Statistics on teenagers suffering from depression and other mental ailments are alarming. Various studies suggest that 1 in 4 teens suffer from some sort of mental illness. Teenage mental illness, to include depression, can have dire consequences. Teenage suicide is on the rise. It is the third leading cause of death in the age bracket of 15 to 24 years. Dealing with depression in teens is an important step in reducing these numbers in our society.
Many things can lead to depression. A teenager is just learning how to handle the pressures and emotions of an adult. Only 30% of teens suffering seek help. The others just suffer through and do their best to get through. Adults have difficulty dealing with many things, asking a teenager to deal with it on their own, is not be the best option.
Learning the signs of depression for our youth can be difficult. Depressed teenagers are often just seen as being a teen. Signs of irritability, fatigue, withdrawal and changes of eating and sleeping habits, are seen as normal signs of growing up and hormone surges. They are also signs of depression. Learning the difference in your teen’s behavior may be key in getting them the help that they need.
Learning to talk to your teen may be your best investment in their mental health. Parents and adults in a teen’s life struggle with this aspect. They often want to see the teen as still a child where the teen wants to be seen as an adult. Learning to bridge this gap and communicate efficiently may be a daunting task, but can be managed.
An adult should learn to offer support when conversing with a teenager. Let them know you are there for them. Ensure them that you are available to them at any time. Show them that you can listen without being judgmental. Don’t try to talk them out of the way that they feel. Show them that you can understand and give them the help that they need to deal with how they are feeling.
Trust your own instincts. If you have a teenager that is showing signs of depression get them help. Trusting your own feelings and emotions may be what sets the teen on the road to better mental health. They may resist getting help at first. Be firm. Let them know you are there for them and willing to work with them, but insist that they find someone they can work with to help them through this difficult time in their life.
Often a teen will find it easier to speak with someone other than a parent. Consider a peer mentor for your teen. These are teens that are trained to work with others. They become a positive influence. Teen mentors can become a confidant and will be there for the teen that may be in trouble otherwise.
Teenage depression is a serious problem, but can be treated. Learn to recognize the symptoms and get help as soon as possible. Turn the teen in your life into a success story instead of a statistic.
Aurelia
http://www.articlesbase.com/teenagers-articles/helping-your-teen-overcome-depression-750059.html
January 14th, 2010 at 5:45 am
Teen Depression- how to solve it without adults?
How do you overcome depression when you’re a teen without going to an adult for help?
I know it’s best to go to an adult for these kinds of things but that would ruin my friend’s life even more. She doesn’t see an end to it and feels that the only reason she’s still alive is because it’d hurt others too much. She doesn’t want to do anything fun, she feels like just sitting in her room by herself. It’s hard to explain but the way I can is that she can FEEL the sadness sinking in her, taking over her life. What can we do? How can I help her get through this so I can see her happy again?
I’m thinking of research, what exactly should I look for?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions and answers.
She’s already had therapy.
Her parents use to take her, but after a while they gave up.
And nothing terrible or horrible or drastic has happened in her life.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Tell her parents to help her. It’s not considered "tattling" if you’re concerned that your friend might commit suicide. from what i can tell by what you said, it looks like your friend needs some therapy.
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January 14th, 2010 at 10:49 am
if she apsolutelly cant tell her parents then get some hot guy to flirt with her. i know it sounds skum baggy but you would be surprized how well hormones can get you in and out of things.
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January 14th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Hey thats simple,
you keep her occupied the entire day that she will be too engaged to think bout the sad part of life. make her participate in these yahoo answers. get her to join some physical activities like dance or may be singing. music soothes her mind. she could find some real heart whelming answers in Gospel too. I could like go on and on with suggestions. KEEPING HER TIRINGLY BUSY IS THE BEST MEDICINE. IDLE MIND-DEVIL’S WORKSHOP.
Hoping I have been of help?
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http://www.biblestandard.com
January 14th, 2010 at 10:53 am
go through it with a friend, i sure there feeling the same as you are!
