Teenage Depression

1. Do you think there's really teenage depression, or are they just moody/hormonal/overreacting?
Yes,now moods stuff can add to it,however depression can be something mentally wrong,like something wired wrong. My counsellour showed me this brain thing and that's justh ow it is.
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)?
Counselers can really help,it's someone un-tainted by past situatioons.
3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine?
I don't think so,talking to someone un related helps,and sometimes there is something specifically wired wrong,so meds can help,they helped me.

Haha, a huge issue right now with depression is that many doctors think that a clinical issue is just hormones. It's a serious issue. Mental disorders of all kinds are on the rise these days. The three that seem to be gaining the ost are Depression, Bipolar, and Autism unfortunatley.

I myself have a pretty nasty case of Bipolar. I always leaned on others and myself for help and never thought about drugs. I figured I didn't need an outside source to come into my body and "change who I am"

Honestly, people can help, but if you are really chemically depressed, they won't help 100%. Whenever im not on my meds (which I approached my mom for after a few years of serious problems), I will start crying out of nowhere and call up friends telling them I want to die and such. It's pretty sad really.

For ANYONE whos depressed or bipolar and not being treated, GET TREATED. You have no idea how much it improves your life.

how can you tell someone if they dont know how you feel and wouldnt understand?
none of my family would understand if i got depressed and i just hide in my bedroom or save untill night time when i let my feelings out properly.
i've never taken drugs or anything but i just get depressed easily.
i think it is partly to do with hormones but anything could start it off.

LoversHeartDisease:

Haha, a huge issue right now with depression is that many doctors think that a clinical issue is just hormones. It's a serious issue. Mental disorders of all kinds are on the rise these days. The three that seem to be gaining the ost are Depression, Bipolar, and Autism unfortunatley.

I don't believe that incidences of these illnesses are 'on the rise' at all - I just believe that, due to more attention being focused on them and doctors being able to recognise the symptoms more easily, more people are getting diagnosed. I mean, twenty years ago nobody knew what these illnesses were and so people basically just suffered in silence, although they did suffer from these illnesses - they just didn't have a name or a treatment.
Nowadays, especially with such strong focus in the media and education programs on things like depression, people are far more aware of what is going on within themselves and each other, and that's why the diagnoses are becoming more frequent. Back in the day, a person suffering depression, for instance, simply would have said, 'Oh, I'm just going through a rough time, I'll get through it on my own,' and probably felt that not only would a doctor not be able to help, but that they would be looked down upon by their friends and family for not being strong enough to deal with life. Nowadays there is much less shame in feeling that you can't cope, and seeking help.

there is teenage depression.cause i hav it. i go to group counciling. and it sorta works. but i found my reason to live. my reason is aiden. even if he'sa baby, he's my reason.

^ i also agree that there is teen depression, that its not just hormones. i went through it and i didnt get professional help for it, or any medication, i had my friends. rachel, my best friend stood by me the whole time and she never gave up on me.

and if anyone who reads this is thinking about suicide, keep in mind this one thought : suicide is a permant solution, for a temporary problem (not in a good way might i add!):

Ghostgirl191:

^ i also agree that there is teen depression, that its not just hormones. i went through it and i didnt get professional help for it, or any medication, i had my friends. rachel, my best friend stood by me the whole time and she never gave up on me.

and if anyone who reads this is thinking about suicide, keep in mind this one thought : suicide is a permant solution, for a temporary problem (not in a good way might i add!):

If I hear that BS cliche one more time I am going to explode.

A temporary problem is losing your home in a fire, losing a friend, or breaking up with your boyfriend or girlfriend.
Being born with a chemical imbalance in the brain can be treated.
But it cannot be fixed.
It can be a permanent problem.

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teenage depression is definelty real, but it doesn't seem real because so many teenagers say that they are depressed after they've had a few bad days in a row or something. it's getting ridiculous. so many teenagers say they are depressed and then you will see them the next day laughing their head off or something like that.

i think that depression can be treated without pills if you have even more therapy sessions.

i don't know im not a doctor so.

i personaly think i really did have depression for a couple of years. non of the days for those years i can remember being happy or smiling. i just snapped at a point, made a couple of mistakes, and my friends helped me get out of it. i've been to therapy and it doesn't do shit. and when you're on pills you still get the earie feeling that deep down your still the same, drugged up in a sense.

blackXmascaraXtears:

so many teenagers say they are depressed and then you will see them the next day laughing their head off or something like that.

