Teenage Depression

^
I've been admitted to the psychiatric ward six times. Five times in eighth grade, once my junior year, and once my freshman year of college.

I was living with my mother and I was 18 going on 19. I think it's completely ridiculous that your social worker basically ordered your parents to kick you out.

If you can't handle yourself living with your parents how the heck are you supposed to manage living by yourself and coping with whatever mental problems you're dealing with.

That's the thing, the twat didn't think I had any mental issues - he thought my parents and I were just having a personality clash and that I needed my own freedom, etc.
Which was a load of crap - I had drug problems, an eating disorder, scars all over unexposed body parts, and I'd survived repeated suicide attempts.
But yeah, the thing that irritates me is that people like you and I, who have suffered through absolute nightmares and had a really bad time, are being called 'fakes' or 'attention-seekers' because people are confusing a temper tantrum or a bad day with a mental illness.
Like I said, there's a big difference between 'depressed' and 'depression'. Everyone gets depressed at times, it's human, but depression is a seriously different matter that has so many repercussions it's not even funny.
I just get annoyed that my husband doesn't really believe in depression - he says, 'But everyone gets depressed - I get depressed sometimes, it doesn't mean I want to kill myself or take medication to regulate it,' and I can't explain to him what it's like, because it's so complex. And to him, that sounds like a cop-out.

1. Do you think there's really teenage depression, or are they just moody/hormonal/overreacting?
Of course there is. Depression can hit anyone at any age. Some teenagers are just moody, hormonal or over-reacting, but so are some adults. There are kids out there who feel there is no reason to get out of bed in the morning, their life has no purpose and they just want to curl up in a ball and die.
2. If a teen is depressed, is family support needed or can the teen get better by themselves/with the help of one close family member or friend(s)?
You need the help of everyone around you. There is no way a person could go through that and not need hwlp or support from family and friends. Even just some understanding and consideration goes a long way.
3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine?
No. Some form of medical help is needed, whether it's medication or a therapist. Which method is best depends on the person concerned.

1. Do you think there's really teenage depression, or are they just moody/hormonal/overreacting?

-Well of course teenagers cen get depressions. It can hit in most ages.


2. If a teen is depressed, is family support needed or can the teen get better by themselves/with the help of one close family member or friend(s)?

-I think the hardest thing is to go through it alone. I mean it has got to be a reason for the depression, often losing some one you love, lonelyness, self-esteem issues and other teen stuff. And then you can't get better alone. You get even more lonely and depressed. I think the key to the problem is to have people around that loves you, and supports you.


3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine?

- Well first of all, It happens that people recover from depressions with no proffesional help or pills, but it's actually very rare. what's even more rare, is when people with depression recover just by the help from pills or medicine. Ok, the pills can take away some of the pain for a short period of time, but for what price? Addictions? No, you can't please either your brain or your heart with that stuff. It makes your brain get use to it, and then if you stop taking them, the happiness goes away, cause there is nothing left to cover up the depressions. So I think the only thing to do if you can't get rid of it yourself, is to see a psychologist or a therapist.


4. How?

- I read somewhere that 70% of all depressions doesn't go away without therapy. And I think it's the only thing that'll help. There is this guy in my class, who is depressed, but he refuses to see any kind of therapist. he has been depressed for a year now, and I truly think the only way to help him get rid of it, is to make him go see a pro, or he might hurt himself

1. Do you think there's really teenage depression, or are they just moody/hormonal/overreacting?
Teenage depression is real. I had a friend, who was SO depressed she almost killed herself. Actually, I'm pretty sure she tried. She was driven to depression by what was going on with her parents, and she was running with BAD crowds. I'm not talking about people who are labled 'emotional' I'm talking about people who think that is the ONLY way to a better life.
2. If a teen is depressed, is family support needed or can the teen get better by themselves/with the help of one close family member or friend(s)? It depends on what depression is driven from. Sometimes it's because of Parental fights. Othertimes, it's not. I think that a person could make themselves depressed. I know it sounds retarted, but I think that if you put yourself in that state of mind, it can happen.
3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine?
HAPPYPILLS! That is a way to treat mild depression, but people who have depression issues, can end up as drunkards, or people who do drugs all day long. Psychotherapists, I don't like them. If you spell therapist out...it spells the rapist. They rape your mind, I think that depression can be lifted by good friends and supprtive family (once again depending on where your depression is originating from)