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January 14th, 2010 at 10:55 am
The good news is it will pass in time. Around 17 it really started lifting for me. Try to get her to go outside and enjoy herself, hang out with friends, go to parties, etc… Any physical activity usually helps. Excercising is a big one. Or if she doesn’t want to leave her room, bring things to her. Video games, get take out and watch a lot of movies. Just any activity besides sitting alone in the dark.
If she writes, try to hint that she write out all the thoughts before she goes to bed each night. They’ll regroup but the more she does it the less intense it will get.
I think all forms of medication if you’re under 18 need to be through your parents so that might be a last resort?
Bottom line is to keep the activity and physical focus up and the emotions out either written if she wants it private, or talking about it. And it will pass as the teen years progress, much like acne does.
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January 14th, 2010 at 10:57 am
The way all my friends who have had depression issues have fixed it is just by hanging out with friends all day. The way I’ve fixed it is finding friends who just…. never are unhappy it seems like. They’re always happy and fun to be with. If you’re around people like that, it starts to rub off, and you start being happy more often.
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January 14th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Sometimes the only way to get the ball rolling to end depression is prescribed medication. She needs to go to a doctor but getting her there is going to be one hell of a struggle. Do what you can to get her to a doctor, you don’t know whether it’s a medical problem that’s triggered it. After a few weeks on the proper medication, she will be in a state of mind where she will be able to help herself to get back to some sense of normality. Depression isn’t just about feeling depressed, depression is about a complete lack of motivation to do anything, a real detachment from surroundings and truly not in a well state to be making big decisions. You can’t just get her smiling from time to time and think she is cured, it just doesn’t work that way. Concentrate all your efforts in getting her to a doctor…. and good luck!
just to add…
Serena has a very valid point with exercise as 40 minutes of exercise a day is considered to be equal to one antidepressant pill, so maybe a nice walk every afternoon with her friends might be just the ticket she needs.
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January 14th, 2010 at 11:01 am
My best friend in high school was the same way. Instead of me, telling her parents or my parents, she tried to kill herself one day, and didn’t succeed. Thank God!!!! Tell someone, NOW!
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M.S. in Psychology
January 14th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Talk to her. Ask her whats bothering her. Do something drastic to show her that you care, that others care. Make her life better somehow, by doing something special for her.
But.. Honestly, you will hate this answer… get her help. Even if you’re not telling her that you are. Even if you have to trick her. That sounds terribly mean, but its the truth. Depression can often be overcome by medication, and with maturity. If she takes medication for a while, There’s a chance that she could turn her life around and have a better future. Bring her to psychiatric care, if she’s thinking about suicide, especially.
If she won’t go willingly, work it out with her parents. Get them to sign her in for care, and then take her there yourself, possibly not even telling her where you’re going. It sounds mean, but its called tough love.
If that won’t work, try getting an appointment with a psychologist or psychiatrist for yourself. Talk to them, ask them for advice, and they will hopefully have a much better answer than me. They’re professionals, after all. If nothing else, i hope that’s what you do. they will have an answer, i’m sure. She may not want to accept it, but getting help from people older than yourself is part of life, whether you like it or not. Thats just how the world works. Adults are more experienced, more knowledgeable, and they are truelly the ones you should talk to for advice about stuff like this. Even if you talk to your own parents, or hers, its something.
I sincerely hope this helps.
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January 14th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Tell her to talk to an adult she trusts. She will probably have to see a doctor.
There are a few things she can do that may help.
Her music, is it all sad and down and out or the violence type of music?
Same with her other forms of entertainment.
If so she probably would feel better listening to something up beat.
I know this is not going to go over well, but a lot of the classics are soothing, and do not send negative messages.
Has something happened to her, like being a victim of a crime?
How about any drug and alcohol use? Those can contribute to depression.
Really, if she doesn’t want you to spill the beans to her parents, then maybe you can be her moral support while she talks to them.