But depression doesn't always mean you're down, down, down 24/7. I still suffer from mild depression, and refuse to take medication because I don't know how it will affect my baby, but put it this way: you have good days, you have bad days. The therapist I saw a few years ago put it like this:

That's where the medication comes in. It doesn't cure anything, just helps get a depressed person up a little so they're functioning on a more normal wavelength rather than down the majority of the time.

Uhmm.. I've been there.. oh, I'm sorry..

>I'm STILL there.
>>& all I'm doing is cry & cry in my room/bathroom..
& of course, all by myself.
I don't want my parents to know this 'cause they won't get it either so..
What's the use?? They will/would care, of course but, in my case, my parents will talk to me..

tell me I'm still a kid..

that my "depression" is just part of growing up..

that maybe this isn't depression 'cause again, I'm still a teen/kid..
blah blah blah..

NOPE!

Asking my parent's help is so not in my list to get over this depression.. &.. when I'm so down, I'm hurting myself & I love it!

Seeing myself bleeding.lol.. I love it. At least my body's focusing on that pain & I forget the pain I feel inside.. (I'm so freakin' crazy)

& about the treatment??
Nah.. the only treatment I need is the answers to my problems..

not those science blah blah blah.. I don't need a doctor. I need answers OR someone who could COMPLETELY understand me but, I think that's quite impossible.

1. Do you think there's really teenage depression, or are they just moody/hormonal/overreacting? Yes i think there is depression but those things worsen the depression that was already there.
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)? Most of the time i think that the family isint aware of the depression that is actually there...If they are closer to a family member then a best friend then by all means talk to them about it...but if its something that you wouldnt really like your family to find out about then if you arnt sure that you could trust them not to tell your family then you should turn to your best friend..
3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine? It can be helped but after they stop taking the medication for whatever reason they return to the way they were before so some times its just better to get help by talking to sumone....psychotherapists are people that you dont really know and if you talk to them then you know that they will tell your family about what you had said to them...so sometimes its just better to talk to a close friend ...sumone who actually knows you and you can trust...
<33XD
aussie

1.i think there is teenage depression, mostly for kids that live somewhere where nobody can relate to them (kinda like where i live... a lil bit)

2. i think friends would help more than family, because they can understand.

3.No.

4. i got over my depression by listening to my chemical romance, it really does help, because they where the 'wierd kids' or the 'emo kids' so they understand, and the music just calms you down.

blackXmascaraXtears:

teenage depression is definelty real, but it doesn't seem real because so many teenagers say that they are depressed after they've had a few bad days in a row or something. it's getting ridiculous. so many teenagers say they are depressed and then you will see them the next day laughing their head off or something like that.

I agree, for sure.

When a kid is always teased, bullied, made fun of, put down, a parent dies, something tragic, ect, and this goes on for months and months, I'll understand why they're depressed. They should go and get help, but I don't think drugs are the answer.

But! And this goes for a lot of kids. I'm not being mean, but its true.
Some kids go around telling the world they're depressed because mommy won't buy them this new CD, big brother won't do stuff with them, or your friends don't understand you. (Sometimes people don't understand me or my way of thinking, but I don't go around being all depressed about it.)
Big fricking deal!
Get over it. Go ahead, be sad for a day or 2, but don't go around whining how your depressed. Depression is a serious mental disorder! Not something to joke around with.
Its ridiculous with the amount of teenagers who are depressed.
Your a teenager, your suppost to be happy!

Okay, I'm done with my lecture, now to the questions.
1. Do you think there's really teenage depression, or are they just moody/hormonal/overreacting?
Both. Depends on the situation.
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)?
They'll then almost all the help they can get. The teen needs to find things that make them happy, tell them selves things that will make them happy. They're family and friends for encouragement. You can't always depend on other people, you have to help yourself sometimes.
3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine?
Depends. I don't believe medicine helps any, just makes you dependent on the drug. But, you probabley will need a therapist.

Sorry, some times I get a little to into things.

[quote="ha13y!?"]

blackXmascaraXtears:

3. Can depression be treated without the help of a psychotherapist/medicine?
Depends. I don't believe medicine helps any, just makes you dependent on the drug. But, you probabley will need a therapist.

Sorry, some times I get a little to into things.
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Depression is a chemical imbalance.
The medicine is the chemical that corrects that imbalance.
Sure, sometimes it doesn't work. But it usually does.
Also, it is easy to be weened off of prescriptions if you take them properly and follow instructions.
However, thats only IF you become dependent on the drug.
But, if you have depression you'll most likely be on it for the rest of your life anyway, so it shouldn't make any difference.