relationships
with your family and friends
- alcohol, drugs,
or sex
- controlling your
behavior in other ways
the problem may be:
DEPRESSION
The good news is
that you can get treatment and FEEL BETTER SOON.... Approximately
4 out of 100 teenagers get seriously depressed each year. Clinical
Depression is a serious illness that can affect anybody, INCLUDING
TEENAGERS. It can affect your thoughts, feelings, behavior,
and overall health.
Most People
with Depression can be helped with Treatment
But a majority of
depressed people never get the help they need. And, when depression
isn't treated, it can get worse, last longer, and prevent you
from getting the most out of this important time in you life.
SO...
LISTEN UP:
Here's how to tell if
you or a friend might be depressed.
First, there are
two kinds of depressive illness: The sad kind, called major
depression, and manic-depression or bipolar illness, when feeling
down and depressed alternates with being speeded-up and sometimes
reckless.
YOU'VE
GOT TO GET EVALUATED BY A PROFESSIONAL IF YOU'VE HAD FIVE OR
MORE OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS OR IF
ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS CAUSE SUCH A BIG CHANGE THAT YOU CAN'T
KEEP UP YOUR USUAL ROUTINE.
When You're
Depressed...
- You feel sad or
cry a lot and it doesn't go away.
- You feel guilty
for no real reason; you feel like you're no good; you've lost
your confidence.
- Life seems meaningless
or like nothing good is ever going to happen again. You have
a negative attitude a lot of the time, or it seems like you
have no feelings.
- You don't feel
like doing a lot of the things you used to like-- like music,
sports, being with friends, going out-- and you want to be
left alone most of the time.
- It's hard to make
up your mind. You forget lots of things, and it's hard to
concentrate.
- You get irritated
often. Little things make you lose your temper; you over-react.
- Your sleep pattern
changes; you start sleeping a lot more or you have trouble
falling asleep at night. Or you wake up really early most
mornings and can't get back to sleep.
- Your eating pattern
changes; you've lost your appetite or you eat a lot more.
- You feel restless
and tired most of the time.
- You think about
death, or feel like you're dying, or have thoughts about committing
suicide
.
TALK TO
SOMEONE
If you are concerned
about depression in yourself or a friend, TALK TO SOMEONE about
it. There are peoplewho can help you:
- a trusted family
member
- your family doctor
- your clergy
- a school counselor
or nurse
- a responsible
adult
- a social worker
- a professional
at a mental health center or Mental Health Association
Or, if you don't
know where to turn, the telephone directory or information operator
should have phone numbers for a local hotline or mental health
services or referrals.
Depression can affect
people of any age, race ethnic, or economic group.
LET'S GET
SERIOUS HERE.
Having depression doesn't
mean that a person is weak, or a failure, or isn't really trying...it
means they need TREATMENT.
Most people with
depression can be helped with COUNSELING, MEDICINE, or BOTH
TOGETHER.
COUNSELING, or psychotherapy,
means talking about feelings with a trained professional who
can help you change the relationships, thoughts, or behaviors
that contribute to depression.
MEDICINE is used
to treat depression that is severe or disabling. Antidepressant
medications are not "uppers" and are not addictive. Sometimes,
several types may have to be tried before you and your doctor
find the one that works best.
Treatment can help
most depressed people start to feel better in just a few weeks.
So remember, when
your problems seem too big and you're feeling low for too long,
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
There's help out there and you CAN ask for help. And if you
know someone who you think is depressed, YOU
CAN HELP: Listen and encourage your friend to ask a parent
or responsible adult about treatment. If you friend doesn't
ask for help soon, talk to an adult you trust and respect--
especially if your friend mentions suicide.
WHAT YOU
NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SUICIDE...
Most people who are
depressed do not commit suicide. But depression increases the
risk for suicide or suicide attempts. It is NOT true that people
who talk about suicide do not attempt it. Suicidal thoughts, remarks,
or attempts are ALWAYS SERIOUS...if any of these happen to you
or a friend, you must tell a responsible adult IMMEDIATELY ....it's
better to be safe than sorry...
WHY DO
PEOPLE GET DEPRESSED?
Sometimes people get
seriously depressed after something like a divorce in the family,
major financial problems, someone you love dying, a messed up
home life, or breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Other
times-- like with other illnesses-- depression just happens. Often
teenagers react to the pain of depression by getting into trouble:
trouble with alcohol, drugs, or sex; trouble with school or bad
grades; problems with family or friends. This is another reason
why it's important to get treatment for depression before it leads
to other trouble.
DEPRESSION
AND ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS
A lot of depressed people,
especially teenagers, also have problems with alcohol or other
drugs. (Alcohol is a drug, too.) Sometimes the depression comes
first and people try drugs as a way to escape it. (In the long
run, drugs or alcohol just make things worse.) Other times, the
alcohol or other drug use comes first, and depression is caused
by :
- the drug itself,
or
- withdrawal from
it, or
- the problems that
substances use causes.
And sometimes you
can't tell which came first... the important point is that when
you have both of these problems, the sooner you get treatment,
the better. Either problems can make the other worse and lead
to bigger trouble, like addiction or flunking school. You have
to be honest about both problems-- first with yourself and then
with someone who can help you get into treatment... it's the
only way to really get better and stay better.
REMEMBER:
YOU CAN HELP YOURSELF,
OR A FAMILY MEMBER, OR A FRIEND FIND TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION.
DO IT NOW.
BE ABLE
TO TELL FACT FROM FICTION.
Myths about depression
often prevent people from doing the right thing. Some common myths
are
MYTH:
It's normal
for teenagers to be moody; Teens don't suffer from "real" depression.
FACT:
Depression
is more than just being moody. And it can affect people at any
age, including teenagers.
MYTH:
Telling an
adult that a friend might be depressed is betraying a trust.
If someone wants help, he or she will get it.
FACT:
Depression,
which saps energy and self-esteem, interferes with a person's
ability or wish to get help. It is an act of true friendship
to share your concerns with an adult who can help.
MYTH:
Talking about
depression only makes it worse.
FACT:
Talking
through feelings with a good friend is often a helpful first
step. Friendship, concern, and support can provide the encouragement
to talk to a parent or other trusted adult about getting evaluated
for depression.
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