She really needs help, and being this is a medical/mental thing, her parents will have to find out.
In the mean time, just be her friend, if she becomes suicidal, get help ASAP, do not keep silent. If she is threatening others get help ASAP.
Depression can be treated and she can feel better, but she has to get the help she needs to get there.
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January 14th, 2010 at 11:07 am
my life is pretty much of how ur friends is…….. sometimes i dont see a point of living but you have to think of how others would miss you, just like you and her family would miss her.
im pretty depressed too and shes probably had something EXTREMELY terrible happen in her life and she cant stand it any longer. my family doesnt really believe me when they think im depressed but i dont completely blame them because they dont know my life, nobody really does. and i understand your friend, even i wouldnt want to go to therapy! its really embarassing and worse-it doesnt help too much it just makes you think of it more =[ so what you should do is really talk to your friend.but make it comfortable as best you can, dont say "Tell me whats bothering you" but try to be there for her like, "If you ever need to talk, need help, or anything, know that im here for you" cuz you are if you obviously care for her. try to talk to her about something that bothers her in small conversations but if you talk about this stuff too much, it wont help, she'll just keep thinking about it and cry. but most of all, be there for her and she'll no you're the reason she needs to live, because you helped her =]
i really hope you’re friend gets out of depression! i really hate it too
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January 14th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Have someone drive you,( if you don’t drive) over to the nearest Veteran’s Hospital and go into a few rooms and talk with the soldiers and war victims who almost died and lost arms and legs. Thank them that you are alive and well and living in a safe country.
If anyone has a reason to be depressed it’s them.
Get over it! stop being so self absorbed.
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January 14th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Sounds to me
like you are trying to take on a larger and more complicated load than you are prepared to address.
Depression can come from a malfunctioning organ (like the thyroid) requiring medical testing and appropriate prescription medication.
It can be from a person’s situation, high stress, feeling their problems are unsolveable.
It can come from guilt, whether the guilt is false or true.
It can come from grief.
Or it can be a chemical deficiency within the brain — requiring a Dr.s supervision and possibly targeted medication.
If your friend is feeling or believing she wants to die, or to harm herself or another person — Call 911 Get her the help she really needs NOW. Before it is too late.
If your friend were to die from this, you too, would be filled with guilt and depression. This is going to take the assistance of an adult. Seriously.
If what has happened to her gets an adult into trouble with the law – she needs to understand she is not to blame — the adult is to blame, and needs to be stopped. People need to be able to live in safety, especially kids.
There is something you need to know about kids and teens.
Your brain, reasoning, perceptions and emotions are not yet fully developed, or fully matured. You don’t know yet. The time will come when you do, but that is not this week or even this year. Adults, experienced, educated, mature really need to guide your friend to what is safe so she can get well.
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I faced hard things as a young adult. It was beyond my abilities to help myself when depressed. I needed help, both medical and counseling to be able to function normally.
January 14th, 2010 at 11:13 am
well realizing that you have depression is good. And really is it your friend. Don’t need to feel ashame of it. everyone has and will go through it. Just got to find yourself in life to simply put it. No matter how much help you get only you can deicde to choose to live your life suffering from depression
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me
January 14th, 2010 at 11:15 am
You might want to research B complex.
In clinical studies, they gave it to people in mental health hospitals. I think it was 75% of the patients were cured.
They gave it in fairly high doses though, if I remember right. 2000 Mg or so. (B complex is a water soluable vitamin, with no toxcity level.)
B complex also helps your hair and your nails grow, it gives energy, and helps memory function properly–among many other things.
.
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January 14th, 2010 at 11:17 am
all you need is to take her out amusment park, disco’s anything she liked doing . It also helps to hug her alot and telling her that you love her ( as a friend of course) . Also tell her if she does suicide you will miss her dearly. If she is telling you this she wants help , because its obviouse she wants it and all she need s is somebody or something to live for.
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me and brain