Teenage depression does exsist. I take 300 mg of an antidepressant every morning and apparently the average dose is only like 50 mg. I have suffered from depression since I was 4 and I don't feel like saying why. A depressed teen needs help before they fall off the band wagon like I did. I missed 7 weeks due to medical leave because of my dpression last school year. If you or someone you know is depressed please ask for help, it could save a life.

they say that those in later generations are more likely to be depressed than those of a latter
depression is very real and while i think that is effects everybody...i think that teen depression is VERY serious and VERY real
many think that teens do it for the attn or kill themselves bc they dont know any better (i once heard a quote saying that teens dont realize that death is forever) but i also think that hormones have alot to do with it
i am not a depressed person but i have my moments...we all do, the best u can do is help the person and try to turn their thoughts from harmful solutions

because sometimes its not just a fashion statement

I have a feeling I might have depression but I cant tell my mom because she thinks I'll be only saying that to get attention along with digging myself (I gave that up) but still. Teenage depression does happen and it comes on strong and in diffrent ways.

1. I think it's a little of both.
2. Both ways....I think it depends on the teen.
3. Yes but I think it is more effective if the teen does it by themselves. A) It makes them stronger B) Medication can totally screw up your brain
4. Depends. Music, writing, drawing, acting. I think what someone needs is a good friend and an outlet that doesn't involve slef harm.

asha molly.:

I don't doubt that teenage depression does exist, but I think it is over-diagnosed (in Australia anyway, obviously I can't say if it's the same in America).
Here it's like, every second person has depression, which is pretty much impossible. They may be feeling depressed, but I’ll bet that about 90% of them don’t actually have medically diagnosed depression.

Also, I don’t know if this is strictly on topic, but in my experience, people who have been ‘diagnosed’ seem to look down on other people who don’t have depression. It was like that in my senior years at school, they were really rude towards people if they were having a bad day. I once even got called an ‘immature little bitch‘ because I said I was feeling depressed on a particular day, apparently they found it offensive that I was saying I was feeling bad, when they have a medical condition that makes them feel bad all the time. I find that terrible, they were virtually wearing their depression as a badge of honour.
The thing is, as Donna (I think that’s your name, sorry if it isn’t!) pointed out, people who don’t have depression as such can get depressed at times. It’s not limited to those people who have depression, and they need to recognise that.

Hehe don't worry, you got the name right
I totally agree with you, teenage depression is becoming like primary-schoolers and freaking ADD. My opinion on the latter, personally, is that the general majority of these kids are unruly because they're not being disciplined at home ('Oh, I don't believe in spanking' etc from their parents), and doctors just prescribe medication to get them to sit still and behave because they don't have any consequences to bad behaviour, so they keep doing it.
And on the former, I believe that although depression is a serious issue and needs the attention it deserves, there's been far too much hype about it and now doctors are probably scared of litigation if they say, 'Oh, this patient's just going through some angst, they'll be fine,' and then the kid kills themselves - the parents could sue and say, 'The signs were there, why didn't you medicate them?!'
The other problem is that too many doctors in Australia are foreign and may not understand the symptoms or what tests are required, and to add to that they're all super-overworked, so they just prescribe to get everyone off their backs and out of their clinics. For instance, and this is totally unrelated to depression or mental illness, but I went to my mum's doctor (who doesn't speak great English) to get a prescription for the Pill, and when I told him what I wanted, he pulled out a textbook and started looking up what 'the Pill' and 'birth control' was - I was horrified, and never went back there.

I also find that kids on meds look down on their peers when they're having a bad day - honestly, sometimes I feel like pills are the new status symbol, and that they feel threatened by 'normal' kids or that the 'normal' kids are trying to steal their thunder by being upset over something. It's human nature to get down at times, but what a lot of people don't understand is that there is a huge difference between 'feeling depressed' and 'depression' - just like I'm seeing all these kids going around claiming they're bi-polar because they woke up cranky and by morning-tea time they were laughing about something, or that they're OCD because they checked three times to make sure they had their house keys before they left for school, or that they're bisexual because they got drunk and pashed their best friend this one time. It's ridiculous.
Having mental illness is not 'cool' or, as you said, a badge of honour. It's a sickness that needs to be respected, but not touted as an excuse for everything - the way I feel black people use slavery etc as an excuse for why they have it so hard (I know this is for another thread, but it's bull - you personally weren't in slavery and now you have all the opportunities whites do, get over yourself and get a job).
I know that when I was suffering severe depression and in and out of hospital with an eating disorder and suicide attempts (pathetic though they were, I didn't really want to die, just wanted to hurt physically instead of emotionally), I hated going to school because I knew that not only was everyone talking about it behind my back, but they were scrutinising my bandages and either claiming that I was faking it, or that I was trying to show off. I didn't want anybody to know what I was feeling, I wanted to fit in and be accepted and all that teenage stuff - not be ostracised. By no means did I walk around practically waving my pill bottle around going, 'Feel sorry for me, you've all got it soooo good,' I just wanted to wake up one morning and be normal again.

teen angst? maybe only sometimes. but i do believe in teen depression.

i'm depressed sometimes. but i guess i could be bipolar. it does run in my family.

ThinkxHappyxThoughts:

Okay, I was looking up on depression, and I didn't see a depression thread so I started one.

1. Do you think there's really teenage depression, or are they just moody/hormonal/overreacting?
2. If a teen is depressed, is family support needed or can the teen get better by themselves/with the help of one close family member or friend(s)?
3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine?
4. How?

I thought these questions would help us see your views. If anyone else has any more ideas feel free.

1~ i think teenage depression isn't just hormones n stuff it pushed depression along, but is not the cause. i have been through depression. and hormones are not to do with it.
2~ i never got family support because i was ashamed. i've been in and out of depression and every time i pulled myself out of it. maybe i need family help. maybe i don't.
3~ i am totally against medicine and therapists.i have trust issues and i don't beleive medicine can make your MIND better.

There MOST DEFINITELY is teenage depression. Can it be treated without a therapist?- Yes, but sometimes depression is a chemical imbalance and needs to be treated by some kind of doctor. I had depression in 7th grade, but chose not to see a doctor about it, and it was the most terrible year of my life-many many many tears were shed. However, sometime in the year I just snapped out of it. It was really really weird, I just didn't feel terrible anymore, so you can wait it out if you want

Genocide.Princess:

ThinkxHappyxThoughts:

Okay, I was looking up on depression, and I didn't see a depression thread so I started one.

1. Do you think there's really teenage depression, or are they just moody/hormonal/overreacting?
2. If a teen is depressed, is family support needed or can the teen get better by themselves/with the help of one close family member or friend(s)?
3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine?
4. How?

I thought these questions would help us see your views. If anyone else has any more ideas feel free.

1~ i think teenage depression isn't just hormones n stuff it pushed depression along, but is not the cause. i have been through depression. and hormones are not to do with it.
2~ i never got family support because i was ashamed. i've been in and out of depression and every time i pulled myself out of it. maybe i need family help. maybe i don't.
3~ i am totally against medicine and therapists.i have trust issues and i don't beleive medicine can make your MIND better.

Well, really all your mind is is a bunch of chemicals and electrical signals...

[quote="Genocide.Princess"]

ThinkxHappyxThoughts:

1~ i think teenage depression isn't just hormones n stuff it pushed depression along, but is not the cause. i have been through depression. and hormones are not to do with it.

Depression, the mental disorder, has to do with a chemical imbalance in your brain. Chemical imbalances have to do with hormones.

A hormone is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another.

Therefore, if you claim you had depression it did have to do with hormones.

Unless you're some new magical medical anomaly, which I don't think you are.

My nana Died and i got depression i was on drugs etc , and yeah suicide had crossed my mind alot .
My friend however was not so lucky , she got depression and became so suicidle she jumped of a bridge , she was in a comer for 5 months ! But We had faith a pulled through , and we became closer.

THERES ONLY 1 WAY FOUR DEPRESSION TO BE FIXED
BY LISTENING TO MY CHEM!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WILL HELP U WITH ANYTHING

Madame x Gerard:

THERES ONLY 1 WAY FOUR DEPRESSION TO BE FIXED
BY LISTENING TO MY CHEM!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WILL HELP U WITH ANYTHING

Please can you guys stop spamming in these threads?

Teenage depression is a serious issue but if people continue to spam here, the thread will get locked and no-one wants that.

Also, can you try not to type in caps or use lots of exclamation marks because it makes things very difficult to read.